Find Wonder In All Things (23 page)

“No, I can do one.” She threw the ski in the water behind the boat and jumped after it. As she wrestled with putting her left foot in, he called to her, “Not so tight on the boot. You want your foot to come out of it if you take a spill.”

“I don’t like the way it slips around on my foot.”

James shook his head but said nothing. John moved forward slowly, tightening up the rope. She grabbed the handle when it reached her, and the boat pulled her slowly through the water.

Laurel and Carrie shielded their eyes from the sun and watched as Heather tucked her right knee behind her left and curled into a little ball in preparation. She gave the thumbs-up, and John punched the gas. She disappeared behind the water spray for about ten seconds, but then she popped up to the surface — a brilliant smile on her face. The three of them clapped and shouted as she got her bearings and leaned back.

James signaled to ask her whether the speed was okay.
Faster!
she gestured, and John increased his speed accordingly. She was doing well and started to swing out over the wake, but she hesitated and drifted back behind the boat. She gestured again —
Faster!

“She wants me to go faster?” John asked, incredulous.

“She just thinks she does.” James shook his head no, but Heather insisted, signaling again —
Faster!

James rolled his eyes. “Fine! Speed up.”

John tossed him a wary look. “I don’t know, James.”

“That’s what she wants; let her have it.”

John bumped up his speed, and Laurel turned back from her spotting post. “Maybe you should slow down, John,” she shouted over the whine of the boat motor.

James shrugged. “She said she wanted to go faster.”

Laurel turned back around and resumed watching Heather, who responded by giving the okay signal. She was growing braver by the minute, moving from side to side, and expertly jumped the wake. As she picked up momentum and swung around almost beside the boat, Laurel scanned ahead of her for debris in the water that John, who was concentrating on driving, might miss. Suddenly, Heather swept back across the wake, racing to the opposite side.

Laurel saw the log, but her shout of warning was a second too late. She whirled around to get Heather’s attention, but her frantic gestures were futile. Heather never heard her or saw it coming. The next few seconds went by in sickening, slow motion. Heather hit the log and catapulted into the air, the rope flying out beside her. She crashed onto the surface of the water and somersaulted end-over-end as Laurel watched in horror. Then, with a terrific spray of blue-green water, she disappeared. When she resurfaced a few seconds later, time resumed its normal pace, and Laurel’s senses returned. She could hear James shouting at John to turn back. Carrie was screaming. John whipped the boat around and raced back to Heather, reducing speed as they approached her. She was face down in the water, limp and unmoving. When they were close enough, Laurel dove into the water without a second thought, turned Heather over and shouted back, “Someone help me! Hurry! She’s out cold; come help me!”

It was James who dove in and was beside them in a matter of seconds. They kept shouting to her to wake up even as they pulled her toward the boat. Carrie stood with her hands over her mouth, crying in silence. John killed the motor and helped them gently lift her up over the side and lay her flat. Thankful that her dad insisted they all keep their Red Cross training current, Laurel dug deep in her memory and went through the CPR assessment. “Heather, Heather, wake up!” She bent down and listened for breath. “She’s not breathing, but maybe the wind’s just knocked out of her or something.” She gave two rescue breaths.

“Jesus Christ, look at her foot!” James’s voice was low, but his face was pale and his eyes wide with fright. Heather’s foot jutted out at an unnatural angle.

“Never mind that. We’ve got to get her conscious first,” Laurel insisted. James moved up to do two man CPR.

“No,” she ordered in a calm but firm voice. “Does John know CPR?”

“I don’t know,” James answered, momentarily confused. “John?”

“Yeah!” John jumped up.

“Good. John, you help me. James, you know the lake better, so you drive. You remember Carter’s Ford dock — where it is?”

“Just up on the left, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Get us there. They’ve got a phone.”

The men switched places. Laurel was concentrating, her fingers on Heather’s wrist. “I’m getting a pulse; we won’t need compressions.” Carrie let out a sob.

Laurel gave another rescue breath, and there was a convulsive cough. They rolled Heather to her side and water leaked out her mouth.

“That’s good,” Laurel muttered. “She’s breathing now.” She heaved a sigh of relief.

“Almost there,” James shouted from the front. As they approached the dock, John took the wheel while James leapt out and took off toward the building about halfway up the hill. John and Carrie held the boat next to the dock while Laurel continued to monitor Heather for any change. She was breathing but still unconscious. Laurel didn’t dare move her for fear of doing more damage.

James ran back down the dock. “The ambulance is on its way. How is she?”

“No change,” Laurel replied.

John’s calm voice soothed Laurel’s jagged nerves. “You’re right to move her as little as possible. It’s best to let the professionals do that.”

After the ambulance arrived, Laurel and Carrie stepped back out of the way to let the EMTs tend to Heather. Laurel stood watching for a few seconds, her arm around a shaking Carrie, and then turned around to find James pacing back and forth in agitation, muttering to himself, a furious scowl on his face.

Laurel hesitated, but then she approached him, touching him on the arm.

“James, we need to find Stu.”

“What was she thinking?” his voice rough with anguish. “How could she be so careless? She hadn’t been skiing in years!”

“She just didn’t have enough experience to dodge the log, or she saw it too late.”

“I shouldn’t have let her go so fast. I shouldn’t have encouraged her.”

“James, it was an accident. It’s not your fault.”

He shook his head and swore.

“We need to find Ginny and Stu,” she repeated. “Can you take the boat back and look for them?”

A burly EMT with a handlebar moustache approached them. “Ma’am, she’s set to go. She’s stable, and we’ve got the foot immobilized, but she might have a concussion from hitting the water so hard. Who’s going with her to the hospital?”

“Well, that’s her sister over there . . . ” Laurel began.

James interrupted. “No, Laurel, you’re going with her. Carrie’s too upset to answer questions or anything.” He looked at the EMT and said with confidence, “Laurel will know what to do.”

Laurel glanced up at James in surprise. He looked back at her with a grim intensity. “I’ll take John and Carrie, and we’ll find the houseboat. We’ll meet up with you at the hospital as soon as we can get there, okay?”

She nodded.

“Take care of her.” James touched her arm, slid his hand down to hers, and squeezed it gently. “See you soon.”

Chapter 20

Once at the hospital, Laurel ended up with little to do besides wait for Heather’s family. The ER nurse asked her a few questions about Heather’s medical history, most of which she didn’t know, and about whether she was allergic to anything, which she also didn’t know. She sat in the ER waiting room for what seemed like hours until Stuart and Virginia arrived, followed by Carrie and James.

Stuart rushed toward Laurel, worry covering his handsome face. “Where is she? How is she?”

“They took her into surgery a while ago. Her ankle’s broken, and they’ve called in an orthopedist to set it. She also has a concussion, but even though she was still unconscious when we got here, they said there’s no reason to suspect a more serious head injury.”

Stuart closed his eyes in relief, and Virginia put her arm around him. Carrie exclaimed, “Thank God!” and threw her arms around the two of them. James stood back, watching Laurel with a strange expression: a mixture of awe, admiration and discomfort.

When the surgeon came out, he talked to Stuart, Virginia and Carrie and then led them back to see their sister in the recovery room. James and Laurel stood, alternately glancing at each other and then looking away in uncomfortable silence. Finally, Laurel sat back down. After several minutes, Virginia came out.

“How is she?” James asked.

“As well as can be expected. Stu and Carrie are going to stay for a while, probably overnight. Their parents are in Greece, so I’m going to call them tonight when I get home and tell them what happened. I don’t know if they can get back very fast though.

“James, can you take me home? I’m going to leave them the car and get some rest tonight. Stu is worried about me.” She smiled, but her expression was weary. “I assured him I’m fine, but maybe this is best anyway. He and Carrie will be exhausted tomorrow morning, and I can come back and take a turn with her while they rest. I have a feeling that’s what we’ll be doing for the next few days.”

“Of course.” He turned to Laurel. “I assume you want to go home as well?”

“Yes, if you don’t mind the longer drive.”

“Not at all.”

They rode home in virtual silence until Virginia broke the quiet.

“Carrie told me everything you did to help Heather today, Laurel. I’m so glad you were there.”

“I was more than happy to help, of course, but I don’t think I did that much.”

James looked at her in his rearview mirror. “How can you say that? You had the coolest head of all of us.”

“We grew up on the lake, and sometimes emergencies happened. I guess I just kind of went on autopilot. Ginny would have done the same.”

“I overheard Stuart talking to the doctor who admitted her. He said probably the most dangerous time was when we first pulled her out and she wasn’t breathing. It would have been so easy for her to go into respiratory arrest, and then we might have lost her.” His voice cracked a little. “You saved her life, Laurel.”

Virginia reached back for Laurel’s hand and smiled at her as she gave it a gentle squeeze. They continued riding in silence until they reached Pendleton Place.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Virginia asked as the car pulled to a stop.

“I remember the way, and you need to rest,” James answered. “But thanks anyway.”

Laurel moved up to the passenger seat, feeling as if she could cut the tension in the car with a knife, but she had no idea what to say to make it better, so she said nothing. James waited until Virginia was inside the house before backing out of the driveway.

He drove without speaking, glancing at her every once in a while. Laurel stared straight ahead.

“It’s been quite a day, hasn’t it?” he finally ventured.

She sighed. “Yes, one I wouldn’t want to repeat — ever.”

“I keep waiting for you to have some kind of little break down, tears, angry words, something— but I don’t guess you will, huh?”

She looked at him. How could she tell him that she had to hold her emotions tightly when he was around — that there was no way she could let her guard down even in a situation like this?

“What would be the point of that?”

“What indeed,” he muttered to himself.

Laurel felt exhaustion creeping over her. The idea of a hot shower to wash off the hospital smell and the lake, followed by falling into bed, sounded more appealing by the minute.

“You’ll have to help me find the turn off in the dark.”

“Oh, okay. It’s just a couple miles ahead — on the right.” After a few more minutes, she pointed. “Right here — see the reflector?”

“Yep.” He turned in and began ascending the long slope up to the cabin. When the car popped over the hill and her house came into view, he remarked, “It doesn’t look much different.”

“I didn’t do too much to the outside— new paint, a new roof, a new deck. The inside is where the biggest change is.”

“You must be doing well with your pottery to afford remodeling.”

“Oh, I get by. I’ve been renovating on a shoestring. Dad helps quite a bit. He knows a lot of people and gets me labor and materials for a very reasonable cost.”

“I see.”

“And Dylan and Crosby help too. Dylan did all the wiring.” They were getting close to the cabin, and in a rush she asked, “Hey, do you want a cup of coffee or something?” She had no idea what she was thinking, except, all of a sudden, she didn’t feel like being alone.

“Sure.” His answer was quick, making her suspect he felt the same way.

Laurel shuffled up the porch steps, fishing in her bag for her keys. A couple of steps behind her, James caught up while she fumbled with the lock. He held the screen door open while she forced the key to turn. The door opened so unexpectedly, she nearly stumbled over the threshold. He reached out to steady her at the elbow.

“Okay there?”

“Yes, thanks,” she mumbled. He left his hand on her arm for longer than he needed to, and her skin burned where he touched her. She tossed her things on the couch and headed for the kitchen, turning on lights as she went. She heard his keys drop on the end table by the door, and then he was in the kitchen with her, just standing there as if he didn’t know what to do next.