by Hildy Fox
She tilted her head back and looked up at his dark, rain-streaked face, and she silently wished that he would hold her here like this and never let go. His hands moved up to her face, cupping her cheeks gently in his palms, and he leaned forward to kiss her.
All ties with the real world were severed the moment his lips pressed against hers. The emptiness inside her was suddenly filled. The energy that had left her was suddenly returned. And the fear, the doubt, the aching disarray of emotions that had troubled her for days, all suddenly went away. His kiss, flavoured by the pure, clean rain, became the only reality she knew.
His lips performed soft, slow caresses on each of hers, leaving no millimetre unattended. Her arms slipped out from between them and reached around him, her hands pressing into the shirt that clung wetly to his back. Their kiss became more urgent, and she greeted his softly exploring tongue with hers as her breasts, her hips, her thighs, everything, eliminated every bit of space between them.
There was no future. There was no past. There was only this moment, and Lahra lived it to the full. Every movement of her lips, every flicker of her tongue, every stroke of her hands was saying the same thing, over and over again. I love you, Marcus! I love you! I love you!
Was it her imagination, or could she hear ringing? The intensity of their kiss diminished a little as her attention suddenly found itself being distracted away from her newfound world. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to leave this place, this moment, that they shared. But the ringing persisted. It would not let her be. Slowly and surely, her ability to remain in this selfish state of bliss weakened, and she opened her eyes to find herself back in the real world.
Her mobile in the Jeep cut through the pounding of the rain with shrill insistence. She pulled away from Marcus’s embrace as if doing so too quickly would cause physical pain, looking apologetically back towards him as she went without a word to the car. She leaned in and answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Doc..."
"Wally?" The connection was bad, smothered by static. But even through that Lahra could tell that something was wrong. "Wally, are you okay?"
"Doc... my heart," came the weak voice. "Please... help..."
There was a crash on the other end as if the phone had been dropped, then the line cut out.
"Wally?" Lahra called loudly. "Wally?!" Panic, hot and sharp, coursed through her as she listened to the silence on the phone. In a split second she had travelled light years from the place she and Marcus had been. The abandon she had felt had now been completely replaced by an all-consuming dread.
"What is it?" Marcus asked, concerned.
"It's Wally. I think he's had another heart attack. I've got to go." She climbed into the driver's seat and went to pull the door shut.
"Wait! I'm coming with you!"
"No. There's no need."
"Lahra, don't be ridiculous. If there is something seriously wrong he'll be better served by both of us."
"Alright," Lahra relented, too anxious to argue. "Get in."
He hadn't even taken his seat properly when the four wheel drive lurched forward, spraying mud into its wake. Lahra spun the car around and headed for the road, narrowly missing the front gate on the way out.
"Can you see without your glasses?" Marcus asked as the Jeep fishtailed onto the bitumen.
"I'm fine," Lahra stated, squinting through the rain-spattered windshield, the deluge beyond and the darkness that barely yielded to her headlights. "Just fasten your seat belt." She positioned the Jeep on the winding white line in the centre of the road, and did her best to stick to it. With luck, no other cars would be silly enough to be out in these conditions.
Neither of them spoke as the car made its way down the hill faster than any sane driver would allow. Twice Lahra was surprised by sharp turns, and narrowly avoided sending the Jeep into the ditch on the side of the road. Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel. Her knee, already aching from her fall, now throbbed from continuously pumping the brake pedal. But her mind was focussed completely on Wally at the bottom of the hill, depending on her.
"Look out!" Marcus yelled suddenly, and a second later Lahra saw what he meant. She slammed her foot down on the brake, searing pain shooting through her knee, the wheels of the car locking up before sliding to a complete stop. The road ahead had disappeared under water.
"I can't stop," she said to herself as much as to Marcus. "We'll just have to drive through it."
"Use the posts on the side of the road as guides," Marcus suggested, but before he got the words out Lahra was travelling forward again. They entered the almost wheel-deep water and navigated the hidden, twisting road for several hundred metres before the white line became visible again. Just ahead was Mountain Bridge, and not far beyond that, Wally's home.
Again Lahra cast a glance down the Doyle River as she crossed the bridge. Her earlier feeling that something was wrong had been right. Why couldn't she have listened to it? Why did she continue driving towards Marcus’s when she knew something wasn't right? If she had followed her intuition perhaps she'd have been closer to Wally. Perhaps she could have got to him quicker.
The road continued to dip in and out of water, until they arrived at the highway. Instead of turning towards Valley Bridge and the town, she went the other way. The access road that led to Wally's wasn't far off.
As soon as she turned off the highway, Lahra knew they were in trouble. The gradient slipped away in front of them, and in a matter of metres they met the flood. Now they had well and truly left the foothills behind them. From here on there were just the wide flat plains of the Charlotte Valley. The beam of her headlights illuminated no road, no posts, no clue that a road lay ahead. There was only muddy water, flowing ominously wherever she looked.
"We can't get through that," Marcus said resignedly. "There must be another way."
"No there's not. We have to keep going. The road here is straight, and Wally's place isn't far." Then Lahra stopped and peered through the wet night ahead. "What's that? I can't make it out. Is it a light?"
Marcus followed her gaze into the distance. "You're right, it is. Looks like a window, or a porch light."
"That's Wally's house. I'll use it as a bearing. Keep your eyes open." Lahra released the clutch slowly and the car headed into the swirling water. The steering wheel wanted to turn out of her hands such was the force of the flow, and she had to pull it firmly into positon lest they were swept off the road completely. Her attention didn't wander for a second from the light which grew painstakingly closer. She knew if she thought about the water too much, whatever nerve she had would wash away with it. And then Wally wouldn't have a chance.
At last the cottage came into view, but it was immediately apparent that nothing less than a power boat could bridge the distance between the access road and the house. The building was in a depression, and violent water that must have been a metre deep had enveloped the area. Lahra stopped the car at the top of the driveway and surveyed the scene, her heart sinking.
"It’s so deep," she said with fear trying to catch the words in her throat. "There's no way we can get to the house."
"Yes there is," Marcus said, barely audible over the rain that pummelled the roof of the car. "I can swim." Lahra looked at him and could see the seriousness in his eyes.
"Marcus, don't be crazy! You'll be swept away in a second!"
"You have a winch don't you?"
"Yes, but-"
"I'll use it as a safety line. If I get into difficulty, pull me back in. How long is it?"
"Thirty metres."
"Hmm. Might not be enough. Do you have any rope back there?" Marcus leaned over the back, already searching.
"I have a snatch-um strap."
"A what?"
"A snatch-um strap. It's basic recovery gear, like a heavy duty tow rope." Lahra leaned over the back alongside Marcus. She stretched to the very back of the storage compartment. Marcus’s arm reached out to support her.
"Got it," she exclaimed, returning to the front. Marcus took it, and started unwinding.
"You'll have to operate the winch. If it looks like I'm in trouble, reel me in. If I wave to you for any reason, reel me in." He began tying one end of the strap around his waist. "But whatever you do, don't rewind while I'm inside the house. I'll unhook myself once I'm in so I can have a proper search. Lahra, what's wrong?"
Lahra's face had frozen, staring out into the raging water. "I... I don't know if I can go out there. The water..."
"Lahra, you have to! There's no other way. You don't have to go out where it's deep. Just hang on to the bull bar and stay right by the car. The water won't affect you up here."
Lahra was silent. All she could think about was how dark and cold it must be beneath the water's muddy surface.
"Lahra!" Marcus yelled, grabbing her by the arms. "Wally is in there and he needs our help. We don't have time to waste. Just stay close to the car and you'll be fine."
She suddenly thought of Wally's plea on the phone. Of the crash and the silence that had ensued. Yes, she must go out. She must step into the water and operate the winch.
"Okay, let's go," she said, and reached for the door handle.
The rain soaked her almost immediately. Her feet disappeared into the water, the chill wetness almost reaching her knee. Every artery in her body seemed to throb with adrenaline. She clung to the wheel arch and finally the bull bar, bracing herself against it with all her strength. Marcus was already attaching the winch cable to the snatch-um strap.
"Are there any obstacles or dangerous objects in the way that I ought to know about?" he called over the storm.
"No. It's completely clear to the front door."
"Okay. Here goes."
Lahra looked at Marcus almost pleadingly. For a brief second she forgot her fear. She forgot the urgency of the situation. The only thing she felt was protectiveness for Marcus. Rain danced around him in the beam of the headlights like energy sparks. For the first time that night she saw the deep colour of his green-gold eyes, as they looked back into hers with reassurance. It was only a second and no words were spoken, but a whole conversation took place.
Marcus turned to the house and walked down into the water as Lahra operated the winch motor to give him slack. The water rose quickly as he advanced, its power becoming more evident with each step. Lahra had to remind herself to keep breathing. Even the sting of the rain on her face and the icy water on her feet weren't enough to disrupt her attention from Marcus.
A gasp suddenly escaped her as Marcus relented to the force of the water, unable to keep his footing. He drifted for a couple of breathless seconds, but then recovered and began to swim in the direction of the house. His broad back and long arms battled against the flow. As Lahra watched she was sure that his attempt was futile. When she had seen him in the river he had matched the current, but here he seemed to be losing as the water turned him back inch by inch. Her hand waited on the motor switch, ready for his signal.
But then he started to move forward. The inches he had lost were retrieved as his stroke found its rhythm and his kick found its power. He was winning. The relief Lahra felt barely made an impact on her overall tension, but to see the gap between Marcus and the house closing by the second was the first real sign of hope she had to cling to.
Her distance vision was blurred, made worse by the rain, but she knew the moment Marcus’s hand came in contact with the wall of the house. He grabbed at the window sill and pulled himself to his feet. Without stopping for breath he moved along the wall to the front door, and pushed it open. A moment later and he had disappeared inside.
The winch cable had virtually come to its end. She shut the motor off and returned her eyes to the door, ready for the first sign of movement.
Her hand tightened on the safety of the bull bar with every passing second. The cold water had numbed her legs, and the rain had penetrated her clothes to the skin. The only sound was that of water. Of the rain. Of the flood. Of the nightmares that swirled in her subconscious. Time passed at half speed as she waited for Marcus to appear at the door. When her thoughts turned to Wally's wellbeing, it passed slower still.
What was taking so long? The cottage wasn't a very big place. Surely Marcus had found him by now. Surely he should be appearing at the door, giving his signal to reel them in. Unless...
But Lahra refused to think about unless. That would be more than she could take. She told herself to be patient and ready to act the moment they appeared.
And then Lahra's torture came to an end. It was Marcus in the doorway, his arms securely around the motionless Wally. He let go long enough to wave to Lahra, and she flicked the switch to begin the rewind.
The two men were tugged into the current, and immediately whisked to the side. Marcus battled to keep both their heads above water and keep some sort of contact with the earth as they were pulled forward. Lahra willed the winch to wind faster as she watched them slide further and further adrift.
At last the winch dragged them to shallower water, and Marcus found his footing. "Shut off the winch," he yelled, struggling to lift Wally's sudden weight clear of the water. He strode up the last couple of metres to the access road, his face contorted with exhaustion. Without stopping he moved straight to the passenger door and manoeuvred Wally into the reclined seat.
"Is he alright?" Lahra called above the rain.
"He's alive," Marcus panted. "But I don't think he's alright. We have to get to a doctor fast. Jump in the back and make sure he's comfortable and I'll drive."
Lahra didn't question him. She made her way to the door and climbed into the back, thankful to be out of the numbingly cold water. Wally lay there, blood trickling from a gash in his forehead. She wiped the hair from his face and felt his temperature. He was freezing. As Marcus climbed into the driver's seat, she reached into the back once more and pulled out a travel rug and first aid kit. She threw the rug over her stricken friend, then found some gauze and disinfectant and set about cleaning his wound.
"He was in the bedroom," Marcus said as he carefully reversed the car and turned it back towards the highway. "He must have fallen and hit his head on the bedhead. Luckily he slumped on top of the bed and not under it. He'd have drowned for sure."
"I can't believe this is happening," Lahra thought aloud. "It never floods like this in Riverbank."
"Well, it does now," Marcus observed dryly, carefully heading through the water back towards the highway.
Lahra fell silent, feeling totally helpless. She wanted to do something right now to help Wally, but there was nothing she could do. Just as she had waited at home for news on the Miracle Cinema, all she could do now was wait until they got Wally to the Riverbank Hospital.
The car finally lurched up onto the highway, and Marcus pointed it in the direction of the town. "I think the rain has eased a little," he said, turning the wiper blade speed down. Lahra didn't take any notice. The rain that had been saviour for the cinema, might now have turned destroyer for her best friend. Wally was right. People were much more important than buildings. If she had had the choice, there never would have been any rain, and the Miracle would have perished in an instant.
"Hold on," Marcus said abruptly, and Lahra looked up to see what she supposed was Valley Bridge. The narrow road was no longer visible, for the Doyle River had enveloped it. If it weren't for the rails either side, Lahra would never have known that a bridge was there at all. The foot or so of water they were now in was flowing nowhere near as fiercely as that across the bridge. Lahra braced herself. It was impossible to tell what might happen once they drove into it. But in about three seconds she was going to find out.
"I sure hope no one’s coming the other way," Marcus remarked as the four wheel drive entered the torrent. Lahra looked up at him in the rear view mirror. He was smiling.
"If there is, just drive over the top of him," Lahra suggested. There was a smile on her face too. The Jeep negotiated the bridge with surp
rising confidence, and in no time the river was behind them. The road ahead was awash with floodwater, but even so the smile on Lahra's face took some time to dissipate. She had no idea what it was doing there, but it certainly felt good.
*
The quiet, comfortable surrounds of the Riverbank Hospital were welcome relief from the mayhem outside. People stranded on top of their cars. Rescue vehicles helping families from their ruined homes. Torment and heartbreak etched on the faces of people in the submerged streets. All of these images had followed them here through the town. For now, this was the only escape they had.
Lahra couldn't sit still. She paced the waiting room, hospital blanket wrapped tightly around her, keeping one eye on her watch and the other on the corridor that led to the casualty ward. Her knee was stiff beneath the fresh bandage that had been applied, but that was nothing compared to how she felt in general. There wasn't a bandage in the world that could fix the way her mind and body ached.
Marcus was somewhere down the corridor having his foot attended to. He'd cut it quite deeply during his battle with the flood. He hadn't even been aware until he'd carried Wally into casualty and left a trail of blood behind him.
"Ms Brook?"
Lahra swirled to see Doctor Ayres standing there. The question she had been asking in her head over and over again finally reached her lips. "Is he okay?"
"Walter's suffered a mild heart attack and has serious concussion. He's stable, but we're not taking him off the critical list just yet."
Lahra's relief was evident. "Is he conscious? Can I see him?"
"He's very groggy. You can see him, but only for a minute. It might do him some good to see a familiar face before he rests up. Come on."
Doctor Ayres led Lahra down the corridor to a dimly lit room, and ushered her through the door. Wally lay in a bed, attached to all manners of machinery. His heart rate blipped on a screen to one side.
