My Brothers In Blue

Chapter 4

Hollie's POV:

After unpacking my clothes and organising my dorm, I sit back down on my bed and think of things to do. Bondi beach! How could I forget? I quickly grab my bikini and a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before rushing into the bathroom to get changed, ignoring the weird looks I was getting from Becca.

Walking out of the bathroom in my dark red bikini covered by a pair of blue denim shorts and a black vest top, I pack up a small bag with sun cream, my phone, headphones, money, a book and a towel and head towards the door.

"I'm going to Bondi" I call out to Becca, only to receive a grunt of acknowledgement in return. 'Does she ever even form sentences?' I think to myself. This could be a quiet year if I don't meet any new friends!

Once I reach the road I flag down a taxi and ride to Bondi. My legs bounced excitedly, so much so that the taxi driver actually asked if I was okay. After that, I quickly crossed my legs hoping that it would stop it, but it didn't really help that much. The journey was only around half an hour but it felt so much longer. Going to Bondi had been a dream of mine ever since I saw it on a postcard in a shop back in England. The golden sand and blue water was so enticing I had convinced my grandparents to let me buy the postcard, just so that I could look at it whenever I wanted.

"We're here" The taxi driver announced and I paid my fare before stepping out into the blistering heat. It was only the end of August but as a Brit, I was not used to weather above 18*C. Swinging my bag onto my shoulder, I stood still and gasped, taking in the beautiful scenery in front of me. I was here, I had finally made it.

I hopped along the sand, trying to make sure my feet touch the burning surface as little as possible but somehow the heat was radiating through the rubber of my flip-flops. It was around 4pm so the sand was hot from the sun rays. Once I found a quiet place to lay my towel down, I slipped out of my shorts and t-shirt before applying multiple layers of sun cream, my delicate British skin was not used to such strong rays. I settled down onto my towel and placed my headphones in my ears before opening my book and starting to read.

After about an hour, I could feel my eyelids drooping as combination of heat and jetlag took its toll. 'Maybe I should take I quick nap before heading back to the dorm' I thought to myself as I placed my book in my bag and laid back on the towel. Within a matter of seconds, I was swept away into a dreamless sleep.

Chappo's POV:

"Tower to Chappo, there's a girl around 50 yards behind you whose been asleep for about 2 hours. I think you should go check on her before we leave mate."

After hearing this, I glance back over my shoulder and see a young woman sleeping on a towel. I jump down from my vantage point on the back of the rhino and signal to Reidy that I was going to check on her who gives me a thumbs up in response, not taking his eyes off the water for even a second.

As I reached the girl, I knelt down next to her. I gently shook one of her shoulders in an attempt to wake her up. Luckily, she did and I let out the breath I didn't realise I had been holding. On Bondi, you never know whether its just a sunbather who has fallen asleep or something much, much worse. I radioed the tower to let them know that she was awake before asking my string of questions.

"Hi, my name's Chris and I'm a lifeguard here at Bondi, do you know how long you were asleep for?" She looks at me in a slight daze before furrowing her brow.

"I'm not really sure, I went to sleep around 5-ish I think."

"Well, its just before 7 now. Do you feel sick or dizzy or anything like that?" I ask, instantly worried about how long she was asleep in the sun for.

"I do have a slight headache, but I'm sure it will be fine" she says, waving a hand and brushing away any concern. She starts to get to her feet but her legs give way and she falls back down towards the sand. I react quickly, leaping up and wrapping my arms around her, stopping her from completely falling.

"You should come back to the tower and lie down for a bit" I tell her, before radioing the tower to inform them of my plan. She nods and starts to gather her things whilst I steady her. With one arm wrapped around her shoulder and another holding her hand we begin the walk to the tower. I start to ask her questions to keep her mind distracted.

"So, what's your name?"

"Hollie Williams"

"That's a beautiful name. What do you do for a living, Hollie?"

"I'm a student at the university"

"Wow, university? What are you studying there?"

"Veterinary medicine" I raise my eyebrows. Wow, that is not an easy course. I wonder if she knows Chris.

"Wow, good luck with that! So do you know Chris Brown?" She smiles, before answering

"Thanks, and yeah I met him this morning after I arrived, I'm doing a paid internship with him."

"That sounds like fun. We're nearly at the tower now. So where are you from?"

"England"

"I've never been there, what's it like?"

"Cold, compared to Australia." That would probably explain why she was passed out.

We reach the tower and walk up the steps. I guide her to the medical bed and she lies down before closing her eyes again.

"Woah woah woah, don't go back to sleep, keep your eyes open" I say calmly before placing an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. "I'll get you a bottle of water"

I walk to the front of the tower and open the mini fridge to get a bottle of water out to give to Hollie. "Who's that?" Whippet asks, facing the water with the binoculars help up in front of his face.

"Pommy passed out in the sun, says she arrived today so I'm thinking a combination of heat exhaustion and jetlag." He grimaces and continues to scan the water, heat exhaustion and jetlag are not a fun combination.

Hollie's POV:

After around 5 minutes of oxygen and sipping water, I feel one hundred times better. Chris takes the mask off and helps of down from the medical bed. I thank him for his help and pick up my bag from the corner of the tower. Waving goodbye, I walk out of the tower onto the promenade and it takes me a couple of seconds to get my bearings. Once I finally know where I'm going, I walk up the promenade to the car park and catch a taxi back to my dorm.

Sitting down on my bed, I close my eyes and try to go through everything that had happened, before changing and falling asleep. If Australia was this crazy everyday, I'm definitely going to need to adjust to the time zones and quickly otherwise I wasn't going to be able to survive another 4 years!