“Venom?” Karen asked.
“Sam, is the venom...going to kill me?” Wide eyed, Olivia stared at Sam and started to tremble. “Is the poison all through my body now? Am I gonna die?”
“Olivia, you’re going to be okay. The venom has all been centralized in one small area. There’s probably only a tiny bit of poison that got into your skin, but it can be pretty darned painful.”
Travis stepped closer to Karen. “For a sting from a stingray, the best treatment is to get the foot in really hot water. We can get her to headquarters down the beach a ways a whole lot faster than you could get her to a nearby hospital.”
“My foot hurts even more, and now my leg is starting to ache,” Olivia said. “Both of my feet feel sort of tingly. Sam, it hurts bad!”
“I know, sweetie,” Sam said. “Probably feels like you got stabbed by a sharp knife or got stung by fifty bees, huh?” Sam held Olivia’s hand and tried to distract her from the sharp pain. “What grade are you in, Olivia? How old’s your baby brother?” While Sam continued to get Olivia’s mind off the pain, Carlos packed up the medical kit and secured it in the back of the jeep.
“I just started first grade. My little brother is six months old, and my other brother Tommy is eleven. Why does it hurt so much?”
“There’s not much to do when you get stung by a stingray,” Travis said and towered above her. “But you won’t be in pain for too long. Your mom can give you some Advil or Tylenol later. That oughta help once you’re home.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of blood,” Tommy said and bumped into Sam then crouched to get a closer look at Olivia’s foot. “It’s pretty gross. A stingray did that?”
“The stingray’s barb pierced the skin,” Sam said and held the gauze firmly against Olivia’s wound.
“Sam, it hurts really bad, and now my hands feel all tingly,” Olivia said as fear washed over her face once again. Soon, she sobbed so hard she couldn’t catch her breath.
“Hey, buddy, move back a bit, okay?” Sam said to Tommy and leaned in closer to Olivia and placed a hand on her face. “Let’s give your sister some space as I administer first aid.”
Tommy scooted back a bit but continued to ask questions. “They have those big rays at Sea World. Remember, Olivia? Remember how they let us touch the backs of the rays?”
“Those are probably bat rays,” Sam said and took another peek at the bloody gauze. “Olivia, sweetie, let’s get you to take a couple more deep breaths. Like this.” Sam set a hand on Olivia’s back and inhaled slowly through her nose and out through her mouth. Within a few seconds, Olivia mimicked Sam’s breathing and stopped crying.
“My...my lips are tingly.” Olivia started to shiver even more.
“How come her lips are blue?” Tommy asked then stepped back to stand close to his mom.
“What’s going on?” Karen asked and put her arm around Tommy. “Can’t you give her something for the pain? She’s only seven. Why can’t you—”
“Ma’am, we aren’t allowed to administer meds,” Carlos said. “But we’re doing all we can for her. Intense pain from a stingray is normal. It’ll dissipate in the next three to four hours.”
“She’s going to be in this much pain for another four hours?” Karen asked. “Is the venom affecting her nervous system or something? Why would her lips be tingly?” By now Karen was crying and yelling at the lifeguards. “Why can’t you do something? Shouldn’t you call 9-1-1?”
“Your little girl is hyperventilating,” Travis said and stood close to Karen. “We’re getting her to take a few slow breaths. While unusual, hyperventilating can cause someone to pass out.”
“Shouldn’t we take her to the ER?” Karen flailed her arm in the air and paced closer to Olivia. She continued to hold the baby snug on her hip as Tommy crouched down next to Olivia.
“Olivia, it’s gonna be okay,” Tommy said and glanced at Sam. “Right? She’s going to be okay, right?”
“She’ll be fine,” Sam said and handed Tommy a package of gauze. “How about you hold on to this in case she bleeds through the dressing? The bleeding is normal. It’ll stop pretty soon as long as we keep pressure on it.”
“Ma’am, at this point, if we call 9-1-1, they’d transport her to the ER where they’d do exactly what we’re going to do once we get her to headquarters,” Carlos said and approached Karen. “Let’s get you over to the jeep.” Carlos waved to the idling vehicle nearby and escorted Karen and Tommy over there.
“Sweetie, we’re gonna take you to that tall lifeguard tower where we’ll soak your foot in really hot water,” Sam said and lifted Olivia into her arms and headed toward the jeep. “You’ll need to soak it for a while. The hot water will make the pain go away real fast.”
“How we gonna do this, Cleveland?” Travis asked and shrugged his shoulders. “No room for the mom, baby, and brother if you’re riding along with me and Hernandez.”
“I want Sam to take me there,” Olivia said and snuggled her body into Sam’s.
“I’m not gonna leave her till she’s no longer in pain,” Sam said, looking into Olivia’s eyes. “Once the venom is neutralized a bit after we soak her foot in hot water, her wound will need to be dressed. I’m not leaving her side.”
“I’ll stay here at the tower,” Carlos said and waved an arm toward the lifeguard station. “Ma’am, I can watch your things here on the beach as you and your kids ride in the jeep to headquarters. It’s not too far, but Miller’s gonna get there really fast driving along the shore. Your little girl is in good hands. Cleveland’s one of our best.”
“Looks like we’re all set to take you to headquarters,” Sam said and secured Olivia in the back of the jeep. “See, this jeep here isn’t quite like an ambulance. It’s even better. It can drive over the sand and maneuver over rocks and things like that. You ever ride in an emergency vehicle?”
“No, but my brother did when he got hurt on his bike last summer. A lady not paying attention hit Tommy with her car when she was pulling out of her driveway. Tommy was all bandaged up and got a big blue cast on his leg. He hit his head and got a concussion and wasn’t allowed to play baseball for a long time because the doctor said if he got hit in the head again, he would hurt his brain even more.”
With the baby on her lap, Karen sat in the back of the jeep, and her son Tommy climbed into the front seat. Travis pulled away from the lifeguard tower and slowly made his way around the beachgoers on the sand.
“Looks like your brother is all healed up now,” Sam said and glanced at Tommy. She couldn’t help but wonder how Robert was doing. All her mom told her this morning was that his white count had gone down and that he only had a low-grade fever. But the x-ray they did late yesterday still showed some fluid in one of his lungs, and he still wasn’t responding to stimuli. “My brother had to ride in an ambulance recently after he was in an accident. He also hurt his brain,” Sam said quietly.
“Is he all better?” Olivia asked and looked up at Sam.
“Not quite. He’s still in the hospital. His brain got more injured than just a concussion.”
“The doctors told Tommy that it takes a long time for a bone to heal after a break and an even longer time for the brain to get better, but I bet your brother will be okay. Maybe he just needs to...to rest...maybe his brain is...Sam, it’s hurting even worse now. When is it gonna stop hurting?”
“Honey, I promise it won’t hurt for much longer. We’re on our way to get you some relief. You know, I bet Lieutenant Miller will put the lights on if you’d like.”
“And the siren, too?” Olivia asked.
“Sure, I bet the lieutenant would do that for you.”
“What’s a lieutenant?” Olivia asked and cocked her head, her face so serious. “Is he a policeman?”
“Not quite. A lieutenant at the beach is someone who’s in charge of the other lifeguards. They get to ride around in a jeep and oversee all the other lifeguards. Sometimes they even get to ride the Jet Ski to rescue people. Someday I might
be a lieutenant. I actually submitted my application yesterday.”
Olivia’s eyes got big after Sam said this. By now she’d stopped trembling, and her body had relaxed into Sam’s. Certain that Olivia’s pain was still intense, Sam continued to distract her to get her talking about things other than her injury. “Do you and your big brother go to the beach a lot?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, mostly on the weekends in the summer, but we didn’t go much when Tommy was still in his cast. The doctors fixed him up, even his concussion. They said the brain gets bruised just like when you hit your leg or arm, which means it takes a long time to heal. He was bummed that he couldn’t pitch in his games all summer, but he’s back doing that now. I sometimes go to his games to watch. I’m in gymnastics, which Tommy says is just for girls. But I can do somersaults, which he can’t even do.”
“Somersaults? Wow, that’s impressive. I can’t even do that. You’ll be back doing somersaults in no time. You’ll see.”
“When Tommy was taken in the ambulance, they turned on the sirens, and my mom and me followed in our car. My dad got to ride with Tommy in the ambulance. Did you get to ride in the ambulance with your brother?”
“No, he lives far away, in Mississippi. I flew out to be with him the next morning, the day after his accident. I’ll go see him again soon.” Sam glanced at the ocean behind her, noticing the tide had dropped and exposed some rocks along the shore.
Once Travis made it past the flat sand, he rumbled over the uneven terrain as they neared headquarters. Sam held Olivia close to her, bringing her body nearer as they rode over the bumpy sand. She pressed the gauze against the site of the injury and didn’t let up on the pressure. The jeep hit ruts in the sand, so Sam wrapped her arm around Olivia’s shoulders and pulled her close to make sure her injured foot wouldn’t jostle on the bumpy ride. Olivia whimpered in pain, and both Sam and Karen offered words of comfort.
Sam continued to press the dressing against Olivia’s foot to subdue the bleeding. “We’re almost there, sweetie. Only half a mile or so.”
“You lifeguards are saints,” Karen said and shook her head. “I think you don’t get enough credit for what you do.”
“It’s my job. I sometimes can’t see myself doing anything else. I’ve been doing this for a long time now, but I might be returning to Mississippi soon, where I’m from.” Sam caught Travis’s eyes in the rearview mirror; she squinted as she caught a flash of his smile in the reflection. She didn’t want to be away from this stretch of beach for too long, but she knew she had to return to Mississippi soon.
“Mississippi?” Karen shifted in her seat as the baby in her lap became fussy. “Wow, you’ve come a long way. Not as many oceans back there, huh?”
“Well, not like this here. I mean, the Gulf of Mexico is way different than Southern California beaches. Hardly ever went there when I was a kid. I spent most of my time in the creek by my house with my brother.” Sam envisioned the rambling waters of the Okatoma, the incessant current moving past their property. Those waters were usually so steady—nothing like the varying conditions here along the Pacific. But like the hidden dangers along the Okatoma, this beach sometimes produced unexpected hazards.
“You have any kids?” Karen repositioned the baby on her lap. “Sorry if I’m being too forward.”
“No, not too forward. No kids for me...at least not yet. I’m not even settled down as far as a relationship.” Sam laughed softly then glanced out the window. “I’ve always been kind of undecided on whether I’d have a child. Plus I’d want to be with the right partner, someone who’d be loving and nurturing to the kid.”
“You’d be a great mother. I can tell. Olivia doesn’t just go to anyone, but she obviously feels safe with you. I think it’s more than just you being a lifeguard.”
“Well, she seems like a cool kid.” Sam nudged Olivia who by now had started to relax. “Olivia, you probably never give your mom trouble, huh?”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Karen said and laughed then reached over to run her fingers through Olivia’s hair. “But yes, she’s my baby girl. Can’t stand to see her in so much pain. I’m just grateful she’s got the best lifeguard on duty today taking care of her. Right, Olivia? I think Sam here would be a great mom. Don’t you think so, baby?”
Olivia shrugged then snuggled closer to Sam. By now she’d stopped whimpering, and the bleeding had subsided.
“Gotta find me a partner first, I suppose.” Sam reached forward to slap her hand on Travis’s shoulder. “Right, Miller? Can’t settle down if I’m just dating around, huh?”
“Cleveland, you know my thoughts about that,” Travis said and chuckled. “You had yourself a great one, but then you let her go. Can’t let the good ones get away, right? That’s what I always say.”
Sam averted her eyes when Karen glanced her way. She gazed out the window and fixated her eyes on the sandy beach to the right, eager to finally reach the tower where she could get Olivia some relief. “Miller, just keep driving. Jeez, I’m barely into my thirties,” she said quietly without taking her eyes off the beach. “I’ve got lots of time to settle down and have a family, if that’s what I actually want. Besides, it wasn’t my decision to end things last year.”
The five of them sat there quietly for a moment as they neared the lifeguard station. The jeep rumbled over each rut in the sand. Sam pulled Olivia closer. For now, the gauze over the wound had halted the flow of blood. Sam never let up on the pressure and kept a continual eye on Olivia’s symptoms.
“I hope you don’t mind me saying this.” Karen leaned forward and grimaced. “I mean, I don’t even know you, but I would say that she was the fool to let someone like you go.”
Karen’s candid comments threw Sam, and she wasn’t sure what to say in response. She simply managed a feeble nod and sat back and stared out the front window. The glaring sun pierced through the windshield. Sam squinted at the stark light.
“Your brother, the one who was in that accident?” Olivia asked and turned her head to gaze up at Sam. “Is he a lifeguard, too?”
The question about Robert threw Sam. She thought about how Robert was as strong of a swimmer as she was, maybe even stronger. But no amount of strength or agility in the water could save him in the river after his car careened off the side of that bridge.
“No, but he’s always loved the water. He ended up working for a place that rents canoes. He used to take kids like you and your brother on river exploration trips. He’s the one who taught me how to swim in the river. I was always afraid of swimming in the creek by our house.” Sam laughed and stared out the window before continuing. The tide by now had ebbed, leaving the shore so wide and vast. “Then Robert ended up getting hurt in that river. He got trapped under the water and couldn’t save himself.”
“How come you didn’t save him?”
Sam peered through the side window at the sprawling sand and the rocky barrier above the beach. They were near the tower now, closer to getting this kid relief from her pain. “Because I was here in San Diego, guarding this beach.” Sam’s words halted in her throat. Her eyes welled with tears, but she stuffed the emotions and continued. “Robert and I were always...such strong swimmers. He used to save me all the time when we’d get caught in a strong current just down from the Okatoma where the water met with a bigger river. But on the night of his accident, he got trapped and was stuck in his truck under the weight of the water.”
Olivia’s breaths had finally relaxed completely, and her body stopped trembling. Sam wrapped her arm tighter around Olivia and rested her chin on her head. The five of them road in silence for a couple more minutes until the jeep skidded to a stop close to the main lifeguard station—the tall tower an ominous building on this wide stretch of sand.
“I’m probably gonna return home soon,” Sam finally said and carefully lifted Olivia from the backseat. “I mean, to Mississippi, at least to spend more time with my brother.” She caught Travis’s eye as he got out of the jeep and nodded after
she’d held his glance for a few seconds.
“Sam?” Olivia said. “It still hurts bad.”
“The pain from a stingray sometimes gets worse before it gets better. It’s not going to hurt forever, I promise. Once we get your foot in hot water, it’ll take that pain away. It’s like magic how that works. Works way better than any medicine.”
“Will you stay with me till it doesn’t hurt?”
“I’m not leaving your side. You’re being brave. I don’t think I was this brave when I was your age.” Sam carried Olivia’s little body up the ramp leading to the main lifeguard station.
The stark afternoon light glimmered on the ocean, blinding Sam as she kicked the door open and approached the basins of hot water. Sam sat on a bench with Olivia on her lap and made sure the water was hot enough. Sam placed Olivia’s foot in the scorching water, holding her tighter when she winced from the heat. Within a couple minutes, Olivia stopped trembling—the hot water already neutralizing the venom and easing the pain.
Chapter Eighteen
Mississippi: Autumn, 2014
SAM HALTED HER pace as soon as she heard the piano playing in the hospital lobby. In just seven notes, she recognized the song. She hovered in the entryway and stared at the grey-haired man playing the melody. A small crowd formed around the shiny baby grand as the musician moved his hands over the keys. Every note to this tune had long ago been ingrained into Sam’s memory, the words Robert sang stunning the congregation. Pastor Dan asked him to sing that song a few weeks later, but Robert never took out his guitar ever again.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Sam muttered and folded her arms.
“Sam, what’s the matter?” Annie said and nudged her. “Why are you blocking the doorway? Can’t you see that people are trying to pass?”
Saving Sam Page 16