Page 33 of Crash Over Us
The door opened and Dr. Mason returned.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
I smirked. “Well, he hasn’t said much. I think he’s saving up all his comebacks.”
She hung a clipboard at the foot of the bed and moved to the machines and began pushing a few buttons.
“I’m sure he’ll have plenty to tell you when he wakes up.”
I stood, stretching my legs. My body hurt in every muscle. My elbows. My knees. The strangest places felt pain, but I wasn’t going to complain. Not when Gabe was the one lying unconscious.
“I’ll let him know you were here.”
“Is that your way of kicking me out, doc?” I questioned.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m not your doctor, but I would prescribe rest and time off for you too.” She threw a stern look in my direction. “He’s going to be okay. We have instructions to call medical on the base as soon as he wakes up from his nap. You should get some rest.”
I nodded. “Okay.” I was hesitant to leave, but she wasn’t wrong. I was close to falling asleep in that chair. I gripped Gabe’s shoulder, but I didn’t have any words left.
I headed toward the door and stopped. “Hey Doc, do you know if the two injured on the boat last night are here?”
Her eyes widened. “You mean the ones who did this to him?”
I nodded. “Yes. Are they here?”
“I don’t think I should say.”
Her answer told me exactly what I needed to know. “Thanks, Doc.”
EIGHTEEN
Margot
It had been two days since Caleb told me what happened during the attack. For two days I had coped by blocking it from my mind then doing the exact opposite and replaying every word he said. It had been an excruciating two days.
Caleb was stir crazy since Guthrie wouldn’t let him work. Instead of resting, he had tackled every project he could find at the marina.
Now that I had funds in the back account and the back taxes were paid, I could buy nails and screws. Planks for the pier. Paint for the signs. Buckets and mops. Caleb was happy to use his truck to make hardware supply runs for me.
He had been excited when I told him about the anonymous donor check to preserve the marina. It was one more anchor to keep me on Marshoak Island.
I didn’t know what else to do but let him do it. I couldn’t convince him to rest.
I sat on the screened porch with my laptop. Caleb was on the pier nailing boards down.
Movies on the Marina was finally going to happen. I had ordered the projector and screen that would hang on the outside of the boathouse. While part of me felt like I was in an underwater experience, grasping to understand what happened to Caleb, the other part of me was looking ahead to my life here. That meant I needed Movies on the Marina to be a success.
There was only one month of summer left. I still had time to pull off a profit.
I opened an email from one of the local jet ski companies. I had asked Josie if she had any contacts there and she had given me the name of the owner. It was a risk, but I wanted to rent ten jet skis for opening night and offer them as seating for anyone who didn’t have a boat. I had reached out to the owner to see if she would give me a bulk discount.
I blinked. I couldn’t believe it. Frankie Taylor had offered to give me the first night free. I jumped up, trying not to knock my laptop to the floor, and headed out to the pier to tell Caleb.
He was hammering. I don’t think he’d ever put a shirt on this morning. His back muscles glistened in the sun with each stroke of his bicep. I bit my lip. I thought about watching a few more seconds. He had no idea I was behind him, admiring the view of every connection of muscle.
“Ummm, hey.” I finally interrupted.
He stopped and turned toward me. “Hey.”
