by Tey Holden
The Range Rover wipers were moving at full speed, and still the visibility was bad. Karen had to slow down and squint to be able to look at the highway ahead. She was hoping to find Addy stranded on the side of the road thinking that either something had gone wrong with the car, or that she had pulled to the side to wait out the bad weather.
She continued to call Addy from the car using the hands-free system in the car, but still got no answer. Her anxiety rose as she drove. Fearing not so much for herself driving in that weather, but for Addy. “Oh God, keep her safe is all I ask of you, please God, please! Let me find her, please! Where is she? Please take me to her.”
All of a sudden, she saw numerous red lights ahead. Frightened and fearing the worst, she stopped to find out what was going on. “What happened? What’s going on?”
“A car skidded off the road. There’s a dead deer so we figure the deer jumped in front of it. There were two cars involved, the one that hit the deer crashed against that tree, the man died instantly. The other car went into the loch. They think there’s a woman trapped in the car in the loch.” A first responder explained.
He hadn’t finished talking when Karen ran to the lake. “Oh, God!” It was their Range Rover, it was Addy. Karen’s heart stopped, but her mind quickened. The water current was strong. It wouldn’t be long before the car would be totally washed away. There was a lot of activity in preparation of initiating the rescues, but no one was actually going into the loch yet.
It all happened in two seconds, Karen did not think twice, she took off her jacket, sweater and shoes and jumped into the freezing waters. Everyone saw her jump in, and immediately ran to try and stop her. The commotion was immediate amongst the rescuers. The attention was divided between speeding up the rescue of the lady in the car and the woman who had just jumped into the loch, who they thought would soon be another victim. It was already dark, and spotlights were pointing to the loch, specifically to the Range Rover, and to the swimmer who had just jumped into the loch.
Karen swam like a mad woman carried by the rapid current. The current pushed her against the car and she was able to see Addy inside. Addy appeared to be unconscious, and the car was filling up with water. Karen knew that it would be impossible to get her out with the car half full of water because the force of the water wouldn’t allow her to open the door. A log floating on the water hit her, and she grabbed it. Using the log and all the strength she could muster, she smashed it against the window and the glass broke.
Just as she broke the window, more water rushed in from the creek and continued to submerge the car. As the car went down, Karen went down with it as well. As the water rushed inside the car, Karen knew she wouldn’t have much time. Once the car was under the water, the door didn’t offer much resistance, and she was able to put her arm through the hole in the window to reach the door handle and pull the door open. She unbuckled Addy’s seat belt, grabbed her and pulled her out. The minute Karen got Addy out the car, the car slid into the depth of the loch. Karen swam back with Addy in tow.
As she came back, a few of the rescuers walked into the shallow part of the loch and pulled her out while she still held on to Addy. As she reached the shallow end of the loch she kept calling for Addy. “Addy, Addy! Her name is Adriana Marcos.” Karen said to one of the rescuers and at that precise moment hypothermia kicked in, and she lost consciousness. The paramedics took Addy to one ambulance and Karen to another to administer first aid. Karen was never aware of her own injuries because she had lost consciousness.
The next thing she remembered was waking up at the hospital. JP got the call from the hospital early the next day, and went to the hospital immediately. When JP inquired about Karen, he was told that she had been admitted suffering from hypothermia and multiple cuts and lacerations. She had been given a sedative and was resting. When he learned about Addy he started to cry. “Oh God! James!” James embraced him. Addy was in a coma.
They were both keeping watch between Karen’s and Addy’s room. Addy was in intensive care. Both went to see Karen as soon as she was awake. Karen broke down and began to cry the minute she saw them. Unable to speak, she just hugged them. The three hugged. “They say she is in a coma. Please find out more, I need to know more. They are not telling me much. Why? Why aren’t they telling me more? What’s wrong with my Addy? Please, find out! Please!” The nurses came and gave her another shot to sedate her.
Karen looked like a truck ran over her. Her right arm was bandaged from her shoulder to her hand. When she broke the window glass, the hole was too narrow, so she had to remove what she could with her hands, and finally had to put her arm in the hole to unlock the door. As a result, she had a massive cut up the length of her arm and several other smaller cuts on other parts of her body. She hadn’t even realized how close she had been to dying herself. All her concerns were for Addy.
Besides being comatose, Addy had many cuts and bruises and a bump on the head. The doctors said that the comatose condition was a reaction to the trauma suffered. The doctors had explained that being in a coma was not uncommon for the trauma that Addy had sustained, and the length of time she was in the cold water. Their concern was how severe the head injury might be.
Hours later when Karen woke up, they told her that Addy’s condition was still delicate, but stable. As much as they were trying to soothe her anxiety, such news was not good enough. The fact that she was hurt on a hospital bed as well did not allow her the freedom to sit next to Addy and wait for her to get better and that added to her frustration. She begged and begged the doctors and the nurses to let her go see Addy, but they wouldn’t because of her own condition, and instead sedated her to calm her.
JP and James had remained at the hospital to keep Karen company and to wait to hear on Addy’s condition. While waiting, James went to the cafeteria, and it was there that he came across one of the EMTs.
“I saw you going into Ms. Larsen’s room. Do you know her?”
“Yes, we are their friends from the inn.”
“That was some rescue. I’m getting ready to recruit her for the department. The way Ms. Larsen jumped into that loch without hesitation is the most courageous, and craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Did you see it happen?” The rescue?” James face was creased with lines of worry.
“Yeah, I was right there. My name is Mary Salter, I’m the manager of the hardware store in town, but I also volunteer with the fire department’s rescue team. We were called because someone saw a car plunge into the loch. We were getting ready to go in when Ms. Larsen, showed up.” Mary took a sip of her soda and continued with the story.
“She was talking to one of the first responders, and when she finished talking to him, she ran to the loch. I was going to talk to her, but her eyes were fixated on the car in the lake. She didn’t see me at all. It was amazing. The current took the car faster than I had ever seen. Don’t know what happened. We were all getting ready to go in, but we weren’t fast enough for the current. Normally, what we do works perfectly. I guess last night there was more water, or the currents were different, and definitely stronger. I don’t know. If it hadn’t been for Ms. Larsen, I think she would have died. Nothing that ever goes to the depth of the loch has ever come back. Addy was unconscious. She wouldn’t have made it.” Mary nodded and took another sip from her drink.
“I still can’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, how she took off her jacket and ran into the freezing water. She didn’t stop to think, or nothing. It was as if she knew she could do it, or as if she didn’t care if she was coming back.”
“My guess is that she probably didn’t care to come back, if it wasn’t with Addy,” James replied.
“I guess you know them well.”
“Yes, we have been friends for years.”
When James came back upstairs Karen had fallen asleep again. They had given her more medication to keep her calm because she insisted on getting up to go see Addy. James told JP the story as
Mary told him.
JP gasped. “James, you are right. She wouldn’t have come back without Addy. Oh Lord, we would have lost them both. How tragic!”
James nodded. “Let’s hope Addy pulls through. Karen will—.”
“Don’t even go there, J, Addy will make it. I know her. She will not leave Karen alone. I know it.” He was pouting and about to start crying when he took refuge against James’ shoulder.
They were both outside Addy’s room, just waiting. Karen had asked them to park themselves there and report back to her. They were going back and forth from one room to the other checking on both of them. Karen was desperate to see her. Finally James spoke to the doctor, explained the situation and the doctor allowed the visit. When Karen saw her, she began to cry inconsolably, and they had to take her away and give her another sedative.
Three days later Karen was released from the hospital, but she he refused to go home. Addy was moved to another room, still in the intensive care area. The head nurse spoke to them. “Go home. I will call you the minute she wakes up.”
“Karen, honey, you heard the nurse, let’s go home, you need to get some rest. Addy would want you to rest.” Karen was transfixed. Her eyes were looking to the floor, to the wall, to the emptiness in her life.
She looked at JP and James. “I’m not going anywhere without her.” The nurse overheard the conversation, and looked to JP and James in sympathy. Even though Karen had been released from the hospital, she still looked like hell. Not only was her arm fully wrapped with bandages, but she had cuts and bruises everywhere and had bags under her eyes in different tones of reds and blacks. In addition, her face was swollen from so much crying to the point that she looked as if someone had punched her in the face. Her hair was in total disarray and she looked exhausted.
The nursing team was worried about her and were doing all they could to alleviate her pains and worries. The head nurse talked to her, “dear, we can put a recliner in the room so that you can be more comfortable. You need to get your rest.” The nurse then talked to JP and James. “You two can go home. I’ll keep an eye on her. Come back in the morning.”
“James, JP, go home, I’ll be fine.” Karen reiterated the nurse’s request.
“Call us if you need anything, honey. We’ll be back in the morning.” JP then hugged her.
“Okay, thanks.”
The nurse brought her something to eat and her pain pills. A few minutes later, she brought in the recliner. Of course, Karen never reclined on it at all. She spent the night either sitting or pacing the room. It was the longest most awful night of her life. She had run out of tears already. She couldn’t even think of calling Laurie or anyone. She was going through what could have only been compared to a slow death, a tortured death, long and lonely. Hell couldn’t be worse than this!
She had not prayed in years, but she was praying now. She promised all sorts of things, made all sorts of trades with God and all the heavenly beings. She wished she could give a chunk of her own body to have her Addy back. She ached all over. But above all it was the sadness, the despair the anguish the loneliness that hurt the most. She looked at the lovely face on the bed and it was as if her heart had petrified. It wouldn’t work again until she could hear her talk, until she came back to her. She was sitting next to Addy’s bed exhausted. Unable to hold her head up anymore, she reclined on the bed, holding Addy’s hand. Her lips were resting on the hand that linked her to life.
“Addypooh, I’m right here with you, baby. I will be here until you come back to me. I won’t leave you for a second. I have nothing without you. I want nothing without you. Please, come back to me. Please! God, please! Whatever you want of me, I’ll give. I’ve never asked you for anything just give her back to me. For any good I’ve ever done or will ever do, please grant me this!” It was then when what she called a miracle happened. She heard a faint voice and felt the light caressing of fingers on her hair. “Blondie?”
“Oh God, Addy!” She got up and held her face and kissed her over and over until her tears soaked both of them. “Nurse, Nurse!” She could no longer see, blinded by her tears. Addy smiled slightly soaked in Karen’s tears. The nurse caught the happening in the monitors in the nurse’s station before she even heard Karen’s screams, and she came running in with a full team of nurses, technicians and doctors. One of the nurses took Karen in her arms and slightly removed her from the scene so that the doctors and other medical personnel could work on Addy. Karen was shaken to the point that she was almost bent over and barely able to move from the shock and exhaustion.
The nurses and doctors were checking Addy while Karen sobbed in the arms of one of the nurses. “She’s going to be fine, sweetie, she will be fine.” Another nurse brought a pill for Karen. “Here, dear, take this, it will help you.”
“No I can’t I need to be awake, I need to make sure she is alright.” The nurse took her to the sofa, and sat there with her trying to calm her down.
Karen whimpered while staring at the medical staff gathered around Addy. She felt faint, she couldn’t move, she was drained of energy, she felt as if her own life was hanging from a string, waiting, just waiting to hear what the doctors had to say. After what seemed like an eternity, one of the doctors came over to where Karen was still sitting with the nurse. “Ms. Larsen, she is responsive and it appears that she is doing well. We are going to be running some more tests, but everything indicates that she is going to be okay.”
Karen trembled and broke down and cried. “Ms. Larsen, I’m Dr. Pinney, I’m going to prescribe some medication for you. This is not a sleeping pill, I understand that you don’t want to sleep, but this pill will calm you down. I need you to take it. Do you understand?” She nodded, and he again reassured her that Addy would be fine. She finally took the pill and leaned back into the sofa surrendering her lover’s life to God’s will. Exhausted, she unwillingly dozed.
Karen was still asleep on the sofa when Addy woke up again. Barely awake, she smiled when she saw Karen on the sofa. Addy pressed the button and called the nurse. Upon talking to the nurse, the nurse told her about the rescue, and how everyone in the hospital thought that Karen was a hero. Addy became emotional as she heard the story. The nurse reassured her that Karen was fine, but exhausted mainly out of worry for her.
Nothing the nurse said reassured Addy of Karen’s well-being until she had a chance to talk to her. She might be a hero to the world, but Addy knew the fragility of the woman she loved. My love, my beautiful love! You nearly died for me.
“She hasn’t gone home at all.” The nurse continued to talk. “She requested a private room so that she could stay with you. She’s camped out here the whole time. But don’t you worry because that gave us a good opportunity to take care of her arm.”
“What about her arm? What happened to her arm?”
The nurse realized that no one had told her about Karen’s arm. “Oh nothing, honey, don’t worry about it. It’s all okay.” The nurse thought that Addy didn’t need to know the details of Karen’s injury just yet and avoided the subject.
Addy knew they were hiding something from her and she made a mental note to ask Karen the minute she could. When Karen opened her eyes, she saw Addy looking at her and immediately smiled from the sofa. Her eyes misted as she saw that adorable face looking at her. Addy smiled. “Hi gorgeous!”
With great difficulty, but as fast as she could, Karen got up from the sofa and walked towards the bed. She was barely able to call her name. “Addy!” Karen’s face was a mixture of happiness and anguished nervousness.
“It’s so good to see you, sexy thing. I love you.” She knew Karen was dead worried and was trying to relax her. Not able to speak, Karen took her hand, kissed it, and cried.
“I’m okay, baby. I’m okay.”
“Thank God, Addy, thank God!”
“Baby, your arm? What happened? Why the bandages?”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine. How are you feeling?” Karen con
tinued to caress and kiss her gently almost afraid to touch and hurt her.
“I’m okay, but your arm? Please, tell me.”
“I have some cuts. Nothing to worry about.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Not much. Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”
Addy beckoned her. “Come here, I need you closer to me.”
Karen leaned on the bed and placed her face against Addy’s. They could feel each other’s breath. Karen caressed her face with her own as Addy closed her eyes. A tear ran down Addy’s cheek and Karen took it into her lips with a kiss. She ran her lips through the teary face, drinking every one of Addy’s tears as she began to shed her own. Addy could still feel Karen’s body shaking. “I’m okay, baby. I’m okay.” Addy reassured her.
Addy was still connected to a lot of equipment and couldn’t hug her well, but with her free hand she held on to Karen’s right hand. Karen brought Addy’s hand to her mouth and kissed it. “I thought I’d lost you. I was desperate. If anything ever happened to you, I would die. I know I would. I’d want to. You are never going up in a hot air balloon, or bungee jumping, if I can prevent it.” They both chuckled with teary eyes. “I don’t fucking give a damn if you get mad at me for stopping you.” She smiled and immediately broke down in tears and buried her face on Addy’s chest. Addy brushed Karen’s hair gently with her free hand.
“Ker, come up here, baby, I need to kiss you.” Karen did as requested. “I don’t want you to cry anymore, baby, please. Look at me. I’m fine, and I’m not going anywhere. And, I’m not going in any hot air balloon, or bungee jumping ever, and you can stop me from doing any silly thing like that any time you want. From now on, I give you the right to stop me from doing stupid stuff, and I promise never to be mad at you for stopping me. Anyway, I don’t think I’ve ever been mad at you for too long, have I?”
