Dangerous Waters

by Radclyffe

  “Why haven’t they, then? You know what the temperatures are like out there, and with no AC…That’s insane.” Dara scanned the room to be sure she hadn’t left anything behind. She doubted she’d be coming back anytime soon. She might not have another chance to be alone with Sawyer like this again anytime soon either. “I’m sorry.”

  Sawyer frowned. “Why?”

  “I was hoping…” Dara sighed as she pulled the covers straight on the bed. “I just wish we had more time.”

  “We will,” Sawyer said.

  The certainty in her voice was all Dara needed to hear. “I should go. Can you take me back to the hospital for my car?”

  “No,” Sawyer said, “I’ll take you right to Shoreline. Come on.”

  Dara hesitated. “Sawyer, I don’t want you to get caught in the middle of some kind of political nightmare, and this has all the earmarks of one. You haven’t been officially notified, and—”

  “Hey,” Sawyer said, grabbing Dara’s hand. “This is family. Come on.”

  Dara kissed her. “Thanks.”

  Once in the Humvee, Sawyer called her XO. “Rodriguez, check the logs for any emergency calls from residential care facilities in a fifty-mile radius. I need to know how many of them have reported power outages and how many the power company is handling as priority.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Might I ask the colonel why?”

  “I’m on my way to Shoreline Residential. They apparently have an unresolved heat situation which hasn’t been logged or addressed by us or FPL.”

  “Scanning now, Colonel. Nothing from Shoreline on our logs. It will take me a while to cross-check with FPL.”

  “Let me know when you do.”

  “Might I suggest calling a few places on the priority list in the zones where the grid is down, Colonel? We might get a better assessment of response and resolution.”

  “Good idea. See to it.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Sawyer detoured around an area where her sector maps showed the roads were impassable. “Either Shoreline didn’t report a problem or the power company hasn’t gotten to them yet.”

  “After forty-eight hours?” Dara said, dismissing the panic that threatened to cloud her judgment. This was personal in a way that ordinary emergencies weren’t, but she was prepared to deal with it and she would. She just needed to get there. “I appreciate what you’re doing.”

  Sawyer glanced over at her. “Even if I wasn’t wearing this uniform, I’d be doing the same thing. I’m not letting you handle this one alone.”

  “I’m more than happy for the assist.” Dara stretched her hand between them and Sawyer grasped it. “And I’m glad you’re here.”

  Dara tried to keep calm as the trip that should’ve taken them forty-five minutes took almost three hours. By the time Sawyer detoured around blocked or flooded highways, backtracked to find a semipassable route, and pulled the Humvee into the turnaround in front of the sprawling one-story structure, Dara’s nerves were jangling.

  As they walked up the sidewalk to the main entrance, Dara said, “I should probably take the lead here since there’s no official callout.”

  “Understood.”

  The lobby was empty and no one staffed the reception area, the first sign of trouble. The air inside was as stifling as outside with a stale, oppressive odor. Dara immediately started to sweat and checked the thermostat on the wall by the corridor down to the residence section. “God, it’s a hundred and ten degrees in here.”

  Sawyer felt the overhead vents. “They have no working air-conditioning.”

  “Hello?” Dara walked down the hall. “Hello?”

  An aide in a tank top, shorts, and a soiled smock appeared in the doorway. “I’m sorry, we’re closed to visitors.” Her lank blond hair was sweat soaked and her pale face damp and drawn. She looked to be in her thirties and very frightened.

  “I’m Dr. Dara Sims,” Dara said. “My grandmother is a resident here. I’m going down to check on her. Do you have other residents who need medical assistance?”

  The aide looked left and right, an anxious expression on her face.

  Dara walked closer. “What’s going on?”

  “If I talk to you,” the blonde whispered, “I might lose my job. I can’t afford to lose my job. I haven’t been home for five days, and I’ve got three kids. My mother’s watching them. Please.”

  “I’ll make sure nothing happens if you talk to me. Who do I need to see?”

  “Oh God, I’m really worried about some of the patients, especially Mr. Mirabelli in room 114.”

  “Dara,” Sawyer said, “I’ll check on him. You check your grandmother.”

  “Yes,” said Dara, already jogging away. Usually half a dozen staff were moving about the hallways delivering meds and meals, or transporting residents to activities, but Dara didn’t see anyone on her way to her grandmother’s room. Even Brian was MIA.

  “Gran?” Dara said, hurrying into her grandmother’s room. Her grandmother was in bed, wearing only a light nightgown. Her pillow was sweat stained, her face shining with perspiration. Dara bit her lip and waited until her voice was steady.

  “It’s Dara, Gran.”

  “Dara,” her grandmother said, turning amazingly clear eyes toward her. “I think you might need to do something about the heat, dear.”

  Dara choked back a sob of relief as she took her grandmother’s pulse. One twenty. The skin on her arm tented when she gently pinched it. She was dehydrated and would be in serious condition in just a few more hours.

  “When’s the last time you had something to drink?” Dara said, pouring tepid water from a half-full pitcher into a glass and holding it to her grandmother’s lips. The question was automatic and she didn’t expect an answer. Of course she wouldn’t remember. Her grandmother drank until the glass was empty and Dara refilled it. “Go slowly, now. Are you hungry?”

  “I’d really rather wait for brunch, Priscilla,” her grandmother said, leaning back to the pillows with a sigh.

  “Mom’s not here right now, Gran, but I’ll get you something to eat as soon as I can. I have to check on some of the other residents, but I’ll be back, I promise. Then we’re going to move you somewhere more comfortable.”

  “All right, that sounds just fine.”

  Dara spot-checked several rooms on her way toward 114, her shirt already soaked through from the hot, heavy air. Most of the residents appeared to be sleeping, or unresponsive. Here jaws ached from the effort not to start shouting for someone in authority to explain what the hell was going on.

  Sawyer stepped out of room 114 and closed the door, her expression grim. “We’ve got a problem. I’m calling for a squad to evacuate the building.”

  Dara’s chest tightened. “Mr. Mirabelli?”

  “Deceased”—Sawyer nodded—“and he’s not the only one.”

  “Oh my God,” Dara whispered.

  “Dr. Sims.” Brian raced toward her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “Brian, I need you to get all available staff together in the lobby immediately. We’ll be evacuating the establishment as soon as possible.”

  “Yes, yes. Thank you. Thank you.”

  Dara called the emergency room to put them on notice. “I’m at Shoreline Residential Center with at least a dozen criticals, mostly dehydration, respiratory failure, possible cardiac complications. ETA…” She glanced at Sawyer, her brows raised.

  “I’ll have trucks here in twenty-five minutes.”

  “Less than an hour,” Dara said.

  When she finished briefing the ER, she ran a hand through her hair and stared at Sawyer. “I think this is your operation now.”

  Sawyer grasped her hand. “How’s your grandmother?”

  “I’m going back to check on her and the others, but she’s stable.”

  Sawyer nodded. “I need to contact the local authorities since we have a mortality. And, Dara, I think we need to brief Catherine.”

  “Yes. This is a story tha
t needs to be told,” Dara said.

  Landfall plus 60 hours

  Channel Ten Breaking News

  “This is Catherine Winchell outside the emergency room at Miami Memorial Hospital. We’ve been following the evacuation of Shoreline Residential Center, located only three miles from the hospital itself. Eight residents have succumbed to heat-related complications as a direct result of Hurricane Leo, despite the facility having been one of several dozen in the area approved to remain in operation throughout the crisis. Apparently the facility did have generators but was unable to obtain enough fuel to keep them running once the power failed. Many of the staff remain on duty despite personal and family hardship. The governor has instituted an investigation and is even now in the process of ensuring that no other facilities suffer the same crisis.

  “If you have family members in a similar situation and have been unable to reach them or a responsible individual, please contact the hotline emergency number.”

  “Dara,” a familiar voice called as Dara rounded the corner from her office.

  Dara stopped in her tracks. “Mother!”

  “I really wish I didn’t have to learn about these things on television,” Priscilla said. “How’s your grandmother?”

  “She’s fine. She’s upstairs in the step-down unit. She’ll be here a few days until…” Dara shook her head. “I’m not sure Shoreline is going to reopen anytime soon. But we’ll worry about that when we come to it.”

  “According to the news report, you’re responsible for saving all those people’s lives.”

  “Not just me, Mother. I had a lot of help.”

  “Well”—her mother looked around the ER, the first time she’d ever been there—“it does seem this job turned out to be useful after all.”

  Laughing, Dara shook her head. “I guess you’re right.”

  The doors behind her mother opened and Sawyer came through. Dara smiled and her mother followed her gaze.

  “Oh yes,” her mother said, “I saw her at the shelter a few days ago. She rescued that poor woman from the alligator.”

  “Yes,” Dara said, “she’s quite good at that sort of thing.”

  “I tried to find her after the news interview, but she’d vanished.”

  Dara motioned Sawyer over. She would’ve taken her hand, but they were both on duty. “Colonel Kincaid, I’d like you to meet my mother, Priscilla Sims. Mom, Colonel Kincaid is in charge of the National Guard’s relief and rescue efforts.”

  “Very pleased to meet you, Colonel,” Priscilla said, extending her hand. “I do hope you have an opportunity to attend one of the Red Cross benefit dinners when all of this unpleasantness is over.”

  Sawyer smiled. “I’ll certainly try to do that, and we appreciate all the work your organization has put into the relief efforts.”

  Priscilla preened and glanced at Dara. “Well, darling, seeing that everything is under control here, I’ll be on my way. I think Ms. Winchell wants to interview me about this latest tragedy.”

  “I’m sure she does. Bye, Mother,” Dara called as her mother swept away. Shaking her head, she regarded Sawyer and almost laughed out loud at Sawyer’s incredulous expression. “Do you really plan on attending a fancy benefit dinner?”

  “Only if you’ll be my date,” Sawyer said.

  Dara laughed. “Oh, that might be fun.”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Landfall plus 15 days

  Miami Memorial Hospital

  Channel 10 Weather Forecast

  Clear and sunny

  High temperature 98 degrees

  Ocean temp 85 degrees

  Penny rapped on the partially open door and stuck her head into Dara’s office. “Hey, I thought you were leaving early.”

  “I’ve got a couple of minutes still. I’m going to get these damn requisitions done if it kills me.” Dara waved Penny in while surreptitiously surveying her with a critical eye. She looked rested, her color was good, and her eyes were bright. “Do you feel as good as you look?”

  Penny laughed. “Better. Believe me, a ten-hour shift feels like nothing after…you know.”

  Dara nodded. Two and a half weeks after the crisis began, they were almost back to normal. Ninety-five percent of the staff had returned, except those unlucky ones whose homes were still uninhabitable. The emergency room census had fallen to normal levels, and if she didn’t look at the devastated properties and demolished shoreline and destroyed foliage while driving to work, life almost seemed normal. But it wasn’t, and probably never would be completely again for anyone who’d just lived through Leo. An element of fragility had been injected into the sense of daily life, the feeling that nothing could ever really be taken for granted because circumstances beyond one’s control, situations beyond the human ability to fight, could come along and uproot one’s existence. Time, always something she understood to be fleeting, was even more precious now.

  “I feel guilty leaving after a regular shift still.”

  Penny laughed, but her eyes held the memory of the tragedies they’d witnessed. “Good news about your grandmother, though. I saw Millie when I stopped by to visit. She said she’d worked out a placement for her.”

  “Yes, we got really lucky, and Millie got her a spot at one of the SunView places,” Dara said. “The whole social service department has done an amazing job considering how many displaced patients we have. Shoreline won’t reopen for six months, maybe not even then if they can’t replace the administration, and who knows what the sanctions are going to be. I explained it to my grandmother…but…” She sighed. “The best thing is, Brian is going to be working there, so when she’s aware, she’ll have someone around she knows.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  “Yeah.” Dara pushed the requisition forms away. “Screw it. I’m going home.”

  “That’s right,” Penny teased, “big date tonight.”

  Dara shrugged, a little self-conscious and a little embarrassed to admit she was nervous. “Not exactly. Well, I guess it could be considered a date. I’m having dinner with Sawyer and her best friend and his wife at their house. It’s a barbecue.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “It’s pretty much akin to meeting the family,” Dara said slowly, just then realizing why she’d been anxious about something so simple. She was getting to see a new and important part of Sawyer’s life. “He’s a little more than her best friend.”

  “Aha,” Penny said, leaning back against the door, looking as if she planned to stay awhile. “Sawyer wants the special people in her life to meet. That’s nice.”

  “Yeah.” Dara smiled. “It is.”

  “So…how is everything?”

  Heat rushed up Dara’s throat and she suspected Penny could see her blush. “Everything is fine, thanks.”

  “That good, huh?” Penny laughed. “Good for you. So, serious then?”

  “Yes,” Dara said, “pretty much.” She caught Penny’s eye roll and grinned. “Okay, yes, totally. I’m…she’s the one.”

  “Mutual. I’m sure. I’ve seen her look at you.”

  “Yes,” Dara said quietly. Sawyer made her feel loved every time she looked at her, every time they touched.

  “How long will the Guard be stationed down here?” Penny asked. “I still see them everywhere.”

  “The recovery efforts are going to go on for months, especially with so many areas still without power. A lot of the out-of-state Guard have pulled out, except from the Keys, where the engineers are working on the bridges, but the Florida Guard will be here in some capacity for six months.”

  “Sawyer too?”

  “Sawyer too.”

  Penny tilted her head from side to side. “So, um, where’s she sleeping?”

  “Penny,” Dara said with a mock sigh.

  “Aw, come on. Give a little.”

  “Most of the time with me.”

  “And after her duty here is over?” Penny asked.

  Dara nodded. “We haven’t made
any definite plans, but I’ve got a pretty big apartment and Sawyer has enough seniority to request a posting at Homestead, so…”

  “Woo-hoo. Sounds like a plan to me. I think she’s great, by the way.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Dara bit her lip, shrugged. “I suppose it seems fast, but I know…we know…”

  “No, it doesn’t. It seems right,” Penny said, “and you should get out of here soon.”

  “Fifteen more minutes,” Dara said, “I just want to check on a couple of the residents.”

  “They’re all doing great,” Penny said.

  “Yes, nothing like a disaster to help them mature.”

  Penny shook her head. “Too true. Have fun tonight and be prepared to report tomorrow.”

  Dara laughed. “Thanks. You go home too. Your shift was over thirty minutes ago.”

  “Right behind you.”

  Dara left everything just as it was on her desk and walked out into a sunny late afternoon. The skies were nearly cloudless, the air hot and clean. Her phone rang as she got to her car, and she answered when she saw Sawyer’s number come up.

  “Hi.”

  “I might be a little bit late,” Sawyer said. “We’ve got a call to assist the Coast Guard in a civilian rescue op—fishing trawler taking water and likely going down.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll see you when you get there,” Dara said.

  “I’ll call you.” Sawyer paused. “I love you. I’ll be there.”

  Dara smiled. “I know. Me too.”

  When Dara got home, she took a shower, dressed for a casual night out, and settled in to read a book. Sooner than she thought, a knock came on the door. She set her book aside and hurried to answer it. Her heart gave a little jump as it did every time she saw Sawyer. She took her hand as she came in.

  “You weren’t that late,” Dara said.

  Sawyer threaded an arm around her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her. “Nope. Benefits of command. I delegated.”