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Once Bitten, Twice Shy |
Chapter 2 |
Author's Note: I did some research on snake bite treatments over the Internet, but by no means should any of what's written here be taken as fact. Everything contained in this fanfiction is just that - FICTION, and its only value is entertainment.
When she returned with the first aid kit, Carter didn't look well. His face was pasty white and he was breathing very shallowly. She kneeled down and opened the kit. "You know what to do?" he asked, watching as she unrolled a bandage.
"Yeah. Luckily I was paying attention in class that day." She found some antiseptic. "Did it bleed a lot?"
"A little bit." He felt surprisingly calm, although he was sweating and his heartrate seemed too fast. At least he hadn't gone into convulsions. He didn't know much about snakes, but he presumed this one wasn't lethally poisonous, or he'd probably be dead by now. But he was definitely having some kind of reaction to the venom. He also felt slightly nauseous.
Lucy worked quickly, cleaning the wounded area and wrapping his upper arm fairly snugly with the cloth bandage. She checked for a pulse at his wrist, making sure it wasn't wrapped too tightly. She then applied direct pressure over the fang marks with a piece of gauze, and taped it into place.
She kept darting glances to Carter's face and saw him grimace. "Sorry, I guess that hurt." She wrapped the dressing with more of the bandage.
"That's ok," he managed to hiss between gritted teeth.
"There, all done." She got to her feet. "How are you feeling?"
"Not great. When did Matthew say he was coming back?"
"I'm surprised he's not back yet." The wind whipped her long hair into her eyes, and she brushed the strands back impatiently. "There must be a radio around to call the mainland. I'll find it." She remembered something else from class and dragged over one of the tables, placing a cushion on top of it. "Rest your arm on this. We should keep it at heart-level."
"Right." Carter gave her an approving glance. "Thanks, Luce."
"No problem. Stay here and I'll look for the radio." She looked around her feet warily. "Are you sure the snake is gone?"
"Pretty sure."
"Do you know what kind it was?"
Carter informed her that he had no clue, but he described what it looked like. She thought it might help to mention it when she contacted someone. Telling him to remain as still as possible, she went in search of the radio.
On their tour of the grounds earlier, Matthew had pointed out the small administration building. She decided to check there first. Relieved that the door wasn't locked, she let herself in and spotted the radio almost immediately. It was similar to the one in the ER that was used to communicate with the paramedics, so she knew how to operate it.
Her call was answered at once and she told the man about Carter being bitten by a snake.
"We need medical assistance, ASAP," she stated urgently.
There was a brief pause before the man responded. "I'm afraid it's not possible. There's an intense storm coming, and we can't send out any boats or helicopters."
"What! What do you mean?" His meaning was quite clear but Lucy couldn't quite comprehend the thought. How could they not come?
"I'm sorry, but it's impossible. This storm is very unexpected but it's definitely headed towards us. I'm talking about any time now. I advise you to take shelter and wait it out. As soon as it passes, we'll come to you by chopper."
"Are you insane? He could be dying and you want us to wait?" She couldn't hide her outrage. "I want to speak to the person in charge. Now!"
After a brief moment of static, the voice changed and she found herself speaking to another man. He told her the same story but at least he showed more concern over Carter's well-being. He was extremely apologetic about the situation but stood firm on his decision not to send out the helicopter. When she inquired why Matthew hadn't returned yet, he stated that Matthew had been delayed and now wouldn't be able to come because of this storm.
Although she was growing a little frightened, she tried to keep her wits about her. She gave a description of the snake and asked if it was poisonous.
Only static answered her.
"Hello?" She frantically tried switching frequencies back and forth. "Hello, can you hear me?" Nothing. She braced herself against the table with both arms, hanging her head and taking deep breaths. Ok, she could do this. They were on their own, and she had to be the strong one.
"I can do this," she muttered out loud.
The man had been talking like the storm could arrive any minute. They had to get back to the cabin.
As Lucy rushed back to the pool, she could see that the sky had grown darker. The air felt heavy with moisture and the wind was fiercely strong now. She had to fight against the force of the wind and was out of breath when she returned to the poolside.
Carter was slumped in the deck chair, his chin resting against his shoulder.
"Carter!" She practically shouted in his ear, but he didn't stir. She shook his bare shoulder. "Carter, wake up!" He finally blinked sleepily, giving her a dazed look. "We have to get back to the cabin. There's a storm coming."
"Storm," he mumbled. He gave his head a tiny shake, as if to clear his mind. "Did you talk to someone?"
"Yeah. Come on, let's go." She was deliberately evasive, not wanting to waste time giving the bad news now. She helped Carter to his feet and they made their way back, struggling against the wind.
When they were a few feet from the cabin door, Lucy felt a few cold drops against her face. They literally just made it inside when the downpour came. It pounded against the roof and windows; a noisy, droning sound. The cabin seemed to be built sturdily enough. She could only pray it would withstand the storm's intensity.
Carter collapsed on his bed, weary from the short distance they'd walked. His injury seemed to have sapped his strength and he felt weak and tired. If he closed his eyes right now, he'd fall asleep again.
"You should change out of those wet swimming trunks," Lucy said. She opened up his suitcase and brought out a t-shirt and shorts. "Uh, think you can manage, or do you need help?"
"I'm pretty sure I can manage. Just turn around."
She turned to face the wall, hoping she wasn't blushing as much as she feared.
"So when are they coming?" Carter asked, wincing slightly as a sharp pain shot through his arm.
"They're, uh, not coming. Not until this storm passes."
"Oh."
She waited for him to say more, but he was silent. "That's all you're going to say? 'Oh'?"
"Would you rather I get hysterical?"
"Of course not. You just don't sound very surprised."
"Maybe I'm not." He put the shirt down, giving up. "I need some help here after all."
She turned around and could see that with his bandaged arm, it would be difficult to get the t-shirt on. "I have an idea." She left the room and came back with a robe that had been hanging in the bathroom. It was one of a set; white terrycloth, embroidered with the words 'Glendale Resort'.
After slipping on the robe, he lay back against the pillows. Lucy sat on the edge of the bed, her brow creased.
As if he could read her mind, Carter said, "Don't worry, Luce. I seem to be ok. All we can do right now is wait."
"I know. But I can't help being worried. We have to get you to the hospital for treatment. Even though you seem ok for the moment, who knows what effect the venom will have on you."
Carter was getting drowsy. He could barely keep his eyes open. "Let me get some sleep. We'll talk later." He closed his eyes.
Lucy was tempted to stay there and watch over him, but that wouldn't help matters. Maybe it would do him some good to rest. She wandered around the cabin for a while, then stood in front of the window. There wasn't much of a view from this one; just a glimpse of trees being battered by the wind and rain. She finally went to her own bedroom to lie down.
*I'll just close my eyes for a minute. Then maybe I should start making some dinner*
Within minutes, she was in a deep sleep.
***************
When Lucy awoke, the room was dark. She reached over to the bedside table and switched on the lamp, relieved when the room filled with light. Thank goodness the generator was still working. And from the sound of it, the storm was still raging outside.
Wanting to check on Carter, she found his room dark. "Carter?" she said softly. She turned on the light and looked down at him. He was still asleep, the unbandaged arm flung over his head. His forehead was slightly furrowed, as if he was having a bad dream. She noticed that his cheeks were flushed, and there was a sheen of sweat on his brow. "Carter," she repeated, loudly this time. She gave a shake of his shoulder, then patted his cheek. "Oh, no," she murmured. He felt hot. Too hot. She continued to try to wake him, but to no avail. He was unconscious.
Going to the kitchen, she placed some ice cubes in a plastic bag, tied it off, and wrapped it in a dishtowel. She also filled a bowl with water. Taking a seat by the bed, she placed the homemade ice pack on Carter's forehead. She then dipped a washcloth into the water, wrung most of the cool liquid out, and ran it over his skin. She wished she had a thermometer. She had no way of gauging how high his temperature really was.
He moaned quietly, tossing his head from side to side. For a moment, she thought he might wake up. But his movements soon subsided, and he lay still once more.
She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. 7:45 pm. Even if the storm let up tonight, she wasn't sure if anyone would come for them until morning. In treating snake bites, it was essential that the victim receive the antivenom as soon as possible. While it seemed Carter hadn't been bitten by a lethally poisonous snake, the venom was still having an adverse effect on him. She was worried about what would happen if too much time passed before he received medical attention. What if she couldn't get his fever down? What if he didn't regain consciousness? What if he...?
"He's not going to die." She said the words aloud, but she didn't sound convinced. He couldn't die. Not Carter.
She wished she could do more for him. The thought came to her suddenly, that she had brought Aspirin with her. It might help to bring his fever down. But how would she get him to swallow it?
She wasn't sure if it would work, but she crushed two tablets in a small bowl. Sitting on the bed, she gripped his jaw and pulled downwards. His mouth opened easily. So far, so good. Getting most of the white powder onto a spoon, she placed it on his tongue and poured a small amount of water into his mouth. She then pushed up on his jaw. He choked, spitting out some liquid. But he also swallowed involuntarily. She gently wiped his chin and went back to the kitchen to get a fresh bowl of water.
The night passed by slowly. She continued to try keeping his body temperature down with the icepacks and damp washcloth. She stopped once to quickly eat something, then returned to his side. After four hours, she gave him another dose of Aspirin.
Her arms started to ache from the continuous motions and she had to take a break. He was delirious from the fever. Every so often, he would start mumbling something. She tried to catch what he was saying, but most of it was gibberish.
"Lucy."
Her breath caught and she leaned forward. This was the first time he'd spoken her name. She couldn't help herself. "Yes?" she said, wondering if he could hear her.
"Get a history."
Lucy almost laughed. Even in his delirium, he thought of her as a student. "Get your own history, Dr. Carter. I'm not even your student anymore." Her tone was soft and affectionate. It took her a few seconds to realize he was looking at her. He was awake!
"Lucy." His voice was hoarse.
"Carter! How do you feel?" She smiled widely, feeling joyous.
"You're beautiful." One corner of his lip was upturned in a half-smile as he gazed at her.
She was pleased but something didn't seem right. "Carter? Tell me how you're feeling."
"Kiss me, Lucy."
She realized that although he was awake, he was still delirious. Even so, she felt her heart skip a beat at the request. Should she? She shouldn't. He was sick. He didn't even know what he was saying. Looking into the dark brown depths of his eyes, she was drawn closer to his mouth. Telling herself it would just be one, quick kiss, she covered his lips with her own. Her mouth seemed to burn from the touch. She knew that was a result of his fever, but in her mind, it was something more. She felt his hand at the back of her neck, traveling up to entangle in her hair. The kiss was long, slow, hot and deep. It seemed to go on endlessly. Then, rather abruptly, his hand fell away from the back of her head. Releasing his mouth reluctantly, she watched as his head lolled to the side. He was unconscious again. But, she noted, he had a smile on his face.
Lucy sat back in her chair, waving a hand at her face. "Wow." That had been some kiss. She had to remind herself that it didn't mean anything.
Snapping out of her temporary stupor, she reached for the bag of ice that had been pushed aside. It was now a bag of water. Sighing, she made another trip back to the kitchen.
***************
Lucy was exhausted. It was just past 5 am now, and it seemed the storm had finally passed. She looked out the window and could see the darkness starting to lift. It would be light soon.
Carter seemed to be resting more easily and although she wasn't positive, she thought his temperature had dropped a little. Feeling it was safe to leave his side, she headed to the administration building, anxious to try the radio again.
The same man that she had spoken to yesterday answered and he sounded relieved that they were both ok. She reported that Carter's condition seemed to be improving, but he still needed to go to the hospital. From her description of the snake, the man was able to identify it. He stated that the venom had varying effects on different people, and that high fever was one of the more dangerous reactions. He commended her for keeping his temperature under control. If Carter had been left unattended, it was entirely possible he could have died. He told her that a crew was already getting ready, and that the helicopter would be leaving within 15 minutes.
Returning to the cabin, Lucy was delighted to find Carter sitting up in bed.
"Hey," he said weakly.
"You're up! For real, this time," she added without thinking.
"What do you mean?" He gave her a confused look.
"Nothing." She came to sit beside him on the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Terrible. My whole body feels achy, not just my arm. Did I pass out, or something? I don't remember anything."
"You had a fever and you were delirious," she informed him. She knew he wouldn't remember what had happened, but couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed. She could still feel the kiss on her lips.
"Really? Delirious?" He mulled over this bit of news. "I didn't, uh, say anything embarrassing, did I?"
"Just that you're in love with me."
Carter stared at her. He felt the tips of his ears start to burn. "I didn't," he managed to say, horrified.
She had to laugh at his reaction. "No, I'm just kidding. Actually, you said, 'Lucy, get a history'."
"Oh." He gave a half-hearted attempt at a laugh, not sure what to believe. He did harbour feelings for Lucy but didn't want to voice them. Not yet, anyway. He needed some time before he jumped into another relationship. He just wasn't ready yet.
Lucy considered telling him about the kiss, but something held her back. Maybe she felt slightly guilty. Maybe it was shyness. She wasn't sure what it was, but decided to keep it a secret for now.
"The helicopter should be coming any minute," Lucy said. She thought she should clean up a bit and picked up a bowl. "We'll take you straight to a hospital."
"Great. And thank you for taking care of me. You stayed up all night, didn't you."
"Well, yes. I'm just glad you're all right." Her expression turned serious as she gazed down at him. "You could have died. I was really scared."
He impulsively grabbed her hand. "Luce, I..."
"Yes?" She held her breath. Time seemed to stand still as they stared at each other. The sound of a helicopter broke the moment and he awkwardly released her hand.
"Are you going out to meet them?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah." She put the bowl back down, not caring anymore if the room was a mess.
At the doorway, Lucy turned to give Carter a smile and then was gone.
Completed October 1999
Feedback always appreciated!
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