Page 6 of Break Line

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.

* * *

Sittingin 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.

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