“There she is!” Napier called, and scrambled down the embankment to a little cove protected by an outcropping of large rocks where Hazel had washed up. Moonette scrambled down after him, ignoring the scratches and bruises on her bare legs as branches and rocks banged and sliced away at her. And her stilettos kept digging into the dirt and bringing her to a stop. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she cursed her dress and her shoes. Finally, she reached Napier who was already carrying Hazel out of the water.
He laid her gently onto dry ground and started slapping her cheek. “Hazel, come on. Hazel! Wake up!” But she appeared pale and motionless, her lips almost blue. And she had a nasty bump and bruise on her forehead and a gash on the side of her head.
Moonette pushed Napier out of the way. “Move over. I need to examine her.”
“What are you doing? Don’t hurt her!”
“I’m a physician, damn it!” Moonette bent her head over Hazel’s chest. She wasn’t breathing. Crap. Then she felt for a carotid pulse. Couldn’t find one. Dear Lord, this was bad.
She raised her head. “I need you, Napier. Now!”
He just stared at her.
“What’s the matter? Don’t think doctors snog in the broom closet or wear stilettos? I’ve got news for you. Now get over here and help! I need you to perform mouth to mouth.” Moonette cleared Hazels airway with a swipe of her fingers and bent her head back. “Here. Pinch her nose like this and breath in over her mouth. Make sure you make a good seal.”
Napier hesitated.
“Do it, man! Do you want her to die?”
Napier complied, and Moonette saw Hazels chest rise with the breaths and started her compressions. After a half a minute or so of working on her, Hazel suddenly gasped and began to cough up water. Moonette and Napier both let out a deep breath of their own. Moonette checked her pulse again. It was strong and regular. “Now we need to get something warm to put on her. She’s hypothermic.”
“She’s what?”
“Cold. She’s too cold.” Then a shadow blocked out the sun and someone placed a cream colored cable knit sweater over Hazel, who had begun to shiver violently. Moonette looked up to see Will. He knelt beside Hazel and whipped out his wand, then muttered a warming spell. A soft glow hovered over the sweater for a moment, then steam began to rise off Hazel and her shivering gradually calmed. But her color stayed pale, and her eyes started to roll back.
“Napier, prop up her feet – she’s going into shock!” Moonette tried to wake Hazel up, but her eyes remained closed.
Then Napier moved in and took Hazel’s hand. “Hazel, open your eyes. Please. It’s me, Mike.”
Hazel’s eyelids fluttered, then opened and she stared straight at Napier, a fearful expression on her face. “Who…who are you?” She looked at Moonette and Will in turn, that blank expression turning to fear. She tried to sit up and wriggle away from Napier.
Moonette moved in. “Easy, there. You’ve got to lie back. Please, be still.”
“No! I don’t know what’s happening.”
“You took a nasty spill. You’re going to be all right, though. We’re here.” Hazel started to lie back down. “There. That’s better. Now tell me something. What is your name?”
Hazel’s eyes widened, but she didn’t answer.
Will chimed in. “Your name, lass. What’s your name?”
She shook her head, that look of fear returning. “I…I don’t remember.”
Moonette and Napier exchanged concerned glances, then Moonette spoke. “We’d better get her inside.”
no subject
He laid her gently onto dry ground and started slapping her cheek. “Hazel, come on. Hazel! Wake up!” But she appeared pale and motionless, her lips almost blue. And she had a nasty bump and bruise on her forehead and a gash on the side of her head.
Moonette pushed Napier out of the way. “Move over. I need to examine her.”
“What are you doing? Don’t hurt her!”
“I’m a physician, damn it!” Moonette bent her head over Hazel’s chest. She wasn’t breathing. Crap. Then she felt for a carotid pulse. Couldn’t find one. Dear Lord, this was bad.
She raised her head. “I need you, Napier. Now!”
He just stared at her.
“What’s the matter? Don’t think doctors snog in the broom closet or wear stilettos? I’ve got news for you. Now get over here and help! I need you to perform mouth to mouth.” Moonette cleared Hazels airway with a swipe of her fingers and bent her head back. “Here. Pinch her nose like this and breath in over her mouth. Make sure you make a good seal.”
Napier hesitated.
“Do it, man! Do you want her to die?”
Napier complied, and Moonette saw Hazels chest rise with the breaths and started her compressions. After a half a minute or so of working on her, Hazel suddenly gasped and began to cough up water. Moonette and Napier both let out a deep breath of their own. Moonette checked her pulse again. It was strong and regular. “Now we need to get something warm to put on her. She’s hypothermic.”
“She’s what?”
“Cold. She’s too cold.” Then a shadow blocked out the sun and someone placed a cream colored cable knit sweater over Hazel, who had begun to shiver violently. Moonette looked up to see Will. He knelt beside Hazel and whipped out his wand, then muttered a warming spell. A soft glow hovered over the sweater for a moment, then steam began to rise off Hazel and her shivering gradually calmed. But her color stayed pale, and her eyes started to roll back.
“Napier, prop up her feet – she’s going into shock!” Moonette tried to wake Hazel up, but her eyes remained closed.
Then Napier moved in and took Hazel’s hand. “Hazel, open your eyes. Please. It’s me, Mike.”
Hazel’s eyelids fluttered, then opened and she stared straight at Napier, a fearful expression on her face. “Who…who are you?” She looked at Moonette and Will in turn, that blank expression turning to fear. She tried to sit up and wriggle away from Napier.
Moonette moved in. “Easy, there. You’ve got to lie back. Please, be still.”
“No! I don’t know what’s happening.”
“You took a nasty spill. You’re going to be all right, though. We’re here.” Hazel started to lie back down. “There. That’s better. Now tell me something. What is your name?”
Hazel’s eyes widened, but she didn’t answer.
Will chimed in. “Your name, lass. What’s your name?”
She shook her head, that look of fear returning. “I…I don’t remember.”
Moonette and Napier exchanged concerned glances, then Moonette spoke. “We’d better get her inside.”