Brian was panting from the pain. ‘Are you sure, man? I swear it feels like I stepped on a needle or something.’
‘That’ll be the spines,’ Jack said coolly, as he reached under a seat for the first-aid box. ‘Can you keep her calm please,’ he said more quietly. This was directed at Sofia. ‘I need some space.’
Sofia put her arms around Milly and led her to the seat, rubbing her back as she let out sporadic sobs. Jack’s composure was infectious though, Brian lay back quietly as Jack took tweezers out of the box, and Sofia was sure he was feeling the same thing as her: a sense that everything was under control. She watched Jack work, delicately extracting three spines from the sole of Brian’s foot. She felt a pang of something unfamiliar, something akin to pride.
‘We need to soak it in hot water, which we don’t have, so it’s going to be warm water for now and I’ll get us back to theLadyShellyas quickly as I can,’ Jack said decisively. Sofia had to admit that the ‘Jack to the rescue’ look was a good one for him.
‘He’s in good hands with Jack, don’t worry,’ she found herself saying to Milly. He shot her a bemused look over Milly’s shoulder and she felt herself blush. ‘Um, I mean Officer Carter,’ she fumbled. ‘He’s trained in first aid, as you can see.’ Milly wasn’t listening to her anyway.
Jack filled up a wine cooler with fresh water and instructed Brian to soak his foot. ‘Now lie back and think of England. We’ll have you back on the boat with a drink in hand before you know it.’
Brian managed an unconvincing chuckle and lay back on the deck. Milly rushed over and put a folded towel under his head. ‘I think we should go to the hospital,’ she said, not looking up, and stroking Brian’s wet hair off his forehead.
‘I’m not sure that’s necessary...’ Jack started.
‘We’re going to the hospital.’ Milly looked up then, and her expression was uncharacteristically steely, her voice steady and cold. Jack and Sofia were momentarily stunned into silence.
‘OK, it’ll take a little longer, but I’ll go as fast as I can,’ Jack stuttered. Milly gave him a sharp nod and then turned her attention back to Brian.
Chapter Fifteen
Sofia would remember the next hour as a sort of fever dream. There was Milly, crouched over Brian on the deck, red hair flying as Jack sped the boat through turquoise waves. When they arrived in Capri, Sofia had to talk Milly down from calling an ambulance.
‘We’ll need a stretcher to get him off the boat.’ The tiny woman was strangely formidable. Once Jack had helped Brian to his feet, though, it became clear that he was still pretty mobile. He managed to hobble off the boat and onto the marina with only Jack’s shoulder to hold on to, to steady himself. As he limped along the dock, Sofia sensed that he was beginning to feel embarrassed by the fuss that Milly was making.
‘Maybe we should just go back to the boat,’ he muttered weakly as he was lowered into the back of a waiting taxi.
‘No way, I’m having a specialist take a look at that foot,’ Milly said already tapping away furiously on her phone and Sofia wondered who she might know that could recommend a sea urchin sting specialist in Capri. ‘We’re probably going to spend the night at the hospital,’ she said, turning to Sofia, ‘or we’ll go to the villa if he gets discharged, so I’ll text you guys tomorrow when we want to come back to the boat.’ She was all business. There was no doubt who was staff and who was in charge now.
‘Yes of course, just let us know.’ And then, after reminding herself that ‘the customer is always right’ she added, ‘I hope he finds the care he needs.’
Milly gave her a look she couldn’t quite decipher and Sofia worried she had sounded sarcastic. ‘Thanks,’ was all Milly said. Then she was in the taxi and the pair of them were sped away.
Sofia stood for a moment in a daze and jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Jack chuckled. ‘What a day.’
‘That’s an understatement.’ She found herself laughing as well, trying not to think about the weight of his hand on her shoulder. ‘I don’t think anything else could have gone wrong if we tried. Talk about a series of unfortunate events.’
‘Welcome to the yachtie life – always unpredictable, never dull.’
‘This is why I’m supposed to stay locked up below deck, in my hole of a kitchen where I belong.’
‘Oh but it’s so nice out here above ground. The sunlight suits you.’
She laughed and it felt like she was releasing all the tension she’d collected throughout the day. She laughed like she meant it and Jack smiled, flushing a little. ‘You have a lovely laugh,’ he said quietly.
For some reason that made her laugh more. How absurd it all was. After the day they’d had, he still could find the time for some inappropriate flirting.
‘You never take the day off, do you? Always ready with the corny chat-up lines?’ She had meant it teasingly, but he appeared surprisingly dismayed, looking down suddenly.
‘Andyounever give a guy a break, do you?’
She slapped him playfully on the shoulder, annoyed with herself for dampening what had been a carefree moment. ‘Not my style,’ she said.
She was relieved when he rolled his eyes good-humouredly. ‘Yes, Chef!’
‘Now, Captain Carter, how the hell are we getting back to theLady Shelly?’
‘Right this way.’ They walked back to the tender and he held out his hand to help her onto the boat. ‘God, I am dying for a drink. You looking forward to your first crew night out?’
