Language of Love

Chapter 44 - Moving Mayhem

Abi sat drumming her fingers against the laptops keyboard and staring out across the water without really seeing anything.
"Bambi!" Exclaimed Chappo in annoyance, turning away from the water to look at her.
"Sorry." She said, forcing herself to stop the drumming and returning to the translations she was working on.
"What's eating yah?" He asked.
"My heads just full of what needs doing to sort the apartment." Abi said.
"It's all sorted. Whip, Maxi and I are helping yah this arvo. We're picking up the furniture you and Mary ordered. You getting cold feet?"
"No. I'm excited. Guess I just want to be moving in now."
Chappo chuckled.
"I'm gonna miss my pancake brekkies."
"You'll have to get Maxi to make them."
"Nah. I don't want my apartment to burn down."
Abi laughed at Chappo as he refocussed on the water. "Shit!" He swore and quickly grabbed the radio.
"2 out back of backpackers going quick."
Abi grabbed binoculars and quickly found what Chappo had spotted.
Two people were struggling far out in backpackers. One was already climbing the ladder. A blue rescue board was making its way out to them.

Abi watched as the lifeguard reached them and pulled both towards his board. One seemed in a bad way and the lifeguard waved for assistance. Another blue board was quickly in the water and heading to back up.

Chappo and Abi watched as both patients were hauled onto the boards. One didn't seem to be moving.
"Doesn't look good."
"I'll run the defib down just in case." Abi said as she left her chair and grabbed the defib before sprinting out of the tower.

When she reached the shoreline Corey O had his patient back on dry sand and receiving a brief spray about swimming between the flags. Dunno was nearly in with his but the patient was still not moving.
Corey quickly ran back in to help Dunno lift his patient and carry the young man to shore. Abi grabbed the oxy from the back of the rhino and carried it and the defib to where they had laid the gasping man. It was a relief to see him breathing, but it was clearly a struggle. Corey nodded his thanks as Abi passed him the oxy. He placed it over the man's face. Dunno radioed up to Chappo for an ambulance then knelt to help Corey.

Abi looked around and spotted the other patient watching on anxiously. "Your friend?" she asked the slim Asian man. He nodded then spoke in broken English.
"Wave big. Big. No swim good."
"Urdu?" She asked. He nodded and she switched to Urdu, thankful for her ever expanding range of languages.

She found out they'd been on the sand bank when the rip had caught them and pulled them out. His friend wasn't a good swimmer and had tired quickly. He also had asthma. Abi relayed the information. Then translated as the men were sat in the back of the rhino. Corey stayed behind and Abi jumped in beside Dunno as he drove back to the tower.
"Close one." She said.
"Too close." Dunno muttered.
"You got to him." Abi asserted. "He'll be sweet."
Dunno chuckled "It's so weird hearing Aussie slang with an English accent."
Abi stuck her tongue out at him.

At 11am Troy popped into the tower. He watched Abi working away on the laptop, balanced precariously cross-legged on the rolling chair and occasionally blowing a loose strand of hair from her face. He quietly approached. Troy slipped a hand onto her shoulder and placed a soft kiss on her head. She hummed contentedly in greeting, still focussed on her translation. Slowly he lowered a set of keys into her eye line and jingled them. Abi's head snapped up so fast that Troy barely avoided being cracked in the jaw. Reidy didn't bother to hide his snigger at the near miss from his place by the window.

Abi, oblivious to the near head collision, snatched the keys and spun her chair round, leaping from it to throw her arms around Troy's neck.
"She's been restless all morning!" Chappo informed him. Abi released Troy and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"I've still got 2 hours before I'm done here." She sighed.
"I've gotta go cover Dannys lunch at Tama." Troy said. "I'll leave the keys with you. Whip and Maxi are going to pop in and grab them, they're taking the flat pack furniture we ordered over. I'll pick you and Chap up at 1. Mum made you lunch." He handed her a tupperware box, gave her one last kiss and disappeared out the door.