Free Wrecked by AJ Harmon

Children continued to play, fortunately oblivious to the dead bodies
being retrieved just a short distance away. The sight may well have been one that
the townsfolk were used to, dealing with the fickle ocean regularly. Even so,
it was odd for Andrew to watch.
    As boats began to return to port, the Captain heard a sweet
laugh behind him and turned to see a beautiful little girl picking wild flowers
and holding them in her chubby little hands. She had golden curls that framed
her round face, and a smile that made her eyes sparkle brilliantly in the
sunshine. Andrew was mesmerized by her laugh and took a step in her direction
when he heard the voice.
    “Andrea! Andie! Please stay close to me.”
    Elizabeth!

10.
    Ethan had spent the last forty-eight hours at the hospital.
The night shift doc had the flu and Ethan had thought it was easier for him to
stay than mess around with calling in someone else. The nights were usually
quiet and he was able to sleep in one of the exam rooms for several hours both
nights. He’d missed his bed, but more than that, he’d missed seeing Bess. He
liked finding excuses to see her. It was getting more difficult to come up with
reasons to drop by and invite her to dinner, but he was willing to keep it up
just to spend time with her.
    Regina was his ally and often clued him in on any
perceptions she had, as she wanted to see them both happy and she was sure that
together they would enjoy total bliss. She just had to help make it happen. And
she told him so.
    “She is perfect for you,” she informed Ethan while they sat
and ate lunch during her break. “There is not one thing about her that I don’t
like.”
    “Except that she doesn’t seem to like me!” Ethan chuckled.
    “She likes you,” Regina argued. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
    “As a friend, yes, I think she does. But I don’t think it is
anything more than that.”
    “You have to give her time, Ethan. And besides, you can’t
expect her to rush into anything. Just think about all she’d been through since
she got here, and that doesn’t include everything she experienced before she
arrived in Port Lincoln!”
    “I know. I know. It’s just that…”
    “What?”
    “Why am I even talking to you about this?” he chuckled. “I
sound pathetic!”
    “You’re a man and men need help when it comes to capturing
the heart of a woman,” Regina grinned.
    “We do, do we?”
    “Yes! And I can help you. But you’re gonna have to listen to
me and do as I say. Can you do that?”
    “Maybe,” Ethan smiled cheekily.
    “And this is the Emergency Department,” Taylor, the HR
Manager, said as she walked through the double doors and towards the nurse’s
station where Regina and Ethan sat. “Oh, and Dr. James is here.” She turned and
motioned for Bess to hurry up.
    Ethan smiled brightly as Bess stood before him. “Well, hello
Bess!”
    “Oh! You already know each other?” Taylor asked.
    “We do,” he replied happily. “And we’re neighbors.”
    “Oh, okay then,” Taylor nodded. “Well, let me introduce you
to Regina. Regina? Why are you in the ER?”
    “I’m having lunch with my favorite doc,” she replied. “And Bess
and I already know each other, too.”
    “It seems as though you already fit in here,” Taylor
laughed. “Let me show you the radiology department and then we can head back to
my office.”
    Bess smiled at her friends and Regina gave her the thumbs up
as they walked away.
    “Well, that’s going to help us out tremendously,” Regina
happily declared.
    “What?” a confused Ethan asked.
    “If Bess is working here every day, getting her to warm up
to you should be no problem at all!”
    *****
    Bess stood in front of the bathroom mirror brushing her hair
and pulling it back into a ponytail. Not only was she offered the job at the
hospital, but they provided her with five pairs of blue scrubs to wear to work
– the hospital administration was tired of having to pay the ER registration
employees for