Free Troubled Waters by Rachelle McCalla

he’d bleed to death when he’d been shot. If the wound bled too profusely out here, she’d have to administer first aid and get him to help in a hurry.
    “You bumped it with that—” he pointed to the massive hunk of metal she’d pulled up from the bottom “—thing.”
    “Evidence,” she informed him, then winced at the thought of how her discovery might have re-injured the wound on his arm. “Let’s get back to the boat so I can take a look at your arm.”
    Carrying their flippers and the unknown object they’d pulled from the bottom, Heath and Tracie clumsily walked along the length of the platform to the exit of the cave.When the ledge outside the cave ended, they had no choice but to go back in the water to swim to where they’d anchored the boat. After lugging the evidence on board, Heath got the engine and heat going, and then peeled off the top of his wetsuit so Tracie could look at his arm.
    As she’d have guessed, the angry wound was weeping red. She pulled out first aid equipment and settled in to try to make up for the damage she’d caused. While she worked, the heater began to spew out warm air, and she soon felt her chattering teeth still enough to permit conversation.
    “I’m sorry about what happened back there,” she apologized as she pressed gauze to the antiseptic she’d daubed on his arm. “I don’t know what came over me. I’m not usually like that. I wouldn’t ever intentionally strike you.”
    “That’s all right. It wasn’t you.”
    She looked at him quizzically.
    “Nitrogen narcosis,” he offered.
    Tracie thought she’d heard the term somewhere, but couldn’t place it. “What’s that?”
    Closing his eyes, Heath sighed, his expression patient. “The levels of nitrogen in our air supplies weren’t intended for that deep of a dive. As the depth increases, so does their concentration. They become like a narcotic. Underwater intoxication.” He turned to face her and opened his eyes. “You lose your mental control, become someone else.” His face held a distant look. “It’s often fatal.”
    The gravity of their near-miss settled on her with a crushing weight. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
    “It’s worse when you’re diving in a cave than in open water. If I’d had any idea the cave would be that deep, I would have warned you.”
    “You had no way of knowing. I was shocked, and I’d been inside the cave before but not underwater. It justseemed to go down forever.” Tracie finished taping the fresh bandage on his arm and closed her eyes, remembering. She’d certainly been out of it. Her thoughts had been so confused. While initially her dive had been driven by curiosity about what lay below, she’d quickly seen the flash of her light against the hunk of metal, and she’d sped down to retrieve it. Her memory muddled after that point, and she wasn’t even sure what she’d been thinking when Heath reached her. She shivered.
    “You should change out of that wetsuit. You’ll be warmer,” Heath offered.
    “Good idea.” Tracie hurried into the changing closet, then stepped out and took the wheel while Heath changed. The weather was unseasonably clear, and they were able to make good time through the maze of islands that separated them from the Coast Guard station in Bayfield.
    With her attention focused outside, the warmth Heath’s hand on her back surprised her, and she jumped. She hadn’t even heard him step out.
    “Sorry.” Heath pulled his hand back. “Did I startle you?”
    “You’re okay,” she reassured him, shaking off her unnecessary fear. “I’m still feeling a little jittery from that dive.”
    “That was rather unnerving, wasn’t it?” Heath agreed.
    “Dives always are,” she murmured without thinking as Heath stepped past her and took over at the wheel.
    “How’s that?” As Heath turned and looked at her, his eyes widened, showing a desire for understanding.
    Tracie immediately felt self-conscious about her unintentional