Passionate Choice

Chapter 5.4

   In the lounge, Ben was lying on one of the sofas, both legs straight out before him. A dark-haired, thick-set man was sitting beside him, talking to him.

   "A damned silly thing to do," said Ben smiling up at Selena when she approached the sofa. His usually pale face was even paler and the bluish smidges under his eyes looked black.

   "I'm so sorry," she said, crouching down beside the sofa and looking at his bare left foot. There was a swelling coming up below the ankle bone and the skin was discoloured. "Is the pain very bad?"

   "I've given him a couple of pain-killers," said the other man. "Not much you can do for a sprain except rest it." He patted Ben on the shoulder and stood up. "No more diving for you, feller, for a couple of weeks. Stay on dry land. You'll need some crutches so you can hop about."

   The doctor, after nodding to Selena, wandered back to his friends at the bar.

   "Will we be able to get crutches here on the island?"

   "I can get in touch with the island doctor by radio," said Heather. "I'll ask him to come out tomorrow to look at your ankle, Ben. He will probably have some crutches."

   "Are you sure you wouldn't like to be flown to St. Thomas to the hospital there and get another opinion?" suggested Selena.

   To her annoyance, he looked past her and up at Heather as if seeking some advice. "No. I'll be all right. I'll stay here." He attempted a smile. "After all, we are supposed to be on holiday. Now we can really rest for a while."

   "But what about the exploration?" asked Selena, settling more comfortably on the floor beside the sofa. "Don't you want me to continue the search in the crevasse?"

   He frowned and shifted about on the sofa as if trying to find a more comfortable position.

   "I don't like the idea of you diving alone under that freighter," he murmured.

   "Gary or Keith could dive with me."

   "Mmm. I suppose so. We'll have to discuss it with Heather. I don't suppose she'll object to Gary but..." He broke off, glances about him, then leaned towards her and added in a low voice, "To tell the truth, neither Heather nor I trust Walker. If Claes were here, it would be different."

   "He'll be here soon," she comforted him. "He'll come tomorrow, perhaps. Keith phoned him this afternoon." She paused, studied his pale face for a moment, then asked, "Why don't you like Keith? You personally, I mean."

   "Oh, I don't dislike him," he hedged uncomfortably. "I just feel that he isn't exactly on our side. He's been very critical of my persistence in searching in the crevasse, seems to think that Louis made a mistake in saying that it's the site of the wreck of the Santiago. He isn't the sort of person we would want to share in any discovery we might make."

   "You mean you wouldn't want him to share in the treasure you're hoping to find?" suggested Selena quietly, watching him from beneath her eyelids. She thought his mouth tightened and that the quick glance he gave her was somewhat wary.