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She coughed and her throat came up dry this time. She was distantly aware that she was still up to her neck in well water. She felt mostly numb, as if part of her mind was floating about halfway up the well. Kami figured that was probably a good thing, since what she could feel of her body, her head and lungs and the chill in her bones, felt so awful.
Something else she felt was Jared. He was holding her against a wall for the second time today, but as this time it was keeping her from drowning, Kami thought she might let it go. “Jared?” she said, weakly questing for information even though her mind felt pretty numb as well. She lifted her arms and locked her hands behind his neck.
“Yeah?” said Jared.
“What are you doing here?”
“Well,” Jared said, his voice sounding strained, “I don’t really understand it myself, but I was in this elevator—”
“I remember that,” Kami said. “Honestly, Jared, one thing at a time. Why are you in the well with me? This is a really bad rescue!”
“You lost consciousness and slipped under the surface of the water!” Jared pointed out. “There was no time.”
“But now we’re both trapped! Now we’re both going to die!”
“No, we’re not,” said Jared. “I called the police as I was running to the well. I’m sure they’re coming.”
“Did they say they were coming?” Kami asked suspiciously. “Or did you shout ‘Kami’s in the well!’ and then jump in the well too, thus losing your phone and making sure that the police think it was some kids playing a dumb joke?”
Jared paused. He was breathing quickly, the dreamy part of Kami noticed, his chest rising and falling hard. She wasn’t sure if it was because he’d had to run so fast, because he’d had to dive to grab her, or if it was panic.
“Alternate plan,” Jared said. “Do you have a very intelligent collie who might communicate through a system of barks to your parents that little Kami is in the well?”
Kami closed her eyes and leaned her cheek against the wet planes of Jared’s collarbone. “We’re going to die.” Something else dawned on her. “And where is your shirt?”
“Let me explain,” said Jared. “I had just gone to bed, like a reasonable person, when you decided to get tossed into a well like a crazy person. And then it was a matter of some urgency to reach you. You’re lucky I tripped over my jeans on the way out the door.”
“You leave your jeans on the floor?” Kami asked, horrified. “You’re messy on top of everything else? This day just keeps getting worse.”
Jared had nothing to say to that. Perhaps he was overcome with shame at his slovenly habits, she thought dimly. The well water seemed to be getting warmer.
“Kami, keep talking!”
Jared’s shouting hurt her head, which was inconsiderate of him. “You’re so mean,” Kami marveled. “You have a leather jacket and you are just so mean!”
“Keep talking,” Jared commanded. “Stay awake.”
“If you were in bed, what did you do with your pajamas?”
“I don’t own any pajamas.”
“That is so sad,” Kami said. “Boys can have pajamas too, you know. Tomo and Ten both have lots of pajamas. Tomo’s favorite pair is red with trains on it.” Her voice seemed to be floating away from her too, up in the air with that crucial bit of her mind.
It wasn’t so bad now, Jared being real. He was holding on to her tight. She was certain he would not let her drown. She couldn’t see him, which helped. She couldn’t remember why she couldn’t see him, until it occurred to her that she’d closed her eyes. Even when she pried her eyes open, all she saw was his collarbone painted ghostly gray in the well-dim light.
She gave up and laid her forehead back down on Jared’s shoulder. He was shaking, she noticed, but even shaking and wet, he was still warmer than she was.
Her fingers came unlinked from behind Jared’s neck, and now they were resting on the solid
support of Jared’s arms. She didn’t think she could keep hold of him. But that was all right. He wouldn’t let her drown. “Jared?”
“Yes?”
Kami closed her eyes. “Hey, Jared.”
“Hey, Kami,” said Jared. His voice was gentle. Everything went quiet and dark, and he was still there.
Kami was sorry when the police rescued them and she was wrenched back into consciousness and agony. Her mother was there: someone had called, and she must have shut the restaurant early. For some reason, that filled Kami with more worry than anything else, as if it was confirmation that this was serious. Her parents were not supposed to put themselves out for her. Kami was meant to be self-sufficient.
