instructions.
'Go ahead,' Platt told him. 'Proceed with your normal routine.' But before Dr. Anslo began the Y incision down Ronnie Towers's chest, Platt said to him, 'Do you mind if I take this for twenty-four hours.' He pointed at Ronnie's prosthetic.
'You want to take his leg?' This time Anslo didn't need a facial expression to show his disgust. His voice did it for him.
Without apology, Platt said, 'Yes. Would that be okay?'
'I'll have the diener help you fill out the necessary form. May I proceed?' He pointed his chin toward his hands waiting over the boy's chest.
Platt nodded. As a medical doctor, cutting into live tissue was lifesaving. Cutting into dead tissue seemed ... such a waste. He was relieved when Anslo turned his back to him so he couldn't see Platt wince.
CHAPTER 20
Liz felt the adrenaline kick in again. The wind continued to whip at her. It took Kesnick three attempts to deploy her within reach of the fishing cruiser. Once, the wind shoved her over it. The second time her toes brushed the rail before the waves swept the tilted deck and the boat out of reach. The whole time she kept her eye on the dog, making sure it didn't decide to protect its master by attacking her. The dog, however, just watched.
The third time a wave crested and shoved the boat up to meet her. Liz kicked her feet out, twisting and jerking her body until she touched the deck. She prayed that her flippers didn't trip her as she caught the slippery railing with her heels just as Kesnick loosened the deployment cable. She slid down between the tilted deck and the railing.
The dog had stayed put, watching his master, almost pointing his nose into the water. His eyes followed Liz. Despite the howl of the wind and the crash of the waves she thought she could hear the dog moan. That's when she noticed the second dog inside the cabin. From the helicopter, the roof had hidden his existence. He was larger than the first dog but his weight didn't cause a shift. He paced back and forth, following the natural sway of the disabled boat.
Liz kept herself from glancing up at the helicopter. No sense in telegraphing this problem too early.
Kesnick gave more slack for her to maneuver over the sinking boat. She knew her extra weight could capsize it. She crawled slowly toward the man. He wasn't moving. It wasn't until she was within five feet that she saw his eyes watching her. A good sign. Shock hadn't completely debilitated him.
His arm draped over the railing was the only thing that prevented him from floating away from the boat, but it lay at an odd angle. He wasn't hanging on. He was caught, the arm most likely broken. It must have happened when he flipped overboard, keeping him out of the water from the waist up. That is, when the waves weren't crushing his legs against the boat.
When Liz could safely reach out without further tilting the deck, she grabbed on to his life jacket. His eyes grew wider. The slight movement had reminded him of the pain. She wouldn't be able to use the quick strop on him. The harness was meant to fit under the survivor's arms. She'd need them to deploy the basket. She took a cable hooked to her belt and started to wind it around the man's waist. If nothing else, it would prevent him from getting sucked under the boat if it capsized.
Then she waved up at the helicopter, giving the signal to send down the basket. This, too, presented a challenge. The winds swept the basket in every direction but down to Liz. They couldn't put it in the water for the same reason she had attached the cable to the man's waist. The basket could get sucked under. Kesnick would need to place it right on the deck, steadying it with the cable so it didn't add weight to the boat.
This took several tries.
'I'm not going without my dogs,' the man told Liz as she wrestled him up.
'I've been told the dogs can't go. They'll need to wait for the cutter.'
He shoved at her, wincing at the pain in his arm. 'Then I'll wait with them.'
Again, Liz avoided glancing up at the helicopter. Had they seen him push her away? They might just think she hurt him. 'Either one of them a biter?' she asked.
He was silent and she knew immediately that he didn't want to condemn one or the other.
'Sir, you're gonna have to trust me.'
'He only did it once and he was defending me.'
'This one,' she said turning her head, avoiding any gestures the helicopter crew might interpret.
'Yeah, Benny.'
'And the other one?'
'He's a big baby. Can't you tell?' he said with a smile, but it disappeared when he said, 'I didn't buy them life jackets. I can't believe I thought I'd save a couple of bucks.' He shook his head, biting his lip. But it wasn't pain this time. It was regret. 'You can't leave them. Please.'
Liz guessed the guy was in his forties, small-framed--thank God--and an amateur fisherman. Later she'd ask if the boat was new, perhaps a splurge. His foolish attempt at recreation had almost cost him his life. And now she knew it might very well cost her own neck.
CHAPTER 21
Maggie slid into a position close enough to the open doorway that she could watch Bailey. Whatever the woman had given her earlier seemed to be helping. She wasn't nauseated; however, her stomach dived every time Bailey plunged. It didn't matter that the rescue swimmer was attached to the helicopter by a cable. Each attempt to drop her onto the boat looked more like a circus stunt gone horribly wrong.
Kesnick relayed every move step-by-step to his other two crew members. Minutes ago he said there might be a problem.
'The guy's refusing to get into the basket.'
'From what I've heard,' Ellis said, 'she was able to talk her way around some real crazies in New Orleans after Katrina.'
'What do mean, talk her way around?' Wilson wanted to know.
'You heard about some of the situations. The crew would hover down over a flooded area where a couple of people were stranded, and as soon as the rescue swimmer got down there other people swarmed out demanding rescue. Some nasty dudes, too. I guess Bailey had to tell them women and children or injured got first priority. They didn't much like it.'
'So what happened?'
'She said what she needed to, to get them to listen to her.'
'Humph.'
Maggie glanced over at Wilson. His grunt sounded like he wasn't impressed.
'She's getting him in the basket,' Kesnick announced.
'All right.' Ellis pumped a fist.
'It's about time. Pull him up,' Wilson told him.
'No signal yet.'
More minutes ticked by and then Maggie realized what Bailey was up to right about the same time Kesnick did. She saw him glance back at his pilot as if looking for a way to not report what was going on below.
'What's the holdup?' Wilson wanted to know.
No answer.
'Kesnick, what the hell's going on?'
'I think she's bringing the dog up with the guy.'
'She's not bringing up that dog, Kesnick.' Wilson's anger rocked the controls and the helicopter jerked to the right.
