Frazer was another concern entirely, at least to Wynne’s mind.
“I’ll close my eyes,” he promised.
“ How do I know you won’t peek?” the elderly lady countered warily.
Benson grinned. “No offense ma’am, but you’re not at all my type.”
“Look, you young whippersnapper!” she shot back, showing her first real display of animation. “Just because there’s snow on the roof, doesn't mean there’s no fire in the furnace! Nonetheless, in fifty years of marriage, I’ve never wanted anyone but my James. So there! You’re not my type either, sonny!”
Kelly bit back a laugh. Unless she missed her guess, Frazer Benson was gay. Evidently, Wynne hadn’t caught those subtle signals, however. She’d bet a month’s income Alita had, though. And most everyone else in their small party.
She bound Wynne’s ribs, then turned to Benson. “You’re next. Let’s have a look at that leg.”
He shook his head. “No. It’s okay. It’ll wait until I can get to a hospital.”
“The least I can do is replace that dirty cloth you’ve wound around it, so you don’t risk infection any more than you have already.” She reached forward. “I know it hurts. I’ll be as gentle as possible. I promise.”
“I said no!” Benson shouted, scooting hastily backward. “Don’t touch it! If anything needs done to it outside an emergency room, I’ll tend to it myself.”
His scowl reminded Kelly of a wounded animal, one which could turn on her at any time. She held her hands up in a gesture of compliance. “Okay. Okay. Have it your way.”
He seemed to wilt in relief. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just that… well, I can’t let you do t hat.”
Now Kelly was reading something else in his expression. Something beyond pain. More like a woeful warning. Suddenly it came to her. “Oh, no! Frazer, no!” she murmured.
She saw him swallow hard, and nod. “This was going to be my last flight. I was going to ground myself and take a desk job, where there was less contact with other people.”
Kelly dredged up a wan smile, and replied just as quietly. “Hey! Magic Johnson is HIV positive, and he’s still doing all right. Maybe it won’t escalate any further. Maybe with the right diet and medication it won’t become a full-blown case.”
“And maybe it will.” He held her gaze steadily, sadly.
“You’ve got to think positively,” she rebutted.
“And you, and everyone without rubber gloves, have got to keep their hands to themselves,” he stated firmly. “I don’t want that on my conscience. If I’m going to die, I don’t want to take anyone else with me.” He paused, then gave a rueful laugh. “So many perfectly healthy people died in that crash today, yet I lived. Ironic, isn’t it?”
Kelly just stared back at him, her face full of pity, not knowing what to say.
Chapter 5
G avin Daniels returned to camp a short time later. Blair, the baby, and Wynne had fallen asleep. Only Kelly and Frazer were awake to welcome him with tense expressions. “No,” he said to their unvoiced question. He flopped onto the sand by the fire. “Not a soul, not a sound, no lights, cottages, or paths, or boats. Nothing. It was like walking on the moon, it was so deserted out there.”
“How far did you go?” Frazer asked.
“Three, maybe four miles I’d guess. As far as I could before I ran into a barricade of rocks where the mountain seems to jut right out into the sea. I couldn’t skirt around it, and I didn’t want to chance climbing over it in the dark. If I’d fallen, the surf is pounding so hard on those rocks I’d have been hammered to a pulp.” He glanced around. “I suppose Zach and Alita are still out there?”
“Yes.”
There was little else to say, and they fell into contemplative silence, listening to the crackle of the flames, the waves slapping rhythmically on the shore. Watching. Waiting. Wondering where Zach and Alita were, and if they
“I’ll close my eyes,” he promised.
“ How do I know you won’t peek?” the elderly lady countered warily.
Benson grinned. “No offense ma’am, but you’re not at all my type.”
“Look, you young whippersnapper!” she shot back, showing her first real display of animation. “Just because there’s snow on the roof, doesn't mean there’s no fire in the furnace! Nonetheless, in fifty years of marriage, I’ve never wanted anyone but my James. So there! You’re not my type either, sonny!”
Kelly bit back a laugh. Unless she missed her guess, Frazer Benson was gay. Evidently, Wynne hadn’t caught those subtle signals, however. She’d bet a month’s income Alita had, though. And most everyone else in their small party.
She bound Wynne’s ribs, then turned to Benson. “You’re next. Let’s have a look at that leg.”
He shook his head. “No. It’s okay. It’ll wait until I can get to a hospital.”
“The least I can do is replace that dirty cloth you’ve wound around it, so you don’t risk infection any more than you have already.” She reached forward. “I know it hurts. I’ll be as gentle as possible. I promise.”
“I said no!” Benson shouted, scooting hastily backward. “Don’t touch it! If anything needs done to it outside an emergency room, I’ll tend to it myself.”
His scowl reminded Kelly of a wounded animal, one which could turn on her at any time. She held her hands up in a gesture of compliance. “Okay. Okay. Have it your way.”
He seemed to wilt in relief. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just that… well, I can’t let you do t hat.”
Now Kelly was reading something else in his expression. Something beyond pain. More like a woeful warning. Suddenly it came to her. “Oh, no! Frazer, no!” she murmured.
She saw him swallow hard, and nod. “This was going to be my last flight. I was going to ground myself and take a desk job, where there was less contact with other people.”
Kelly dredged up a wan smile, and replied just as quietly. “Hey! Magic Johnson is HIV positive, and he’s still doing all right. Maybe it won’t escalate any further. Maybe with the right diet and medication it won’t become a full-blown case.”
“And maybe it will.” He held her gaze steadily, sadly.
“You’ve got to think positively,” she rebutted.
“And you, and everyone without rubber gloves, have got to keep their hands to themselves,” he stated firmly. “I don’t want that on my conscience. If I’m going to die, I don’t want to take anyone else with me.” He paused, then gave a rueful laugh. “So many perfectly healthy people died in that crash today, yet I lived. Ironic, isn’t it?”
Kelly just stared back at him, her face full of pity, not knowing what to say.
Chapter 5
G avin Daniels returned to camp a short time later. Blair, the baby, and Wynne had fallen asleep. Only Kelly and Frazer were awake to welcome him with tense expressions. “No,” he said to their unvoiced question. He flopped onto the sand by the fire. “Not a soul, not a sound, no lights, cottages, or paths, or boats. Nothing. It was like walking on the moon, it was so deserted out there.”
“How far did you go?” Frazer asked.
“Three, maybe four miles I’d guess. As far as I could before I ran into a barricade of rocks where the mountain seems to jut right out into the sea. I couldn’t skirt around it, and I didn’t want to chance climbing over it in the dark. If I’d fallen, the surf is pounding so hard on those rocks I’d have been hammered to a pulp.” He glanced around. “I suppose Zach and Alita are still out there?”
“Yes.”
There was little else to say, and they fell into contemplative silence, listening to the crackle of the flames, the waves slapping rhythmically on the shore. Watching. Waiting. Wondering where Zach and Alita were, and if they
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