Page 29 of Vitamin Sea
She was at another resort. Which one she didn’t know. She hadn’t taken any time to see what others were in the area and didn’t know what was around. It appeared to be adult in nature—for the entire trip from the beach and into the resort grounds, there hadn’t been a single child in sight. No branding had given away the name of the place, but from the finishings she could see, everything looked expensive.
“Ms. Ryder—.”
Chloe turned to look at Dr. Vargas.
“We’re going to take you into our first aid room to get some of your vitals.”
Chloe nodded as best as she could while lying down. She noticed that Jack and his friend were still hanging around.
Dr. Vargas turned to them: “Mr. Fraser, Mr. Silverberg—you’re welcome to wait outside while I check Ms. Ryder and to make sure she doesn’t need to go to a hospital.”
Jack looked at his friend: “If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay to make sure she’s okay.”
His friend nodded his head.
“Of course. I’m going to get a drink—do you want anything?”
“A Scotch would be great, thanks.”
Chloe watched Jack’s friend—Mr. Silverberg or Mr. Fraser, she wasn’t sure which—head off in a different direction.
The inside of the resort was expansive and airy with neutral tones and warm lighting; natural elements like lush potted plants, stone accents, and gentle water features dotted the inside, and she saw well-dressed guests and polished, professional-looking wait staff. Her travel editor experience told her it was a five-star resort. She would bet her career on it.
She snorted quietly. She had just escaped death but was already back in work mode and curious how a nudist resort ended up next door to something so high-end. It wouldn’t surprise her if she learned that this resort had waged an unrelenting campaign against having a nudist resort being built next door to them.
Or maybe they hadn’t found out until right before it had opened. Either way, she couldn’t see them being too happy about their new neighbours. She was hoping it wouldn’t cause them to have any ill will towards her. Toss her back out into the ocean, they might, if they got wind that she was staying at Costa Morpho.
She wondered if the guests at this resort had any idea what was just around the corner from them. Not that Costa Morpho was something scandalous. In the Western world at least. She could see how it wouldn’t fly in some of the more conservative countries.
Inside the first aid room the walls were white with typical doctor’s office human anatomy posters and medical accessories decorating the space: tongue depressors, a blood pressure monitor, an uncomfortable-looking plastic bed with white roll-paper covering. She was starting to feel more alert and was fully able to appreciate the battering her body had been through. It felt like she had been thrown into a washing machine, and someone had set the dial to heavy duty.
Fortunately, Dr. Vargas seemed to be aware of how she was feeling and told her he was going to run some pain medication directly into her IV.
“It will take a few minutes, but it will dull anything you’re feeling,” he said without a glance.
Chloe was grateful. She just hoped the medication wouldn’t send her into la-la land.
“Don’t worry,” Dr. Vargas said offhandedly, “it’s just extra-strength Tylenol. It will stop the pain for a few hours, and I’ll prescribe you some pills for when it wears off.”
“Thank you,” Chloe mumbled gratefully.
“Are you a guest at the resort?”
“No.” Chloe shook her head slightly. “I’m at the one next door—Costa Morpho.”
If Dr. Vargas was surprised, he didn’t show it.
“Are you here with anyone? Is there an emergency contact, perhaps?”
“My friend Lala,” she replied. “If you call the resort, they should be able to get ahold of her. We’re in the Reserve Suite. I think I lost my phone in the ocean.”
Dr. Vargas nodded and went to the phone sitting on the counter. He punched in a few numbers, held the receiver up to his ear, and seconds later was speaking in Spanish to the person on the other end of the line.
“Gracias,” he ended before placing the receiver down in its cradle. “The front desk is going to call the resort to get ahold of your friend. How are you feeling now?”
“A bit sore. Something tells me I’m really going to feel it in the morning.”
Dr. Vargas nodded again.
