Roberta ripped her sun shirt off, followed by her shorts. She wore a bikini underneath for a swim later, and without hesitation, she leapt over the side of the boat. The coolness of the water rushed over her skin as she glided beneath the water and swam towards the man.
The man wasn’t flaying his arms. Roberta’s training suggested a medical condition might have caused him to topple over the side. As she took hold of his chin to keep his head above the water, he still wasn’t responsive.
Close by, another splash sounded, causing Roberta to whip her face around. Nate was in the water with a ring-shaped lifebuoy. Sophie held the other end of the rope. With Nate’s help, she placed the buoy over the middle-aged man’s head and down his torso, pulling his arms over the top. She signalled with a tilt of her head for Sophie to pull them in.
Many helpers were stationed at the rear of the boat, ready to haul the man onboard. A passenger had taken over the rope duties, and Roberta lost sight of Sophie.
“Quick, lay him down. I’m going to do CPR,” Roberta said. Everyone scattered once the man was lying on the deck. Sophie returned with what looked like a first-aid kit and an automatic external defibrillator. Good job! Sophie seemed to know how to use it as she opened the case and spread the contents out.
A female passenger towel-dried the man while Roberta unbuttoned the front of the man’s shirt and began CPR. Water dripped from Roberta’s hair onto his chest, but she pushed her long strands out of the way, continuing her compressions.
Nearby, a woman wept while others tried to comfort her. Despite presuming she was the man’s wife, Roberta blocked out the distraction and concentrated on the number of compressions and breathing into his mouth.
In the next instant, Nate was beside her. “I’m going to turn the boat around. Natasha will contact triple zero and get an ambulance on its way. Will you be okay here with Sophie’s help?”
Roberta risked a quick glimpse up at Nate. “I’m a nurse. I’ve done this before.”
Nate squeezed her shoulder. His touch surprised her, jolting her with extra confidence. A man’s life was in the balance here, and she needed the boost.
Sophie continued to dry the man’s torso before placing the defibrillator pads on his chest. Roberta didn’t stop with her CPR, knowing every second counted.
“Ready when you are,” Sophie said with an encouraging smile.
“Ok, we don’t have a response yet. Let me do one more set of compressions.” Once Roberta had done so, she shouted, “Clear!” to ensure no one was touching the man before they pressed the ‘shock’ button on the defibrillator.
On her knees, Roberta swayed with the motion of the boat, using her hand to steady herself. Nate was pushing the boat as fast as it should go and, in her periphery, Roberta caught a glimpse of the dock. They were close now.
As soon as the defibrillator delivered the shock, Roberta continued for another two minutes of CPR as instructed by the voice prompts from the machine.
Roberta lost track of time as she and Sophie continued to follow the prompts and perform CPR. The moment the sounds of sirens pierced the air, she realised the boat was no longer moving. Don’t stop compressions! she instructed herself. There was still a chance to save this man as he was getting medical attention within minutes of the incident.
All the while, she had a sixth sense of what Nate was doing. With the boat tied to its moorings, he was guiding the passengers off with calm efficiency and an apology. One passenger commented that Nate had invited them back that afternoon for a second chance to complete the cruise. No one raised their voice or sounded angry. No one was that stupid.
Then the paramedics were there, taking control of the situation. They fitted an oxygen mask over the man’s face just as Roberta felt the jolt of a heartbeat under her palm.
“He’s breathing!” she shouted.
“Great work,” one paramedic replied. “Now to stabilise him for moving.”
The logistics for getting this man up to the ambulance was no mean feat, but in no time at all, with the help of the two paramedics and Nate, the man was on the gurney.
Roberta collapsed onto her backside, utterly exhausted. She rocked to and fro with her arms wrapped around her legs. She’d come a long way from that one night when no one had been skilled enough to treat their friend after a pack of wild brumbies stampeded past them. Maybe her need to be a nurse stemmed from that night. She would always carry the guilt she’d been useless and incapable of doing anything to help their injured friend. She shivered, suddenly cold, when a slight breeze eddied around her bare bikini-clad body.
From her vantage point at the rear of the boat, she watched the progress of the three men as they wheeled, lifted and carried the gurney up the concrete steps to the car park.
“You did great. Since we’re going to be working together, what’s your name?” Sophie was on her knees packing up the defibrillator. “I saw you coming out of Natasha’s office, and she told me you’re starting tomorrow.” She smirked. “I’m sorry, no secrets here.”
Roberta smiled at the young woman. “I’m Roberta, and I wasn’t told this job expected some sort of initiation.”
Sophie chuckled. “You saved a man’s life, you know. I heard you say you’re a nurse. That’s a special skill to have.”
“I hope he comes through okay. It’s always a hard pill to swallow when you lose someone.”
“I’ve never been in such a situation. Not sure how I’d react,” Sophie said, rising with both kits packed up. “By the way, you were awesome. Just saying, and this calls for a coffee and scone break. Natasha won’t say no, but let me do a quick pack up of the Devonshire tea stuff and get it back up to the teahouse and into the coolroom.”
While Sophie stowed the kits away, Roberta went looking for her clothes and found them neatly folded on a chair near the bottom of the stairs, along with her tote bag beside it. She slipped on her shirt and shorts, grateful for the considerate passenger who must’ve seen her throw them off before she dived into the lake.
Back by Sophie’s side, Roberta helped her stack all the morning tea things back in the food cooler. Once the top of the food cooler was back on, Roberta lifted the handle on one side. “Do you think we can carry this up together?”
Sophie, with her youthful exuberance and twinkling hazel eyes, took the other side. “I’m sure we can. Lead the way.”
* * *
The teahouse was buzzing with excited tourists, and Roberta didn’t doubt Sophie would need to pitch in. They placed the food cooler inside the kitchen, and another kitchenhand started unpacking it. “Hey, Sophie, I might go for a quick stroll and look at the kauri pine trees.”
“But—”
“You guys look busy here for the next little bit. I’ll be back soon for that coffee and scones. I promise.”
Sophie’s short honey-brown curls bobbed around her face when she smiled. “Okay, fair point. Off you go. They’re amazing trees to look at.”
What about digging around them? Roberta inwardly groaned, chewing on her thumb nail as she worried over this. The more she dwelled over her predicament and her promise to her mother, the more stupid the idea sounded.
Natasha dashed into the kitchen, causing her to come to a sudden halt. “Roberta, wait!” She rushed up, enfolding her in a squeezy hug. “Thank you so much. Oh, my God, it could’ve been so much worse.” She stepped back and waggled her finger. “Welcome to the team, girlfriend.”
Roberta laughed. “I’m just going to take a look at the giant trees; I’ll be back soon.”
“You make sure you do. Coffee and scones are on us today.”
“I’ve already told her this,” Sophie piped up from the other side of the kitchen island bench.
“Good girl, Soph, now go and enjoy, Roberta. We’ll keep you busy enough tomorrow.”
Roberta left the hustle and bustle of the kitchen and walked out towards the crowded midmorning-filled teahouse, taking a moment to wander around and look at all the memorabilia displayed on shelves and walls. Photos of days gone by and an impressive old piano with a sign saying ‘Please feel free to play’.
Roberta could play the piano quite well and enjoyed it when she had free time. It was one way she unwound after a tiring and hectic day. Running her fingers along the polished surface, she admired the unique timber grain of the upright. Her shoulders wilted as she looked away, taking in the view of the serene and picturesque lake through the dining room windows. Once this stalwart and proud family realised she was an imposter in their midst, the last thing they’d want her touching was this grand old beauty.
And forget about making a connection. She muttered incoherent words, loud enough for some of the diners to look her way. Straightening up, she plastered on an apologetic smile and walked down the polished staircase towards the water’s edge, her hand sliding along the rail. She considered this one attribute of her personality a downfall. Put her in a new situation with different people, and they’d be besties in no time at all, creating lifelong friends. She couldn’t afford for that to happen here. Unearth the damn box, cover up the evidence and get the hell away. Finding it would sure as heck open another Pandora’s box, but a reminder of how distraught her mother was when she revealed her secret wouldn’t go away.
Stepping out into the sunshine, she gave herself a moment to soak in the warm rays. As she swung her tote bag over her shoulder, she spotted a sign pointing to the path to view the twin trees and walked towards it, cursing her mother every step of the way.