again to touch me. Again, he seemed to think better of it and let his hand drop down in front of him. He was sitting up on an elbow angled towards me. “You’re safe. I won’t hurt you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut for a long moment. This man had not harmed me in – how long had I been here? Well, regardless he’d had ample time if he’d meant to. I let out an involuntary moan and rolled to my side as the persistent pain in my side ate at me. When I’d tried to sit up I’d felt a sharp pull and a blazing pain in my side. I could see the panicked look in the man’s eyes as he saw my pained face and heard my choppy breathing. I was also starting to panic myself. The pain was intense. I tried to take long deep breaths. Deep breaths, however, caused pain so I settled on slow, shallow breaths and focused on managing the pain with mind over matter. I forced my body to relax. Once the pain was slightly bearable, I cautiously rolled to face him. And not knowing what to say, I just looked at him for a long moment. I could do nothing but stare into his clear liquid green eyes.
“Why am I here?” I asked. My voice trembled and rasped but, I was finally able to speak. I sounded weak and terrified even to my own ears.
His face was etched with concern and then his eyes widened and he blinked at my words. “I found you on the beach. You collapsed right in front of me-”
“I know ,” I hissed, cutting him off impatiently. My whole body was beginning to flower with pain. My voice was a croaked whisper as I continued. I remembered what he’d said the first time he’d spoken to me. “You’re Jordan and you’ve brought me to your cabin. Why? Why haven’t you taken me to a hospital or something?”
He looked surprised . For a moment he said nothing. Then words began to tumble from him so fast I had to concentrate to keep up. “Good, you were coherent. Well, because I am stranded here until morning without a car or phone. I’ve been here for a few days with my brother and his kids and I wanted to stay an extra day. My brother had to get back to work and my sister in law is supposed to meet me back here tomorrow, well, now it’s today. She should be here in a few hours. And, I left my cell phone in the car that my brother left with.”
He stopped talking abruptly as if realizing he was babbling. I didn’t say anything, just looked at him trying to follow his torrent of words.
A fter a long moment of silence, he looked at his watch and started talking again in a calm voice. Clearly he’d gotten his thoughts together. “It’s 3am now. If my sister in law, Daisy, is her usual self, she’ll be trying to quietly sneak in here at about 6. So if you can hang in there until then, we can both be rescued.”
He finished that last bit with what appeared to be an attempt at a reassuring smile. If I’d been in less pain I might have laughed but, as it was, I just stared at him. For some strange reason, watching this man’s obvious discomfort made me feel a little more relaxed. I felt unexplainably less threatened and safer for some reason. Probably because if he were intending to kill me he wouldn’t be feeling uncomfortable about taking care of me or being stranded with me. No, if he wanted to kill me I’d just be dead. I suppose his lack of malice relaxed me because it reassured me I had nothing to fear from him.
He must have sensed me calming because he seemed to visibly relax and continued rambling .
“ My other sister – in – law, Grace, is a doctor. A very good one. She will be able to help you. From what I can tell you didn’t have any broken bones or any major lumps on the head. I’ve been monitoring you for a concussion anyway though.”
This statement ma de me want to take inventory. I gingerly reached up to probe my head but stopped as pain shot through my shoulder. I rested my hands along my sides and felt the top of what felt like sweat pants. Confused, my fingers began probing the fabric. I let out a
I squeezed my eyes shut for a long moment. This man had not harmed me in – how long had I been here? Well, regardless he’d had ample time if he’d meant to. I let out an involuntary moan and rolled to my side as the persistent pain in my side ate at me. When I’d tried to sit up I’d felt a sharp pull and a blazing pain in my side. I could see the panicked look in the man’s eyes as he saw my pained face and heard my choppy breathing. I was also starting to panic myself. The pain was intense. I tried to take long deep breaths. Deep breaths, however, caused pain so I settled on slow, shallow breaths and focused on managing the pain with mind over matter. I forced my body to relax. Once the pain was slightly bearable, I cautiously rolled to face him. And not knowing what to say, I just looked at him for a long moment. I could do nothing but stare into his clear liquid green eyes.
“Why am I here?” I asked. My voice trembled and rasped but, I was finally able to speak. I sounded weak and terrified even to my own ears.
His face was etched with concern and then his eyes widened and he blinked at my words. “I found you on the beach. You collapsed right in front of me-”
“I know ,” I hissed, cutting him off impatiently. My whole body was beginning to flower with pain. My voice was a croaked whisper as I continued. I remembered what he’d said the first time he’d spoken to me. “You’re Jordan and you’ve brought me to your cabin. Why? Why haven’t you taken me to a hospital or something?”
He looked surprised . For a moment he said nothing. Then words began to tumble from him so fast I had to concentrate to keep up. “Good, you were coherent. Well, because I am stranded here until morning without a car or phone. I’ve been here for a few days with my brother and his kids and I wanted to stay an extra day. My brother had to get back to work and my sister in law is supposed to meet me back here tomorrow, well, now it’s today. She should be here in a few hours. And, I left my cell phone in the car that my brother left with.”
He stopped talking abruptly as if realizing he was babbling. I didn’t say anything, just looked at him trying to follow his torrent of words.
A fter a long moment of silence, he looked at his watch and started talking again in a calm voice. Clearly he’d gotten his thoughts together. “It’s 3am now. If my sister in law, Daisy, is her usual self, she’ll be trying to quietly sneak in here at about 6. So if you can hang in there until then, we can both be rescued.”
He finished that last bit with what appeared to be an attempt at a reassuring smile. If I’d been in less pain I might have laughed but, as it was, I just stared at him. For some strange reason, watching this man’s obvious discomfort made me feel a little more relaxed. I felt unexplainably less threatened and safer for some reason. Probably because if he were intending to kill me he wouldn’t be feeling uncomfortable about taking care of me or being stranded with me. No, if he wanted to kill me I’d just be dead. I suppose his lack of malice relaxed me because it reassured me I had nothing to fear from him.
He must have sensed me calming because he seemed to visibly relax and continued rambling .
“ My other sister – in – law, Grace, is a doctor. A very good one. She will be able to help you. From what I can tell you didn’t have any broken bones or any major lumps on the head. I’ve been monitoring you for a concussion anyway though.”
This statement ma de me want to take inventory. I gingerly reached up to probe my head but stopped as pain shot through my shoulder. I rested my hands along my sides and felt the top of what felt like sweat pants. Confused, my fingers began probing the fabric. I let out a
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