Waves Of Passion

“Over here,” she heard someone call out and she quickly got on her feet. “Over here!” the voice called again and that was when she noticed a man looking up a rock. She could see a foot dangling from the edge of the rock and for a minute, she was worried.

“Oh my God, Justin,” she thought as she looked up at the men who were now trying to get him down. The rock was not that tall but at the back of her mind, she knew that if he was injured and they made the wrong move, he very well could be scarred for life. He would probably never surf again. But then again, another voice told her to be positive. That was the only way she would be able to keep a straight mind in the minutes that followed. It took a few minutes but when Justin was finally on the ground, Eliza’s lifeguard skills took over. She rushed to his side and swung her backpack around to her front before she dropped it to the floor.

“Let me through,” she said as she pushed through the small crowd of people gathered around him. “Please…get him some air,” she said as she pressed her fingers to Justin’s carotid. She waited for a few minutes before she heard it. His heartbeat. Though a little faint but it was there.

“How is he?” one man asked.

“He is fine…his heartbeat is a little faint but I’m guessing he is probably dehydrated,” she said when she pinched his skin and sighed. “Yup, dehydration.”

She reached into her backpack and pulled out a saline bag and an IV tube.

“You really came out here prepared, huh?” the man asked and she nodded.

“It’s what I do,” she said. “Stabilize his head,” she said to the man before she pulled on a pair of gloves. She was trying to locate a vein but the excitement and worry of the moment was too much for her. She could not do anything. Her hands were shaking a little too much.

“I need help getting a central line,” she said to the man, her heart racing.

“It’s alright. I can do it,” the man said. “I am a paramedic.”

“Thanks,” she said in an exhausted voice. She made her way on her knees to his head and held his cheek. It felt so cold under her warm hand and for a moment, she found herself thinking of what would have happened if he had stayed out there for a moment longer. He might have been fine and alive but a few more minutes out there and he would have most probably been lost at sea because the tide would have risen and washed him right off that rock. And just like that, she would have lost the little shot of happiness that she’d just got.

She didn’t know just how long she had been there, stroking his hair and cheek before his eyelids fluttered open. She looked down at him when she felt him moving his head on her lap.

“Hey,” she said in a soft voice as she looked at him.

“He’s waking up!” she heard someone announce.

“You scared a whole lot of people there,” she said as he looked up at her.

“I seem to be doing a lot of that lately,” he said and she nodded.

“Yeah, you have to stop doing that.”

He tried moving his hand but she put her hand on his upper arm.

“Don’t move. You have an IV in your arm,” she said in a soft voice. “You are a little dehydrated. We need to get you stabilized before you get transported to hospital.”

He nodded.

“Good,” she said before she looked up at the man who was holding the saline bag up. “How far is that medevac chopper?”

“Ten minutes out,” the man said and she nodded.

“Seems like forever.”

Justin brought his free hand up and put it on Eliza’s.

“I think meeting you was fate,” he said in a soft voice and she smiled.

“I think so too,” she said in a soft voice.

*****

It was almost midnight by the time the medevac chopper got to Metro General Hospital. Eliza found a worried looking Celia and an even more scared looking Christina waiting for her.

“Hey,” Celia said when the doctors wheeled Justin away. Eliza forced a smile as Celia threw her arms around her before Christina did the same to the two of them.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come in for my shift at the bar,” Eliza said as they pulled away.

“Don’t be. I know it’s been a long day for you,” Celia said and Christina shrugged.

“I wouldn’t have expected you to be in the right frame of mind to serve cocktails today either,” she said as she handed Eliza a coffee. “I thought you would need this after the kind of day you’d had.”

“And I brought you a burger,” Celia pointed out.

Eliza exhaled loudly.

“You two are angels.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Angels I tell you.”

“Come on, have a seat. You need to rest after all that walking,” Christina said.

“And worrying,” Celia added as they led her to a hospital bench.

“So, after the long trek, what did the doctors say?” Christina asked and Eliza shook her head.

“Well, I am still not sure but from what I saw at the bay, he was just a little dehydrated and a little out of it.” She took a bite of her burger. “He should be okay after a few days with enough rest of course.”

“The competition is in two days,” Christina pointed out and Eliza shook her head.

“He might have to sit this one out, sadly. But I’m sure you understand.”

“I do…but I hope he will be able to,” Christina said.

“He should….he must. It is the sensible thing to do, after all,” Celia said.

The next few minutes were a little too silent and uncomfortable as they waited to hear from the doctors. It was nearly an hour later when they were finally allowed to see him.

“One at a time please,” the doctor said and Eliza looked at her friends.

“Why don’t you go in first?” Christina asked.

“Yeah, we can wait,” Celia added and she nodded. She didn’t need to be told twice.

Eliza was practically running down the hallways as the doctor explained to her what Justin’s condition truly was. Even though she could hear the words coming out of his mouth, she could not understand a word he was saying. Perhaps because her mind was clouded with thoughts of Justin. She only wanted to see him. Hold him. Kiss him. And perhaps never let him go.

She stopped outside his door for a long minute before she pushed the door open and poked her head through the doorway.

“Hey there stranger,” she said in a soft voice and Justin turned to look at her.

“Hey you,” he said as she walked up to where he was.

“You already look much better.”