by Chris T. Kat
“What’s going on there?” Parker asked.
“Sean is convincing Winston to race toward us,” Alex replied with a chuckle.
Obviously Sean had convinced Mr. Bernard as the old man pushed the wheelchair at a run, a big grin on his face. Sean squealed in delight while I watched them in increasing trepidation.
I gasped in shock when Mr. Bernard suddenly stumbled. He tried to stay upright but couldn’t. As he went down to the ground, he let go of the handles of the wheelchair. Sean screeched while the wheelchair spun wildly around itself, coming remarkably close to the edge of the platform. Alex erupted into motion and ran toward Sean with Parker, Chandler, and me on his heels.
Terrified dark eyes looked at us when the wheelchair tilted to the side and lost its balance. Sean’s scream as he tumbled over the edge curdled my blood.
Alex skidded to a halt at the edge of the platform. He glanced over his shoulder at me and I knew immediately what he’d do.
“No! Alex!”
He jumped.
Chapter 23
SOMEONE caught my arm in a bruising grip when I slid to a halt at the edge of the platform. I watched Alex breaking the water’s surface, the waves collapsing over him immediately.
Frantically, I waited and searched the troubled water for a sign of either Sean or Alex. Nothing.
In the background, I heard Chandler talking rapidly to someone on the phone while other people streamed near us, shouting and swearing. Mr. Bernard’s distinctly hysterical voice was audible as well, but I only had eyes for the ocean below me. I counted the seconds, willing Alex to show up.
I shook off Parker’s grip, fumbled my phone and gun off, then pushed them into his hands.
“Jeff!” he said in alarm. “You can’t do this. You can’t jump from this height.”
“Watch me.”
“Jeff! This is insane! Wait for the lifeguards.”
“Parker, this is Alex,” I replied as if that would explain why I would jump about twenty-five feet into probably ice-cold water.
I felt Parker’s penetrating stare on me as I stripped out of my jacket and let it fall to the ground. I stepped swiftly over the edge. The free fall caused my stomach to twist and roil in fearful apprehension, but thankfully, I didn’t have much time to think about how idiotic my actions were or whether I shouldn’t have wasted these few seconds on the platform. Right before my feet struck the water, Alex’s head emerged.
The impact of hitting the water surface and being surrounded by it everywhere knocked the breath out of me. I had to clamp my mouth shut to avoid inhaling seawater. The coldness of the water caused my eyes to stay wide open. My heart beat violently against my ribcage, leaving me to wonder if I’d lose consciousness. Shoving this thought aside, I swam toward where the water seemed to be less dark, hoping the surface wasn’t too far away.
I sputtered and coughed when my head emerged from the water, only to be pushed under again by an incoming wave. Emerging for a second time, I gulped in air while I scanned my surroundings for more waves. The water pulled strongly; the cold had already numbed my toes and fingers. Treading water, I looked around, searching for Alex.
My heart wanted to burst out of sheer gratitude when I finally spotted him. He struggled to keep his head out of the water and for a moment I wondered why he had to struggle so hard. Maybe he was hurt?
I swam toward him in a few hard strokes when I saw the reason for his struggle. He held Sean’s wheelchair and was trying to lift his brother’s head out of the ocean. His lips moved constantly, though I couldn’t understand one single word. I grabbed part of the wheelchair and together we lifted it up so Sean’s head peeked out. He looked like a corpse, white-faced, blue-lipped, and completely still.
A sob burst out of Alex’s throat and for the first time I understood that he was repeating Sean’s name over and over again. The weight of the wheelchair pulled all of us downward. My arms had already grown numb when I said, “Alex, can you unstrap him?”
Alex didn’t react; he just kept on staring at Sean’s face. It dawned on me that Alex believed he had lost him. I couldn’t see the kid breathing and didn’t have a hand free to feel for his pulse, but I desperately hoped he still could be saved. More sharply, I shouted, “Alex! Can you unfasten the straps?”
Alex’s eyes focused on me. Or at least he turned his gaze toward me; there wasn’t much comprehension in his eyes, merely utter despair. Despite fearing Sean’s head would slide underneath the surface, I used one hand to clasp it around the back of Alex’s head. I slid my hand down to his neck and squeezed him deliberately hard, which at least elicited a pained hiss.
His eyes came into actual focus. More forcefully, I asked, “Can you unfasten the straps while I hold him up?”
Alex nodded but still made no move. I looked him in the eyes, prayed for strength, and let go off the wheelchair. Alex screamed and struggled to hold the wheelchair on his own.
“What are you doing?” he shouted at me.
I grabbed for the wheelchair again and helped haul Sean’s head out of the water. Sean coughed. He heaved and water spilled out of his mouth and nose but he didn’t open his eyes.
“Sean! Sean! Baby, can you hear me? Come on, please, baby, talk to me!” Alex’s voice broke.
I closed my eyes for a brief moment, not wanting to see the anguish on Alex’s face. When I reopened my eyes, Alex was crying. Sean stopped coughing and remained unconscious. His lips lost the blue tinge, though, so I pulled myself together. In the distance, I heard approaching sirens. “Rescue units are on their way. Come on, Alex, unfasten the damn straps! Now!”
He blinked. “Can’t we… tow him to the beach in his wheelie?”
“He’s too heavy in it. Come on, I’m sure I can hold him up alone for a few minutes.”
Alex looked at me, confusion and fear clearly written all over him. I had never seen him this uncertain before. Not that I had a lot of memories for comparison but Alex didn’t act rational, not at all, not even when he had to know that Sean’s life was at stake.
“Move!” I hollered.
He obeyed instantly. He let go of the wheelchair, which put a lot of strain on my arms. I gritted my teeth as he dove into the water, attempting to unfasten the straps on Sean’s feet. I tried not to panic when Alex stayed underwater for what seemed to be an eternity. I knew he was only there for less than a minute. I knew I should keep a more professional approach to this whole disaster.
I just couldn’t. I couldn’t slip into my normal, detached work mode, pushing emotions aside for the time being. I was already way too attached to them. Yes, to them, not only to Alex.
Alex returned to the surface, panting for air and splashing water around. In a wheezy voice, he informed me, “His legs are free; I only have to unfasten the belly strap.”
“All right. When you’ve unfastened that strap you have to hold him close. Can you do that?”
Alex nodded in fierce determination. I had no doubt about him succeeding.
When he next emerged, Alex held Sean’s body tightly pressed against his own. Sean’s head lolled on Alex’s shoulder, which sometimes put his mouth and nose dangerously close to the water.
I let go of the wheelchair. We watched it sink—fast. A big wave rolled towards us and neither of us could avoid being swamped. After coughing up a lung, I discovered Alex a few feet away from me. I swam toward him, horribly aware of the power of the water around us.
Alex’s teeth chattered and his lips had a slight blue tinge to them. He looked exhausted and scared and not even close to being able to swim to the shore with Sean in tow. I held out my hands and demanded, “Give him to me.”
Alex’s eyes widened and he clutched Sean more tightly.
“Alex, we have to get him to the shore and I think I’m in better shape than you. It’ll be quicker if I take him.”
Alex whimpered and shook his head. All the while we trod water and cooled off to the point where hypothermia became a real threat. Water sloshed around
us, pushing us apart, and I wondered if I could force Alex to hand me Sean without hurting either of them.
In the end, it was a decision I didn’t have to make. Alex whispered, “Okay,” and his eyes brimmed with new tears as he carefully shifted Sean’s body over into my arms. Sean groaned and Alex froze midshift. Gently, I pulled the boy into my arms and said, “I got him. You follow us as quickly as possible, got it?”
Alex nodded, clearly exhausted. He was much too close to collapsing. Swallowing hard, I hardened my voice. “He’ll be okay. Come on, now.”
I turned on my back, cradled Sean’s head securely on my shoulder, and started the long and trying journey to the shore. We weren’t that far away from land, but the sea’s roughness made it hard to cover the distance quickly. My breath came in labored gasps after a very short time, my muscles burned from exertion, and water kept finding a way into my mouth and nose. Coughing and cursing, I plowed further on, ignoring the increasing effort I had to make to keep our heads over the waterline.
Alternatively, I glanced to the shore to make sure I was headed in the right direction and back to Alex, whose movements were turning jerkier and weaker. Several times, I saw him disappear under a wave. Each time my heart stopped beating, only to start anew in a frantic and hurtful pattern when his head broke the surface again.
I was filled with appreciation for my job, which required a certain level of fitness. I wouldn’t have been able to make it to the shore otherwise. The wind picked up in strength, pushing the waves up to high piles and making it all the more difficult to swim. The distance between Alex and me grew wider and wider. Acid bile rose up in my throat when it dawned on me that Alex wasn’t going to make it on his own.
Gathering strength, I put more force into my strokes and finally, there were other people around us, grabbing me and Sean and helping us to wade out of the water. Medics placed Sean on a rescue blanket, cut the wet clothes off him, and started an IV. He had bruises where the belly strap had held him. They would heal.
It was unbearable to think about what would have happened if he hadn’t been strapped to the chair. Most certainly he’d be dead, either from the impact of the water or from drowning because he couldn’t swim. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that he hadn’t broken his neck when he hit the water and that Alex had been quick enough to dive after him and find him. Sometimes miracles do happen.
The medics did a lot of prodding and palpating, which caused Sean to open his eyes and stare at the people around him. He started crying and emitting his typical, high-pitched noises. I brought myself into his line of vision while I told the medics, “He can’t speak, but he understands what you tell him.”
At least I hoped he still did. I didn’t know how long he had been without oxygen; I could only wonder if he would have any aftereffects from almost drowning. For the present, I didn’t want to think about any kind of consequences. Not right now when he lived and breathed on his own.
Someone laid a blanket around my shoulders and only at that point did I become aware of how badly I was shivering. It took a great effort to speak to Sean through my chattering teeth. “You’re going to be okay, Sean. The medics will look after you.”
Sean flailed around with his hands and his cries wracked his little body. The medics grabbed for the flailing hands, resulting in Sean screeching so highly that some of the bystanders clapped their hands over their ears. I cringed but still reached out with my hands and cupped his face. The screeching stopped abruptly. I heard the sharp intake of breaths around me and said soothingly, “You’ll be okay, trust me.”
Sean answered me, but I couldn’t understand him. However, I understood the urgency behind his garbled words. The medics looked at me, expecting me to explain what Sean was trying to say. I looked back with a blank expression. “I don’t understand him either. His brother could probably—”
I hissed when Sean screeched again, suddenly understanding what he wanted to say. I hauled myself up, scanned the crowd around me, and asked, “Where’s Alex?”
Parker appeared at my side, silently adjusted the blanket, and gazed around too. “Didn’t he come out of the water with you?”
“No, he was behind us,” I said, feeling hollow all of a sudden.
I scanned the sea for a while, recognizing how everything else around me faded into the background. So I was still able to shove my emotions aside, to detach myself from the situation and the panic I had felt only a few seconds earlier.
“There!” someone next to us shouted. I followed where the finger pointed and indeed, there he was. A small dot, far out in the sea.
“Where’s the Coast Guard?” I asked.
“They should be here soon,” Parker replied.
“Soon, my ass,” I snapped. My detachment slipped away violently. “Sean would be dead by now.”
I threw the blanket off my shoulders and stalked toward the water. Parker followed me, both his hands grasping one of my arms. He even tried to dig his heels into the sand. I wouldn’t have any of it; I merely dragged him behind me.
“Jeff! You can’t go back again. That’s completely irresponsible, you’ll get yourself killed!”
Alex’s head disappeared from view. Parker and I stood next to each other on the beach, both of us breathing too quickly and too shallowly. My heart hammered in my breast, reminding me that I still lived but Alex wouldn’t if no one helped him—soon.
Alex emerged from the water, his arms flailing around, and my decision stood. I turned to Parker. “You can either let go of my arm or I can knock you on your ass, but I will not watch him die when I’m perfectly capable of rescuing him.”
“You are not perfectly capable of rescuing him. You’re exhausted; you won’t make it to him. Come on, Jeff, you know I can’t let you go.”
“I know, and I’m sorry for what I have to do now,” I told him, meaning it.
Jumping into action, I hooked one foot behind his knees and knocked him off balance. He landed on his ass in stunned disbelief.
I swiveled around and took off into the water. The icy cold almost knocked the breath out of me, but I kept going, ignoring Parker’s yells.
Chapter 24
AS I plowed through the water, I conceded that Parker might have been right. Maybe I was too exhausted; maybe I would only succeed in killing myself. I knew I should have waited for the professionals because they had the equipment and training to handle situations such as this. My emotions had gotten the better of me. Williams would most likely chew me out later, very, very thoroughly. The prospect didn’t really bother me.
Waves even bigger than before rolled toward me, forcing me to put all my strength into the strokes to get to Alex. For some time, I heard only the noise of the crushing waves and my own heavy panting. I went at it like a machine, never stopping, never allowing myself to as much as slow down. I had to get to Alex, no matter the cost.
I confirmed I was swimming in the right direction and put a tight clamp on my heart whenever I caught a glimpse of Alex. He tried, he really tried to swim toward the shore, but he barely kept his head above the surface. It was terrifyingly obvious, the closer I came, that he was utterly exhausted. Blue-lipped and moving clumsily, his first question when I reached him consisted of a mumbled, “How’s Sean?”
He had trouble forming coherent sentences. He didn’t resist the tiniest bit when I manhandled him onto his back and started to swim toward the shore. “He was awake when I left him.”
“‘m tired,” Alex slurred.
Wheezing, I demanded, “Stay awake anyway.”
“We’ll both drown.”
“Aren’t you a lovely party pooper.”
“‘s isn’t a party when there’s only two people.”
“It is when I say it is and I don’t like party poopers.”
“But you like me,” Alex stated.
I stopped for a moment, trying to catch my breath and realizing getting us both back to the shore would be highly unlikely. Treading water, I rubbed
my cheek against Alex’s. With great effort, he opened his eyes.
“I do,” I said before I kissed him.
I kissed cold, unresponsive lips. Unbidden emotions welled up inside me, threatening to spill over right at this most inopportune moment. I could not lose my composure now. Later, I told myself.
Swallowing heavily, I forced the huge lump in my throat down and repeated, “I really do.”
“Me too.”
“Now that we’ve had our Scarlett O’Hara moment, let’s have another attempt at getting out of this freezing water.”
“‘m sorry, Jeff.”
“What for? You didn’t—”
The sound of a motor caught my attention. I hurriedly glanced around and spotted a small motorboat racing toward us. I raised my free hand up and waved. “Sorry, imp, you have to postpone dying.”
Alex snorted, though it sounded more shaky and tearful than anything else. Thinking that my choice of words might have lacked tact, I tried again, “It’ll be all right. They are almost here.”
Alex remained silent but kept his eyes open a slit. Affectionately, I rubbed my cheek against his again and again until a very small smile appeared on his face.
The boat positioned sideways to us after it had slowed down. Two coast guards reached down and I helped them pull Alex into the boat. My arms shook by the time the coast guards guided me into the vessel as well.
Actually, my whole body shook, and I couldn’t stop my teeth from clicking audibly. The motor roared to life again as the boat raced toward the shore. I listened to the conversation of the lifeguards, who very quickly decided they would take us to shore, where two more rescue units awaited.
Someone draped warm blankets around us and I huddled into mine, trying to stop my body from shaking and quaking. I glanced over to Alex, who was lying on his side with his eyes closed, completely still. I frowned. Something wasn’t right, but at first I couldn’t grasp what it was.
When one of the lifeguards spoke into his mic, telling someone else they got us and one of us appeared to be severely hypothermic, I swallowed. Alex had to be the one they described as severely hypothermic. It should have been obvious to me, as he didn’t even tremble anymore.