“Colin’s been hurt! Hurt bad! We have to take the skiff to the campsite. I need your help.”
David nodded once, then wheeled to grab his jacket. “Nate, call 9-1-1! Tell them to get here fast then guide them to the dock. Josh, what else do we need?”
“Blankets,” Joshua gasped out. “Med kit, foldable stretcher.”
“How bad is it?” Nate cried out, clutching his arm. “Josh! Howbad?”
“Broken ankle, maybe cracked rib. Trent wasn’t with him yet, so he wasn’t sure.”
David put a hand on Joshua’s shoulder and moved him out the door. “Get to the skiff and get it ready. I’ll get the stuff from the medical station. Nate, go next door and wake Jeff, then make that 9-1-1 call! You and Jeff bring blankets down to the dock!” He wheeled to Joshua. “Anything else?”
Joshua shook his head and then dashed toward the boathouse where the skiff was kept. Within minutes, he had unlocked the building and leaped into the skiff. For a moment, he stood, staring down at the boat’s dashboard. “Goddammit!” he spat out. He had never driven the skiff. Never drivenanyboat. He wheeled at the sound of footsteps pounding on the dock, and seconds later, David burst through the door with Nate and Jeff at his heels.
“David!” Joshua cried out, his voice a panicked croak. “I don’t know how to drive this damn?—”
David set the medical kit and stretcher on the skiff’s bench and shoved Joshua aside. “Nate!” he called as Nate ran into the boathouse. “Open that damned back door so I can get this thing out!”
Jeff tossed a pile of blankets into the skiff and raced to help Nate open the back door.
David fired up the skiff and steered it out of the building and into the lake’s calm waters.
“Call me!” Nate cried out from the dock. “David, call me!”
“Nate, you and Jeff wait for the ambulance,” David yelled back to him. “Bring them to the dock! “
Nate nodded, his phone still clutched in his hand, his throat aching as he watched them speed away.
David gunned the engine, moving the skiff swiftly across the small lake. “Where are they?”
Cold spray hit Joshua’s skin, but all he felt was the fear clawing at his heart. “About a mile down the river,” he said finally. “The boys are shining flashlights. Oh god, Davy, pleasehurry.”
“Josh, I’ll go as fast as is safe. It won’t help Colin if we wreck this skiff.” He gestured behind them. “Unfold that stretcher. They’re going to need it. I’ll watch for the lights.”
“If I lose him …” Joshua moaned, his voice filled with tears.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Josh,” David snapped. “Losehim? Take a breath. He’s the toughest guy I know. He’s not going to croak from a broken ankle.”
A breathless laugh broke through the fog of Joshua’s panic, and he laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder, his own shoulders sagging as some of the tension drained away. “Thanks, Davy. I needed that.”
David’s elbow gave his ribs a good-natured nudge. “Well, don’t make me repeat it. He’s going to need you to be his oak, not a weeping willow. Now unfold that stretcher!”
At the campsite,at least eight flashlights were aimed down the river, waving frantically against the dark night to signal their location. It had been ten minutes since Trent and Alex had rowed away in search of Colin, and as the boys waved their lights, they all listened, straining to hear the sound of the approaching skiff.
Aaron, devastated by the damage he had done with his teasing remark, huddled near the campfire, too ashamed to join the signalers. As he lifted his hand to wipe away a tear, he caughtthe faint sound of a motor. “I hear it!” he cried, leaping to his feet. “I hear the skiff!”
The rest of the boys hollered in relief as the lights from the skiff came into view, and seconds later, it pulled close to the shoreline.
David turned to Joshua. “Can you drive this thing downriver? Will you be OK?”
Joshua nodded and took David’s place at the wheel. “I can drive it!”
David tapped a lever. “Throttle’s there—goeasy, Josh.” He pointed to the key. “If you stall, just restart.” He turned and leaped into the water, wading to shore where he was greeted with backslaps and hugs from the remaining campers. “OK,” he told the boys. “Start packing up. I’m afraid your overnight stay is going to be cut short.” He spun back to Joshua, who was inching the skiff forward. “Josh! Take it SLOW! You’re not an experienced boatman, and Colin needs that skiff!”
“It’s that way,” Evan called out to Joshua, pointing. “Watch for the flashlight! Trent took the biggest one! It’s about a mile down.”
Joshua nodded and waved, then gunned the skiff and moved out onto the river.
For a moment, David followed him with his eyes. “Jesus! I hope he’ll be OK.” Then he turned back to the campers, who all stood stock still, staring at him with wide eyes, some of which gleamed with tears. He gave them a smile. “Look, Colin will be OK. Trent knows medical procedures, and Colin’s injuries don’t sound very serious. He couldn’t be in better hands, and the ambulance is on the way.” He nudged them toward the tents. “Right now, you can help him most by packing up so we can get back to the campground. You know Colin. His chief worries right now will be Joshua and you guys. So, let’s do him proud.”
