Tahoe Blue

by Eden French

  “Look, Carson. You know me and I think I know you pretty well. You’re a good guy. One of the few in this business. I just don’t want you giving up everything you’ve worked for, everything you deserve, for a chick who will break your heart. I mean, how long have you known her? Can you trust her? How do you know she’s not into what you can do for her more than just you?”

  The smile tugged at the corners of Carson’s mouth. She thought she knew him so well. Ironic. Carson wet his lips. It was time to come out. To let her in on his biggest secret, the secret that helped him and became his greatest acting feat of all time. Playing straight. Sweat broke out on his forehead and his heart thundered in his chest.

  “About that…,” he began. “It’s not some chick, Cynthia. His name’s Brand, and he’s not just a piece of ass. I’ve known him for years. I… I love him. And he loves me.”

  The line was silent. Her breathing could barely be heard through the receiver. Carson picked up the phone and held it up to his face while he waited for her to say something. His palms turned clammy. Shit. This was worse than coming out with his mother. He rubbed his temple with his free hand. “Cyn? Cyn? You still there?”

  “Are you are saying what I think you’re saying?”

  “Well, if I need to spell it out… I’m gay. I’m gay, always have been, and I’m in love with someone I’ve loved for as long as I can remember.”

  His heart pounded to escape his chest. It climbed up his throat and beat wildly in the very back of his mouth. Would she drop him as a client? He couldn’t imagine such a thing could happen in Hollywood of all places, but he wasn’t sure. She’d spent so much time creating a brand for him. She’d steadily built up a growing fan base, cultivated a certain image, and gave every ounce of herself to help his star rise. And it was all based on a lie. A lie he’d told. One that he’d lived. Everything he’d ever revealed to her about his personal life was false. But there was no going back now. Not ever. Too late for regrets. Besides, he’d already lived his biggest one, and somehow, he was given a do-over. He’d give it all up to have what they had again.

  “Well, it’s about goddamn time you came out.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Honey, I’ve worked in this business for over thirty years. You think I don’t know when someone’s gay? Although I have to admit, you really did hold out on me. I was beginning to question my gaydar.”

  “So, you’re not gonna drop me?”

  “Drop you? Are you fuckin’ kidding me? You’re still rising, kid. Although, I’m super pissed about having to rebrand you. Jesus Christ, this isn’t going to be easy, given your current role. Not impossible, just not easy. But don’t you worry, hon. We’ll make it through. Just like we always have.”

  His shoulders released the tension of half a decade. “And, you’re not mad at me about not taking the flight?”

  She huffed. “I’m fuckin’ pissed as all hell. But I get it. You need more time. I’ll talk with production, see what I can do to hold it off a few more days.”

  “Thank you, Cyn.”

  “But no promises, kid. And whatever’s going on up there, you need to wrap it up and get your ass down here ASAP. You understand? You’re under contract until the end of the season, a pretty sweet one thanks to me, so don’t blow it. A lot of money, and our reputations, are on the line. Do what you need to do but get down here and finish filming. Don’t leave me hanging. Then after, we can take time and figure out how you’re gonna live your true self. Got it?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Got it.”

  “All right, kid. I gotta go. You take care. And I’m gonna need your knight in shining armor’s details when you get down here. We control this announcement, understand?”

  “Of course. You’re the expert.”

  She huffed on the other end. “Now you tell me. Talk to you later.”

  “Thank you. You know, for being you and supporting me.”

  “No sweat. That’s my job.”

  The click on the line ended the conversation, and he put the phone down on the coffee table. Well, that conversation went better than he had anticipated. He leaned back on the couch, a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. Grabbing the TV remote from the side table, he flicked on the television. Settling down into the cushions, he imagined Brand’s reaction when he told him he’d come out to his agent. Carson’s heart warmed. He couldn’t wait to have his lover in his arms again. He’d give up everything if it meant a lifetime with Brand.

  Carson flipped through the channels until he reached a local station. A thick red ticker tape ran along the bottom.

  * * *

  PLEASE BE ADVISED. HWY 50 CLOSED DUE TO MULTICAR ACCIDENT. ALL TRAFFIC WILL BE REROUTED.

  * * *

  “Shit.”

  That must be the emergency Brand was called to. Carson’s stomach knotted. He reached for his phone. His screen was blank. No messages from Brand.

  “He’s probably just busy saving lives,” he said aloud.

  Still, worry twisted his muscles. He hoped he’d hear from Brand soon.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  “Shit, shit, shit.”

  Brand heard James cuss under his breath behind him as they worked the triage area. Brand worked furiously to stop the bleeding from a deep leg wound on a young woman with a yellow tag, while James and three others tended to a red tag behind him.

  “Unresponsive male. Blood pressure eighty over forty. Heart rate one-forty. Pale. Diaphoretic.”

  “Uncontrolled hemorrhaging.”

  “We need an ambulance over here. Critical patient transport.”

  Brand heard the event unfold behind him as he continued to care for the woman in front of him.

  “Andrew? Andrew, are you okay?” the woman called, craning her neck to look over Brand’s shoulder.

  By the sound of the orders behind him, things weren’t looking positive. He shifted his body to block her line of sight.

  “Miss, I need you to stay still.”

  “But, Andrew… is he okay?”

  Brand looked up at the woman. “My name’s Brand. Can you tell me your name?”

  The woman blinked a few times, her gaze blank. Brand held her stare and nodded.

  The woman swallowed hard and finally answered, “Shannon.”

  He released the tension in his chest. “Okay, Shannon. I need you to be as still as you can, okay? You’re injured, and I’d like to get you transferred to the hospital as soon as possible.”

  “But Andrew… where’s Andrew? I need to know if he’s okay.”

  His stomach tightened. He examined the woman’s face and noticed a thin sheen of sweat collecting at her brow, her complexion ashen. He quickly took her pulse. Her heart rate was elevated. He clenched his teeth. Shock. This woman was going into shock, and He knew his time was limited before she’d be falling into a critical zone. He had to get her transferred to the hospital. He took a breath and summoned his calm voice. The one he used when things got dicey.

  “I tell you what, Shannon,” he began. “I’ll make you a deal. You lean back and let me help you, and I’ll find out where Andrew is and how he’s doing. Deal?”

  She began shaking. His time was running out. He had to stop the bleeding and get her out of here, or her life would be at stake.

  “Shannon, do we have a deal?” He made eye contact, his voice firmer.

  The injured woman snapped her head in his direction and held his gaze for a minute before nodding slightly. He jumped on the agreement.

  “Great. Now, I know it’s hard, but just try to relax. Just breathe. When I’m done here, we’ll get you to a transport. And then, I’ll find Andrew. Okay?”

  A slight nod showed she was still with him. The woman stopped moving and sat still enough for him to put pressure on the wound. Catching the eye of another medic, he waved them over for a gurney. The team approached and assisted in getting her on a gurney to the hospital.

  Once the secondary team took over, Brand turned and faced James, wh
o was working with two other medics to resuscitate a man Brand suspected was Andrew. The team worked in coordination.

  “Blood pressure’s dropping. We’re at sixty over forty.”

  “Get a bilateral large bore IV in him now.”

  Brand watched the team work quickly, every passing second as crucial as the last. Once the IV was inserted, a transport team took over. Brand caught James’s eye for a moment. James watched as the team wheeled the man off to the closest ambulance. There was no way to predict the outcome, but Brand prayed the man survived. Snapping out of his thoughts, he ran to the ambulance, where Shannon was being loaded up.

  “Shannon, he's being transferred to Barton Memorial. Hang in there,” he yelled through the door. “You’ll get there just after him.”

  Her eyes widened with fear and uncertainty. Tears fell down her cheeks, her jaw slack from shock, and her eyes blank as they stared at her surroundings. He bit the inside of his cheek as he watched the paramedics work on her, her expression suggesting she wasn’t quite comprehending what was happening, as they closed the doors.

  James appeared at his side.

  “It doesn’t look good for him,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

  Brand blew out a loud breath. “You gave him the best chance possible. Hopefully, he can hang on until they get him into surgery.”

  Damn. An hour ago, the couple were heading back to their cabin, maybe back to his place or out for a nice dinner. Now? Brand ran his hand through his hair. Shannon would make it. But Andrew? He wasn’t so sure. What was their story? How many moments would they still have… or not have? He reached into his pocket and searched for his phone. He had to text Carson. His hand came up empty. Shit. He must’ve left it at the station.

  “We need a team out here for a red tag!”

  Brand and James snapped their heads in the direction of the voice. Through the blizzard, they could see a team of firefighters surrounding on a car. Brand focused in on the scene.

  “Let’s go.”

  James nodded and the two men took off toward the group. As they approached a blue sedan the firefighters were crowded around, Brand followed James as they breached the line and stopped short when his gaze met the scene.

  The car was off the road. One tire hung off the edge leading to a shallow ditch. Not good. He searched the vehicle, and his stomach rolled. Shit. A child. A dark-haired girl was trapped in the hot mess of twisted metal. Blood ran down the right side of her head. Jesus Christ. When it came to rescues, children always seemed to hit everyone a little too hard in the gut. His ears whooshed with adrenaline, and he looked to the crew who were working on trying to free her from the metal prison.

  Two firefighters attempted to stabilize the car by angling a large piece of wood under the half hanging off the road. Several others worked to keep the car from slipping further by securing it with thick metal chains and utility rope to a nearby pole.

  “Be careful when you cut that piece. Her legs are smashed underneath.”

  “One cut at a time.”

  “Where’s the damn tow truck?”

  “I need more hands on the frame.”

  “There jammed up about two miles down the road.”

  “Cut too high and the car may slide further down.”

  “Damned weather.”

  Everyone spoke at once, and yet the firefighters moved in choreographed unison, each one there with a specific job to support each other. All of them keenly aware that one wrong move, one small miscalculation, would put the car further into the ditch and make the child’s release that much more difficult.

  “We need a medic in there now. Can one of you get in close for assessment?” the chief asked, pointing at Brand and James.

  Brand quickly surveyed the car. It would be a tight fit, but he would definitely be able to maneuver the obstacle. “I can.” He stepped forward.

  “Good. We don’t have much time,” the chief said.

  Brand nodded and approached the car. He carefully leaned in and tried to assess the child’s vitals.

  “She’s too small. I’m having trouble getting accurate readings. I’ve got to get in there.”

  James placed his hand on Brand’s shoulder. “Absolutely not. This car could slip at any moment.”

  Brand looked at the car and then down the road. It was a slight decline to the surrounding land. Not a steep ledge. He turned to the fire chief.

  “That little girl is running out of time. If I don’t get in there and start an IV, it won’t make a difference if you get her out. She’ll be well into shock. Not to mention we’ve no idea what the true damage to her legs is.

  “Look, I get it,” he continued, pointing off the road. “Yes, the car is unstable. But I’d categorize that incline as a survivable crash. Even if it went over, I’d have a high survival rate, over 95 percent, I’d bet. That little girl has a zero percent chance of survival if I don’t get in there now.”

  The fire chief was silent as he considered Brand’s proposition. Brand held his breath and waited for the directive.

  “Do it.” The chief blew out a long breath. “But be quick, and if one of my guys tells you to get out, you better damn well listen. There are no heroes here. You understand?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Brand rushed back to the car and grabbed his medic bag. “James, I’m gonna need you to prep.”

  “On it.”

  “Okay, team. Everyone stop.” The chief approached the team of rescuers. “We need to get the medic in the car. Barerra. Chavez. Your teams keep those ropes taut. We need this vehicle nice and still until our medic is in. Once he’s in, we need to get this moving. I want the girl out. And I don’t want him in there longer than he has to be. Understand?”

  A sea of confirmation rippled through the group.

  “Let’s go. Move it.”

  Brand and James headed to the opposite side of the vehicle and waited for instructions.

  “You be careful in there,” James said as a firefighter waved Brand over to an open window on the front passenger side.

  “Always.”

  Of course he’d be careful. A little girl’s life was in his hands. He took a deep breath and recounted all the reasons making it out unscathed mattered. His heart clenched as a certain blond-haired reason flashed in his mind. Carson would be waiting for him when he returned. His heart fluttered in his chest. But first, the girl.

  He shook all thoughts of Carson out of his head. Time to focus. Nothing mattered except that child in the car. Two more deep breaths and he was in the zone. All emotion set aside. He was ready.

  “My name’s Navarro. This is Peterson. We’re gonna be right with you the whole time.”

  Brand nodded at the two firefighters. With the assistance of Navarro and Peterson, he was lifted into the passenger-side window, where he gingerly shimmied into the back seat. He twisted his torso to the side and scrunched up one leg to fit. The girl’s eyes fluttered as she swam in and out of consciousness.

  “James, I’m ready for the pack,” he called as he began his assessment. James handed the pack through the window.

  As soon as he had the equipment, he heard the team outside continue the extraction. The car jostled, and he hurried as he inserted the IV and attended to some of the larger lacerations. He continued to monitor the child’s vitals.

  “I need a small collar,” he called to James.

  James slid the small neck brace through the opening to Brand.

  “How close are we to extraction?” he asked.

  “Close. Here comes the door.”

  Brand supported the girl’s body, holding her head in place and secured a brace around her neck. “Okay, we’re ready in here.”

  A loud scraping echoed in the car, and the entire vehicle dropped about two inches as half of the car door was removed. Brand released the child and continued to monitor her vitals.

  Navarro leaned into the small opening. “We’re ready to remove the panel on her legs. Is she ready for tra
nsport?”

  Brand nodded. “In here, yes. James, is the transport team ready out there? She’s lost a lot of blood, and there are several fractures in her arms. Definite head injury, probable neck injury, as well. I suspect that there are also some broken ribs.”

  “We’re ready for her.” James’ voice came from outside the vehicle.

  He looked at Navarro through the opening.

  “Okay. Let’s do this.”

  He heard commands called outside the vehicle. It was close. A loud crack and screech sounded in his ears, and the car dropped a bit more.

  “Hold tight!”

  “Don’t let it move!”

  “Just a few more seconds!”

  A blizzard raged outside and sweat dripped from Brand’s brow. He swallowed hard.

  “This is it,” Navarro said. “Once we make this last cut, the panel will be removed.”

  Brand met his eyes. “As soon as we’re clear, we’ve got to move her out of here. Quick.”

  “Her first. Then you.”

  Brand nodded in agreement. “Ready.”

  Two firefighters Brand hadn’t seen before placed themselves in position to peel back the panel.

  “On the count of three. One. Two. Three.”

  The team pulled and yanked the panel free. Within seconds, Brand maneuvered the girl’s small frame and IV bag out of the partial opening into Navarro and Peterson’s waiting arms. James was just behind them, and as soon as they placed her on the backboard, he began transport to a waiting ambulance.

  Brand released a sigh. He’d done what he could. She was alive, at least for the moment. He’d done his job.

  “Let’s go, hero,” Navarro said through the opening. “Let’s get you out… unless you’re liking your new digs.”

  “Um, no. Get me out of here.”

  He shifted forward, his leg slightly numb from holding it bent for so long. Just a few more seconds and he’d be out of here and hopefully on his way home. He crawled forward toward the opening.