Ross River Fever

by Christopher Cummings

  It was to no avail. The hovercraft roared down the slope sideways, missed the small beach and ploughed through a belt of reeds before striking the water with an enormous splash. Before their horrified eyes the machine lurched onto its side, then tipped right over, to land upside down in the water.

  Andrew started running, his eyes scanning the water. The hovercraft was sinking and there was no sign of Martin. ‘Oh my God! He might be trapped underneath,’ he thought. ‘He might drown!’

  CHAPTER 15

  NOT ANOTHER ONE !

  As Andrew ran down the grassy slope his mind seemed to curl up and scream. ‘Oh no! Not another drowning!’ It was too horrible to think about- but he did. The hovercraft was now almost submerged. Ripples were still spreading outwards from it and a shimmer of oil showed on the water. Without hesitation Andrew splashed into the water and grabbed at the corner of the hovercraft.

  The water was waist deep but rapidly got deeper. Andrew was joined by Mark and Carmen. He pushed through the reeds and entangling water plants and along the side of the now almost submerged machine. No sign of Martin. ‘He must be trapped; or perhaps hurt!’ he thought. “Grab the side and stop it sinking!” he shouted.

  Without waiting to see if he was obeyed Andrew took a deep breath and slipped under. The water was all stirred up, murky and dark. He grabbed the edge of the hovercraft and groped in underneath. His hands encountered the large engine and he changed direction. The baseboard pressed down against his back, making it hard to move but he forced himself to push down under it. His whole being was gripped by frantic dread.

  ‘Please God! Not another one! Please don’t let Martin drown!’ he prayed as he groped in the murk and slime.

  And there was Martin. Andrew’s hand closed on flesh:- Martin’s arm. Martin was struggling desperately and was upside down. Andrew could already feel his own breath running out and that told him that Martin must be close to that ghastly moment when he could no longer hold his breath and would have to take that fatal gulp of water. Using all his strength he gripped Martin’s arm and pulled.

  It didn’t work. ‘He must be trapped!’ Andrew thought. He pushed himself further in under the hovercraft until he was touching the seat and could feel Martin’s frantically wriggling body. With one hand he held Martin while groping with the other to find what was holding him. He could not find what it was. Panic surged in his breast. ‘We must get him free or he will drown!’ he told himself. ‘I must go up for air- which means Martin must be even more desperate!’

  Realizing there was not a moment to lose Andrew let go of Martin and pushed himself out from under the hovercraft; only to find that his clothes were snagged on something! Heedless of consequences he wrenched himself free. A sharp pain told him his hip had been cut by some sharp piece of metal but he felt the clothes tear and he came free. With bursting lungs he surfaced.

  Even as he gulped in air and dashed the slimy water from his face he called to the others: “He’s trapped! We must lift the hovercraft. Quick! Lift!”

  Andrew floundered to get a firm footing in the ooze then put his shoulder under the side of the hovercraft. It seemed to weigh a ton but the others splashed to his help: Carmen, then Mark, Jill, Letitia and Mrs Schipholl.

  “Heave!” Andrew gasped. He lifted with all his might. As he did his feet slipped in the slimy mud but the hovercraft tilted. As soon as it was apparent they were winning he gulped another breath and dived under again. Almost at once he got tangled in the controls but Martin’s hand grabbed at him from out of the murk.

  ‘He’s still alive!’ Andrew thought. But he knew time was fast running out. He grabbed at Martin and pulled. The hovercraft was almost vertical on its side by this and Martin came free at once. Andrew hauled and found himself out from under the machine with Martin firmly in his grip. For a frantic moment he floundered, then he struggled to his feet.

  As his head rose clear of the water he lifted and Martin’s head broke surface. Martin gasped and gurgled, then seemed to choke. Hands grabbed at them and Andrew saw Mrs Schipholl clasp Martin from behind and lift him so that his head remained clear of the water. Martin’s mouth worked and his eyes rolled. Then he spewed and choked again.

  Andrew realized that he was being held up by Letitia and Carmen. Mark moved to help Mrs Schipholl. Martin retched again and then gasped in a great, sucking breath. Once again he coughed and spluttered but Andrew relaxed. Martin was alive!

  They made their way to shore and lay on the grass, trembling from shock and exertion. Martin vomited again but then lay on his side panting and shivering. Snoopy came to whine anxiously and to lick his face before being chased away by Mrs Schipholl. She sat up and said: “Letitia! Go and get some blankets and towels. Quick girl!”

  Jill ran with her up the slope. Carmen held Andrew but he shook his head. “I’m alright,” he gasped. He sat up, felt dizzy and lay back down again. Snoopy came and nuzzled at his hand and he looked into the dog’s faithful, worried brown eyes. “Good dog!” he said as he ruffled Snoopy’s ears. He felt a surge of affection. Martin looked across and smiled weakly.

  “Here Snoopy,” he called softly. Snoopy trotted over to Martin, his tail wagging happily. Martin cuddled the puppy to him and let him lick his face. Andrew sat up and looked around. Mark stood nearby. The hovercraft lay submerged in the reeds. Oil was leaking from it in a thick smear which shimmered as rainbow hues on the water. Carmen patted Andrew’s shoulder and hugged him.

  “I’m alright Car,” he said.

  “That was bravely done,” Carmen replied.

  Mrs Schipholl agreed: “You saved Martin’s life. Thank you.”

  Andrew felt very self-conscious and muttered that anyone would have done it. Letitia and Jill came running down to join them, their arms full of rugs and towels. Mrs Schipholl grabbed a towel and began to dry Martin. Letitia came over to Andrew and knelt to clasp his head to her bosom.

  “Oh Andrew! That was so brave!” she cried.

  Andrew flushed with pleasure and embarrassment, very conscious of Letitia’s breasts against his face; and of Jill and Carmen watching.

  Mrs Schipholl called across: “Letitia, let him come up for air. Save that for later and let the boy dry himself.”

  Letitia released him and began to mop his face and chest with a towel, all the while smiling down at him. Andrew stared at her, then saw Jill watching. ‘Not much chance of winning with Jill now!’ Having thought that he realized he did not care. His greatest desire now was to make love to Letitia.

  Martin put down Snoopy and took the towel from his mother. As he towelled himself he looked at the hovercraft. “Poor old hovercraft! She will need a bit of repair work,” he commented.

  Andrew looked at the hovercraft and saw that the battery had come loose and hung by one lead. Weeds and slime coated the machine and oil seeped out.

  Jill was first to speak. “You surely won’t fix it up!”

  Martin looked astonished. “Of course! That was fun, well, at least till it tipped over. But that was my fault for trying to go down the hill on it. I knew it was no good on slopes.”

  “How will you do that?” Andrew asked.

  Martin shrugged. “Have a launch crew with a rope I suppose,” he replied. He slapped at a mosquito then struggled to his feet. Mrs Schipholl told him to sit but he shook his head and walked down to the edge of the water.

  His mother joined him, shaking her head. “Oh Martin, you aren’t really going to try to fix that horrible thing up after it nearly killed you!” she cried.

  “Yes mum. It will be alright. It won’t tip over when it is on the river. Besides, if the water was deeper I wouldn’t have got trapped. My arm got caught between the seat and the bottom. In deep water I will just swim out from under.”

  Mrs Schipholl shook her head in a resigned way. “Oh Martin!”

  Martin turned to the others. “Come on. Give us a hand to get her back up to the shed.” He waded in and checked the engine. Andrew stood up and followed him. Reluctantl
y the others joined him. They were all wet so it did not matter. Mrs Schipholl collected up the towels and rug and stood to watch as the teenagers grouped themselves around the hovercraft.

  “Ready? One, two, three, lift!” Martin cried.

  They tried but it was hard going. The hovercraft was heavier than it looked and they had trouble keeping their footing in the mud. After a minute of floundering and slipping they managed to get the machine out of the water and up onto the bank.

  Mark made a face. “This is going to be a real effort,” he observed. “Can you start the motor?”

  Martin shook his head. “No chance. I will have to drain all the oil and dry out the engine before I try anything like that. Come on, ready? Lift!”

  They strained and managed to lift the hovercraft. It took five minutes of effort to get it up to the edge of the road and by then they were all panting and perspiring. As they lowered it Martin said: “OK, wait here. I will go and get some wheels to help from here.”

  He walked across to his house. Andrew flopped down on the grass. He was surprised how weak he felt. He trembled and shivered and felt nauseous. Mosquitoes came to bother him as well. He slapped at them irritably.

  Carmen spoke first: “Sorry about wetting another lot of clothes Mrs Schipholl.”

  “Don't mention it dearie. I will just toss them in the tumble drier after I’ve washed them.”

  Martin returned with a four-wheeled jack which he slid under one end of the hovercraft. He raised it a few centimetres, then organized them all to stand around and to lift again. If anything it was harder as they had to stoop but they got the hovercraft across the road and along the driveway.

  When it was safely in the shed Mrs Schipholl said: “Now, all you children get into the shower again and throw out those wet clothes. I will find you dry ones.”

  Mark grinned. “On your own this time Andrew,” he called.

  Andrew blushed and Letitia poked her tongue and said, “Oh poo to you! You are just jealous.”

  Mark blushed deep red at this and glanced at Jill who pursed her lips.

  Mrs Schipholl frowned and said: “Now children, be nice to each other.”

  “I’m first in the shower,” Letitia said. She scurried across the lawn to the house.

  Martin pointed to the back shower. “The boys will use this one. You go first Andrew.”

  Andrew shook his head. “No, you.”

  “Don’t argue.”

  Andrew shrugged and went to the shower. He closed the door and peeled off the smelly, wet clothes, then enjoyed the bliss of another hot shower. As he did he was reminded of being there with Letitia and that made him become aroused. That gave him a problem:- what to wear?

  Mrs Schipholl came around and knocked on the door. “Just wear a towel till I find something for you all,” she said. Andrew wrapped the towel around his waist but was very conscious of his aroused state. He hesitated to go out, all the while trying to will his body to relax.

  Mark hammered on the door. “Come on Andrew! I’m getting bloody cold!”

  Reluctantly Andrew opened the door and stepped out, holding the bundle of wet clothes in front of him. Mark went in and Martin sat slumped in a chair.

  Mrs Schipholl appeared and said: “I’ll take those Andrew.”

  Andrew did not want to hand them over but she reached out and he had to give them to her. He was sure her eyes noted his condition but she only smiled and went to the laundry. He dropped into a chair as quickly as he could.

  Martin looked at him and said: “Thanks Andrew. You saved my life then. I was sure I was a goner.”

  Andrew shrugged. “Anyone would have done it. Besides, I had some practice this morning.” he said. Then he shuddered at the memory. “I couldn’t bear to see another person drown.”

  Letitia came out to join then. She wore a silk dressing gown and carried hot chocolate on a tray. As she leaned forward to give Andrew his drink she smiled. The front of the dressing gown hung open and allowed him a look inside. She wore nothing under the gown and he was granted a tantalizing glimpse of her breasts. He felt his desire harden and his mouth went dry.

  Martin sniffed. “Fair go Sis, stop teasing Andrew; and give me a drink.”

  Mrs Schipholl appeared with a bundle of clothes, including Andrew’s own, which had been washed and dried. “Martin, don’t speak to your sister that way please. She can’t help the way she is.”

  “She can help the way she acts!” Martin replied hotly.

  Mrs Schipholl sniffed and handed Andrew his clothes. He stood up, holding them in front of himself and went through to Martin’s bedroom to change. As he did Jill came out of the bathroom wrapped in a dressing gown. She smiled but said nothing. Carmen was waiting and went inside. Andrew quickly changed and got his emotions back under control- but not his thoughts. These were now dominated by memories and fantasies about Letitia. He returned to the back patio to find that the rain had begun again.

  When they were all seated again Mrs Schipholl went to have a shower herself. Mark asked: “So what do we do now?”

  “I’d like to repair my hovercraft,” Martin replied.

  “I think we should go home,” Carmen added.

  Andrew did not want to. He wanted to stay with Letitia in the hope they might get a chance to be alone. Carmen was adamant. “You should go home and go to bed Andrew. You’ve had a rough morning.”

  At that moment Mrs Schipholl returned. She was wrapped in a dressing gown and was drying her hair with a towel. “I agree,” she added. Faced with that Andrew had to give in. Mark and Jill said they would walk with them. So they sat and talked for half an hour until Mark and Jill’s clothes were dry, and until the rain had stopped.

  At the door Letitia gripped Andrew’s hand, apparently not caring who noticed. “Will I see you tomorrow?” she whispered.

  “Yes,” Andrew replied. His throat was so constricted with yearning it came out as a croak. Letitia pressed herself against him, setting him on fire again.

  Martin scowled and said: “Fair go Sis. Give poor old Andrew a break!”

  “I’ll give him whatever he wants!” retorted Letitia.

  Andrew blushed but his imagination raced. “Whatever I want?” he managed to whisper as she hugged him for a kiss.

  Letitia rubbed against him, sending waves of desire through him. She nodded and murmured: “Yes.”

  Urgent desire exploded in Andrew’s brain. He could hardly think straight as he walked along with the others.

  By unspoken consensus they went along the river bank downstream to Aplins Weir, rather than upstream past where the boy had been drowned. As they approached the weir Andrew noted there was no-one sitting on it fishing.

  Mark pointed and commented, “The river is up. Look.”

  It was true. The rain had raised the river level several centimetres and water was now flowing over the weir along its whole length. They stopped at the end and looked at it. On the downstream side the flow was a fascinating moving curtain of white which ended in a swirling tumble of spray.

  “Is it safe?” Carmen asked.

  “It’s only a couple of centimetres deep,” Mark replied. He removed his gym boots and walked out onto the wet concrete. Jill followed him, then Andrew, with Carmen bringing up the rear. As Mark had said it was only a couple of centimetres deep but Andrew soon regretted the decision. The concrete was slippery and the water was stronger than it looked. The roaring turbulence on the downstream side was considerably more impressive when they were directly above it.

  “A person would get very badly hurt if they slipped down there,” Andrew said.

  No sooner had he said this than Jill slipped. She let out a cry and fell heavily on her bum. Andrew grabbed at her and managed to seize her shirt. Instantly he realized it was no good. His own feet began to slip and he saw there was nothing to grip onto. His mind made an instant decision and he threw his balance to the left. Even as he did his feet slipped from under him. The result was that he fell heavily but only
his legs hit the top of the dam wall. His body went into the deep water above the weir.

  Somehow he kept his grip on Jill’s shirt and found he was jammed up against the lip of the weir, the strength of the current forcing him up and over the top. With all his strength he clung on to Jill’s shirt. This began to rip but by then Mark had turned. He dropped to straddle the top of the weir and grabbed at Jill’s arm. Carmen knelt and grabbed at her from the other side, first by the hair and then by the other arm. Jill screamed.

  For a minute it was touch and go whether they would all be washed over the dam. Andrew felt sick inside with fear as he was now frighteningly aware of the strength of the current and knew that death was close. Carmen and Mark managed to haul Jill up until she could also grip the upstream lip of the wall. By then Andrew had been washed hard up against her by the current.

  “Get her out. Don’t worry about me,” he shouted, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. His mind raced for a solution to the potentially deadly problem. Upstream the water looked flat and black. Only near the lip of the weir was a current visible. ‘Get away from the wall. The current will be less, and even if the plan fails I will just wash back to where I am now,’ he reasoned.

  Without waiting to explain he brought his feet up against the concrete wall and pushed off. He began a rapid overarm swimming stroke and within a few metres knew he was right, but also that it was a contest he would quickly lose as he tired. He managed to get about five metres upstream before he knew the river was too strong. Into his mind came the advice of his cadet instructor: Never swim against the current; swim with it and use it! But how? With the weir only metres away he could not swim downstream at a diagonal angle, which was what he had been taught to do in a flooded stream. The best he could do was start angling diagonally upstream back towards the bank he had come from, being the closest.