The Lady of Tarpon Springs

by Judith Miller

  The offer of a celebration had been met with the men’s promises of more sponges than they’d ever before harvested. In addition, Lucy had lauded the idea as a great way to show her appreciation for all the men had done since arriving in Tarpon Springs. She’d even talked about higher bonuses for the men than Nico had suggested. The men set sail with high hopes.

  As their days at sea passed, anticipation onshore mounted. The men were expected to return in four more days. Zanna, her mother, and Yayá had been hard at work deciding which foods should be served and what preparations could be completed in advance. Even Lucy had agreed to lend a hand on several occasions, although Yayá had dismissed both Lucy and Zanna from cooking duties. She’d declared their lack of skill in the kitchen would only delay the preparations. Neither Lucy nor Zanna argued the point. Instead, Yayá put them to work locating and collecting tablecloths, blankets, and other items to make the festivities comfortable. Nico decided they could use all three boats to transport the men and food to the island on the day of the festivities.

  Lucy, Nico, and Zanna met and agreed upon the bonus that would be given to each man. Zanna had withdrawn the funds from the bank, and this afternoon she and Nico would divide the money into individual envelopes that would be distributed among the crews. She was eager to begin. Few things gave her more joy than handing someone an unexpected gift.

  A smile graced her expression as she entered the warehouse with the money tucked into her bag. She raised the bag and gestured to Nico. “I stopped at the bank on my way. There should be enough envelopes in the desk, so I think we can get to work.”

  “This will be the most enjoyable work I’ve done in a long time.” He slid open the lower desk drawer and pulled out a stack of envelopes.

  Zanna sat down in the chair beside him, and while Nico printed each man’s name on an envelope, Zanna counted out the money. “Lucy said she would be more than happy to attend the picnic and offer her own thanks to the men.”

  He looked up from the envelope he was personalizing. “The men will be honored to have her attend. She’s the owner of the company. Without her agreement, none of this would happen.”

  Minutes later, Zanna handed him a sealed envelope. “That’s the last one.”

  Nico pushed up from his chair. “Let me put these in the safe and then I’ll walk you to the dock. I need to stretch my legs.”

  Once the envelopes had been secured in the safe, the two of them exited the main doors of the warehouse. Instinctively, Zanna looked out over the water. She squinted against the reflection of the sun glistening on the dark river.

  Her breath caught. “Is that . . . ?” She shaded her eyes with one hand and pointed to the water with her other. “Nico! That’s the Anastasi. She’s coming in.”

  He ran to the end of the dock, his eyes trained on the horizon. “She’s alone. There’s no sign of the St. Nicolas or Crete.” He turned his gaze toward her. “You don’t see any other boats, do you?”

  She shook her head. “Do you want me to borrow the spyglass from Mr. Francis so we can be certain?”

  He nodded. “If the Anastasi is alone, the other boats may have been caught in a storm.”

  She hesitated. “But none of them are due in yet. You think the Anastasi is coming to get help or to let us know the other two boats are lost in the Gulf?” She slowly backed up toward the warehouse.

  “I don’t know, but you can be sure this isn’t good. They wouldn’t be coming in early unless it was bad news of some sort.”

  She rushed to locate Mr. Francis. When she returned a few minutes later, Nico was pacing the dock. She handed him the spyglass. He lifted it to his eye, slowly searched the distant waters, then shook his head. “No sign of the other two boats.”

  Mr. Francis came alongside Nico and patted his shoulder. “Don’t believe all is lost just yet. The skies have been clear. Maybe there’s a problem with the equipment on the Anastasi so they decided it was better to come in early.”

  Zanna wrung her hands. “Or maybe someone is ill. Do you think it’s possible another diver might be injured?”

  Nico frowned. “After all the talks we’ve had about the rules since Felix was injured? I don’t think so.”

  “But Markos and the others said his injury was caused by an accident. It’s possible another accident could have happened, isn’t it?”

  Once again Nico lifted the spyglass to his eye. “I suppose it’s possible.” He lowered the spyglass to his side. “Do you know if the doctor is in her office today?”

  Zanna shrugged. “Unless she’s been called out for some emergency, she should be there.”

  Mr. Francis glanced toward the end of the dock. “Why don’t I go and fetch her just in case?”

  “That might be a good idea,” Zanna told him. “In the meantime, we’ll pray we won’t need her.”

  Time crawled as the boat made its approach. One of the men stood on the deck with his hands cupped to his mouth and shouted something neither of them could understand. Nico shouted for the man to repeat his message, and the sailor called out again. Over and over, the sponger shouted the same garbled words.

  Nico’s jaw clenched, the tendons along his neck tightening like two pulsing ropes. Zanna grasped his arm. “What is it? What’s he saying?”

  “I think he’s telling us that one of the men has got the bends.”

  She shook her head. “Are you certain? I didn’t hear that.”

  “Listen. He keeps repeating the same two words: ‘the bends, the bends.’”

  If only the wind would quiet for a moment, she might be able to hear. As if on cue, a moment of silence surrounded them and she heard the crewman’s words with clarity. Her stomach tightened. No. This couldn’t be happening. Everything had been going so well. They were planning a celebration. There must be some mistake.

  “We’ll need the doctor,” Nico said.

  The urgency in his words jarred her back to the present, and Zanna turned toward the other end of the dock. There were two figures in the distance, but she couldn’t be certain if Lucy was one of them. Snatching the spyglass from Nico’s hand, she held it to her eye.

  “Lucy and Mr. Francis are on their way.” After returning the spyglass to Nico, she waved them forward. “I do wish they would hurry. They look like they’re out for an afternoon stroll.”

  Nico looked toward the twosome. “They will be here before the boat arrives. Besides, if one of the divers has the bends, he’ll need to be moved from the boat.”

  “Do you think it’s Theo or Markos?”

  “I don’t know. But if it’s Theo, Markos is going to regret that he argued with me to let his brother dive. The guilt would be difficult to live with, I think. No matter which one is injured, both brothers will need our prayers.”

  Moments later, Lucy hurried to Zanna’s side. “Tell me what’s happening, Zanna. Mr. Francis said he didn’t know if I’d be needed, something about a problem with the Anastasi.” Lucy’s lips were drawn tight with worry.

  “One of the divers has the bends. A crewman called from the boat to tell us, but that’s all we know.”

  Lucy moved closer to Nico. “I don’t know anything about an ailment known as the bends. I didn’t study any such condition in medical school.” Her fingers tightened around the handle of her black bag. She nudged Zanna. “Did he understand what I just said?”

  Nico looked at her. “You don’t know how to fix such a sickness.”

  Lucy nodded. “I located a few books and I’ve read about nitrogen narcosis, but what I found wasn’t promising. There seems to be no cure. What can I do to help him?”

  “We need to wait and see how bad it is.” Nico waved to the captain as the boat neared the dock. He cupped his mouth and shouted to one of the sailors, “Who is it?”

  “Theo.” The crewman shook his head. “He’s in bad shape.”

  Lucy tugged on Zanna’s sleeve. “What did he say?”

  “It doesn’t sound good.” Zanna’s stomach churned as she repeat
ed the report to Lucy.

  Lucy turned to Mr. Francis. “Is there a piece of canvas we can use as a stretcher to carry him if needed?”

  “Yes, I’ll get one from the warehouse.” He scurried off and returned before the men had completely tied off the boat.

  Lucy didn’t wait for Nico or the other men to offer a report before she stepped forward. “Come on, Zanna. I want to check his condition before they move him, and I need you to interpret.”

  One of the crewmen offered a hand to the doctor while Zanna spoke to Nico. “Do you want to come with us?”

  Nico waved them onward. “The two of you go below and examine him. There won’t be room for me, and I’ll only be in the way. I’ll talk to the crew and find out all I need to know.”

  Zanna followed Lucy down the steps and stopped for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. Slowly the figure lying on the cot became clear. He groaned, and Lucy motioned Zanna closer. “Ask him if he can tell you where he hurts.”

  Zanna asked the question, but Theo didn’t respond. His arms remained in a rigid position at his sides, and his knees twisted at an awkward angle. He stared straight ahead with his hands clenched into tight fists. “Theo, can you talk? The doctor wants to help you, but she needs to know where you hurt.”

  “Everywhere. I was down too long. The bends . . .” His mouth clamped shut, and he closed his eyes.

  Lucy turned to Zanna again. “Tell him we need to move him where I can care for him.” Zanna repeated the message. Theo’s only reaction was to grimace.

  “I’ll go up and tell Nico.” Zanna hurried up the few steps and called to him. “Mr. Francis has a canvas we can use as a stretcher. He needs to be moved to the room in Lucy’s office. He’s much worse than Felix.”

  Nico nodded. “Two different injuries. Both can be deadly, and from what the men have told me, it doesn’t sound as though things will go well for Theo.” He called for several men to help with the stretcher. None appeared desirous of the duty, yet they did as Nico ordered.

  Canvas in hand, they descended the steps. The pained screams and guttural groans from below soon obliterated the screeching of the gulls flying overhead. Zanna covered her ears, but Theo’s cries continued to shatter her very being. Her body trembled at the sight and sound, and she clung to Nico’s arm.

  “Why has this happened? Everything was going so well.” Unbidden tears rolled down her cheeks. She swiped them away with the back of her hand.

  Nico leaned closer. “I don’t know, but I intend to speak with Markos and find out. I’m sure Theo must have stayed down too long or he went deeper than he should have—or both.” He shook his head. “He’s young, and I’m afraid he was trying to prove he could bring up a larger harvest than his brother. Divers can become prideful and want to prove they’re the best, especially the young and inexperienced ones who have never seen a man suffer and die from the bends. They hear the stories of how many have died, but they don’t think it can happen to them.”

  The men ascended the steps and moved onto the dock with care. Even so, each movement of the makeshift stretcher caused Theo to cry out in agony. Markos moved to his brother’s side and murmured something in his ear, then signaled to the men to move slowly.

  Word of the incident spread, and soon a crowd began to gather. Men from the warehouses and buyers in town for the coming sale mingled together, straining to catch sight of the injured man.

  Nico gestured to Zanna. “You should go with Lucy. She may need your help. She will surely need you to interpret.”

  Nico stepped to Markos’s side and placed his arm across his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, my friend. You go with your brother. Later, we will talk about what happened out there.”

  Markos nodded, his eyes glazed with pain. “Yes, later. I need to be with Theo.” He looked Nico in the eye. “I fear Theo is going to die.”

  Nico swallowed hard as he squeezed Markos’s shoulder. “I’ll be praying for both of you.”

  CHAPTER

  23

  Once Theo had been placed on a bed in one of Lucy’s examination rooms, the men made a quick exit into the waiting area. All except Markos, who remained at his brother’s bedside. Before the other crewmen could leave, Lucy and Zanna rushed after them. Zanna glanced over her shoulder and shuddered at the sight of Theo’s paralytic form lying on the bed. How could Lucy possibly do anything for him?

  Lucy nudged her. “Ask them to wait. I need to know if they’ve ever seen a man in this condition healed and what was done to help. Tell them I know little about nitrogen narcosis. Ask if any of them have knowledge that might help me care for their friend.”

  Zanna quickly conveyed Lucy’s concerns. They’d all seen cases of the bends in varying degrees but were quick to add that severe cases such as Theo’s usually resulted in death. “There is nothing to do for him. In Greece, many divers were not even brought home to their families. They died on the boat, and we would bury them on any nearby island in the area where we were sponging.”

  The other men had already backed out the front door, and the remaining sailor was eager to make his escape, as well. Before he could do so, Zanna grasped his arm. “What happened out there? Did Theo stay down too long?”

  The man hesitated, then hiked a shoulder. “He went too deep and stayed down for almost half an hour.” He gave a quick clap of his hands, then thrust his arm upward. “Then he shoots up from the bottom too fast.” He nodded toward Theo’s examination room and shook his head. “Not good to come up so fast like that. But when they stay down too long, they lose their minds. That’s what a diver told me. He said he couldn’t get enough air and couldn’t work the valves. Who can say, though, what happened to Theo. Maybe Markos can tell you more.”

  Zanna didn’t miss the troubled look in Lucy’s eyes. Even though her friend had understood nothing of what the sailor had related, his expression had spoken volumes. “Thank you for telling us what you could.”

  “I hope the doctor has something special in that black bag she carries. If not, Theo’s life is in God’s hands.”

  Zanna offered a fleeting smile. “Theo’s life has always been in God’s hands. We just don’t know His plans for Theo. You and the other men should pray for him—and for Markos.”

  The man gave her a quick nod. “I can leave now?”

  “Thank you again for your help. Yes, you can leave.” She waited only a moment before interpreting for Lucy. “I don’t think there’s medically anything to be done for him except to keep him as comfortable as possible.”

  Lucy tucked a loose strand of hair behind one ear. “That’s what I was afraid of, but even trying to keep him comfortable isn’t going to be easy. I need you to stay with me. I won’t understand what he or Markos might say.” She grasped Zanna’s arm as they stepped into the examination room. “Ask Markos if he knows of any medical procedures that might help Theo, or if there’s anything I should do to aid in his comfort.”

  Markos sat at his brother’s bedside and looked up when they entered. Zanna offered an encouraging smile as she pulled a wooden chair next to Markos and related Lucy’s questions.

  Tears shone in his eyes as he stared at his brother’s rigid form. “I know of nothing that will help him. None of the doctors in Greece could do anything for this. They just wait for death to come.” Markos clasped his hands together and looked toward the door as Theo continued to groan in pain. “I want to go back to the camp and get the prayer rope our mother sent with Theo.” He looked up at Zanna. “She sent one with each of us, and we promised we would pray the Jesus Prayer each night. She promised to do the same.” Fresh tears dampened his cheeks. “But I didn’t keep my promise. If Theo could see or feel the rope, it might give him some comfort.”

  Zanna patted Markos’s arm. “The doctor and I will remain at your brother’s bedside. If you think it will comfort Theo to have the prayer rope, you should bring it to him.”

  Once Markos departed, Lucy retrieved her stethoscope. “I’m glad Markos is out of t
he room for a while. I want to listen to Theo’s heartbeat again to see if it has weakened any further. I’ll need to move him a little, and I was afraid Markos would become upset. It’s always more difficult to administer an exam or treatment when a loved one is in the room.” She gestured to Zanna. “Go to the other side of the bed and move his arm away from his chest so I can listen.”

  Zanna took a backward step. “Me? I can’t do that. It will hurt him. I know it will.”

  Lucy leveled a hard stare at her. “I need your help.” She pointed to Theo. “More important, he needs your help. Please, Zanna, do as I ask.”

  Zanna nodded slowly, then went over to the opposite side of the bed and attempted to pull Theo’s arm from his chest. The instant Theo’s agonizing cry filled the room, she released her hold and jumped away from the bed.

  Lucy glared at her. “Lift his arm again, but this time don’t drop it if he cries out.”

  Zanna returned the glare. “You mean when he cries out, don’t you?” she whispered. She didn’t wait for a response. Gritting her teeth, she stepped forward and gently lifted Theo’s arm.

  When he cried out, she turned her face away but held fast to his arm while Lucy bent over him with her stethoscope. Zanna stared at the wall and wondered how the crewmen who had seen their fellow divers in this condition could ever consider breaking the rules? Why would they chance such an excruciating death? It was beyond her comprehension.

  “Zanna!” Lucy nodded toward Theo. “He’s trying to talk. Come back to this side of the bed and listen. See if you can understand what he’s saying.”

  Zanna released Theo’s arm. Each step around the bedside was like slogging through thick mud. She avoided looking into Theo’s eyes. Theo wouldn’t want to see her here. If he was conscious, he’d want Markos.