“Ethan doesn’t people well and it took weeks for him to open up to me. The kids’ picture is in the dictionary under loner, but he’s one hell of a worker.”
“Owen, I’m assuming you know your way around down here. Is there even a medical center?”
“We have a medical room back there. Vedece was studying medicine and in her residency so she’s become our go-to when one of us is hurt. Before this storm hit, she had quite a nice setup. However, I’m not sure how much damage it sustained since part of this tent fell.”
“Well, let’s go see what we can find before you can no longer stand. You’re swaying back and forth already.”
Tracy follows behind me as I weave through the dining hall and kitchen, then into what Vedece has claimed as medical. Thankfully, the area appears to be unharmed. A few surfaces are wet, and the room is overly cold, but that’s all my eyes catch as I practically fall into a chair, leaning my head down, trying to catch my breath to keep from vomiting.
I can hear Tracy rummaging through the cabinets, and the sight of her feet in front of me has me looking up.
“Can you lay your arm on this? I need to cut that bandage off to see what we’re dealing with here.”
I have to lift it with my other one, but I hesitate to lay it down as I know the pressure is going to be excruciating.
“Okay, I can see the pain all over your face. Let me help hold it up until we get this wrap off. Owen, your arm is all the wrong colors. How did you do this?”
“Ricky and I were rushing back to the guard station. We didn’t take the storm seriously enough when it started and damn near got ourselves killed. I don’t know if you’ve been here long enough to notice, but the trees are freaking huge. And their canopies are several stories high. I just happened to catch movement out of the corner of my eye, and I threw my arm up when a limb the size of an old Buick hit me full force.
It smacked Ricky too, but I was pinned. It took him minutes we didn’t have to get me out, but my adrenaline was so high I didn’t realize how badly I was hurt until we got back to the guard station. I think the cold also helped keep it numb, as I could barely feel my hands and feet by the time we got in and the heaters kicked on. But damn, when the pain hit, it took everything I had not to cry like a baby. Ricky tore part of his shirt off and wrapped it as well as he could, but we had nothing to clean it with. Carla tried, but by the time we got to her, I could barely stand to have it touched.”
“So, this didn’t just happen?”
“No, that was several days ago.”
“Well, there’s blood seeping through the gauze, so something is wrong. Let’s start by cleaning it out, then we’ll go from there. I found what I think is lidocaine, but that’s not going to help much if I need to dig around in there. Infection is probably setting in, and that’s why it’s become so painful.”
“Just don’t make fun of me if I pass out on ya.”
I get that smile that made me notice her so many years ago, and I try my best to act tough even though just unwrapping it is miserable. “Tracy, you’re going to have to distract me, or I’m going to become a blubbering, crying mess on you.”
“Go ahead and cry, this arm is a mess. I know they thought they were helping, but all they did was push the debris into your flesh further. You just tell me if you need a break. I won’t think any less of you if you do. So, you looked for me?”
“I thought you stood me up. I waited at the restaurant for a good hour after you were supposed to show. Tried calling your cell, but when you didn’t answer, I figured you were just ghosting me since it went straight to your voicemail. Humiliated, I remember throwing the money on the table and then apologizing to the waitress, since I kept telling her you were just running late. I had no idea where you lived, so I went home pouting. The next day in class, I overheard one of the girls sitting behind me talking about finding a purse near the restaurant where I had been waiting for you.
I asked the girl if she knew who the purse belonged to, and when she said your name, I just knew something bad had happened. I went to the secretary to ask for your address, and of course, she wouldn’t give it to me. But just as I was leaving the building, I happened to run into the girls I normally saw you with in the mornings. At first, they all kinda looked at me suspiciously,especially when their answer was, ‘Tracy never came back from your date.’
Throughout my explanation, Tracy has carefully been removing pieces of dirt and debris I didn’t realize were still in my arm. But I can tell my words are bothering her simply by the many emotions that flicker across her face. I lose track of what I was saying because she keeps sticking out her tongue as if she’s concentrating.
“What happened then?”
I shake my head, trying to focus. “One of the girls, hell, I can’t even remember her name now, was able to get hold of your Aunt Irene. She was the one who finally filed the missing person’s report. The cops didn’t take us seriously until like thirty-six hours later, then they wasted two more hours questioning me before they started actually looking for you.
Your aunt believed me the minute I told her I had no idea what had happened to you. She even let me come with her when she unlocked your apartment for the cops. Everything was just as you’d left it getting ready for our date. There were two dresses lying on the bed, and your makeup was on the counter. The coffee pot was still half full, and there were a few dishes in the sink. I think the one thing I noticed was just how much it smelled like you when I walked in.
The college went on high alert. Several others joined in on the search, and we walked the woods in the surrounding area. We even helped the cops dredge the small pond behind the garden center. They were finally able to pull all the camera feeds. The last time anyone saw you was when you were leaving your apartment. You were crossing the street a few blocks from therestaurant. You have no idea how many times I cussed myself for not insisting I come get you.”
Tracy smiles sadly, tears in her eyes.
“You and me both, Owen. At that time in my life, I had a huge chip on my shoulder. I was stubborn and independent. In my mind, I was damn well going to prove to the world that this small-town girl could make something of herself and look where that landed me … Kidnapped and discarded.”
Before I can say anything, Tracy changes the subject.
“Hold still, this is going to hurt, but I believe I’ve found the source of at least some of the pain. You have a sliver of wood practically going all the way through your arm. So, every time you move your fingers or wrist, it’s just digging around in there. If I had a way to numb it, I would push it through, but as inflamed as this is, you could never stand it. So, I’m gonna try to pull it out slowly. How did Aunt Irene take the news?”
“She was strong at first, but as the days went on, I could see her crumbling. After a few weeks, they called off the search, and because I was trying to catch up on the classes I’d missed, I wasn’t there when she had your apartment cleared out. From time to time, I’d get a random text from her wishing me a Merry Christmas or just asking how I was doing. Then the world went to hell, and here we are. What the hell happened to you?”
Tracy bends down closer, gently wiping away the blood that is running down my arm with gauze.
