The Golden Couple (The Samantha Project Series, # 2)

by Karpinske, Stephanie

  CHAPTER TWO

  Message

  Jack pulled over to the side of the road and got out, racing to the back of the van. He burst through the back doors to get to Colin.

  “When did this happen?” Jack’s urgent tone confirmed that Colin’s condition was as serious as we thought. “Sam, how long has he been this way?”

  “I—I don’t know! I came back here to check on him and noticed that his hair was wet. Then I felt him and he was burning up. And now he won’t wake up!”

  Jack ripped off Colin’s shirt. He grabbed a towel from a nearby box and tossed it to me. “Here, dry him off.”

  “Why? What are you doing?” Jack didn’t answer, so I quickly patted Colin’s sweat-soaked chest with the towel as Jack checked his pulse. The color was starting to leave Colin’s face and body as his breathing became more labored.

  “Jack, he’s getting worse! Help him!” I begged. “Colin, if you can hear me, please just hold on, okay?”

  “Erik, get the defibrillator. Now!” Jack ordered.

  Erik, who had been sitting silently next to me, suddenly burst up. “Where is it? Which box?”

  “It’s marked ‘medical equipment.’ Should be on the top.” Jack took out a stethoscope from a small metal box on the floor.

  Erik crawled over Colin and started searching through a box. “Got it!” Erik said, pulling out the AED machine.

  “His pulse is very weak,” Jack muttered, “but his heart is racing. Skin is pale. He’s unconscious.” Jack seemed to be going through a checklist to determine a diagnosis.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” I demanded.

  Jack started attaching electrodes to Colin’s chest. “Ventricular fibrillation. His heartbeat’s too fast. His body isn’t getting enough blood. We don’t have much time. Erik, go up front. And take Sam with you.”

  “Wait. Let me help!” I pleaded.

  “Erik, get her out of here! Now!” Jack’s voice filled the van. He turned on the defibrillator.

  Erik grabbed me, pulling me up to the second row seat. Brittany had moved to the front seat, unable to handle the commotion going on in the back. It was too much for her, given what she had experienced earlier in the day.

  As I tried to crawl back, Erik held me down. “Sam, stop! We need to stay out of the way.” Erik kept a hold on me but I positioned myself so I could still keep watch on what was going on in the back of the van.

  Jack pushed a button on the AED machine, causing Colin’s chest to heave into the air. Then he went back over to Colin and immediately started CPR.

  “What’s wrong? Tell me!” I begged, but Jack wouldn’t answer.

  “Sam, just let him do what he needs to do.” Erik turned me away so I couldn’t see what was happening.

  We waited in silence as Jack continued to work on Colin. Finally Jack spoke. “His pulse is getting stronger. Erik, start driving. Hurry up! Find the nearest hotel, motel, whatever.”

  Erik went up front. I crawled back over the seats, crouching down next to Colin. “Motel? But Jack, he needs a hospital.”

  “There are no hospitals out here, Sam. And even if there were, we couldn’t risk him going there. It would alert GlobalLife and if they found him, he’d have no chance for survival.”

  As the van took off, a box tumbled down beside Jack. He got up to secure it in place.

  “Can I touch him now?” I asked.

  “It’s best if you don’t.” Jack kneeled down across from me. “The machine is continuing to monitor his heart. He may need another shock.”

  The light in the van was poor, but I could see that Colin didn’t look any better. He was still pale and seemed to have trouble breathing.

  “Jack.” I paused, trying to hold back tears. “I can’t lose him. I’ve lost too much already. And I’ve already lost him once. Please tell me he’ll be okay.”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that, Sam. I’m doing my best, but I’m not a doctor. His condition is very serious.”

  It wasn’t the answer I expected. I was sure Jack would at least pretend that Colin would be fine. But he didn’t. And that meant Jack was preparing me for the worst possible outcome.

  “Why did this happen? I don’t understand. He has cuts and bruises and they’re pretty bad, but not bad enough to cause this.”

  “I don’t know. When we get settled somewhere, I’ll do some blood work. See what I can find out. His fever is likely due to infection. We’ve got to get some strong antibiotics in him.”

  “How can you do blood work at a motel?”

  “I have a special device. Erik calls it the dipstick because it looks like those sticks you use to check the oil in your car. Anyway, you dip it in a blood sample, then connect it to the computer and it gives you a complete breakdown of what’s in the blood, just like a lab would do.”

  “Where did you get something like that?”

  “It was developed by GlobalLife years ago. When I discontinued my employment there, it just happened to leave with me, if you know what I mean.”

  “So why aren’t doctors using that instead of waiting for weeks to get test results?”

  “Companies like GlobalLife dole out technology on a schedule, Sam. A schedule that they determine. They know that they always have buyers, looking for the latest and greatest technology. So instead of selling them the most advanced technology, these companies build multiple versions, each one just a fraction better than the last. People buy one version and then companies like GlobalLife dole out the next one. That dipstick device I have is so advanced, they probably have five or 10 other blood analyzing tools in the pipeline ready to launch before it. That’s just how it works.”

  “Dad, there’s a motel ahead. I’m stopping, okay?” Erik yelled from up front.

  “Yes, go ahead,” Jack called back.

  It was a single-story roadside motel. Only five cars were parked in the small parking lot. Jack went into the main office while the rest of us waited in the van.

  When he came back, he handed me a key. “We have two rooms, so you girls get one and we’ll take the other.”

  Brittany and I went to our room. The motel must have been renovated recently because everything looked new. The room had two double beds, a side table, a small desk, and a dresser with a TV on top.

  “I’ll take this one,” Brittany said, sitting on one of the beds. It was the first time she’d spoken since leaving the gas station.

  I went back outside to help Colin, but Jack and Erik had already taken him to the other room. Colin was lying on one of the beds. Jack was checking his heart again. “Sam, you should wait in your room. I’ll come and get you later.”

  “No, I need to do something. I can’t just sit over there and wait. I can help. Just tell me what to do.”

  Erik came in, carrying boxes of medical equipment from the van. “Erik, Sam’s going to help me with Colin. You should go stay with Brittany. She shouldn’t be alone after what she’s been through.”

  “Yeah, okay. If you need anything, just come over and get me.”

  Erik left and Jack starting digging through boxes. “Sam, I need you to find the antiseptic solution. I’ll find the IVs.”

  “IVs? You seriously have IVs?” I asked as I searched through a box.

  “I’ve had this stuff for years. I wasn’t even going to pack it. But when we went back to the farm today to drop off the truck, I grabbed all of my medical supplies because Colin and Erik were injured. But I never thought we’d need them.”

  I located the antiseptic and handed it to Jack. “What are you putting in the IV?”

  “I don’t know yet. I need to test his blood first. I’m hoping that this was all caused by an imbalance of electrolytes because I can fix that. If he has a heart condition, I can’t help him.”

  “Colin doesn’t have a heart condition. He’s an athlete. He’s in really good shape. He works out all the time.”

  “Undiagnosed heart problems do show up occasionally in high school athletes. But let
’s hope that’s not it.” Jack cleaned Colin’s arm and drew some blood. He took the sticklike device he had mentioned earlier and put it into the blood sample. “Sam, can you set up my laptop over there?”

  I went to the desk and got the computer ready. Jack came over with the device. It had a port on one end that plugged right into the laptop.

  “It will give us the basics right away, like electrolyte levels, glucose, blood count, that type of thing,” Jack explained. “Then it will continue to analyze his blood and give us more information over the next hour.”

  I went back over to Colin and held his hand, wishing he would respond somehow.

  “Okay, I’m getting some results,” Jack said as he looked at the laptop. “And it’s what I suspected—an electrolyte problem. His potassium levels are dangerously low.”

  Jack returned to Colin and began preparing the IV solution. “We’ll pump him up with electrolytes and get his levels back to normal. We’ll get some antibiotics in him, too, to get that fever down.”

  “So he’ll be okay?” I asked cautiously.

  “He’ll need some recovery time, but yes, I think he’ll be okay.”

  The news was good, but it released all of the emotion I’d been holding in. Tears flowed from my eyes. “Did you hear that, Colin? You’re gonna be okay.” I kissed his cheek and noticed that his skin was still fiery hot.

  Jack finished the IV setup, then brought the desk chair over so he could sit next to Colin’s bed. “He’s not out of the woods yet, Sam. We’ll need to keep a close eye on him.”

  “I’ll do it. Let me stay with him. I’ll stay up all night.” My tears slowed as I committed myself to helping Colin recover.

  “You need to get some rest. I can watch him.”

  “No, I have to do this. Colin would do the same for me. He wouldn’t sleep a second if it was me in that bed.”

  “Okay, but we’ll take turns. You need at least a few hours of sleep.” Jack went to check something on the laptop, then sat down across from me again. “So how long have you two dated?”

  “For about a year. But I’ve known him forever. We’ve been best friends since we were kids.”

  “I see. Well, it’s clear that you really care for him.”

  “Jack, why were you asking me that?”

  “Oh, no reason. I just wasn’t aware of how serious you two were. That’s all.” Jack got up to check Colin’s vital signs. I wondered if Jack’s comments were out of concern for his son. I was sure he had noticed his son’s attraction to me and mine to him.

  Just then Erik walked in. “Hey, do you need anything? It’s been so quiet over here. Is everything okay?”

  Jack looked up. “Yes. We’ve got Colin on an IV. Once his electrolytes are restored, he should be all right.”

  Erik came over and put his hand on my shoulder. “See, Sam? I told you my dad would help him.”

  “I know. He’s amazing. I can’t thank you enough, Jack. Really, if you weren’t here—” I didn’t need to continue. Everyone knew what would have happened.

  “Well, his vital signs are starting to improve,” Jack confirmed. “But it may be a while before he’s alert again. Erik, how’s Brittany?”

  “She’s quiet. Right now she’s watching TV. I tried to get her to talk, but she won’t do it. It’s like she’s trying to pretend that nothing happened.”

  “I’ll go talk to her,” Jack said, getting up to leave. “Sam, if you’re going to keep watch on Colin tonight, maybe I’ll stay in the other room and keep an eye on Brittany. Erik, you can stay over here.”

  Erik and I looked at each other. I knew we were thinking the same thing. The idea of Colin, Erik, and me in the same room all night was too strange.

  I could tell that Jack sensed our discomfort. Our reaction only confirmed that his son and I had feelings for each other that we were trying to hide.

  “Jack, I’d feel better if you slept over here,” I said, “in case something happens to Colin. Plus if we’re taking turns staying up with Colin, it’d be easier if you stayed here.”

  “Okay, then I guess you’ll stay with Brittany, Erik.” Jack gave us both an odd look. He left and Erik stayed behind.

  Erik sat down across from me near Colin’s bed. “I think my dad senses something’s up with us.”

  “Well, that’s over, Erik. He doesn’t need to worry.” The words came out before I had time to think. I kept my head down, not wanting to see Erik’s reaction.

  “So that’s it? You’re just deciding for both of us? I could hear the anger in Erik’s thoughts.

  “I don’t know what you want me to say, Erik. Things have changed. When we were back at your farm, I didn’t think I’d ever see Colin again. But now here he is. And you and I can’t continue whatever it was we started.”

  Erik crossed his arms over his chest. “I can’t just shut my feelings off like that, Sam. I don’t think you can either. We share this connection that I can’t even describe. And I know you still feel it.”

  “Of course I do. And I can’t explain it. It doesn’t make sense. We just met.”

  “It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known each other. I was drawn to you the second I saw you. And you were drawn to me. You said so yourself.”

  I couldn’t deny it. My connection to Erik began the instant I met him, just as he said. It was like nothing I had ever felt.

  “Sam, don’t you wanna at least see what that means? See where this could go? Because whatever this is that we have going between us, I know you don’t have it with him.”

  Erik waited for a response, but I wouldn’t give him one. I kept my thoughts quiet and focused on Colin again, still holding his hand.

  “I guess that’s it then.” Erik stood up. “I won’t bother you anymore.” He headed to the door.

  “Erik, this isn’t the time, okay? We can talk about it later, but I have to take care of Colin now.”

  “Yeah, and when he gets better, you’ll have some other excuse. So just forget it, Sam.” He left, shutting the door hard behind him.

  I hated rejecting Erik like that. But I was also mad at him for making me discuss our relationship when I needed to be there for Colin. Deep down, I knew Erik was right. I would never find a good time to talk to him about us. Because I didn’t want to think about it. Since Colin had come back, I’d been trying desperately to ignore the intense attraction I had to Erik. The desire to be close to him. To re-create the kiss that I couldn’t forget.

  As I looked at Colin lying there, his weak hand in mine, I was overwhelmed with guilt. How could I possibly have these feelings for Erik? Some guy I just met! Colin and I had a history together. Years of memories. Great memories. I loved Colin. He was my very best friend. And the last remaining piece of my old life.

  About an hour later, I felt his hand moving in mine. “Colin?” I whispered anxiously. “Colin? It’s Sam.” His hand moved again and his eyelids peeked open.

  “Sam?” Colin’s voice was weak.

  “Yes, it’s me. I’m right here.”

  “I don’t feel so good.” Colin’s words were somewhat slurred from the drugs.

  “I know. But you’re gonna feel better soon.” I bent over and lightly kissed his cheek. The bruises on his face were starting to swell and get darker.

  I looked up when I heard the door open. “Sam, how is he?” Jack had returned.

  “He’s awake. And he’s talking.”

  “That’s a good sign.” Jack came over to check Colin’s vital signs again. “Hey there, Colin, you gave us quite a scare.”

  “What happened?” Colin asked, turning toward Jack.

  “I’ll let Sam tell you everything. But the IV seems to be helping. You’ll be feeling better before you know it.” Jack smiled at me, his assurance that Colin was indeed showing improvement.

  Jack went to the laptop that was still analyzing Colin’s blood work. “Well, that’s no surprise,” he muttered. “I should have known that.”

  I walked over to Jack. “What is it
? Did you get more results?’

  “We shouldn’t talk in here, Sam.” He motioned me to leave the room.

  I glanced over at Colin, then back at Jack. “Okay, but quick.”

  Jack and I went outside. “The lab values aren’t all in yet, but so far it shows several drugs in Colin’s system. One of the drugs affects the central nervous system. That’s why he was so out of it at the trailer, barely able to walk and unable to speak. The other one, well, it’s a common diuretic but when given to someone who doesn’t need it, in the amounts given, it can be very dangerous. It can disrupt the heart rhythm.”

  “What are you saying, Jack?”

  “GlobalLife gave him that drug. They knew it would kill him. But not right away. It would be unexpected, hours later. If you had refused to go with Worthings back at the trailer, you would have had to watch Colin die. It was message for you, Sam. To say that you can’t beat them. They’ll always win.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Flash Drive

  “But I didn’t refuse,” I said. “I went with Worthings. And then he ordered his security guards to kill all of you.”

  “Precisely. It works either way. Once you agreed to go with Worthings, he had his guards secure you and Erik with handcuffs and guns pointed at you. You were his prisoners and he didn’t think either of you could do anything. So that was the time to show you who was in charge. To show that he wouldn’t make deals with you. The deal you made with him meant nothing. And he proved that by sending the guards into the trailer to kill Colin, Brittany, and me. But if you had refused to go with Worthings, you would have had to watch Colin suffer and eventually die.”

  It was exactly Worthings’ style. Kill another one of my loved ones, but this time make me watch.

  I felt rage building in me again but calmed myself remembering that Worthings was dead now. “Jack, do you think we’re still in danger now that Worthings is gone?”

  “I hate to say it, but we’ll always be in danger, Sam. There will always be another Worthings. GlobalLife will send someone else after us. Probably a whole team of people. Now that they know that Erik is alive, there’s no stopping them. They’ll do everything in their power to get you two.”