by David Allen
He kicked his legs. Go up. Go up, his mind frantically screamed. He pulled on the cord. It was unwrapping. Why wasn’t it holding him up?
CHAPTER FOUR
“Scott.” A voice entered the fog. “Scott. Stop trying to twist your IV around your arm, it will come out!” Scott’s eyes opened. A nurse was above him, tugging at his arm. He felt his legs, heavy in the tangled blankets. Cold sweat ran down Scott’s forehead. He lay unmoving, his wits coming back to him. There it was, that familiar pain in his foot.
“Where’s Jerry?” Scott asked.
“He went out. He said he’d be back this morning.” The nurse was readjusting Scott’s IV. “I’m glad you’re awake. You’ve been improving since about three this morning. Are you hungry?”
Scott shook his head no. “What happened?”
“You got sick from a medicine, dear, but you’re improving now.”
Scott leaned back on his pillow and bit his lip. He was so angry. Janet was fresh in his mind now. It was all like a fresh wound had been sliced across the old one. “I wish I hadn’t woken up.” Scott spoke in a groggy voice.
“Oh, don’t talk like that, you’re just a young man, and you’re getting stronger by the hour,” said Kathy. She was straightening the blankets on the bed. “Now that you’re awake, try not to kick the blankets off.”
Scott grimaced inside. Her voice was like an annoying bee sting of reality. “Sorry,” he mumbled. He rolled over halfway.
“Careful with your IV, dear. I’ll be back with your breakfast.”
Scott began to sit up. “I’m not hungry.”
She was already gone. He sighed and settled back down.
Scott watched a fl y buzz around the ceiling. It made a low buzzing sound that almost matched the pounding in his head. A minute later he heard footsteps returning.
“I brought you some milk, and a banana.” Nurse Kathy set the tray next to the bed. “Let me help you sit up, and see if you can eat.” She propped a pillow so Scott could sit up. “Mr. Henrich will be here soon.” She brought the banana up to Scott’s lips.
He felt awkward. “I haven’t had someone feed me for a long time.” Milk dribbled down his chin when she held the cup to his lips.
“This will help you regain your strength so you can feed yourself. You haven’t eaten for the two days you’ve been here.” Kathy smiled.
Scott took one last bite of banana and shook his head. “Too much,” he said through a mouthful.
“This won’t be the last time you’ll be fed by a lady.” Kathy was trying to cheer Scott.
“Why?” Scott mumbled.
“You’re a young man. You still need a girl in a white dress to feed you cake. The girls will be all over you back in the States.” Kathy smirked.
She had made a mistake. Scott’s face changed and he clenched up. “I’m not leaving the Islands,” he said stiffly. “I don’t want to see any girls.”
Kathy tried to be soothing. “There, there, I was trying to joke.”
Just then the door opened and Mr. Henrich stuck his head in. “Hi, Scott. I see you’re eating breakfast. I hope you’ll be feeling well enough to travel soon.”
Scott looked up from his milk, alarmed. “Travel?”
The nurse glanced worriedly at Scott and then back to Mr. Henrich. She shook her head.
Mr. Henrich saw her look and hesitated, but then continued.
“I have a ticket made for you to leave Thursday morning.”
Scott didn’t notice that the milk in his hand was spilling on the sheets. He stared back at Mr. Henrich uncomprehending, shock and dismay on his face.
“Why?” Scott finally blurted.
“I’m sorry for being so blunt.” Mr. Henrich stepped to the bed and laid a hand on Scott’s shoulder. “Son, our board of directors voted on it yesterday.” He paused. “Because of what happened between you and Tony, since you were the aggressor…” He let his words trail off. “It influenced the decision. And you’re in the hospital. If we lose another faculty member by violence or disease, we’ll be shut down. They already think we are careless with the student missionaries.”
“But, but I’m getting better,” Scott protested. “See, I’m eating and I can be back to teaching in days.” He looked pleading at Mr. Henrich. “And I’ve already explained what happened with Tony, don’t you believe me? Please, can we appeal to the board?”
Mr. Henrich shook his head. “Scott, I know you love these islands, but you are still very sick, we don’t have the medical facilities to give you the care you need.” He cleared his throat.
“The decision is final, I’ve already made a ticket to Guam. I arranged with your uncle there. They have a first rate hospital that can handle any complications you may have. From there, you can arrange to fl y back to the States.”
Scott looked shocked, “I—” He looked away. “How soon?“
“Today’s Tuesday,” Mr. Henrich answered. “You’ll need to be ready by 2 PM Thursday. I stopped by the dorm and told Jerry, he’ll help you pack your things.”
Scott slumped onto the pillow, his appetite gone. “I can’t eat anymore.” He pushed the milk away from himself.
“I’ll be stopping by to pick you up this afternoon.” Mr. Henrich patted Scott’s arm. “I’ll take you to the dorm, you can rest and pack there.”
Scott watched him leave in silence. He felt miserable, like his entire life had just crashed in two stupid slips. If he’d just let Tony get what he deserved, and not gone shark fishing…
Kathy left the room with the tray. Scott buried his head in the pillow, and then the tears came, tears of bitter frustration, fear, and pain. He sobbed into the pillow. He didn’t want to leave the Marshall Islands. They were the best place he had known. And now it was ending.
“Scott?” Jerry’s voice was tentative. “Are you okay?” He let the door swing shut behind him.
Scott looked up tearfully from his pillow. He wiped his free hand across his face. “I’ll be fine,” he muttered. “Mr. Henrich just stopped by and told me I have to leave.” Scott’s voice quaked.
“I’m just glad you made it after that antibiotic.” Jerry walked across the room.
“Yes, but I have to leave now,” Scott repeated, despondent.
Jerry’s face showed the anger he felt. He took a deep breath. “Not for two more days, you don’t. Let’s get you out of this hospital, so you can enjoy them.”
Nurse Kathy’s footsteps approached, “Oh, hi, Jerry.” She walked back in and smiled. She walked over to Scott. “I’m going to take your IV out. You don’t need it anymore.” She unwrapped the tape from his arm and removed the IV with a slow tug. “There.” She held a cotton pad over the spot, rewrapping it in medical tape.
Kathy helped Scott sit up on the pillow. Jerry helped him swing his legs to the side of the bed. “Careful with your foot,” Jerry warned. Scott nodded.
“Henrich is coming back with his truck,” Kathy said. “Aren’t you happy to go home?”
Scott didn’t say anything. He was too upset to respond.
*****
Mr. Henrich helped Scott climb the steps to the apartment. “We’ll see you in a little while, Scott.” He turned and started down the stairs. “You let us know if you need anything.”
Scott nodded. “Okay, thanks Mr. Henrich.” He limped into the apartment and sat down on the couch. “Jerry,” Scott called. “I’m going to take a shower. I might be a while. If you need anything, yell.”
Jerry walked in carrying Scott’s bag, “If you need help, I’ll be in the living room, okay?”
Scott limped to the bathroom and closed the door. He undressed and stepped into the shower. The shower was like his own world. Once he shut the curtain, everything was somewhere else. It was just him and the flowing hot water.
Why did this happen? Scott stared at the tiled wall. Why did he have to leave? He still couldn’t believe it. His mind was whirling, trying to catch up. The water made a dim splattering sound against the tub. Scott lo
oked up, angry. “God.” He slapped the tub. “Why?” He thumped his head against the side, moaning. “I don’t understand,” he muttered.
“Everything okay in there?” a voice called through the bathroom door.
Scott lifted his head. “I’m fine, Jerry.”
“Just checking. I’m going to turn the fan on, it’s all steamed up in here.” Jerry shut the door.
Scott leaned back in the shower. He closed his eyes. He didn’t want to think about anything.
Twenty minutes later, Scott opened the bathroom door. A cloud of steam escaped as he limped to the bedroom, towel around his waist.
“Hey Scott, you know what we talked about in the hospital, about Janet?” Jerry walked in behind him.
Scott groaned and pulled a shirt over his head. “Yeah?”
“Janet’s dad arrived here on Ebi this morning. He just came in from the airport on Quadraline, where he was managing the search for his daughter. I talked with him by phone yesterday. He wants to talk with you.”
“You mean he’s here on Ebi to talk with me?” Scott stepped out of the bedroom, buttoning up his shorts. He looked pale.
“Yes.” Jerry nodded. “He canceled his airplane search to come here.”
It felt like a hammer had hit Scott in the side. He felt fear forming again. He forced himself to breath. “I better talk to him about it.” He looked at Jerry. “Where can I find him?”
“He’s most likely at the school office. I’ll help you find him.” Jerry held up the bandages from Nurse Kathy. “Bandage your foot first, and wear your tennis shoes so it doesn’t get dirty.”
Scott nodded and reached for the bandage. He’d learned the hard way that it paid to keep a wound clean. “I haven’t worn my tennis shoes in months.”
The two made their way out of the apartment and down the steps. The tennis shoes felt strange and constricting on Scott’s feet. He was used to wearing sandals, or going barefoot.
“Why don’t you wait on beach, Scott?” Jerry turned to Scott as they neared the school office. “That would be a good place to talk with her dad. I’ll run up to the office and find him.”
Scott hobbled down to the shore and waited, breathless. He felt like an old man having to hobble around and rest so often. He propped his foot up. His heel was sore and the bandage made the shoe uncomfortably tight. He looked up toward the school office. No one was visible. What was taking Jerry so long?
Scott rehearsed what he would tell Janet’s dad over and over in his mind. At least Jerry had talked to him earlier. Scott had never met any of Janet’s family before, but he imagined a large man, probably over six feet, with deep blue eyes and a face just like Janet’s. The thought of her made his lower lip tremble. He was still in love. In his mind, he could imagine her dad’s response. “You what? Buried her under a palm tree?” And then a large man attacking him with both fists flying. Scott shivered, and shook the image from his head.
“Stay calm,” he told himself. “I did the right thing.”
He was brought to reality by footsteps in the sand. He looked up. A thin man who was shorter then Janet was walking down the path. Scott saw his eyes. Brown eyes, and a thin gray hairline. This can’t be Janet’s dad, Scott thought. He doesn’t look anything close to her. Scott looked again. Perhaps the nose?
“Hi.” The man spoke. “Jerry said you wanted to speak with me.” He reached out and shook Scott’s hand. “My name’s William. You must be Scott.” His face was calm, but his eyes looked soulful and a little red.
“You’re Janet’s dad?” Scott asked with uncertainty.
“Yes, I am,” William said. “You looking for someone else?”
“No, no,” Scott muttered. He felt weak in his knees. “I just wanted to talk with — you —about your daughter.” Scott took a deep breath.
William sat on the end of a log. “Jerry talked with me yesterday by phone,” he said in a strange chocked voice. “Is it true?”
“Yes.” This would be harder then Scott thought. “I loved your daughter.”
William nodded and looked at Scott, a strange look on his face. Scott continued.
“When she died, she was with me in the wreck. I took her body and swam with her to shore.”
“Hold on,” William interrupted. “You’re saying that you were with my daughter when she drowned?” William leaned forward, intent, his eyes on Scott.
“Yes,” Scott said. “I swam with her to shore and- ”
“You swam with her to shore? I thought she was lost in the wreck.”
Scott shook his head, he was miserable. “This is very hard for me.” He choked. “Let me tell you what I know, then I’ll answer any questions.”
“Okay.” William leaned back on the log. “Tell me the whole thing.” He blinked.
Scott continued. “The accident was so horrible that I blocked it out of my mind and couldn’t talk about it. It was like I couldn’t remember what happened.” Scott paused. He looked up at William. He sat with forced patience, attentive. “I just got out of the hospital, and while I was there,” he motioned to his foot, “I remembered what happened.”
Scott took another deep breath. “When I swam out of the ocean, and pulled Janet’s body to the sand, I saw that she was dead. I was so upset that I couldn’t see straight.” Scott lowered his head and sniffed.
“And?” William leaned forward.
“No one else was on the island. I took a coconut shell, dug underneath a palm tree, and buried Janet.” Scott looked at William, wondering how he would react.
William’s voice shook. “This is news.” He looked at Scott with sharp interest. “Are you sure?”
“I’ll tell you where the palm tree is and Abra can take you there.” Scott shuddered. “I just can’t go there again, it’s too painful.”
“I need to call off the search on Quadraline if this is true, Scott.” William was looking at Scott. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
Scott felt himself sinking in fear. “ I couldn’t remember.” He choked.
Janet’s dad stood, chest rising and falling, his eyes misty. He shook his head. “I believe what you say. Janet told me about you before she died,” William said. “She told me you are very honest. Tell me where the palm tree is, and I’ll have Abra take me there.”
“It’s on a little island. Abra will know which one, because that’s where he found me. There’s only one lone palm near the end of the sandbar. You can’t miss it.”
William looked Scott in the eye. “You’re sure?”
Scott looked back. He had nothing to hide. “I’m sure.”
“I need to go then.” William looked a little stunned. “There are people who may still be looking for her body.”
The truth was finally known and Scott felt free.