Waking Up Gray

by R. E. Bradshaw

  “Roger, rescue helo one. This is rescue vessel niner-five, over?”

  “U. S. Coast Guard rescue vessel niner-five. This is rescue helo one. We see something in that duck blind, three hundred yards to your port, over?”

  “Roger, helo one. Duck blind, three hundred yards to port. We’ll check it out, over?”

  “Roger that rescue vessel. Helo one will hover over position.” The voice on the air suddenly became excited. “Rescue vessel, we see movement. Yes, one survivor in the duck blind, rescue vessel. U. S. Coast Guard Ocracoke, this is Rescue helo one. The survivor has been located! She’s waving. Survivor located!”

  “Rescue helo one, this is U. S. Coast Guard Comm Stat Ocracoke. Roger that! Survivor located.”

  There was so much hooting and hollering, Lizbeth couldn’t hear anymore of the transmissions. Gray was alive and that was all that mattered. Now, how would she get to her? Where would they take her? She found herself standing in the middle of the room being hugged and hugging everyone else, but all she could think about was getting to Gray.

  Lizbeth found Fanny on the porch grinning just like Gray, from ear to ear. “Fanny, where will they take her? I have to go to her.”

  Fanny patted Lizbeth’s hand. “I don’t know darlin’, but she’ll call when she can.”

  On cue, the phone rang. The whole house and yard grew quiet when Jaye handed the still ringing phone to Fanny. Fanny took it and pushed the answer button. She stuck the receiver to her ear, and as if there was nothing going on said, “Hello,” very calmly into the phone.

  Her smile told everyone it was Gray. Fanny held the phone away from her ear and said to the gathered throng, “Gray wants to know if one of y’all could pick her up at the Coast Guard base? She’s a little tired.”

  A loud and raucous cheer erupted in the room. Fanny put the phone back to her ear and said, “I believe somebody’ll be there to pick you up. I’ll go on and fix up somethin’ to eat, ‘cause I know you must be starvin’… I love you too, darlin’.” Then she hung up.

  The giddiness of the rescue spread through the crowd. Fanny decided she would stay behind with some other women, to cook and prepare for Gray’s arrival. She would be tired, water logged, and in much need of food and rest. The rest of the crowd decided to all walk in mass down to the Coast Guard station. Marvina’s husband followed in an old Jeep, so that Gray wouldn’t have to walk home.

  Lizbeth went right along with everyone else, so happy she almost floated down Howard Street. Jaye walked beside her, almost as happy as Lizbeth. Jaye really did care about Gray. Lizbeth reached over, wrapping one arm around Jaye as they walked. There was now an unspoken bond between them. They both loved Gray and Lizbeth realized that was okay.

  They heard the helicopter before they could see it. Lizbeth finally spotted it coming in low across the water. The orange and white copter did a wide circle and then hovered over them before landing on the pad. First, the back door slid open and a rescue swimmer stepped out. He reached back into the doorway and helped a wobbly Gray, wrapped in a blanket and clutching a water bottle, down to the ground. She looked up at the crowd of well-wishers and smiled the patented Gray grin. The cheers echoed across the harbor.

  Gray took two shaky steps, her feet in obvious distress. Several Coast Guard guys ran over to prop her up under her shoulders and moved her out from underneath the copter and over to her waiting friends. When they deposited her on the ground, several villagers took over the propping up by lifting her off her feet and carrying her to the waiting Jeep. There were so many people, Gray never saw Lizbeth, and Lizbeth couldn’t get close to Gray.

  Once seated in the Jeep, Gray shook hands and accepted hugs, as everyone passed by her. Lizbeth fell in at the back of the line. She slowly made her way forward, watching Gray and about to burst. She wanted to throw these people out of the way and get to Gray, but she was patient, moving closer one painstaking step at a time.

  She was next in line when Gray finally saw her. Gray’s facial expression gave away her complete shock. People around them started to fade back as the realization of who Lizbeth was fluttered through the crowd. A hush fell over them as they watched Lizbeth and Gray. Lizbeth stepped up in front of Gray, close enough to touch her, but she didn’t.

  Lizbeth said, “So, you went for a swim?”

  Gray grinned. “Something like that.”

  Lizbeth could control it no longer. She threw herself into Gray’s arms and didn’t care who was looking. Gray wrapped her tightly in her grasp and whispered in her ear, “I came back, Lizbeth.”

  “I know, baby. I’m so sorry,” Lizbeth whispered back, the tears she had held in for so long now raining down her cheeks.

  Gray started crying, too. She was still holding Lizbeth tightly to her and Lizbeth could feel Gray’s body begin to shake with her tears. Gray gasped into Lizbeth’s neck, “I thought I wasn’t going to get to tell you that I loved you.”

  Lizbeth pulled back and looked into Gray’s eyes. “Gray O’Neal, I intend for you to tell me that every day for the rest of my life.”

  Gray smiled through her tears. “I will, I promise.”

  The crowd erupted into cheers and laughter that followed them all the way down Howard Street.

  #

  Fanny tried to play it cool when Gray was deposited on her doorstep.

  “Well, I recon you’re too tired to do the dishes.”

  Gray smiled at her, knowing this was Fanny’s way of saying she was glad to see her. “Just leave ‘em. I’ll get to them after awhile.”

  Gray’s feet and hands were shriveled from soaking up the water she was immersed in for hours. When she had reached water she could walk in, oyster and clamshells strewn along the bottom had ripped up the skin on the bottom of her feet. She stood on shaky legs for just a moment, before being the one to give in, and hugged her grandmother tightly.

  Lizbeth heard Gray whisper, “I’m sorry.”

  Nothing else was said. Lizbeth was sure Fanny would have her say with Gray later, but right now, they were all just so glad she was home. Fanny decided it was time for some peace and quiet around there, so she shooed all the well-wishers home, thanking them for the vigil and the safe return of her granddaughter.

  Lizbeth was instructed to take Gray in the house and put her in the shower. As crazy as it sounded, the water logged Gray needed the salt washed from her body by warm water. Even though the water temperature was not that low, the prolonged exposure had taken its toll. Gray followed instructions like a tired child and followed Lizbeth into the bathroom. Lizbeth undressed Gray, turned on the water, and gently guided her over the edge of the tub and under the showerhead.

  Lizbeth spoke softly to Gray, “Honey, I’m going to go up to your room and get you some dry clothes.”

  Gray’s hand darted out from behind the shower curtain, grabbing Lizbeth’s arm. “No, wait. Stay here.”

  Lizbeth could sense Gray’s need not to be alone. She had been on her own on that water all night. She patted Gray’s hand, and said, “Okay, I’ll wait. I’m not leaving.”

  Gray slowly released her grip on Lizbeth’s arm and returned to washing her hair. In a few minutes, she was finished. Lizbeth helped her get out of the tub and dried her off. She folded a towel and sat it on the toilet so Gray could sit down. There really wasn’t very much room to maneuver around and they ended up standing face to face, inches apart. Lizbeth wrapped a towel around Gray’s shoulders. Gray wrapped her arms around Lizbeth, pulling her into her naked body. Gray kissed Lizbeth with the desperation of a woman who thought she’d never kiss those lips again. How close they came to losing each other held them there until Fanny knocked on the door.

  “I got some dry clothes here for Gray.”

  Gray let Lizbeth go and sat down on the toilet, covering herself with the towel from her shoulders. Lizbeth opened the door.

  “Thanks, Granfanny,” Gray said.

  “I need to do something about her feet,” Lizbeth said to Fanny.

&n
bsp; Fanny pointed to the little cabinet built into the wall behind the door. “All kinds of bandages and salves in there. I put some socks on top to wear over ‘em.”

  Gray spoke up, “I hate socks.”

  Lizbeth and Fanny looked at each other and laughed. Gray was going to be just fine.

  Fanny poked a finger at her, “Well, ornery as ever, you’re going to wear ‘em.”

  Gray understood not to argue. Lizbeth was sure Gray knew Fanny could light into her any minute for getting drunk and sinking the boat. Therefore, Gray cowered and promised to wear the socks. Fanny left them alone to go back to the kitchen. Lizbeth found the Band-Aids and first aid ointment and proceeded to doctor Gray’s torn feet.

  Gray was being a baby about it. Lizbeth understood how tired she was and didn’t take the bait when she grumbled. Instead, she talked to Gray in soothing tones and tried to make the best of it, until Gray snatched her foot away, yelping.

  “Jesus, that hurts!”

  Lizbeth stood up from where she had been squatted on the floor, tending to the wounds. She held out the Band-Aids and ointment in her hand to Gray. “Do it yourself then.”

  “I’m sorry,” Gray said. “They’re tender. I know you’re just trying to help.”

  “Yes, I am and you’re being a baby.”

  “I’m tired, Lizbeth. I’m teetering here. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”

  Lizbeth got over her bit of irritation, seeing how close to the edge Gray was. “Let me finish this. We’ll get you dressed, feed you, and put you to bed. Then you can fall apart if you need to. I know you haven’t yet or you wouldn’t have made it back.”

  “Okay,” Gray replied weakly, her energy level dipping again.

  Lizbeth hurried with the rest of the bandaging and then dressed the exhausted Gray. She led her by the hand to the kitchen, where Gray plopped down heavily in the first chair she reached. Fanny sat a large platter piled high with eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes. A bowl of grits and large glasses of orange juice and milk joined the plate. If Gray consumed it all she would burst, but Fanny was making sure she had plenty.

  Gray approached the plate slowly, but once she got started, she ate ravenously. Lizbeth and Fanny watched her, not saying anything. With a good portion of the plate gone, Gray finally looked up at them, while she chugged half the glass of milk.

  Fanny saw her chance to speak. “I talked to Bud. He and Charles will do your tours for the rest of the week.”

  Gray nodded, but didn’t make eye contact.

  Fanny wasn’t finished. “Gray, you ‘bout ready to tell me what happened? You don’t have to tell me the part where you got drunk and took off in the boat like a damn fool. I got that much from Cora Mae.” Fanny was wasting no time taking the gloves off; she was angry with Gray, even though she was happy she was safe. “By the way, what’s she gonna make a living on now?”

  Gray put down her fork. She hesitated before saying, “I reckon I’ll have to let her use the tour boat.”

  “No, you won’t,” Fanny snapped. “Ain’t gonna tear that new boat up with fishin’ nets and crab pots. Elbert’s done told her she could use his old one.”

  Gray still had not looked at Fanny. Her tactic was obviously to try to avoid a direct blow. She took a drink of juice, then said, “That’ll work, at least until I can figure out how to get the Fanny Gray out of the Sound.”

  “Do you think they can salvage her?” Fanny asked.

  “Yeah, it’s probably only fifteen or twenty feet where she went down.”

  Lizbeth was on the edge of her seat. “What happened?”

  Gray looked down at the floor, the knuckle of her right index finger rested against her lips. Lizbeth took Gray’s other hand, squeezing it tight. She could see Gray’s eyes darting back and forth, watching an unseen movie unfold before her. She was remembering, or at least trying to order the events in her brain. A lot had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

  Gray took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “When I left Cora Mae’s I went out the channel and tooled around some. I was mad. I can remember that, but not much else. I’m not proud of it, but I’ll admit I drank way too much. I anchored the boat and jumped in the water. I sobered up some, but when I got back in the boat, I got sick. I slept for a while, but I was still drunk. I know that because I got up and started for Swan Quarter. I guess I changed my mind after I sobered up some more.”

  “Your granddaddy always said, you don’t mix liquor and water, not even in a glass,” Fanny reminded her.

  Gray ignored the remark and continued her recollection. “I was coming back across, got about halfway. It was getting dark. I turned the running lights on and poof, everything started frying. The generator shut down, the engine went off, and the bilge pump quit working. I didn’t notice it was leaking because I was trying to get the radio to work. By the time I saw the water in the bow, it was too late. I knew I was going to have to swim, so I just kept at the radio until I got the message out. Just in the nick of time too, because she went down fast after that.”

  Fanny asked, “Why was she leaking? That boat is tight as a tick.”

  Gray shrugged her shoulders. “Jane said they hit one of those old submerged duck blinds the other day, maybe the hole just finally opened up.”

  Fanny flashed angry. “And you knew this and went out anyway?”

  “I wasn’t really thinking about it at the time,” Gray said, only slightly defending her actions.

  Lizbeth wanted to tell Fanny it wasn’t all Gray’s fault. Lizbeth had made her angry. She should shoulder some of the burden. She started to speak, “I had a hand in…”

  Gray cut her off. “No, what I did was asinine and inexcusable. Fanny has a right to be mad.”

  How refreshing to find a grown-up willing to take responsibility for her actions. Lizbeth’s admiration for Gray grew in leaps and bounds. Her lifting up of Gray to more than goddess status was interrupted by Fanny’s remark.

  “Your granddaddy’d tan your hide if he were here. I’d whup you myself, but the price on this little pissin’ fit ought to be punishment enough, not to mention comin’ near to dyin’.”

  Gray looked down at her plate. The first tear trickled from her eye. Fanny looked at Lizbeth. “Go on, take her upstairs. She needs to sleep.”

  Lizbeth took Gray’s elbow gently and stood her up. She let Gray lean on her so she wouldn’t have to put so much weight on her feet. They made slow progress up the stairs. Once in the room, Lizbeth helped Gray take her pants off and crawl beneath the sheets. Gray had not said a word since the kitchen. She cried softly into the pillow while Lizbeth stood beside the bed, not knowing what to do to help her.

  Lizbeth leaned down, kissed Gray on the cheek, and started to leave. Gray grabbed her hand, whispering, “Stay with me.”

  Lizbeth wondered about Fanny for a second, and then realized Fanny knew and would expect her to stay with Gray. She crawled in the bed behind Gray and spooned into her. Gray cried harder now that Lizbeth was in the bed.

  Lizbeth whispered, “Go ahead and cry, baby. I’ll hold you. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Gray rolled over, her face now streaked with tears. “Why did you leave?”

  “I’m so sorry, Gray. I saw you at the dock with her and I panicked. I came back as soon as I found out what happened.”

  “I called you and told you at seven, when I got off the boat. You didn’t listen to the messages, did you?”

  “No, Mazie did. She told me and then Dana came to my house.”

  Gray’s face showed her surprise. “Dana did what?”

  “She came to my house in Durham and told me I was an idiot and you didn’t deserve what I had done to you.”

  Gray tried a weak grin. Her tears had almost stopped. She said, “I didn’t deserve it. I came back as soon as I could.”

  Lizbeth became a bit defensive. “What would you have thought was happening if you saw me getting into a boat for an evening cruise with my ex, who appeared to be trying to
seduce me?”

  “I hope I would have trusted you,” Gray answered.

  This was Gray’s vindictive streak showing. Lizbeth had hurt her and now she was having a hard time letting it go. Lizbeth thought she might help her along with it. In some ways, Gray was so much like a child. “Okay Gray, I hurt you. I am sorry, but then you went and made me wonder if you were dead or not, so I think we’re even.”

  Gray reached over and put a stray curl behind Lizbeth’s ear. “I made that swim because I had to. I had to come back. I made my mind that if I made it, the first thing I was going to do was go and find you.”

  Lizbeth knew what Gray was saying and she was flattered. “You would have left this island to come find me?”

  “Well, that’s where I was going in the boat, until I sobered up some.”

  Their mood began to lighten a little. Lizbeth even smiled. “How in the hell were you planning on getting to Durham in that boat?”

  “That’s the thing about being drunk, no planning.” Gray grinned.

  “Gray,” Lizbeth said, and then, suddenly overwhelmed with all the emotion of the past three days, began to cry. “Can we love each other now? Is all that other stuff out of the way? Can we both just give in and let the past go?”

  Gray kissed her softly on the lips. “Yes, Lizbeth, and if I have to move off this island to keep you, I will. I made up my mind about that, too, while I was out there on the water.”

  “I would never take you away from here. It’s where you belong.”

  Gray slid her arms around Lizbeth, pulling her in closer. “I want to be where we belong, not just me.”

  Lizbeth smiled. “I belong with you, wherever that is and I would just as soon it be here as any other place.”

  Gray sealed the deal with a kiss and then fell deeply to sleep. She was exhausted. Lizbeth snuggled under the covers with Gray and followed her happily into dreamland.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lizbeth woke to Gray nuzzling up to her neck and pulling her into her body from behind. Lizbeth didn’t open her eyes. She just snuggled up tighter and tried to go back to sleep. She had gotten up around seven the previous evening, fed Gray the sandwiches Fanny had prepared, and then held Gray until they both went back to sleep. They slept all night.