Chapter 8
8
K ylen closed his eyes and enjoyed the peaceful afternoon after the strenuous morning. Deenie scrolled through TikTok when she was tired of watching Dalton and his friends try to outdo each other with tricks. She recognized wheelies from when she was young, and kids were trying to do them on their BMX bikes. Hitting the water seemed safer than hitting the hard ground.
The whooping, hollering, and the buzzing of jet skis stopped. Deenie and Kylen turned their heads and were horrified by what they saw. One Jet Ski had flipped, and the rider had not emerged from the water. One by one, the other skiers came to his aid.
“That was Dalton because his Jet Ski had an orange stripe.” The other jet skiers hopped off their craft, and Jaylen called 911.
“Don’t go in the water, Deenie. There is a lifeguard, and all the others are diving in.”
Deenie reached into Dalton’s bag, and she knew his code so she could call his mother. She stood on the shore and saw the lifeguard bring him up and drag him to shore.
“You’re alive. I miss you, D,” his mother answered. She must have thought it was her son when his name popped up on the screen.
“Allison, this is Deenie Dixon, and I’m with Dalton by the dock. There was an accident at the river. They pulled him out of the water, and the paramedics have been called.”
The line went dead. Allison was probably on her way as she must have known the dock they were at.
Deenie dashed over to be by Dalton’s side. The lifeguard was administering CPR, and Dalton started to cough, which was an excellent sign. At least he wasn’t dead, and his most serious injury was his leg, which was mangled by the propeller. The paramedics arrived, and after checking his abdomen to make sure there was no pain coming from the area, they shifted to his left leg. A tourniquet was used to stop the bleeding. They looked at each other and shook their heads in dismay.
“Deenie,” Dalton called out. He squeezed her hand. “At least the wheelie I was doing was dope. I was trying to impress you and not fail. Next time. Will you call my mom and tell her I’ll be late for dinner.”
Dalton was in some kind of altered state or shock.
“I was impressed. You impress me even when you aren’t performing a death-defying stunt. I see your mom just pulled up. You can tell her yourself.”
Allison Wycraft flew out of her car and pushed everyone aside to reach her son. She was a wreck, as Deenie would imagine her mother would be if she was in a similar situation.
“Are you Dalton’s next of kin?” the paramedic asked.
“Yes,” Allison answered.
“Do you have any objection to us taking him to Palm Bay? We may have to move him from there, but their emergency department isn’t full, and we can stabilize your son. You can ride with us.”
“Mom, what are you doing here? Is this that serious?” Dalton asked. “Can’t I just go home with you, and you can make it all better?” Dalton asked her. The color was draining from his face because he was losing so much blood from the wound on his leg.
Kylen drove and called April to ask if he could use the car to go to the hospital. She asked him to swing by and pick her and Tabitha up first. Deenie jumped in the car, and they drove to the house. Her mother was a mess because it was not only her daughter’s boyfriend but also Marcus’ nephew, whom he practically considered a son.
Tabitha ran to Allison and asked if she needed anything, and of course, prayers were something she could provide.
“He was free ranging it this summer, and I hardly saw him. He’s so responsible and independent that I stopped worrying about him. I should have supervised him closer,” Allison said while the doctor was looking at the leg and making sure there were no internal injuries.
“No, you were giving Dalton the freedom he earned. We can’t force them to live in a bubble. I’ll call Marcus for you if you want,” Tabitha said. She hadn’t spoken to him since he left, and she wasn’t going to call him, but this was an exception.
“That’s nice of you, but I already called him. He asked that I keep him updated, but it’s difficult for him to get away. He’s hosting an open house for a five-million-dollar property. If things take a turn for the worse, then he’ll find a way to get here.”
April walked their way after having a look at his chart. “Hi, Allison. I’m April Dixon, a doctor who worked in an emergency department for twelve years. Would you mind if I talked with the doctor on your behalf? I’d recommend an orthopedic trauma surgeon be brought in because they’re excellent doctors here, but Dalton’s leg is in bad shape. They may determine that it can’t be saved, and I think otherwise, but it’s only my opinion. The biggest concern will be the cost because we may have to fly someone up from Miami.”
“Marcus said not to worry about the money. My brother would do anything for Dalton, and he’d want to do anything possible to save his leg. Make the recommendation to the doctor,” Allison said.
The nurse came out and told Allison that Dalton had been sedated so he could better deal with the pain. Deenie asked Allison if she could sit with Dalton even if he didn’t realize she was there. Allison joined her, and each took a hand. They said silent prayers.
Tabitha went with April as she spoke with the doctor in charge of Dalton’s case. “Excuse me, Doctor Flager. I’m Doctor April Dixon and Dalton’s mother permitted me to speak on her behalf.”
“I was expecting you. Mrs. Wycraft just walked by, and she mentioned that you have twelve years under your belt at the City Hospital in Tampa. I’m impressed that you’re still standing after that long tenure at that hospital,” he said.
“I changed direction after becoming woefully burned out. I’m concerned about Dalton’s leg, and I get that his chances of keeping the limb are slim. Have you considered Dr. Santorini in Miami? He’s at Presbyterian, I think unless he’s moved in the last few weeks. We had a pro football player who knew he’d never play again but wanted badly to walk. Dr. Santorini saved his leg, and now he’s a premier college coach. The family is willing to get him here if it can be arranged.”
He looked skeptical. “Getting the likes of Dr. Santorini to come all this way is not good. An NFL player and a kid who had a Jet Ski accident are entirely different.”
“A human life is a human life,” Tabitha spoke up. April nudged her.
“I get that, and it does matter. Doctors are humans, and they aren’t completely blind to extenuating circumstances. With that in mind, I’m sure I can get him to come. His daughter was in a car accident in Tampa, and I took excellent care of her. He owes me a favor,” April said. “I saw him a few months ago in Miami, and we greeted each other like old friends, so I’m pretty sure this will work.”
Dr. Flager’s look of skepticism changed to one of approval. “Be my guest and give the doctor a call. If Dalton has a chance to walk again on that leg, then let’s give it to him.”
April made the call, and Dr. Santorini was on a private jet to Melbourne Beach. The nine-hour surgery was successful, and after a tough rehabilitation schedule, he’d walk on his left leg. The doctor indicated that he would have a limp, but corrective surgeries in the future could lessen that.
Dalton came out of surgery the next day, and after family visits, Deenie was allowed in with Tabitha. He put out his hand for Deenie to grasp. He lifted it to his lips and kissed her.
“Honey, you gave us quite a scare. I got used to you sleeping on our couch, and I expect you back there soon. I’m going to leave Deenie with you. I just want you to know that you have a lot of people praying for you,” Tabitha said.
“You can count on that. I want to be anywhere this sweet daughter of yours is. Will you allow me to sleep in her room now that I’m hurt?” Dalton asked.
“In your dreams,” Tabitha said jokingly.
Tabitha was going to ask if he had spoken to Marcus, but she was sure he did. Apparently, he had not even said to pass her a hello. She took a deep breath and thought about all of the work she had done on herself as a result of her broken heart. He was a cloud over her summer, but her friend Winston helped her find a silver lining.