Saving Sam

by Lynnette Beers

  She stood on shore for a moment then stepped into the water; she shuffled her feet to ward off any stingrays lurking under the surface. She immediately felt the chill in the ocean. No longer hovering around seventy-two degrees as it often was during September, the water had dropped a few degrees. With this being late in the year, there were far fewer south swells to keep the water warm, and as the air became colder at night, the temps dropped by a degree every few days. Since Sam had been a lifeguard for so many years, she could gauge the temperature within a degree or two. Right now, the water felt to be sixty-five or sixty-six. By the end of her lifeguarding season next month, Sam would be experiencing temperatures hovering around sixty.

  A few small waves gently sloshed onto shore as Sam shuffled her feet until she got to deeper water. Once she was thigh-deep, she sliced her body through the water, her skin chilled as she swam under for a few seconds. She resurfaced and assessed her area, searching for anything needing her attention. She flipped over on her back for a moment and stared at the clear blue sky before dunking below the surface once more. As she tread water, her entire body relaxed. She did her best to not worry too much about Robert. He’d eventually be moved to an acute rehab hospital. If there were any negative changes in his status today while Sam was on duty, Mama would text Travis who’d then contact Sam. Since lifeguards weren’t allowed to look at their phones even for a few seconds while on duty, Sam kept hers secure in her backpack, but as soon as the rookie lifeguard came to relieve her for lunch, she’d call her mother to check on Robert.

  As she swam toward shore, Sam noticed two fit women jogging on the sand a few yards north of her. She squinted into the glaring sun then noticed that one of the women looked familiar. Sam could recognize that muscular body anywhere. It was Kim, running with another fit young woman—the two of them only wearing skimpy bikinis and running shoes. Excited that Kim had chosen this patch of beach to do her morning workout, Sam pumped her fins through the water to get closer to shore. Once in shallower water, she headed back to shore. With her fins dangling from her hand and water dripping from her face, Sam hollered as Kim approached her.

  Out of breath and sweaty, Kim smiled when she got close to Sam. “I was hoping you’d be here today,” Kim said and leaned her body into Sam’s for a quick hug. “We were all set to run in Coronado, but I figured we should come here in the slight chance you’d be guarding this beach.”

  Sam’s cool skin against Kim’s felt warm. “I’m glad you chose this beach. So great to see you. Sorry about the wet hug,” Sam said and laughed. She gazed into Kim’s blue eyes and wished her shift was over now. She’d love to join her for a jog on the beach followed by a dip in the ocean and then a return to Kim’s place. Ready and eager to taste her once again, Sam felt a surge of warmth go through her body.

  “A wet hug is kinda nice right now after our run,” Kim said and smiled, pulling Sam closer but keeping the hug short. “Oh, this is Adrianna. You probably remember her from the Trail Angels.”

  Sam reached over to shake her hand, apologizing that her hand was wet. Adrianna appeared fit and bosomy, and Sam for the first time in years felt a surge of jealousy. Sam had only been dating Kim for a few weeks now, and for part of that time, their dating only consisted of a few flirtatious texts while Sam was in Mississippi. Still, Sam thought she and Kim had potential. But Kim hadn’t mentioned anyone named Adrianna—especially a young, perky girl who looked no more than eighteen.

  While Sam and Kim talked some more, Adrianna lunged forward, stretching her calf muscles. All Sam noticed were her breasts heaving out of that skimpy hot pink bathing suit. Fit for thirty-two, Sam worked hard to keep her body in shape, but she felt self-conscious being around such a young, athletic girl like this. Sam folded her arms across her small breasts, her fins dangling from her hand. Adrianna used Kim’s shoulder to balance herself as she pulled her foot up behind her, stretching her quads.

  “How’s your brother doing today?” Kim asked as she gripped Adrianna’s arm to help steady her. “Any breakthroughs?”

  “No changes. He’s stable. Best we can hope for right now.” Sam glanced over Adrianna’s shoulder to peer at the shoreline and the sandy beach next to her station. She noticed Travis hopping off the tower and plopping onto the sand. Always on alert, Travis craned his neck to do a quick scan of the beach as he walked toward the water. Even though he was off duty today, he was still in lifeguard mode. Leaving an empty tower was never advised unless a guard was in the water assisting swimmers or administering first aid somewhere on the beach.

  “Too bad you can’t join us for a run,” Adrianna said and plopped down in the sand to stretch some more. “Perfect weather for a long run on the beach.” Adrianna leaned forward, clasping her hands around her ankles. Her large breasts smooshed against her thighs as she rocked her body forward in slow, gentle bounces.

  “Yeah, that’d be...fun,” Sam said and stared at Adrianna’s breasts. She wondered how this girl jogged being so top-heavy. Sam then imagined what Kim probably saw in her—a fit body, double D breasts, dark skin. Sam had no recollection of meeting Adrianna on any of the rides with the Trail Angels. Sam would’ve remembered someone like this. “I’m on duty till five. And right now, I need to return to my tower,” Sam said, peering at the vacant beach. “Nice to meet you, Adrianna, and...great to see you, Kim.” Sam glanced at Kim’s lips, longing to kiss her. Instead, she placed her hand on the small of Kim’s back then leaned close to her neck to whisper in her ear, “Dinner later? And then...something else?”

  “I can’t... We’re going to REI to get new gear for the Mammoth trip.”

  “Oh, that’s cool. Well, maybe a drink at Gossip Grill later tonight? With both of you, I mean.”

  “I’m not twenty-one yet,” Adrianna said and giggled then stood and dusted the sand off her legs. “I’ve still got a couple years to go till I can legally drink. Plus, I’m not really into drinking. Doesn’t really fit into my training routine. But maybe Kimmie would want to go after we get our stuff for the trip.”

  Kimmie? Sam thought. She tossed that name around in her head, wondering why Kim had never introduced herself as Kimmie when they first met a couple months ago.

  “No, that’s okay,” Kim said and glanced at Adrianna then at Sam. “I’ve got...a lot to do tonight. Plus, I need to get to bed early since we’re doing a twenty-miler in the morning with a small group from the Trail Angels. Sam, you’re off Friday, right? Maybe we can finally go to the zoo like you suggested a few weeks ago. Haven’t been there since I was a kid.”

  Since she was a kid? Sam thought. For Kim, that probably meant only a few years ago that she was just a child. Wondering what Kim saw in a slightly older woman like herself, Sam questioned her decision to date someone eight years younger. But, she’d enjoyed the night they were together a few weeks ago—the memories of that hot connection fueling her libido ever since.

  “Yeah, sure, that’d be fun. Text me later? Have fun...at REI. And, enjoy your ride tomorrow.” Sam considered going on that early morning ride tomorrow with the Trail Angels, but she’d never be able to fit in a twenty-miler before her shift, much less handle so many miles after she hadn’t done a long ride in nearly a month.

  Sam watched as Kim and Adrianna resumed their jog. As they ran a few paces down the beach, Sam glanced at Kim’s tight ass in that skimpy bikini and then caught a glimpse of Adrianna’s dark and muscular body. Nineteen years old. Fit, bosomy, and perky. Sam peered down at her abs, which had gotten a bit soft during her time in Mississippi. Nearly a month of no workouts and her mama’s Southern cooking had caught up to her. After her shift ended this evening, she’d do a beach run followed by a long swim up and down the coast. Tomorrow morning she’d do another short trail ride before her shift started. Then after work she’d hit the gym for one of her intense weight workouts. She still had four days until her date with Kim. She’d get her toned body back in no time. By Friday, her muscles would surely be tighter. But at least she still had stamina
to keep up with Kim in bed—someone so young and hungry for sex.

  The tide was starting to creep farther up onto the dry sand, the gentle surge of water getting Sam’s feet wet. With high tide approaching, she hoped it would bring larger surf and more action at the beach. She still had six hours left of her shift, and with such calm conditions, those hours would drag on. Nearby, she noticed Travis trotting toward her in the hot sand waving both arms in the air.

  “Hey, your mom just texted me,” Travis yelled as he neared Sam. “She said Robert’s got a fever, a high white count, and fluid in his lungs.”

  “Pneumonia,” Sam said and shook her head then wedged her fins in the sand. “That’s...not moving forward. I knew it was just a matter of time until he got worse.” Rage consumed Sam’s body once again when she thought of how that man had caused all this damage to her brother’s body. Now, Robert’s immune system was declining. His body weakened by the day. Incessant diarrhea. Muscle atrophy. High fever. And now, fluid in the lungs. “I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen. First pneumonia. Next, probably blood clots. And yet they haven’t even caught the guy who—”

  “Kiddo, you told me they’re doing everything they can to find the guy. They’ve found the truck, they’re viewing the security tapes from Robert’s work, and they’re continuing to search the area, right? It’s just a matter of time till they find him.”

  “I shouldn’t have come back to San Diego,” Sam said and shook her head, her body tensing as the words exited her mouth. “I should be right by his side, not here guarding this...boring stretch of beach.” She glanced at the wide span of empty sand, looking far ahead for any signs of Kim and Adrianna, but by now they’d disappeared far down the shore. “Then I run into Kim, or Kimmie, or Kimberly, or whatever fucking name she goes by. And how would I know what name she prefers? We’ve hardly been out more than a few times! Only slept together once. But here on my beach today, my...my supposed girlfriend and some young hottie are jogging past me on the beach as I’m on duty.”

  “I’m sure she’s a great girl. You’re just getting to know her. I bet you two can go for a beach run later this week.”

  “She’s probably got her whole weekly fitness regimen all planned out. Probably lots of runs and rides with Adrianna. And here I am guarding a beach that’s got hardly any people while she’s off jogging with some hot young girl. Nobody needs help here today. No rescues, no injuries, nothing!”

  “Hey, we need you here. You know that. You know how it is during the off-season. Anything can happen on days like this.”

  “I shouldn’t have left Mississippi. Why am I even here? I shouldn’t have left my brother who’s just...wasting away in the hospital. Nothing’s going on here today. One-foot waves? Who needs to be rescued in these sorts of conditions?” She waved an arm to the calm ocean, her body shaking as the anger continued to surface.

  “Hey, hey, kiddo,” Travis said and clasped his hand around Sam’s arm. “There’s not much you can do sitting by his side as they treat him for pneumonia. You yourself said you can’t just sit vigil by his side. Your mom said not to worry, that the doctors put him on a strong round of IV antibiotics right when they saw the elevated white count.”

  “Yeah, but I should be there. I’m the only one who seems to get any sort of significant reaction out of him. He rarely squeezes my mom’s hand, and he only has minimal reaction when the therapists work with him.”

  “Maybe you can fly out for a few days. I’m sure we can get your shifts covered, just so you can be with him and assure him that he’s gonna make it.”

  Sam could work another couple days and then take the redeye later this week. She could be in Mississippi in less than six hours and to the hospital shortly after landing if she hopped in a rental car and made no stops on the way. But then that’d mean not seeing Kim on Friday. However, at this point, Sam and Kim weren’t exactly in a relationship—which was made clear to her just now when Kim was running on the beach with that fit, voluptuous girl.

  “Why don’t you see how he’s doing tomorrow and the next day?” Travis said. “He’s already on mega-strong antibiotics. I bet his white count goes down by tomorrow night. Just know that should you need to fly out immediately, we’ll get your towers covered.”

  “Yeah, okay, one day at a time, I suppose. Right now, it feels like he’s in limbo, so to speak. He’s barely existing, but I guess the reality is that he’s still alive, and that’s what matters.”

  “Hold on to that, kiddo. It’s still early after his accident. With his type of injuries, great strides can happen weeks later.”

  “You sound like my mom,” Sam said and laughed but realized Travis and her mother were possibly right. Sam had researched brain trauma and spinal injuries on her phone while she sat for hours next to Robert in the ICU. She read about dismal prognoses for victims of cerebral hypoxia and limited recoveries for victims of spinal injuries like Robert’s. Not seeing too many promising stories, Sam did read that in some cases, the patients showed slight improvement over time. She struggled to hold on to those words right now: slight improvement. Sam wondered if that’d be enough to get Robert to a place where he’d more than just exist in a hospital bed hooked up to a ventilator and dependent on a feeding tube.

  “Having you there every single day probably won’t make much of a difference, and sometimes having a distraction in your life can be healthy.” Travis waved an arm out toward the wide span of sand and the ocean in front of the tower. “Be it this beach or that young hottie you’re dating right now, I kinda think some distractions are necessary. Right now, Robert is stable. I wouldn’t even call this a setback. Remember, pneumonia is treatable,” Travis said, gripping his hand on Sam’s shoulder.

  “Yeah, but brain damage isn’t. The thing is, he...he can’t even talk. He can’t walk, probably never will be able to. He’ll be lucky if he’s even able to sit up in a wheelchair. I keep wondering,” Sam said, her voice breaking, “I wonder if he even knows what’s going on. And if he does...God help him to not realize the severity of it all.”

  Sam turned her back to the calm ocean, tromping across the hot sand to return to her tower. With the sun overhead, the sand heated by the minute. Sam tossed her fins on the sand and climbed atop her perch. Shaded under the tower’s awning, she scanned the shore, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The ocean remained tranquil and glassy, but as a lifeguard, she knew that a calm day could result in unexpected incidents in or out of the water.

  Chapter Thirteen

  San Diego: Autumn 2014

  A BREEZE BLEW through Sam’s hair as she and Kim entered the dark Reptile House. Sam led Kim down the dim corridor toward the giant lizards. No matter how warm it was at the zoo, this dank enclosure always provided a break from the stifling summer heat. But this was autumn—mid-September when warm temperatures still lingered in the air.

  Sam savored her time at the zoo with Kim, but she longed for the cool ocean air at the beach. She only had four more weeks left of lifeguarding for the year. If she took the supervisor position, the work would be year-round, which meant only taking one or two classes per semester to edge closer to earning her B.S. in biology. Last week, she’d signed up for a microbiology course at the last minute, relieved that the instructor added her after the class had already started. But maintaining a 3.8 for a few semesters now, she was in good standing with the biology professors. For now, though, Sam needed to decide what she’d do after the 2014 lifeguarding season ended—continue taking this course at SDSU or drop it and take time off to return to Mississippi until Robert was transferred to a rehab hospital.

  Late in the afternoon now, the warm autumn air sapped her energy. They’d made the rounds at the zoo—first the primates, then the lions and tigers. Then a quick jaunt up to the elephants and giraffes at the other end of the park. And now, the Reptile House. As she waited for her eyes to adjust inside the dark building, Sam felt Kim’s arm wrap around her waist. She leaned into her and relaxed as she
started to finally enjoy her day off. With Robert’s white count lower now, she had less of a reason to worry about his status. At least the pneumonia was under control. But Sam couldn’t get the thought out of her mind that Robert was alive only because of the breathing machine and feeding tube.

  She interlaced her fingers through Kim’s as they approached the lizards, first stopping in front of the huge iguana with the long, striped tail and the sharp barbs jutting out of its head. Sam peered into the dark enclosure and observed the strange creature as it munched on bits of apple. Its long tail whipped against the glass, causing Sam to flinch. Then the iguana crept along the perimeter of the pen, rubbing its scaly body against the wall.

  Sam and Kim wandered to the next enclosure—the red-headed rock agama with the two-toned body. Sam craned her neck to read the description of the lizard. She studied the placard, chuckling when she remembered what “agama” meant.

  “Agama in Latin means unmarried. Robert used to tell me this was his favorite lizard because of that name. When he was in his twenties, he said he’d never be shackled by a wife and kids. Well, I don’t suppose he’ll ever settle down with anyone now that—” Sam stopped herself then eyed the agama resting on the log.

  Kim leaned her back against the glass and scrolled through her phone. “Wikipedia says the female agamas initiate courtship by offering their backsides to potential male suitors. Frisky little creatures, huh?”

  “The females do that when they feel neglected, or when they feel like they have to get the attention of the male agamas. It’s all about reproduction, not so much about...sexual attraction or...arousal of any kind. The male typically has several females in his territory and breeds with all of them, but he never settles down with just one mate. I guess you could say he gets around.” Sam breathed out a soft, breathy laugh then gazed at the brightly colored lizard. The agama stepped off the log wedged next to the fake pond and crept closer to Sam. She pressed her face against the thick window and studied the colorful lizard.