Recovery

Return

NIALL

After the woman and her son were put in the ambulance, the rest of shift went by uneventfully. While doing our patrol, Louis noticed that her board had washed up further down the beach so we put it aside, with Jack's in the tower for safekeeping.

Our shift ended at lunchtime and usually Louis and I grab some lunch, but I couldn't seem to get my mind off the woman I had rescued earlier. I always tended to carry a little piece of any swimmer that I rescued, especially the passive rescue patients, but this one was different.  Maybe it was that I didn't even get the chance to find out her name, or how she sassed Louis straight back, but she was stuck in my head.  Louis had caught me a couple of times, completely zoned out, my mind with her.

Louis waved his hands in front of my face and I realized my mind had wandered again.

"Hello. Earth to Niall. Has your stomach run empty and your brain's stopped working? I knew this day would come" he teased.

"Bugger off." I replied, smacking him on the shoulder.

"Well, lunch! Let's go. I'm starvin'!"

Then it hit me. I'd drop in and just check on her. It'd be the gentleman's thing to do after all.  It would be the first time I'd ever done it, but there's a first time for everything, right?

"Nah buddy, you go. I'm just going to go check on that woman we pulled out of the surf. Just, you know, make sure she's ok."

"Come 'ere! I need to see if you've got a fever. You never miss lunch!" he mocked me, as he tested my forehead in fake concern with the back of his hand.

"Lou, get off. I'm just checking that she's ok. Besides, someone has to return her board."

Louis rolled his eyes at me and flicked me with his towel.

"Sure. Just checking that she's ok. You're just a regular boy scout aren't you? Well, your loss. I'm going to Nandos up the hill if you change your mind." And turned on his heel and left.

I hurried to grab my gear, her orange board & Jack's green one, which I strapped to the roof of my Jeep and headed for the hospital.

This isn't weird is it? Nah. I'm just a guy, returning her surfboard. I nodded in agreement with myself and turned up the music as I drove the 15 minutes to St Vincents.

Finding a park, I headed in to the ER triage desk and enquired about...oh shit. I didn't know her name. Ruffling my hair while I considered my options, I remembered Jacks name and asked about him and described his mum, adding,

"I pulled her out of the surf this morning and I just wanted to check she was ok."

The nurse softened when she heard this and told me to take a seat and wait, while she checked if it was ok.

After a couple of minutes of waiting, chewing my fingers anxiously, the nurse returned, issued me a 'Visitor' sticker and gave me some directions so I headed back to find Jack and his mum.

I was nervous.

Why was I nervous?  I've had worse rescues before and I've never felt like this. Almost like butterflies had come alive in my belly.

I must be hungry.  I'm always hungry.  Definitely need food after this.

Finding my way to the area the nurse had described, I first saw Jack. Sitting on one of those uncomfortable hospital chairs next to his mum's bed, playing on 3DS; chatting away animatedly to her. His Mum was lying back in her hospital bed, eyes closed with a small smile on her face as she listened. A small plaster on the right side of her forehead was the only sign of any injury.

I approached quietly and said,

"Um, love, I don't think you should be sleeping" and turning to Jack, "Hiya Jack."

I watched as her eyes sprung open in surprise and she moved to sit up.

"I'm not sleeping. Just resting my eyes."

"No no love. Just relax. I just came by to see how you're going. I was kinda in the area, so thought I'd just drop by."

Big. Fat. Liar.

"Oh, thank you. Very kind of you. I'm alright thanks. A couple of stitches but I can go home soon. We're just waiting for one more check from the Doctor" she responded with a small, shy smile.

There's those butterflies again. Weird.

"Oh, that's good news! I'm so sorry; I didn't get your name before at the beach. I'm Niall."

"I'm Kaia" she replied, her eyes meeting mine.

"Great to properly meet you Kaia. I have your boards outside on my car too. Didn't want them getting stolen, so I thought I'd return them."

"Oh yeah! We were going to come and have a look for those later on. Thanks, that'll save us the trip," her smile still lingering.

Just then, the doctor came by to give Kaia her final check over and gave her instructions to make sure that someone would be with her for the next 24 hours, just in case she had a concussion.

"I can look after her." Jack piped up, standing tall, trying to appear as grown up as possible.

"I'm sorry son, Mum's going to need an adult to care for her." Turning back to Kaia, he continued, "Is your husband on the way here?"

I watched as Kaia shifted uncomfortably in her spot. "Um, no. He's not around.  But I'll call my Mum and see if she can stay."

"Okay. Make those arrangements and I'll have the nurse come in with your discharge papers." Signing her chart & leaving it on the table, he walked away.

"Mum, how are we getting home?" Jack questioned.

"We'll take a cab buddy. I'll book it now that we know I'm breaking out of here" with a conspiratorial wink at Jack, as she reached for her phone.

"Don't worry about a cab, I'll take you," I blurted out without thinking, "if that's ok with you of course," I continued. "I already have yours & Jack's boards on my car outside.  It's no worry."

Kaia considered it for a few seconds, looking at my face, before slowly nodding and acquiescing. "Thank you Niall. To my rescue for the second time today. Let me just call mum and see if she can come to stay."

"No problems. I'll wait out here."

Stepping outside of the blue hospital curtains, I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding and found a chair to sit while I waited.

A nurse came by with paperwork, swished through the shitty "privacy" curtains into the little room where Kaia and Jack were for a moment and exited again. A couple of seconds later, Kaia and Jack also exited and walked over to me.

"Your chariot awaits 'ma lady'.  Good sir," I bowed with a flourish and laughed as I led them to my car in the carpark.

Smooth.