Page 77 of Mr. B

“Yeah. We’ve got five sick kids and one sick counselor.”

“Damn.” Lester stepped out of the boat. “It’ll be tight, but we can get them all in the boat.”

“Good. I don’t think they’d do well on a forty-five minute canoe ride.”

“Let’s get them loaded up.” Lester followed Wes to the clearing, then stopped walking when he saw the campers. “Good Lord Almighty.”

Wes addressed the kids. “Your ride is here. We’re going to get you to the boat and back to camp. You’ll be lying in a bed in no time.”

Wes, Lester, and Cassandra got them all to the boat, then Lester headed back to camp with them. When they were out of sight, Wes turned to the remaining campers.

“We need to load up the stuff they left behind and put it in the canoes. We’ve got six canoes to get back, and only seven people, so all but one of you will be manning a boat by yourselves. We’ll stay close together and take it as slow as we need to.”

One of the boys held up a hand. “We’ve got this, Mr. B.”

“I know you do.” He turned to Cassandra. “Are you okay in a canoe by yourself. Ellie will need to double up with someone.”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.” He turned to the girl, who looked a bit distraught over the night’s events. “Ellie, you can ride with me.”

Her whole body relaxed a fraction. “Thank you.”

“Alright. Let’s get going.”

Chapter nineteen

“I’m the head honcho.”

The canoe ride across the lake took longer than the trip to the island because there was only one person paddling instead of two. The kids all did well, though, and stayed close to Wes and Cassandra, who paddled side by side for most of the way. Ellie relaxed as they got closer to camp.

As they pulled into shore, Lester was waiting for them. “You kids head to the mess hall. There’s a hot breakfast waiting for you.” He looked at Wes and Cassandra. “For you, too, of course.”

Wes helped Cassandra out of her canoe. “You go eat. Lester and I will get this stuff unloaded.”

“I can help.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. You’re just as hungry and tired as I am.”

They unloaded the gear and left it in a pile on the shore for the kids to come and get after breakfast. Then Cassandra and Wes headed for the mess hall. He left her at the table.

“I need to check on the kids, then make those phone calls.”

“I’ll check on the kids while you make the calls. I’m your number two, remember?”

“I’ll be in the office.”

Wes got hold of all the parents, who were genuinely concerned and agreed that the kids should leave camp. A few of them questioned why their children were unsupervised and able to eat something they shouldn’t. He refrained from telling them that their children were nearly adults and needed to take some responsibility for themselves. But blowback was bound to follow, and he would need to take the heat. Emily, at twenty-two, shouldn’t be held responsible, even though the kids were in her charge at the time and she ate berries right alongside them. Wes tried to assure the parents that he’d make things right.

After the last phone call, he leaned back in the chair behind the small desk and closed his eyes as he covered a yawn. When the office door opened, he sat up and smiled at Cassandra.

“Did I catch you napping?”

“Hmm. I wish.”

“How did the calls go?”