Lies and Weddings(32)
“I’m bleeding to death!”
Eden nodded. “Looks like it could use a few stitches.”
Solène cursed herself. She had only meant to fall slightly and pretend to twist something, but she had done too good a job. Now she was in real pain, and the Jacquemus dress she had planned to wear tonight would not go well with crutches. Freddy returned with a towel soaked in water, and he began pressing it against the open gash in her knee.
“Oooh. Merci, Freddy. That feels good,” Solène said as Freddy continued to squeeze water onto her wound.
“Wait a minute…where did you get that water?” Rufus asked.
“From the stream over there,” Freddy replied.
Rufus gave Eden a slightly ominous look. “Uh…that stream is teeming with leptospirosis.”
“Brilliant,” Eden said flatly.
“What’s that?” Solène asked.
“It’s a flesh-eating bacteria,” Rufus blurted out before he could stop himself.
“Shit on my dick!” Freddy cursed.
Solène began to whimper. “Am I to lose my whole leg?”
“Not necessarily,” Rufus replied.
“It’s all my fault!” Freddy cried, throwing up his hands in despair.
“She’ll be fine, Freddy,” Eden said calmly. “Solène, your exposure to the water has been minimal, and we don’t know if it’s actually contaminated. My main concern is to get the swelling down on your ankle. Let’s get your foot on ice, and we’ll also get you some antibiotics for the Leptospira, just to be on the safe side.”
“Put your arms around my shoulders. Let’s get you back to the car,” Rufus said to Solène, who looked up eagerly. That was the best thing she’d heard all day. Rufus was going to take her in his arms and carry her up the cliff as though they were reenacting a scene from Poldark.
“Wait, wait, I have a better idea. We can get a chopper evac. I have an emergency evac service that can land right here on this beach,” Freddy said, springing into action as he began jabbing his phone.
Skip Notes
* Tintagel Castle in modern times is part of the land holdings of the Duke of Cornwall, a.k.a. the Prince of Wales, a.k.a. Prince William, a.k.a. Willy the Wombat.
X
Mauna Lani Resort
WAIMEA, HAWAII ? TWO HOURS LATER
“That was some impressive stitching there, Dr. Tong,” Rufus remarked.
“Yes, I still cannot believe you did it so quickly!” Solène said as she lay comfortably ensconced on the bed in her suite at the Mauna Lani resort, her ankle elevated on a pile of pillows and cocooned in ice packs after Eden had properly disinfected and stitched up her wound.
“You’re lucky you only needed a few stitches,” Eden said as she handed Solène a bottle of pills. “Take two of these every four hours.”
“Will there be any side effects?” Solène asked as she readjusted her silk robe to display just a little too much thigh.
“It’s only azithromycin, so any adverse effects are unlikely. Perhaps some abdominal cramping, loose stools—”
“Okay, enough! Stop!” Solène sputtered in embarrassment, stopping Eden from going any further. She couldn’t deal with such frank medical talk when she was lying in bed trying to look seductive. “I’m not sure how I can ever thank you properly. Tell me, do you prefer the Kelly or the Birkin?”
“Birkin?” Eden was confused.
“Maybe you want a little black Kelly?”
“I’m sorry, I’m not following you.”
“My family has a special relationship with Hermès. I could get you on the VIP list for a Kelly handbag. You would only have to wait two or three years, maximum.”
“Oh. That’s so kind of you, but it’s really not necessary,” Eden said, not bothering to mention that she had a trunk full of Kellys and Birkins and Gabrielle Hobos that had belonged to her mother that she couldn’t bear to use. “Now, get some rest before the wedding and be sure to take two more pills at four p.m.”
“Ah, yes! I would not want this thing to devour my flesh.”
Freddy grimaced at the thought. “Yikes! Definitely not. Again, I’m so sorry, Solène! I know it’s not even noon yet, but I could really use a drink. Can I buy everyone a round, especially our heroine here?”
“Our heroine definitely deserves a drink!” Rufus concurred.
“Oh, I don’t think I should drink since I am taking this medication,” Solène said, not realizing that Rufus and Freddy were not referring to her.
There was an awkward pause, until Eden said, “Yes, you might want to stay off the hard stuff today. Now, do get some rest!” The three of them started to move toward the door.
“Wait! Rufus, could you maybe stay a little while? Just to make sure I have no reactions to the antibiotique?” Solène said in a babyish voice.
“Uh…sure…of course,” Rufus replied.
“We’ll be at the bar by the pool,” Freddy told Rufus as he and Eden left the room. They soon found a table by the bar overlooking the resort’s huge swimming pool, which was flanked by a sleek row of square white umbrellas and deck chairs under which guests lounged contentedly.