“I agree,” Etta chimed in. “Anne, do you know that guy?” she asked in a hushed whisper.
Anne attempted to shy away from their inquiries, explaining she didn’t have a clue as to the identity of the man. It only made matters worse that this humiliating interaction was now being noticed by the whole group, especially Rick, thanks to the girls’ excitement at Anne’s potential beau. At the realization of the latter, Anne’s countenance brightened somewhat. To think Rick was a witness of this was like balm to her wounded soul. Although Anne didn’t usually like to be singled out this way, at least Rick was there to notice that a man could still find her attractive.
Unwittingly coming to Anne’s rescue, the waitress finally arrived and led the party to a booth overlooking the sea. Anne didn’t dare look back to see if the stranger was still perusing her as she walked to the table, but she found it almost impossible to walk normally knowing he might be staring. Her gait felt awkward and her arms just seemed to dangle doing nothing—should she move them? Clasping them together, she scooted into the booth first, sitting next to the window with her back to the entrance, and more importantly…that man. Rick scooted down the bench opposite her, and Anne watched as Louise made sure to secure a seat next to him. She also watched wearily as Ben took great pains to sit next to her. She didn’t want to hurt this already heartbroken man, but on the other hand, she didn’t wish to encourage him either. Luckily for her, Anne now had the menu to prop up in front of her fading red face. This allowed her some privacy as she took deep breaths and alternately applied cold hands to each cheek. By the time Anne lowered the menu to tell the waitress what she wanted, her appearance and composure were almost back to normal. The waitress took away Anne’s “security blanket”, aka the menu, and promised to return soon with their food.
“What do you all think about visiting the sea lion caves after our time on the beach?” Charles suggested to everyone’s delight.
“Oh, too bad the boys aren’t here,” Mary said to Anne’s surprise. Sadly, it was rare when Mary missed her sons, which deeply disappointed Anne at her sister’s lack of maternal instinct. Perhaps now that the boys were getting older her sister’s attachment to her children was growing. Anne hoped that was the case.
“Sure, I wouldn’t mind,” Rick said shrugging as he took another sip of the hot coffee the waitress had refilled before she left.
Louise began to recount a past experience with a sea lion during an internship she held at a sea life aquarium two summers ago, much to the enjoyment of the group. Her story was cut short though when a waitress from the counter called out, “Order to go for Will Elliot!”
The familiar sounding last name caught the group’s attention and collectively they turned to see who would claim the food. Lo and behold, the same man who earlier had been checking Anne out approached the counter to receive the order.
“Anne…are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Mary asked Anne dramatically.
“Do you know him?” Rick queried, trying to curb the jealous twang in his voice.
“Not him personally,” Anne responded, a little surprised at Rick’s latent displeasure. “Our family is related to someone with that name. The ‘Will Elliot’ we’ve always heard about is a second cousin, once removed or something like that. Elizabeth—”
“That’s our oldest sister,” Mary interjected quickly.
Anne grimaced, knowing Mary was getting excited to embark on some family gossip. Continuing where she left off, Anne began again, “Well, our sister used to date him when the two of them attended Dartmouth together.”
Anne was not surprised, when once again, Mary interrupted.
“That is, until Will found someone richer and married her! The woman’s inheritance made Daddy’s fortune look like nothing! Sadly, we never got to see what the ‘rat’ looked like though, since Elizabeth wanted to keep the guy all to herself. The only ones who got that privilege were Dad and Mrs. Russell when they visited Elizabeth at college.”
“Needless to say,” continued Anne amused, “My family is not on good terms with him.”
“The name is certainly a coincidence, but it’s probably a different guy,” Charles advised, bringing the discussion to a close as they saw their food approaching.
Anne continued to observe Rick as he received his plate of pancakes while still maintaining a visual on the stranger. She wondered what Rick must be thinking. Is he just curious about the coincidence, or is he a little jealous?
Rick was glad when he watched the stranger finally exit the restaurant. Now that Anne’s admirer was out of the picture, he could turn his full attention to breakfast. Yet, while taking the first mouthful of the delicious pancakes set before him, Rick couldn’t quite understand the jealousy he felt at seeing another man admire Anne.
Anne, slicing a piece of her syrup-sweetened French toast, was also reflecting on the stranger. She had assumed the man at first was merely appreciating her looks, but now knowing he could possibly be her sister’s ex-boyfriend, wondered if his interest was because of a resemblance to Elizabeth. If so, that would be a first. No one had ever remarked on the two of them looking similar, in fact, quite the opposite. Well, so much for her ego. Surely now, knowing his name, it would explain his keen observation of her. Her growling stomach took priority over further pondering, and she put aside the thoughts for later.
Chapter 24
The Oregon Coast, although beautiful, was normally a little chilly. Today was no exception. The group sported sweatshirts and jackets to fend off the cold breeze as they enjoyed some time on the beach.
“Anne, I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed our conversations,” Ben said as the two of them sat talking after breakfast on top of a dune.
The others were playing Frisbee below on the sand, with the exception of Mary who elected to read the latest Enquirer (she wasn’t much for games), and Harve, who had earlier sprained his ankle.
Anne responded to Ben politely, “I’ve also valued our chats.” Anne did her best to keep her tone reserved. Although she thought her answer appeared neutral, Ben’s confidence was boosted by her response so he continued.
“We really do have a lot in common,” he said, searching her eyes for any hint of coinciding passion.
With the sun shining behind him and into her face, surely the only thing Ben was bound to see were reddened eyes. The combination of wind, rain, and light were making them irritated and painful. In fact, they were already beginning to water. Instinctively, Anne pulled her jacket tighter around herself. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the icy gust of wind that blew upon them at that moment or rather the nagging feeling which told Anne she needed to tread cautiously.
The way Ben was gazing at her made Anne feel distinctly uncomfortable. She recalled Etta’s words asking if the two of them were an “item” and with today’s pointed admiration from him, Anne could no longer delude herself that Ben simply thought of her as a friend. The notion unnerved her.
“So you’re moving to Napa Valley?” Ben asked. Anne nodded, striving to make her answers seem nonchalant. Without warning, Ben eagerly grabbed Anne’s hand. Startled, Anne sat in shock at Ben’s next revelation, “I’ve been considering a move to California myself,” he ventured, no doubt hoping to spark an outburst of joy from her lips.
Anne tensed, but was saved from responding when they heard Rick call out to Louise in alarm. She took this distraction as an opportunity to take back her hand. Ben looked a little injured, but to Anne’s immense relief, the commotion below caused him to overlook the slight.
“Louise! Not so far out!” Rick shouted.
Despite his warning, Louise continued to walk backwards into the shallow surf, shaking her head playfully as she did so. “What?” taunted the flirtatious Louise, “Afraid you won’t be able to throw the Frisbee this far?”
Anne sighed. Sometimes that girl could be so headstrong! The foolish Louise regressed further into the sea water while continuing to motion for Rick to throw
her the disc. Goaded, he tossed the Frisbee to her and she caught it.
“Louise,” Charles sighed with annoyance. “Don’t be an egghead! Come back now.”
Stubbornly, Louise refused as the icy waves slapped against her legs. Spying a large boulder exposed by the receding waters, she chose instead to hoist herself onto it. Once reaching the peak, she flauntingly waved the Frisbee.
“Louise, get down from there! The tide is starting to come back in,” Rick said, his voice displaying his annoyance.
Louise’s only response was to continue laughing, despite the concern plainly written on everyone’s face. This was her day to shine, and Louise reveled in the attention she was receiving.
Ben’s touch on Anne’s arm caused her to look away momentarily from Louise’s daring antics only to hear Etta, seconds later, let out a horrifying scream.
“Louise! Watch out!” Mary shouted.
Anne looked back just in time to see a sneaker wave crashing over the boulder, knocking Louise off her perch. The party stood helpless as they watched Louise fall and strike her head on a jagged rock before sinking unconscious into the rushing water below. Bursting forth, Rick plunged himself into the mighty waves, jumping in after her.
“Oh, dear God!” Anne said with a shaking voice as she got up and ran down to join the others with Ben following close behind.
By the time they reached the scene, Rick had managed to grab Louise and was barely holding onto a protruding crag on the face of the boulder. His grip, although not totally secure, was just enough to stop them from being swept out into the ocean by the strong current. Anne felt as if she was watching a horror movie. She wished she could push “stop” and rewind this moment to keep Louise from being harmed. Instead, all she could do was stand there helplessly, and pray to her Heavenly Father for a miracle.
As soon as the water partially receded, the men sprang into action. Charles, Ben, and even the injured Harve helped to take the unresponsive Louise from Rick, and despite Harve’s sprained ankle, the trio managed to get her to safer ground. Anne was the only one who offered the soaked and exhausted Rick a shoulder to lean on which he accepted with gratitude as he staggered to safety.
The group straight away surrounded Louise with Charles dropping to his knees to cradle his lifeless sister. Anne assessed the situation and realized immediate medical attention was needed. Unlike Mary who was hyperventilating, Anne instinctively put her first aid skills to use, pushing aside the others to lower her head onto Louise’s chest to listen for any sign of life. Thinking she heard a slight beat, she placed her ear above Louise’s mouth to confirm.
“She’s breathing!” Anne cried out with relief. Etta gasped and steadied Mary, who was close to fainting.
“What should we do?” Charles asked, his voice quavering with emotion.
“We need an ambulance,” Anne ordered, sensing the men needed direction.
Out of the corner of her eye, Anne watched as Rick struggled to rise. It was only then that she realized he, too, was badly hurt. Catching sight of oozing blood coming from some cuts on his hands, Anne stopped Rick before he could rise further. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder which caused him to flinch. Horrified, she recognized that his shoulder was dislocated and now felt guilty for the discomfort the slight pressure had caused him.
“Rick, you’re hurt!” she said with concern, “Let Ben make the call.”
Rick recognized the wisdom of her words. He nodded to Ben who ran off with determination and speed, heading to where the group had left their belongings so he could retrieve his cell phone.
Forcing herself to once again focus on Louise’s more serious condition, Anne turned back to the unconscious young woman. Louise’s arms and legs were ice cold, putting her at risk for hypothermia.
“It’s vital we keep her warm,” Anne said with alarm, prompting Harve and Charles to quickly take off their jackets and sweatshirts. Anne accepted them and promptly laid the donated items over Louise.
Rick attempted to raise his arm with little success, grimacing with extreme pain. He paused, his eyes betraying his anguish and wretchedness. “Anne, I should have stopped her…”
“It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault. Louise can be so headstrong at times,” Anne answered in an effort to soothe his conscience.
“But, I should have been more forceful…” Rick objected.
Anne stopped him. “And do you really think that would have worked on Louise?”
Rick sunk back in resignation, knowing that Anne was right. There was nothing he could have done to stop the willful Louise.
“But we can pray,” Anne prompted, turning to massage Louise’s cold limbs in an effort to keep them warm.
Rick and the others nodded in agreement to Anne’s suggestion. A peace descended over the group following Anne’s gentle reminder that God was in control. Each knew that Louise’s fate rested solely in their Heavenly Father’s hands.
Chapter 25
White walls and medicinal smells surrounded them as they huddled together in the cramped hospital room. All the faces present displayed concern, except for the motionless and unconscious Louise, whose lovely face was without expression. Once the doctor had declared Louise’s condition stabilized, Charles was able to secure permission from the hospital staff to allow the entire group to be in her room. Normally this wouldn’t have been possible, but since it was an outpatient facility the staff had been able to bend the rules a bit.
As they stood around waiting for the doctor’s return, Anne shouldered the task of bearing the bad news to the Musgroves. Normally Charles would have undertaken this duty, but he was busy trying to keep Mary and Etta from hysterics. Once the call was initiated, Anne had to wait patiently for Clara to calm down sufficiently for her to continue. She glanced at Rick, glad to now see his injuries properly bandaged and a sling in place. It had been a close call, and granted, Louise wasn’t totally out of danger yet, but at least she was alive and currently receiving proper medical attention.
In the background, she could hear Mr. Musgrove coaxing his wife to hand over the phone. “How is she, Anne?” Stanley asked with such gravity that a lump formed in Anne’s throat.
“She’s in stable condition. They took some x-rays earlier and we’re waiting to hear back from the doctor regarding the results.”
“Has she said anything? Is she awake?” he asked, trying to maintain his composure.
“No, she’s still unconscious,” Anne began, wishing she had better news to share. “The only thing we know at this point is Louise suffered a concussion and appears to have a broken wrist and collar bone.”
This discourse was interrupted when the doctor entered Louise’s room. Promising to ring Stanley later with the physician’s update, Anne quickly ended the call. Everyone’s eyes turned hesitantly to the doctor as they waited for him to speak.
“Well, all the neurological tests came back negative,” he began, which emitted grateful sighs of relief throughout the room. Anne quickly sent a prayer of thanks to God. The doctor continued, “Louise is showing normal brain activity at this point, but until she regains consciousness, all we can do is wait. Personally, I view the unconscious state as the body’s method of attempting to heal itself,” the doctor explained, trying to soothe the worried faces.
“How long do you think she’ll be unconscious?” Charles asked.
The doctor shifted, placing Louise’s chart under one arm. “Could be days, maybe even weeks. There’s really no way to tell. The biggest hurdle now is to watch for increased cerebral swelling.” Charles nodded gravely and the physician added, “As we suspected, her collar bone and wrist were broken in the fall. In addition, she has a fractured hip.”
At this announcement, Etta and Mary began to wail. Anne felt concerned too, but decided the better option would be to find solace in her Heavenly Father. What good would crying do? She decided to save her tears for later. What this group needed now was strength, and even though she felt weak, Anne knew she had to be
strong for Louise.
“Is there any way we can move Louise to a hospital closer to Black Butte?” Charles asked, eager to relocate his sister so she could be nearer to their worried and distraught parents.
“That, I would not recommend. What she needs now is consistency,” the doctor explained.
Although disappointed by the doctor’s response in moving the patient, the group understood that Louise’s health was top priority. If keeping her at this present location would increase Louise’s chances of a full recovery, then so be it. The doctor left and promised an update later that night, if his rounds permitted.
As evening began to close in and there was still no update regarding Louise’s condition, Anne offered to get coffee for those needing a good dose of caffeine. None of them knew how long they would have to remain at Louise’s bedside, but felt it would be best to wait for the doctor’s recommendation before making further arrangements. Unfortunately, Louise’s physician was completing a double shift, having been swamped with an influx of new patients. Since the doctor wasn’t expected any time soon, Anne figured this would be a good opportunity to get the offered coffee. Even Anne was finding it a challenge to keep her eye lids open while watching Full House reruns, a program which Mary had found on the television. Gathering her purse to embark on this errand, to Anne’s surprise, Rick handed her a twenty dollar bill to cover the tab.
“No, thanks. I’ve got it,” she said, softly pushing his hand away. Rick was too exhausted to fight her and reluctantly accepted her decision as he fell back into his seat.
Anne studied his face and distraught manner. Is Rick overly dismayed because he’s exhausted like everyone else? Or is it because his heart is being torn to shreds watching Louise lie lifelessly on the bed? Anne pondered these depressing thoughts as she made her way to the hospital café and ordered three coffees. Rick’s actions earlier that day had impressed Anne though. Despite the pain he’d physically endured during the rescue, Rick never complained once, even assisting the ambulance technicians as they carried Louise’s stretcher up the beach path.
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