South of Heaven

by Ali Spooner

  Stripping out of the slicker, she decided to load their dishes into the dishwasher to give Kendra a few more minutes of privacy to talk with her dad. When she finished, she returned to the cabin to find Kendra nodding off.

  Kendra’s head snapped up. “Will you come snuggle with me?” she asked.

  Lindsey kicked off her shoes and started for the bed.

  Kendra smiled at her. “Can you lose those clothes?”

  Lindsey undressed and climbed in beside her.

  “Thanks. I want to feel your skin next to mine. Can I spoon you?”

  “Absolutely.” Lindsey grinned and turned onto her side.

  Kendra snuggled into her back and draped an arm over Lindsey’s waist. “You comfy?”

  “Very much so.” She covered Kendra’s hand with her own. She felt Kendra’s warm breath on her neck and then a soft purring as she drifted off to sleep. Yeah, this must be what heaven feels like she remembered thinking before sleep overtook her.

  Hours later, the rocking of the boat intensified, waking Lindsey. Kendra had rolled over onto her back, so Lindsey crept out of the bed and walked into the wheelhouse. She sat down in the captain’s seat and brought up the weather screen.

  The winds had increased dramatically. “No wonder the boat’s rocking.” The latest satellite image showed that Dani was just a few miles from land, so the worst would hopefully be over by mid-afternoon at the latest. She sensed movement in the room and turned to see Kendra. “Did I wake you?”

  “No, the bed got cold without my heater.” She smiled and sat in Lindsey’s lap. “What’s it looking like? It’s really rocking out there.” Her hand began playing in Lindsey’s hair.

  “She’s almost made landfall. We’ve had gusts up to ninety with sustained winds at seventy-five,” Linsey reported.

  “Too risky to go outside so let’s go back to bed. I’ll let you cook me breakfast when we wake up.” Kendra grinned.

  “You have a deal.”

  Kendra stood and took her hand.

  Back in Kendra’s quarters, Lindsey was lying flat on her back, with Kendra’s head on her shoulder, when the winds began to howl around the boat.

  †

  When they woke next, the wind had died down. They scrambled to dress and get out on deck to check the boat while they had a short reprieve from the winds. It was past sunrise, but the brilliant rays that normally welcomed them were nowhere on the horizon. The clouds were a lighter shade of gray, but still too dense to allow the rays to burn through. A strange mist floated above the water as Lindsey stood at the railing, gazing across to where she had last seen the other boat. There was no sign of a beacon.

  Kendra walked up behind Lindsey and wrapped her arms around her in a hug. “Eerie looking, isn’t it?”

  “Like something out of a sci-fi movie.” Kendra’s lips brushed against her neck, causing Lindsey to shiver with anticipation. “Last night was beautiful,” she whispered.

  “Yes, it was.”

  An explosion caught their attention as a bright green flash penetrated the gray from the shoreline.

  “What the hell?” Lindsey yelled.

  “A transformer just exploded. They light up like green lightning when they become overloaded,” Kendra explained. A second, then a third transformer exploded in the distance. “I think that’s our cue to move back inside. The winds are returning.”

  Lindsey turned in her arms and kissed her softly. “I did agree to cook you breakfast.” She grinned as she took her hand, to lead her toward the galley.

  A loud crash at the rear of the boat startled them. “What the hell?” Lindsey shrieked. Panic filled her eyes as they felt the boat sway from the impact. She rushed aft with Kendra.

  A twenty-foot sailboat had slammed into the back of the boat, causing little damage to the shrimper, but the hull of the sailboat was shattered. The winds pushed the boat against the metal hull of Heaven Sent, causing the fiberglass hull of the sailboat to cave in and take on water quickly. The winds whipped the rain into their eyes as they strained to see what was happening.

  “Oh, dear God.” Lindsey saw a body floating in the water. Without a second thought for her own safety, she took off at a dead run and leapt into the water.

  Lindsey’s heart was pounding with the adrenalin rushing through her as she reached the person floating in the water and rolled the body onto its back. It was a woman. Blood tainted the water from a gash in the woman’s head as she floated unconsciously. The life jacket on her upper body was the only thing keeping her afloat. Lindsey wrapped an arm around the woman’s chest, keeping her head above water as she struggled to swim back to the boat.

  Lindsey thought she heard Kendra calling out to her, but she was concentrating on getting back to the boat. The dead weight of the woman’s body was exhausting her rapidly since she could only use one arm to swim. A large wave slapped her in the face and when she spit out a mouthful of water, she found to her horror, that the woman was conscious and like a terrified animal was trying to escape her grasp. Panic had her eyes open wide as she flailed against Lindsey’s efforts to swim them to safety.

  “I’ve got you, but you have to relax or we’re both going to drown,” Lindsey warned her.

  In her fright, the woman failed to comprehend what Lindsey was shouting, and she was nearing the point of knocking her out, when she felt the woman relax. She had passed out, so Lindsey swam as hard as she could toward the boat.

  Kendra ran to the railing to find Lindsey swimming toward the body bobbing in the waves, which were growing in the increasing winds. She watched as Lindsey fought against the waves to reach the body, which was face down in the water. She rushed over to pick up the life ring and line to toss out to Lindsey when she got close enough to reach for it.

  “Come on, baby,” she called out to Lindsey.

  Kendra watched as the boat began to sink as her eyes searched for anyone else occupying the sailboat. Finding no evidence that there was anyone else on board, she turned back to Lindsey. She could tell that her energy was draining quickly and she prayed Lindsey was close enough to reach the lifeline. She lifted the ring and flung it out as far as she could.

  Kendra pulled the line with all her might, frustrated by the slow progress they were making toward the boat. The waves threatened to pull them underwater, as the winds howled around the boat.

  “Come on, swim, baby, you can do this,” Kendra spoke out loud, even knowing there was no way Lindsey could hear her.

  Lindsey saw a flash of white light and looked to find the life ring floating toward her quickly. Thank God. I’m just about drained. She stopped swimming long enough to reach for the ring, pulling it toward her. She looked up to lock eyes with Kendra who began to retract the line.

  Five feet from the boat, the woman regained consciousness, and wearily looked into Lindsey’s eyes, but thankfully did not fight against her. “Is there anyone else on board?”

  “No, it’s just me,” the woman managed to croak.

  “Okay, relax, and we’ll be on the boat in just a few minutes.” I can do this, she repeated in her mind as her muscles began to burn with exhaustion.

  Relieved to reach the boat, Lindsey looked at the woman. “Can you reach up and grab Kendra’s hand if I help lift you up?”

  “I…I think so, but I think my left arm is broken.”

  Lindsey saw Kendra tie the line to the railing and move as close as she could to reach out to the woman, bracing her body between the railings.

  “Okay, we’ll have to work with that, but we’ll have you on board in no time.” She looked up at Kendra and shouted to Kendra over the roar of the wind.

  “Careful. Her left arm might be broken.”

  Kendra reached down as Lindsey used her remaining strength to lift the woman as high as she could. Kendra grabbed her right hand, and with both arms pulled with all her might.

  Lindsey’s right hand gripped the rope as she felt the woman’s body begin to leave the water and felt the woman’s foot on her l
eft shoulder. She supported the woman’s weight as she pulled on the rope to lift her high enough for Kendra to help the woman over the railing.

  †

  The jarring of the woman’s arm caused her to cry out in pain as they fell onto the deck.

  “Owww,” she hollered as she grabbed for her left arm.

  “I’m sorry, I know it hurt, but that’s the best I could do,” Kendra said.

  The woman gritted her teeth against the pain and nodded.

  “Let me get Lindsey on board and we’ll tend to your injuries.” Kendra rushed back to the railing to find Lindsey struggling to climb the rope. She took her hands, and pulled her high enough to get her feet on deck and helped her over the railing. One look into her eyes and she knew Lindsey was exhausted. She guided her to sit on the deck. “You okay?”

  Lindsey nodded. “Yeah, just tired. Take care of her.”

  They turned to look at the woman sitting on deck, holding her broken arm.

  “I’m Kendra and this is Lindsey. How are you feeling?”

  The woman grimaced in pain. “I’m Susan. Thank you both for saving me.”

  “Other than your arm and that nasty cut on your head, how do you feel? Is anything else hurting?”

  “Not that I can feel. My arm is really hurting.”

  “I’m going to see if I can reach the Coast Guard, and I’ll get the first aid kit.” She looked at Lindsey. “Do you think you’ll be strong enough in a minute to get you both inside?”

  “Yeah, I can do that,” Lindsey answered. She struggled to sit upright.

  “I’ll meet you in the galley as soon as I can.”

  “Okay, baby.”

  Kendra left Lindsey and the woman and rushed inside, grabbed the first aid kit, carried it into the galley, and placed it on the table. Lindsey would see it and hopefully would be able to stop the bleeding on the woman’s head. Then she ran back through the galley to the wheelhouse and picked up the radio.

  Kendra reached the dispatcher for the Coast Guard, explaining their situation and providing their location. Unfortunately, she learned, the weather prevented the Coast Guard helicopter from launching from Pensacola to take the injured woman for care. She and Lindsey would have to provide whatever medical care they could until the weather cleared enough to allow the helicopter to launch. Disappointed and concerned for the woman’s health, she returned to the galley.

  Lindsey watched Kendra rush toward the wheelhouse. As she struggled to her feet, the sky opened up. Lindsey looked up at the clouds. “Really, you don’t think we’re soaked enough already,” she growled.

  “Thank you,” Susan told her. “If you hadn’t been here, I would be dead by now.”

  Lindsey reached out to take her right hand. “I’m glad we were here. Let’s get you inside.”

  With her help, Susan climbed to her feet, allowing Lindsey to guide her across the deck.

  Lindsey’s legs were shaking as she guided Susan into the galley. She saw the first aid kit on the table and helped the woman into a chair.

  “Let’s see if we can stop the bleeding.” Lindsey rummaged through the kit for sterile pads and pressed a small stack of them onto the gash on Susan’s head. The look in her eyes showed that Susan was falling into shock. The pain from her arm was probably the only thing keeping her alert.

  “Do you think you can hold this and put pressure on it while I get a bandage ready?”

  Susan reached for the thick stack of sterile pads, pressing them against her head as Lindsey sought out the supplies she needed.

  Lindsey looked up and saw Kendra smiling at the women as she entered the galley.

  “The Coast Guard can’t launch in this weather. They will contact us when they get clearance to fly, but it probably won’t be until tomorrow according to the dispatcher. We’ll do what we can to make you comfortable.”

  “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” Susan said, grimacing.

  Lindsey shared a worried look with Kendra.

  Lindsey was wrapping a pressure bandage around Susan’s head. “I think we’ve got the bleeding stopped for now.”

  “That’s good news. We need to figure how we can stabilize her arm,” Kendra stated.

  “Let’s get her out of these wet clothes while we come up with a solution. Kendra, can you get a pair of my sweats, a shirt, and some socks? Bring a blanket, too. I think you’re starting to go into shock,” Lindsey told Susan.

  Kendra nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I need to get this shirt off you. Would you mind if I cut it off? It will be less painful for you.”

  “Yes, thanks, that’s fine.”

  Lindsey fished out a pair of scissors and began cutting the shirt from the woman. Do you have pain anywhere else?” She had noted some bruising on her left side.

  “No, just my arm, and I’m getting a headache.”

  Kendra returned with the clothes and dry towels. “Can you get Susan some of your Ibuprofen for her pain?”

  “Sure, I brought you some dry clothes, too.”

  “Thanks, baby.”

  Susan waited for Kendra to leave the room. “Is she your girlfriend?”

  “Yes she is.” Lindsey smiled.

  “I really am lucky you two were here,” Susan replied.

  “I’m glad we were, too.” Lindsey smiled at her. “Can you try to dry off some while I take a look at your arm? I’ll try to be gentle.”

  Kendra raced back into the galley with the medicine and poured a glass of water. “Here you go.” She handed Susan two pills and then the glass of water.

  “What’s the verdict on her arm?” Kendra asked.

  “Definitely broken, but thankfully it didn’t break through the skin. Can you get me a roll of duct tape?”

  “Sure, what do you have in mind?”

  “Don’t laugh, but we’re going to make splints out of some wooden spoons.”

  Kendra grinned. “That’s clever, baby.”

  “Can you see if one of the crew has a pair of tube socks?”

  “This is getting more curious by the minute,” Susan said with a painful grimace.

  “I’ll be right back. See if you two can get into some dry clothes,” Kendra suggested.

  Kendra returned carrying a variety of items as Lindsey helped Susan get into dry clothing. “I’m going to change clothes. Will you get six wooden spoons if we have them?”

  “I’m all over it, Doc.”

  “Place an ice pack on her arm while I’m gone, too, please?”

  Kendra looked at Susan. “Do you prefer peas or carrots?”

  Susan chuckled. “Peas, please.”

  Kendra took a bag of frozen peas from the freezer and laid them gently on her arm. “I prefer the peas, too.” She pointed to her bruised cheek.

  “What happened?”

  “A buckle came loose during the storm last night, and clipped me when I was making rounds.”

  “That looks painful.”

  “It was, but Lindsey’s a good nurse.”

  “I heard that,” Lindsey called out.

  “You can play doctor with me anytime.” Kendra winked at Susan and then grimaced from the pain in her cheek. “Damn, that hurt.”

  Susan smiled at her. “You two make a cute couple.”

  “Thanks. I think so, too.”

  Susan looked at her with a frown. “I guess my boat’s gone.”

  “I’m afraid so. It went down quickly. How did you end up in the water?”

  “I was below deck getting ready to make some breakfast when I heard the crash. I got slammed into the cabinet. I hadn’t realized that the anchor had broken free and that I was drifting in the water.”

  “The way the waves were kicking up, it’s no wonder you couldn’t feel you were moving,” Lindsey said, as she took a seat at the table.

  Susan looked up at her with wide eyes. “I’m not really sure what happened. I think I came up top to find out what was going on, and the boat slammed into your hull again, and I went
overboard. Did I do much damage to your boat?”

  “Just a few scratches, nothing bad. Fiberglass doesn’t fare well against steel,” Kendra said.

  “I’m sorry. I thought I’d be safe to shelter here. I was on my way to Panama City to meet my girlfriend when I learned about the approaching storm.”

  “Would you like to give her a call?”

  “That would be great. My cell and everything else was on the boat.”

  “I’ll grab the satellite phone and be right back then.”

  Lindsey groaned when she stood to walk to the kitchen.

  A grimace covered Susan’s face. “Are you okay? I didn’t even think about what you risked to save me.”

  “I’m fine, just chilled, and tired. You gave me a run for my money for a few minutes when you were panicked.”

  “I’m sorry. I could have hurt you.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You were scared and disoriented. I’m happy we’re both safe.”

  Kendra returned and handed Lindsey the blanket to wrap around Susan. “Is there a number I can dial for you?”

  Kendra dialed the requested number and handed the phone to Susan. While Susan talked, Lindsey began making the splint.

  “Will you pour us some coffee?” She asked Kendra. “I’m sure we could all use something warm.” She looked at Susan. “I’m glad she got her friend.”

  “Me too. Hopefully she’ll be able to come to the hospital to be with her.”

  “How far is it to Panama City?” Lindsey asked.

  “Two to three hours, depending on traffic and road conditions.”

  “I don’t envy her that drive.”

  “Me either, especially if this rain keeps up.” Kendra reached over to push wet hair from Lindsey’s face. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, just physically wiped out. I thought I was in good shape, but damn that was tough.”

  “I’m very proud of you.”