Nathan flipped mindlessly through the television channels. He was going stir crazy in his room with nothing to do. He had called the department secretary to see if she could bring some of his teaching materials and arranged to transfer his classes to Brad Thompson for the remainder of the semester. It would be a cut in pay, but they agreed to keep him on staff.
The dean had visited after lunch, hanging around just long enough to hear that Nathan was making progress. They discussed his leave of absence, and the dean approved to make the transfer to Brad. As much as Nathan wanted to return to teaching, he currently was in no position to do so.
A group of his students stopped by, bringing him a basket with snacks, books, sudoku puzzles, a stress ball, and a T-shirt that they had designed for him, proclaiming him “Best Professor”. These were his top students. Each had their own questions–some about his class, some about the shark attack. And Eddie, the class cut up, but brilliant student, asked if this was Nathan’s way of getting out of grading papers.
Before they left, they had him smiling and laughing with them. This was one of the reasons he'd gotten into teaching in the first place, the energy and excitement of his students was infectuous. He needed this now more than ever. He asked them to visit him again or else he'd instruct Brad to give pop quizzes every Monday.
The volunteers came by with their cart of goodies later in the afternoon. A seek and find word search booklet caught his eye, and he thought that would at least keep his mind occupied for a bit. He wasn’t much for games on his cell phone, but he was currently reconsidering that as he flipped through the channels once again. He found a station that was music with a list of what was on scrolling across the screen. He found the control button to turn off the screen and leave the audio then found the Sudoku puzzles and a pen.
Nathan was a wiz at these and worked through half the book before coming to one that stumped him. It was difficult to think with the rising pain and pushed the button for the nurse. He set the puzzle book aside, turning the screen back on and began flipping through the channels again.
The station landed on a family show where the dad was hugging his two small children. Tears welled in his eyes as he realized that he would have to call his former in-laws and tell them to postpone bringing his girls to Hawaii. There was no way he could care for them if he couldn’t walk. He’d have to reconsider the nanny and housekeeper. That would give him something to focus on until his secretary brought his lesson materials.
Claire, his secretary, recommended a woman named Vera for the position of nanny/housekeeper. He would have to call her to see if she could start with once a week for the housekeeping and then take the nanny position whenever the girls were able to come. He missed his children.
Somewhere between a commercial for denture cream and the heartwarming family story, he drifted into a semi-conscious state. The family was out on a lake in a small boat. The youngest had her hand in the water.
He didn’t notice the shaking or the cold sweats at first. A gunshot was heard onscreen.
The combat zone in Kuwait, he had been wounded, but never considered that he might die. Three men in his unit were killed when their jeep hit a landmine, but he still felt that he led a charmed life and would come out all right. Every conflict and exchange of fire flooded his mind in a series of flashbacks.
His pulse quickened, and the cold sweats began. He began to shake, his stomach was in a knot, and his jaw clenched tightly.
“Are you all right, Mr. Fletcher?”
The C.O. barked his name out, “Fletcher, you’re on point. Eyes wide open.”
A barrage of bullets whizzed by over his head as he hit the ground, belly crawling to a vantage point.
Someone had hold of his leg. Oh God, he didn’t want to be captured in this land.
He tried to recall the training the counselor went through with him for the PTSD. His mind was blank. Why would he have a flashback now?
“Mr. Fletcher?” Brittany gently shook his leg. He seemed to be fixated on something only he could see in his mind. Beads of sweat trailed down his temples to his ears.
“Mr. Fletcher?”
Her face came into focus. What was the nurse doing in Kuwait? Slowly, reality came back to focus in his mind.
Nathan stared blankly at the nurse.
“Is there anything I can get you, sir?”
He vaguely heard her.
He was racing down the street through a barrage of bullets. Sanchez and Marler were up ahead. Marler took a bullet to the chest, Sanchez was hit in the shoulder, and Nathan was hit in the arm. They kept moving for cover, ducking behind a partial wall of a building that had been bombed. Marler slumped to the floor as Sanchez called on the walkie for backup and a medic. They were safe for the moment.
“Marler is hit. He needs help.” It came out dry in a monotone.
“Pardon?” Worry lines creased her brow as she stepped back from his bed to enter a note for the doctor.
“I’m fine.” He tried to mentally shake off the flashback and force his heart rate back to normal.
“How long have you been having trouble with your PTSD, Mr. Fletcher?”
“I haven’t." It was a lie and he knew it. He felt uneasy, recalling his counseling. "Well, at least not before today, not for about six months.” He adjusted the blankets up around his chest feeling an inner chill that no amount of blanket would fix.
“Your medical files state that you have been prescribed medications, I can have the med tech bring those in for you.” She continued to type things on the computer.
Nate nodded. He had no interest in starting back on those meds, but now, he was shaken. He made a mental note to find a counselor about the PTSD. He’d beaten it before, he could do it again.
“Damn it!” He exclaimed aloud, angry at his current condition as he considered what he could do. Maybe if he scooted into a wheelchair he could get outside of this room and get some fresh air. Being outdoors with the smell of the salt air would help.
“Can you help me into the wheelchair? I’d like to go outside.” He threw the covers off, unprepared to see the mess that was his leg. His leg looked like something from a Frankenstein movie. The initial shock didn’t stop him though; he had to get out of this room if only for a few minutes.
The nurse called for transport to wheel him outside for a break. “I think that might be a good idea, Mr. Fletcher. I know I’d feel all cooped up after a few days myself.”
Another nurse came in to assist her in moving him into a chair. Brittany continued to enter her notes as Dwayne, the transport, wheeled him down the corridor.
* * *
Sitting in the warm sunlight was refreshing. He’d always been the outdoors type. He watched as people came and went. Glancing over to a couple of picnic tables, he noticed some staff members enjoying their lunch together. A dark-haired woman caught his eye as she turned to the woman sitting next to her. She flashed a brilliant smile as she made some hand signals just before they started laughing. Even from the distance, she was beautiful.
Nate watched as they cleared off their lunch debris and headed inside. Simply watching her made him smile. He waited until they were gone before he pushed himself back through the door he’d exited. The person who had transported him down from his room stood at the information counter talking to the woman there.
“Let me help you there, Mr. Fletcher.” The transporter pushed him to the elevator and back to his room, and then helped him move from the chair to the bed.
The warm sun had made him feel drowsy and he dozed off within minutes.
This wave was perfect. He got his feet under him, crouched on the board, standing just as his board crested the wave. It was the best ride of any he’d managed, he felt a thrill of success, a new boldness and pride in his own accomplishments. He’d set out to learn to surf and he’d mastered it!
If only his family were here to be part of his victory, but they were back in Oklahoma.
He turned back up the wave, angling down the wall as the wave curled behind him. It was amazing! His fingers grazed the wall of water to his left as he balanced perfectly with the unstrained ease of an accomplished surfer.
Kai was riding the same wave about twenty feet down the pipeline. He flashed his cousin a shaka, grinning from ear to ear as the adrenaline pumped through his chest.
His fingers grazed over something hard. He turned to the left at the wall of water, and a shark stared back at him. In a flash, it opened its mouth snapping at Nathan’s hand. He pulled his hand back, but the shark was too fast and it clamped down on his leg.
Back and forth, it shook him in the wall of the wave. He could have sworn he saw laughter in its eyes.
His eyes flew open. His heart pounded within his chest, his pulse erratic, and he could barely catch his breath. Nurse Louise was shaking his leg, trying to wake him.
“I’m sorry to wake you Mr. Fletcher, but I need to get your vitals.”
He threw the covers aside, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, not an easy task as his right leg was stiff and the slightest movement sent zings of pain all the way down to his toes. Nathan reached for the wheelchair that sat pushed against the wall. He eased onto his right leg, hopping a step toward the chair and turning to sit. As he did, he bumped his left leg against the front edge of the wheelchair causing intense pain.
“Uuuuunnngh!”
Pain shot up his leg from just below the knee to his hip in a throbbing, sickening wave. He lost his balance and fell to the floor, tangling his foot against the peddle rests on the chair.
The floor rushed up to meet him. He landed with a thud; the pain in his leg went from hurting to blinding. He felt a warmth spread at the back of his thigh seconds before blacking out.