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He started to shake and sob. Jenni asked if anyone standing around had some strong coffee. Or anything stronger.
A bystander pulled a flask from the pocket of his jeans and handed it to Frank Ritellli. He took a large gulp.
Jenni put her arm around him.
“He’s in expert hands now,” she said, hugging the man, and she felt him relax just a bit.
A different set of sirens started wailing in the distance and knew the rescue squad had transferred his brother to an ambulance.
He was on his way to the hospital.
Hopefully, all would be well.
She refused to believe otherwise. “You go on now,” she said. “It looks like you’re all packed up.”
Another man, Jenni guessed another brother given the resemblance to the other two, asked Jenni for her name and number which he quickly typed into his phone. “We’ll let youknow,” he said to Jenni, his voice shaking as well. “Come on, Frank, let’s go.”
As they headed off down the beach and onto the ramp in their truck, several people walked over to Jenni to shake her hand. People slowly began walking back to their stations.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Jenni became aware that Caitlin was standing almost beside her.
Now she threw her arms around Jenni and sobbed, “Oh, my God, Jenni, I know you teach classes for that and all, but it never really seemed real to me. You were so calm, and you were so, so…” Her voice trailed off. “You saved someone’s life. You didn’t panic. That’s amazing. It’s incredible. I am so frickin’ proud of you.”
Jenni finally collapsed on the sand and sat with her head in her hands.
How in the world had she handled that? And what if the man didn’t survive? Should she have done more? Something different? She felt herself sliding into self-recrimination but something deep inside reminded her that she had done the best she could do–what she had trained for since her teens.
She was still a bit out of breath, and she allowed herself to breathe deeply.
She closed her eyes and sat very still for a few moments. Then she turned to Caitlin and said, “Please help me throw all my stuff in my bag, and let’s go back to where we’re supposed to be.”
Caitlin started gathering the items that were scattered nearby. She picked up the pocket resuscitator and handed it to Jenni and asked, “Do you always carry this?”
Jenni nodded. “I do. It’s just part of my training. You don’t know how many times I’ve transferred that thing from bag to bag, but I always have it. I’ve been taught, and I teach, that you just never know.”
Jenni stood for a moment and looked out into the ocean. “I’ve never actually had to use it before but, well, I’m very glad I had it.”
As they walked slowly back to their station, several folks applauded as Jenni walked by, and her face burned red.
She knew what she had done was what she’d trained for. She hoped she’d never have to do it again. She also knew that anyone of the people she passed by could have done it too, had they taken any kind of training.
Maybe what she had done would motivate some folks. She hoped so.
Barb and May Ellen had waited by their vehicle until Jenni returned. They both hugged her intensely, and Jenni saw they were both crying.
“It’s OK,” she said, trying to calm them down. “Let’s hope Mr. Joe Ritelli, I think that’s his name, will be fine.” And with that, she took her pole, re-baited the hook, and said, “Let’s try to fish and end this tournament on a high note.”
They only had an hour or so left to fish.
Barb caught a blue, and Caitlin did as well.
Jenni was distracted and only paid a bit of attention to what her rod was doing.
She noticed she was shaking a bit and just kept trying to breathe slowly and let her adrenaline return to more normal levels.
She couldn’t seem to focus on any one thing. Her thoughts were a jumble of worry for the victim, her feelings for Caleb, and her concern for Caitlin.
