By edRogers
[Reviewed here on the novel’s publication day, October 6, 2018: “Coming soon to a Barnes & Noble store near you?”]
Charlie was close to dying by the time they reached the hospital. The six-hour trip by boat and then car hadn’t helped his condition. The doctor told them if they could keep him alive for the next 24 hours he would make it, but there was a very good chance he wouldn’t. They gave him IVs and kept him covered with warming blankets all night long. Margot stayed by his side the entire time.
The next morning, Margot went across the street to a little soda (sidewalk café) to get a cup of coffee. On the way back to Charlie’s room she ran into the doctor coming out.
“How is he doing, doctor?”
“He is still not out of the woods, but it looks like you got him here just in time.”
“Then he’s going to live?”
“Yes, he’ll live. In fact, if he keeps improving, he may be able to go home tomorrow. But he’ll need a lot of rest for the next week or two.”
“Thank you, doctor, thank you so much.”
He patted her arm and smiled. “You’re welcome.”
She hurried into Charlie’s room. He opened his eyes at the sound of her approach. His voice was weak and gravelly sounding. “Thanks for finding me.”
Tears formed in her eyes and began to run down her cheeks. She placed her coffee on the table beside the bed and threw her arms around him. “Oh, Charlie,” she cried, “what have I done to you?”
“You didn’t do anything to me. It was my choice to go out there.”
He raised his arms for the first time and felt pain race through his body. The swimming and the beating he had taken from the waves banging him across the seabed had turned him into one big knot. At last, he had his arms around Margot and they stayed like that for a long time, with her sitting on the side of the bed leaning on him. The feeling of each other’s heartbeat reassured them both.
After awhile, Margot realized that Charlie was asleep. She kissed his swollen lips and moved to the chair, where she sat until nightfall. She was awakened by the nurse the next morning doing her rounds.
The nurse smiled and told her the doctor had ordered Charlie’s release for 9 o’clock that morning. It was then she realized that Charlie had nothing to wear, and in a panic she headed to Maxi-Pali, a mall at the edge of town. She bought him pajamas and a lightweight housecoat and slippers.
Getting Charlie into the jeep was harder than getting him dressed. Every move he made hurt him. They were halfway home before the pain pills kicked in, and each bump of the road brought a scream from his cracked lips and sore throat.
The minute his head was on the pillow, he was asleep.
Margot opened a bottle of red wine and walked out onto the back porch. The morning air was still cool as she took a seat in the deckchair. It was the first time she had relaxed in days.
Her cell phone rang after only a few minutes of peace. “Hello.”
“Margot, this is Tommy. I’m just checking in and wondered if there was anything you needed?”
“Thanks, but I have it covered. He’s home and he’s on the mend, but it will be a few days before he’ll be himself. When he’s up and about, I want to have you and Howard over for dinner.”
“You know, we’re here for you.”
“I do and I’m so thankful for you both.”
She ended the call and took another drink of her wine. God, she thought, how lucky I am to have such good friends. Charlie would be dead if not for them.
For the next couple of days, Charlie slept most of the time between eating and going to the bathroom. Then on the third day, while she was in the kitchen, he surprised Margot by walking up behind her and sliding his arms around her waist. Though from Charlie’s point of view it was somewhat painful at times, they tenderly and carefully made love. He was willing to endure the pain, it was well worth it.
They had chosen not to speak about the near-death event. Margot had tried to broach the subject once but Charlie said he wanted to wait until he was back to normal before they had that discussion. So she let it alone but knew that one day the air would have to be cleared.
Margot invited Tommy and Howard to come for dinner on a Friday night. Charlie was looking forward to thanking them and to running a plan by them, which he hadn’t mentioned to Margot yet. He had come to write a book but now he was staying to fight a war.
“Charlie, I want you to meet Howard Bates and Tommy Harris.”
“I’m so happy to meet you both,” Charlie said. “Margot has told me what great friends you are.”
Howard shook Charlie’s hand and said, “We’re damn glad you’re alive. It was questionable for a time.”
Charlie smiled and replied, “If it hadn’t been for you three, there never would have been a question.”
Howard let out a laugh, moved past Charlie, and hollered, “Margot, what the hell are we drinking tonight?”
Charlie put out his hand once more. “You must be Tommy. I wish I could say I remember you picking me up on the beach, but there is very little I remember about that day.”
Tommy brushed Charlie’s hand aside and threw his arms around him. “I’m just glad we got to you as soon as we did. The doctor said your life hung by minutes.”
Charlie removed himself from Tommy’s embrace and said, “Come on, let’s get you a drink.”
They drank, ate, and drank some more. After everybody helped clean up after dinner, they had coffee in the living room. Howard was going on about the high cost of fuel for his airplane and how the Costa Rican government, who owned the gas, was ripping everybody off.
Charlie broke in. “I want to talk about the government’s involvement in shark finning and, more importantly, their involvement in trying to kill me.”
| Copyright © 2018 by Ed Rogers |
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