breathing was uneven. He was probably going into shock and that possibility frightened her. His eyes drooped closed. He could have a concussion. She couldn’t let him fall asleep. “Do you feel sick?” She tapped his cheek when he didn’t respond and his eyes slowly opened.
“What’s your name?” she asked. He’d probably told her before, but she hadn’t paid attention.
“Michael.”
“Okay, Michael, I need you to stay awake for me, okay?”
He flashed a brief smile, although his voice was filled with pain. “You make that sound easy.”
“I know, but it’s important. You’re going to be okay. I’m going to take care of you so don’t worry. You can trust me.”
Michael focused his eyes on her face, but she couldn’t read the expression. “Thanks.”
Don’t thank me yet, Noreen silently thought as she searched her mind on what she should do next. “I need to call for an ambulance.”
“No. I’m not that bad. I think hitting the ground hurt more than being hit by the car,” Michael said, blinking quickly.
“Do you feel dizzy?”
“No.” He adjusted his position slightly and winced.
“Stay still and let me get some help.”
“No.”
“You could have internal injuries.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I don’t care. I’d rather go back to the ship than to a hospital on this little island. If they have one, there’s probably only one nurse and physician’s assistant on staff, and with my luck it’s likely not open.”
Noreen bit her lip. She had to agree with him. She would need to get a taxi and get him back to the ship so a doctor could see him. After that she’d report the incident to the captain. She stood.
“You’re leaving?”
The helplessness in his voice tore at her and she knelt back down beside him. “Only for a minute. I’m going to get a taxi. I said you could trust me, remember?”
“Yes, I guess I don’t do that very easily.”
Noreen took off her diamond-and-gold ring and placed it in his hand. “This ring means a lot to me, and I’d never leave it behind with anyone, but I’m leaving it with you. It’s my promise that I’ll be back for you, okay?”
Michael stared down at the ring then gripped it in his fist and met her eyes. “Okay.”
Noreen looked down the desolate street, wishing there was someone who could stay with him, but she had no choice. She had to leave him alone. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I know.” He lifted the hand that gripped the ring. “I have your promise.”
She kissed him on the forehead as she would a scared child. It was an impulsive act and she didn’t know why she did it but somehow it felt right. But the moment he looked at her, the simple action felt like so much more because he wasn’t a child and his steady gaze was anything but innocent. For a second her eyes dropped to his lips, which for all his ruggedness and angles were surprisingly full and soft. She awkwardly pushed to her feet, not understanding his odd affect on her. “I’ll get a taxi,” she said then turned and raced down the main road. She briefly looked back and saw him make the sign of the cross. She said her own silent prayer and ran faster.
Chapter Four
F inally, Noreen saw some lights up ahead and reached a place where a line of taxis were waiting to return the partying passengers back to the ship. She waved her arms and caught a driver’s attention.
“You want a ride?” he asked.
“Yes, but I need your help. My friend was injured and I need you to help me with him.” She was breathless and knew her appearance must be shocking, but she didn’t care about that. She had to get help for Michael. Fast.
“I can call—”
She waved away the suggestion. “No, I just need to get him back to the ship. Now. Please follow me.” She turned and ran back in the direction from which she’d come.
The driver followed in his car. When they arrivedwhere Michael was, they both helped him into the cab.
“What’s your name?” she asked. He’d probably told her before, but she hadn’t paid attention.
“Michael.”
“Okay, Michael, I need you to stay awake for me, okay?”
He flashed a brief smile, although his voice was filled with pain. “You make that sound easy.”
“I know, but it’s important. You’re going to be okay. I’m going to take care of you so don’t worry. You can trust me.”
Michael focused his eyes on her face, but she couldn’t read the expression. “Thanks.”
Don’t thank me yet, Noreen silently thought as she searched her mind on what she should do next. “I need to call for an ambulance.”
“No. I’m not that bad. I think hitting the ground hurt more than being hit by the car,” Michael said, blinking quickly.
“Do you feel dizzy?”
“No.” He adjusted his position slightly and winced.
“Stay still and let me get some help.”
“No.”
“You could have internal injuries.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I don’t care. I’d rather go back to the ship than to a hospital on this little island. If they have one, there’s probably only one nurse and physician’s assistant on staff, and with my luck it’s likely not open.”
Noreen bit her lip. She had to agree with him. She would need to get a taxi and get him back to the ship so a doctor could see him. After that she’d report the incident to the captain. She stood.
“You’re leaving?”
The helplessness in his voice tore at her and she knelt back down beside him. “Only for a minute. I’m going to get a taxi. I said you could trust me, remember?”
“Yes, I guess I don’t do that very easily.”
Noreen took off her diamond-and-gold ring and placed it in his hand. “This ring means a lot to me, and I’d never leave it behind with anyone, but I’m leaving it with you. It’s my promise that I’ll be back for you, okay?”
Michael stared down at the ring then gripped it in his fist and met her eyes. “Okay.”
Noreen looked down the desolate street, wishing there was someone who could stay with him, but she had no choice. She had to leave him alone. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I know.” He lifted the hand that gripped the ring. “I have your promise.”
She kissed him on the forehead as she would a scared child. It was an impulsive act and she didn’t know why she did it but somehow it felt right. But the moment he looked at her, the simple action felt like so much more because he wasn’t a child and his steady gaze was anything but innocent. For a second her eyes dropped to his lips, which for all his ruggedness and angles were surprisingly full and soft. She awkwardly pushed to her feet, not understanding his odd affect on her. “I’ll get a taxi,” she said then turned and raced down the main road. She briefly looked back and saw him make the sign of the cross. She said her own silent prayer and ran faster.
Chapter Four
F inally, Noreen saw some lights up ahead and reached a place where a line of taxis were waiting to return the partying passengers back to the ship. She waved her arms and caught a driver’s attention.
“You want a ride?” he asked.
“Yes, but I need your help. My friend was injured and I need you to help me with him.” She was breathless and knew her appearance must be shocking, but she didn’t care about that. She had to get help for Michael. Fast.
“I can call—”
She waved away the suggestion. “No, I just need to get him back to the ship. Now. Please follow me.” She turned and ran back in the direction from which she’d come.
The driver followed in his car. When they arrivedwhere Michael was, they both helped him into the cab.
Similar Books
DARK CITY a gripping detective mystery
CHRISTOPHER M. COLAVITO
Natural Consequences
Elliott Kay
Ringworld's Children
Larry Niven
Transvergence
Charles Sheffield
The Animal Hour
Andrew Klavan
Possession
A.S. Byatt
Blue Willow
Deborah Smith
Fragrant Harbour
John Lanchester
Christmas In High Heels
Gemma Halliday