Through the Swell

Chapter 7 - Bondi Body Heartbreak

*Joe POV*

The thud as her body hit the rock below was heartbreaking, I felt like I'd been winded, my eyes were stuck on her laying motionless below me. I didn't speak, I couldn't, this wasn't her fault. I looked up to see Luke peering over the edge in shock, he had had her rope, he hadn't been paying attention and, I couldn't believe it. I had to now get down to her and the man.

"OLIVIA, LIV" I yelled praying for a response, nothing. I imagine the impact had knocked her out for the moment.

"LIV, Liv, Please" I yelled almost pleading for her to show some sort of movement, I had to get down to them.

"LOWER ME DOWN NOW" I yelled violently at Luke.

"This Is her fault" I heard Luke mutter before loosening my rope I'd already attached to myself and was sailing down the rock at a great speed, I felt my blood boiling as I got closer and closer.

"Luke!" I shouted in anger

"WHAT?" He yelled back.

"GET DOWN HERE NOW"

"I'm not putting myself at risk for this!" He spat, if he'd been stood next to me he'd have been hit in the face rather hard with my fist.

"YOU DID THIS LUKE" I yelled in anger through gritted teeth, There was silence.

"GET. HERE. NOW" I growled as I finally felt my foot reach a rock, looking down I was at her level and stable.

"Liv oh my god Liv are you okay?" I cooed over her as she lay on top of the first aid bag, which probably and luckily paid her a few favours and cushioned the blow. As I lowered myself to check her breathing, it was faint, and she had a pulse, I had never been more relieved in my life. I picked her limp body up slowly and with one arm cradled her in my arm whilst I pulled the bag off her shoulder.

"Joe focus on the casualty" I heard over the radio, but they weren't down here, they couldn't see what was happening.

"Liv's fallen and is unconscious, so unless you all wanna get down here and help be my fucking guests" I spat through gritted teeth down the radio before I checked Liv over for an bruises, blood and breaks, luckily she was clean on the outside.

But I wasn't sure about her inside, as I looked at her legs, I wasn't so sure she was okay.

As I laid her down I placed her into the recover position, Then opening the first aid bag with luckily 3 oxygen pouches, I placed one on her face whilst she lay.

"We're gonna get you help, don't you worry Liv, you're going to be okay" I hushed as I tried to reassure myself, I heard the ambulance sirens echo around me as they got closer.

It was then over to the man, who unfortunately by the loss of blood, and the bump on his head and half of his face, he didn't make it. By the look of things he fell from a serious height, so he wouldn't have stood much chance, usually as a lifeguard it was my duty to resuscitate someone who isn't clinically announced dead, but this guy was long gone. I winced slightly at the state of his face, then down at his arm and chest which didn't look very normal anymore probably due to the impact.

"Bloody photographers" I grimaced as he probably died trying to get a photograph, I've seen too many incidents on these rocks to be surprised. As I looked over to Liv and her shallow breathing I sat on the rock until I had help, Luke was still no where to be seen.

"Boys, he's long gone, face, arm and chest in pieces, no point in trying CRP. Liv's doing good for now, help would be amazing right now" I sighed as I sat back and leant on a rock by Liv as her chest slowly rose and fell, I left the man where he was and let out another huge sigh.

"What a day in the office"

********

I watched on the prom as the ambulance drove away with Liv in the back and the very dead man was taken and checked over. I was angry, and as Luke walked into my view I saw red.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU" I yelled at Luke.

"ME?" He looked almost shocked, I pushed him with such force he nearly fell onto the prom.

"YES YOU YOU FUCK, WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP ME, HELP LIV" I screamed as he looked at me, I could feel my pulse in my neck as he just stared at me.

"BOYS not on the prom" Haynes quickly intervened.

"Fuck you Luke" I whispered under my breath storming into the hut.

*OLIVIA's POV*

I slowly came around, and oh boy I didn't feel good at all. I felt groggy, almost hungover, tired and in serious pain.

"Owwww" I moaned through tired eyes and a yawn. "It hurts" I hissed as I clenched my fists, as I opened my eyes I saw my dad asleep on the chair.

"Dad" I murmured as he stirred, I looked down to see the cannula in my hand, and the drip to the left of my bed. I was wrapped in hospital bed sheets, in a hospital gown, and I was still in pain and I couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

"Dad it hurts" I hissed again as I tried to prop myself up.

"Don't get up baby" he cooed as he walked to my side.

"You're okay sweetheart, you're in hospital if you hadn't already gathered" he chuckled slightly as I smiled through my small tears.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I fell didn't I?" I sighed trying not to burst into tears from the pain.

"Yeah honey, Joe practically saved your life"

"I owe him so much" I winced, I grabbed my leg and finally realised I'd located the pain.

"AH, oh my god what's wrong with my legs?" I spoke through tears and gritted teeth, clenching a point in my leg which made me flinch.

I looked up at my dad who couldn't look me in the eye, he looked sad, really sad, he walked away from my bed and to the door not answering my question.

"I'll get the doctor"

"Dad?" I spoke before he left.

"Yes honey?" I paused, he looked so solemn, like something was really wrong, and I didn't want it to be with me.

"Never mind" I sighed closing my eyes. 10 minutes later I stirred to a masculine voice saying my name.

"Olivia?"

"Huh? Yeah" I blinked and everything came into focus, the doctor took a seat beside my bed smiling. It was Yak thank GOD.

"Now Olivia you're looking in top shape, your fitness is up and your health is looking good at the moment, you're on the road to recovery, but, there's a complication" he slowed and looked at my legs then up at me.

"It's my legs isn't it" the thing that kept me mobile, the things that made it capable of walking every day. That let me play my dream sport of football, swim in the sea, paddle around, have fun out with my friends, walk, MOVE, and there was something wrong.

"What happened?" I whispered, just managing to get it out.

"When you fell, you landed on your legs and on your back. Luckily the first aid bag you had on your shoulder broke your fall. If it hadn't, you wouldn't have been here today, and if you'd been left any longer, again, the same fate, you're lucky you're friend helped you"

"Yeah, I know, I owe Jesse a lot" I mumbled as tears threatened to spill down my cheeks.

"Anyway, your legs, you've broken about 4 bones around the knee, and you've shattered your ankle, you're lucky that you've still got your legs" he looked at me. I felt my whole world slowly crumble away, I was lucky, lucky to STILL have my legs?

"What does this mean?" I quietly cried.

"Are you ready for what I'm about to tell you Olivia?"

No, no I wasn't, I felt like I was about to start hyperventilate, my heart was racing in my chest and I felt numb. I couldn't stop the tears from spilling from my eyes, I was sobbing quietly, I nodded the go ahead, it couldn't get much worse than this.

"We're going to have to train you to walk again Olivia".