The Army Doc's Secret Princess

by Emily Forbes

  ‘Are we just going to leave our things here?’ Viktoria asked.

  He looked up and down the almost deserted beach. ‘It’s safe enough,’ he said. ‘Anyone on the beach at this time of the day is more interested in getting their exercise done than in stealing stuff.’

  She stepped out of her shorts and piled her things with his and followed him into the sea. Cam dived under a small wave and swam away from the beach, keen to get back into the cold water. He turned and looked back at Viktoria. She was wading in slowly, gradually getting in deeper, until she finally gathered her courage and pushed off the sandy bottom and swam breaststroke out to him. She was treading water to stay afloat.

  ‘Hold on to me,’ Cam told her. He was still able to touch the bottom.

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and floated off him. He was aware of each of her ten fingertips pressing into his skin. Tiny little circles of heat. They faced the beach and the morning sun reflected off the windows of the houses. They could hear the waves breaking on the shore but otherwise it was peaceful. They didn’t talk but it was a comfortable silence.

  The surfers were all at the southern end of the beach and only a few lone swimmers shared their patch of the ocean. Cam watched one man whose strokes looked a little laborious. He did not look like a natural swimmer. He wasn’t making a lot of headway and when he lifted his head he barely cleared the surface. Cam saw him swallow a mouthful of water before stopping and coughing. He sunk under the waves and Cam waited for him to come back up.

  He did. But only briefly before he disappeared a second time.

  His hand broke the surface but only momentarily and Cam knew he was in strife.

  ‘Viktoria...there’s a swimmer in trouble.’ He pointed towards the spot where he’d last seen the man, knowing even as he did there was nothing for Viktoria to see. He waved his arm, signalling to the lifeguards, but it was impossible to know if they had seen him. The man had swum out wider than the red and yellow flags; he was out of the manned zone. ‘He needs help. I’m going to swim over to him. Can you get out of the water and run to the lifeguard tower? Can you do that?’

  ‘Oui.’ She didn’t question him. She let go of him and kicked away, swimming freestyle towards the beach as Cam sprinted in the opposite direction. He wasn’t sure that he knew exactly where the man had been, but he would try his best to find him. Even if the lifeguards had seen him there was no certainty that they would be any more accurate.

  Cam swam a dozen strokes and then dived under the water, searching for the man.

  Nothing.

  He swam a dozen more, faster this time, and dived again.

  This time he saw him, suspended under the surface.

  Cam cut through the water and grabbed the man under the armpits. He was unconscious, a heavy, dead weight even in the buoyant saltwater.

  Cam hauled him to the surface and used one hand to cup the man’s chin and hold his head out of the water as he kicked sideways and aimed for the beach. He was out of breath by the time he was waist deep. His feet hit the bottom and he dragged the man into the shallows, laying him on the wet sand.

  He looked up. Viktoria was still running towards the lifeguards; she was on the soft sand, making hard work of the distance. She should have stuck to the firm sand, but she was too far away to hear him if he called out to her. The tower was a long way from the northern end of the beach and the smaller north tower wasn’t manned unless the beach was busy, but he could see lifeguards responding now. They had seen Viktoria and were sprinting for the buggy.

  Cam turned his attention back to the unconscious man. He guessed him to be in his early sixties. He was slightly overweight but not in bad shape. If you ignored the fact that he wasn’t breathing.

  Cam pressed his fingers to the man’s neck. There was no pulse.

  He rolled him onto his side to clear his airway before rolling him back onto his back so he could start CPR. The man was in cardiac arrest and time was critical. He started compressions, counting in his head as he kept one eye on the buggy and the lifeguards.

  Thirteen, fourteen.

  The buggy stopped to pick up Viktoria.

  Seventeen, eighteen.

  It was racing along the sand now.

  Twenty-nine, thirty.

  He stopped compressions and gave the man two breaths.

  The buggy came to a halt and two lifeguards jumped out.

  Cam kept the compressions going as he counted to thirty again.

  ‘Are you okay to continue the compressions?’ one of them asked as he knelt beside Cam. ‘I’ll do the breaths.’

  Cam nodded. The other lifeguard was readying the defibrillator.

  He sat back as he got to thirty, allowing the lifeguard to attach the leads while the second one breathed air into the man’s lungs.

  The defibrillator charged, preparing to shock.

  ‘All clear. Shock now.’

  They waited for the result.

  Nothing.

  Cam continued compressions as the defibrillator prepared itself again.

  ‘I’ll take over after the next shock, if needs be,’ one of the lifeguards told Cam.

  Cam nodded in acknowledgement as he kept counting.

  The defibrillator shocked the man again. But again, there was no response.

  Cam stood up, leaving the man in the care of the lifeguards. He could hear sirens in the distance and knew the ambulance was on its way.

  A crowd had gathered. Joggers, dog walkers and swimmers surrounded them, and Cam wondered where they had all come from. The beach had seemed virtually deserted ten minutes ago. He could see Viktoria at the back of the crowd, her hand pressed to her mouth, her face pale.

  He went to her as the lifeguards continued to work on the man.

  She was shivering. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to calm her, to warm her, to reassure her. Her skin was cold, but he knew she was probably also in shock.

  ‘Mon Dieu! Is he going to be all right?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Cam said. The man’s prospects were not good, but it was clear that Viktoria was already overwhelmed and he knew there was nothing to be gained by giving her more bad news. What she was witnessing was already traumatic enough.

  Viktoria leaned into Cam as he wrapped his arms around her. She was shaking and Cam rubbed her arms, trying to warm her up, but she wasn’t sure that it was the cold making her tremble.

  His skin was warm in contrast to hers; the physical exertion of performing resuscitation had warmed him. He felt solid and safe and comforting. She needed the comfort.

  ‘Come on. You need to get warm.’

  A large crowd had gathered and she was finding the situation confronting and she was relieved when Cam led her away. She had never witnessed anything like that before and wasn’t in any hurry to prolong the experience.

  ‘What about the man?’ she asked as she let Cam lead her away from the crowd.

  ‘There’s nothing more we can do.’

  ‘Are they going to be able to revive him?’

  ‘I really don’t know. It’s not looking too good.’

  He picked their towels up from the sand and wrapped one around her shoulders, but he continued to hold her close as they made their way to the lifeguard tower. He left his details there in case they needed to speak to him before he bundled her into his car and turned the heating up.

  ‘Where are we going?’ she asked as he pulled out of the parking space.

  ‘I thought I’d take you to my place. It’s closer than your hotel. You’ll feel better after a hot shower and something to eat.’

  She didn’t think she could stomach any food, but a hot shower sounded divine.

  She kept her eyes averted as they drove past the ambulance.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Cam asked her.

  She nodded. ‘I think
so. I have never seen a dead person before. I do not think it is something I will forget.’

  ‘No,’ he agreed. ‘Those images can be hard to get out of your head. But, in my experience, it’s easier when you don’t know the person.’

  ‘I am sorry. Being in the army, you have probably seen much worse. You have lost friends?’

  ‘I have.’

  She reached across and put her hand on his thigh, offering him comfort this time. He turned his head and gave her a brief half-smile.

  He seemed lost in his thoughts and she wondered if they were solely to do with the drowning man or if there was more going through his head. Was he thinking about his friends? Who had he lost?

  She would love to know more but she didn’t want to pry. She knew how it felt to be the subject of gossip and speculation but that didn’t stop her thinking about Gemma again.

  What had happened to her? Where had she gone? Was she one of the people he’d lost? Why had she and Cam broken up?

  Cam had kissed her but what if he’d been thinking about Gemma? What if he regretted the kiss? Had it reminded him of Gemma? Brought back memories? She wished, almost desperately, that she knew what he was thinking, what he was feeling, but it was impossible to tell and she could go crazy trying to figure it all out.

  She knew he was making an effort for her. She would cope. She wouldn’t dwell on the unknowns, about the man on the beach or Cam’s exes. She’d be upbeat and lift the mood.

  ‘So what are we going to do to cheer ourselves up?’ she asked.

  ‘I’ll think of something,’ he said as he turned into his driveway, ‘but first a shower and some dry clothes.’

  Rex greeted them at the door, his tail wagging, and Viktoria immediately felt her spirits lift as she bent down and rubbed his head.

  Cam showed her to the bathroom. He handed her fresh towels and said, ‘You should have everything you need in there. Take your time; I’ll make a start in the kitchen.’

  She was tempted to drag him into the shower with her. She thought they could possibly both benefit from the distraction, but she wasn’t sure what mood he was in. He was so difficult to read, sometimes looking as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She realised he was probably feeling bad about the events of the morning, but they hadn’t been his doing. He probably thought she was still in shock. She knew she’d be fine.

  She washed and semi-dried her hair. She could smell coffee brewing and decided her hair could finish drying while she got her caffeine fix.

  Cam had laid the table outside by the pool. ‘I wasn’t sure what you would like. There’s coffee, smashed avocado on toast and poached eggs. Take a seat and help yourself.’

  She didn’t normally eat breakfast and forty minutes ago she would have thought she couldn’t handle any food but it felt as if she’d been up for hours and the combination of a swim and the fresh air had left her ravenous, despite the unfortunate events.

  A light breeze blew across the deck and, despite the sun, she could feel goose bumps on her skin; the air was fresh after the heat of the shower.

  Cam disappeared into the house and when he returned he handed her a soft, well-worn top. ‘Here, put this on, or we could eat inside if you prefer?’

  ‘Non, merci. This will be perfect,’ she said as she took the offered jumper. She slipped it over her head and rolled up the sleeves. It was soft and well-loved and she imagined it smelt of Cam. Wearing his top was like being wrapped in his arms again.

  Cam spread some avocado on a slice of toasted bread, squeezed a little lemon juice on and added some cracked pepper. ‘Try this,’ he said as he passed it to her. ‘It’s an Aussie speciality.’

  She pushed the sleeves of his jumper up her arm and took the toast. She looked adorable in his jumper and all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and remove it. No matter how good she looked in it, he knew he’d prefer to see her in nothing at all. He was unsettled. Pleasantly unsettled.

  He was attracted to her and he wasn’t at all sure what to do about it. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time. There was something different about her. Being in her company felt different to the other dates he had been on but, as yet, he hadn’t been able to figure out why.

  Perhaps it was because she made him remember his old self. How he’d been before the accident. He felt lighter. Freer. Maybe even happy. And it was nice to have some company, other than Rex.

  And the kiss had been phenomenal. And he wanted to do it again.

  That was also new.

  He was fighting a battle between guilt and desire and he didn’t know which would win.

  ‘This is delicious,’ Viktoria said as she finished the smashed avocado and licked her fingers clean.

  Cam tried to make conversation as he also tried to ignore the way her lips curled around her fingers. ‘What are your plans for this afternoon?’ he asked.

  ‘I have none.’

  ‘I’m going to visit my sister this afternoon; she lives on a property about ninety minutes away. Would you like to come with me? It would give you a chance to see something other than the city.’

  He told himself he was asking because he was worried about her being alone after the morning’s events. He felt responsible for her, given the shock she’d had this morning. But he also knew he wanted her to keep him company.

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘She has horses,’ he said, hoping that would convince her. She had told him she loved to ride.

  ‘Well, then, of course I would love to come. Is this the sister who gave you Rex?’

  ‘It is. I only have one sister.’

  ‘And she lives so far away?’

  ‘It’s only a little more than one hundred kilometres away. That’s not far in Australia.’

  ‘If I was at home a one-hundred-kilometre drive would put me in another country!’ she exclaimed. ‘Either France or Spain. Berggrun is only six thousand square kilometres in size. Half the size of Sydney. Two hours’ drive is about as far as you can go before you find yourself out of the country.’

  ‘We might not get into another state, but it will feel a world away.’

  The city had given way to green fields, grapevines and small country towns and Viktoria was as excited as a young child at Christmas to see kangaroos with joeys in the bush as they drove past. Eventually Cam turned off the highway and drove over a cattle grid between white wooden fence posts. Horses grazed in the paddocks on either side of the driveway, but they were a breed Viktoria didn’t recognise.

  ‘What sort of horses are they?’ she asked.

  ‘Walers,’ Cam replied. ‘My sister and her husband breed them.’

  He drove past the stables and up to the house. It was built of stone but clearly modern, with large windows that looked over the paddocks. A steel pergola, covered in vines, jutted out from the front of the house.

  A heavily pregnant woman with dark hair stepped out of the house as Cam pulled his SUV to a stop.

  Cam opened Viktoria’s door for her before greeting the woman with a hug.

  ‘Hello, little brother,’ she said as she let go of Cam and smiled at Viktoria.

  Cam introduced them. ‘This is my sister, Skye, and her husband, David.’ Skye had the same blue-grey eyes as Cam. David was a tall, solidly built man with sandy hair and a pleasant face.

  ‘Hello, Viktoria,’ Skye welcomed her. ‘I hear you’ve had rather an eventful day.’

  Viktoria handed Skye the bouquet of flowers that she had bought from a roadside stall during the drive. She’d insisted that Cam stop, knowing she couldn’t arrive both uninvited and empty-handed. ‘Oui, a little more stressful than I am used to, certainement. Thank you for including me this afternoon; I know you were not expecting me.’

  ‘Don’t be silly. Friends of Campbell’s are always welcome.’

  Viktoria didn’t miss th
e sideways glance Skye gave Cam and she wondered what it was all about.

  She followed Skye into the house, stepping straight into a large living room adjacent a modern kitchen.

  ‘And I agree with Cam,’ Skye said as she filled a vase with water and arranged the flowers. ‘You had a nasty shock this morning; it is better not to be on your own. Although he could have postponed the visit instead of dragging you out into the countryside.’

  ‘I was happy to come. I must admit, I might have invited myself. I wanted to see something of the country and, once Cam told me you had horses, I was not going to let him cancel his visit.’

  ‘Do you ride?’

  ‘Oui.’ She had ridden almost before she could walk.

  ‘Would you like to see the horses?’

  ‘I would love to.’

  ‘Perfect. I’ll leave the men to sort afternoon tea and I’ll take you to see the animals. The two of you can handle that, can’t you?’ she asked, looking from David to Cam and back again. ‘Boil the kettle and cut some cake; we won’t be long.’

  Skye peppered Viktoria with questions as they wandered down to the paddocks. ‘You’re working at the Games? Is that where you met Cam?’

  ‘Oui. He had to show me around the event venues. He was not too happy about that, but I hope he has forgiven me the inconvenience.’

  ‘I imagine he has.’ Skye turned her head and gave her another look that she wasn’t able to decipher. ‘Are you living in Australia or just here for the Games?’

  ‘Just for the Games. I only have ten more days.’

  ‘Ah, I see.’

  Viktoria wondered what that meant. She was having trouble deciphering Skye’s language. She had thought Cam was hard to read but it seemed his sister was just as difficult. Perhaps it ran in the family.

  Skye reached into a plastic tub and pulled out several apples. Immediately the horses came to the fence.

  ‘Cam said they are called Walers,’ Viktoria said as she fed the apples to the horses. ‘I have never heard of them. They don’t look like thoroughbreds.’

  ‘No, they’re not. They are heavier. Stronger. They’re an Australian horse,’ Skye explained. ‘A mix of thoroughbred, Arab, the Cape horse from Africa, the Timor pony and, most likely, a little bit of Clydesdale as well, but they originated here in New South Wales—hence the name. Have you ever heard of the Australian Lighthorsemen?’