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“Yes,” she answered, and I almost went to my knees.
My god.
Thank God.
“Okay, let’s sit you down,” Ellis said, ushering me into a chair in the hall.
There was quiet talking around me. I heard my name over the blood pounding in my head, then the doctor leaned down to speak to me. “Mr Larson, my name is Doctor Jillick. Were you hit as well? How close to your husband were you at the time of the strike?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know... maybe twenty metres. I think I fell down, but he... he spun. He was near the metal fence, and he spun and crumpled.” I had to scrub at another tear. “Like a puppet when you cut the strings. He just... crumpled. And he was starin’, and I don’t think he was breathing. I don’t know. I think I thumped his chest a few times and I just really need to see him. Please.”
The doctor spoke to the nurse and the nurse disappeared, but then the doctor was shining her penlight in my eyes and holding my wrist—no, taking my pulse.
“I’m fine,” I said. “I just really need to see Jeremiah.”
“You said you fell down,” the doctor said, still holding my wrist. Then the nurse was back with a machine, and she put a pulse thingy on my finger and an arm band on for blood pressure.
“Mr Larson?” Doctor Jillick repeated. “You fell down?”
“Uh, yeah, I was carryin’ the crate of gear back to the boat, and then I wasn’t. I was layin’ in the dirt. I dropped the crate, I think. I dunno, I was too busy focusin’ on Jeremiah to notice what happened to me.”
“Okay, your pulse is a little above normal but regular. Your blood pressure is high—”
“Yeah, because I’ve had a bit of a rough day, not gonna lie.”
“I’d like to get you checked out properly—”
“And I’d like to see Jeremiah,” I said, standing up.
Ellis stood with me, holding my arm. “Tull, we need to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m not okay,” I cried. “I’mfarfrom okay. I need to see him. Why won’t they let me see him?”
And then I thought,fuck it, I’ll just find him myself.
I sidestepped the doctor and went for the doorway opposite the nurse’s station, but Ellis stopped me with his hold on my arm. I tried to break free, but then the doctor was in front of me.
“Mr Larson,” she said sternly. “Don’t make me call security.”
“I just need to see him,” I said. “For one minute. That’s all. I just need to see him.” I had to wipe tears off my face again. I tried to breathe but it came out as a sob. “If he’s not okay...”
Ellis pulled me in for a hug and I fell into him, his strong arms holding me tight, holding me up, and he held me while I cried. “I just need to see him,” I mumbled.
“I know.”
He held me for a bit before he led me back to the chair, and I was suddenly so freaking tired I could barely keep my eyes open.
Then Doctor Jillick came back. “Okay, you have one minute. You can see him for one minute. There were traces of heme pigments in his urine, so we’ve administered alkalisers to minimise renal complications. We’re monitoring his heart, so don’t be alarmed by the machinery. Lightning injuries tend to get worse in the few hours after before they get better.”
I stood up, my heart in my throat, suddenly afraid to see him. To see how badly he was hurt. I couldn’t get my legs to work.
“Mr Overton?” the doc said.
Ellis was beside me. “Come on,” he said, urging me forward. “I’ll go with you.”
I swallowed hard and managed a nod. My feet felt heavy, my steps wooden. But I followed the doctor into the large room. There were a lot of cubicles, most with the curtains drawn, and the doctor walked to one in particular and stopped.
“One minute,” she said, then pulled back the curtain. “He was very lucky. His ECG has shown some irregular function, his brain function is normal. We’re running more tests and keeping him closely monitored.”
