Rescue

Help! Help! I yell. Nobody is around to hear me. I try to focus on keeping my head above water, but the waves keep splashing my face. I'm getting tired so I look around for something to hold onto. There's a log a few feet away that might hold my weight. I swim over to the log and wrap my arms around it. I look back at my boat which is mostly underwater. Only the mast and the sail are above water now. I'm glad I didn't take my favorite boat today. My grandpa got the Oak for me when I was nine years old, and it's been my favorite ever since. Today I took Callie which my dad bought for me a few months ago. Now only the tip of the mast is visible. I'm hungry, I say out loud. Stupid Ava, I think. You're stranded in the middle of the ocean and you're thinking about how you're hungry?!? I can't see land anywhere. I was sailing for a while before Callie hit the sharp stick jutting out of the water. I float with the log for hours. I get really hungry, thirsty, cold, and tired. Sometime after that, I passed out.

Mae Potts was admiring the wonderful weather when she saw an unconscious girl around sixteen years old floating on a log near the side of her ship. She hurriedly dropped the anchor and lowered her rowboat. She climbed into her rowboat and rowed over to where the girl was. The girl had long brownish reddish hair and had nothing on her except her very wet clothes. Mae pulled the girl into her rowboat and rowed back to her ship. She put the girl into her guest room and directed her ship to the nearest hospital. When they got to the port, Mae called an ambulance to take the girl to the Emerson Valley Hospital. When the ambulance came, Mae decided to go too and see what would happen to the girl. At the hospital the paramedics put the girl in room six after doing a quick checkup in the ambulance. The paramedics told Mae she could wait in the waiting room or stay in room six with the girl. Mae decided to stay with the girl until the doctor got to them. Five minutes later the doctor came in. He said hello and introduced himself as Dr. Cedar. “Who is this?” he asked Mae, gesturing towards the girl. “I'm not sure” answered Mae. “I was taking a ride in my boat when I found her hanging onto a log near the side of my ship. She was really cold, so I gave her a blanket and I think she's warmed up”. “Hmm” said Dr. Cedar as he checked the girl for signs of drowning. “She's very alive and seems to be healthy”. “Good,” said Mae. They talked for a bit longer and when the girl still hadn't woken up, she decided to leave. “Before you go,” said Dr. Cedar, “can I have your name?” “Yes,” replied Mae. “My name is Mae Potts”. Then Mae left to continue her voyage. Dr. Cedar did a couple more tests on the girl and when he was satisfied with the results, he left and got Nurse Anne to stay with the girl and told her to get him if the girl woke up. So, Nurse Anne stayed with the girl for four hours before the girl woke up. Nurse Anne ran into the hallway. “Dr. Cedar!” she called. “The girl is waking up!” Dr. Cedar came as soon as he was available. The girl was indeed waking up. She was still laying down, but she was confusedly looking around. “Hello there,” said Dr. Cedar. 

When I open my eyes the first thing, I see is a very white ceiling. I close my eyes again. Then someone comes into the room, so I open my eyes again. This time I look around me. “I'm in a hospital” I think. I'm in a bed and there is a chair next to the bed. Across the room next to the door there is a desk with a computer. There are also a lot of machines but I'm not sure what they do. The person who came into the room is a man who looks like a doctor and behind him is a woman who is probably a nurse. The doctor walks up to my bed and says, “Hello there”. I try to say hi, but it comes out more like “uh”. “I'm Dr. Cedar” says the doctor. “And I'm Nurse Anne,” says the nurse. “Can you talk?” asks Dr. Cedar. “Kind of” I croak. “Great!” said Dr. Cedar. “So, you think you can answer some questions?” “Sure” I reply. “Good.” says Dr. Cedar.

“Does anything hurt?”

“My head hurts”

“Do you remember your name and age?”

“Umm…my name is Ava Jones and I'm…17 years old. I think.”

“Ok. A nice woman named Mae Potts found you in the water and brought you here, do you know why you were in the water?”

“I was sailing, and my boat hit a sharp stick and sank.”

“Were you by yourself?”

“Yes”

“Why?”

“I do it all the time to get away from life.”

“Were you wearing a life jacket?”

“Well…no.”

“You should always wear a life jacket when you're on the water.”

“I know…”

“Where did you sail from?”

“West Beach. Where am I now?”

“You're in Emerson Valley.”

“Oh.”

“Do you have family nearby?”

“No”

“Are your parents in West Beach?”

“No. My parents travel for work, and I live on my own”

“Do you have a job?”

“No. My parents give me money for anything I want and need.”

“Ok. Do you have a boyfriend or fiancé who could come pick you up in a couple days?” “No, but I have a friend who might be able to.”

“Alright. That's all of my questions. I'll let you rest. If you need anything you can press this button on the bed and Nurse Anne will come and help you, ok?”

“Ok.”

And a minute or two later, I fell asleep.

“Wake up, '' someone says into my ear. I open my eyes and see Nurse Anne looking at me. It's breakfast time, she says. I remember that I am quite hungry. I haven't eaten since yesterday! Nurse Anne leaves the room and comes back carrying a tray with applesauce, eggs, toast, and a cup of orange juice. When I finish eating, Nurse Anne takes my tray away and Dr. Cedar comes in. “I think you're ready to go home today if you feel up to it” he says. “Do you have a phone I can borrow to call my friend and see if she is available to pick me up?” I ask. Dr. Cedar nods and takes a phone with a bright blue phone case out of a canvas bag. “My phone!” I exclaim. “The coast guard saved some of your stuff, but your boat is long gone,” Dr. Cedar explains. I call my friend, Sara, and she says she can come pick me up in an hour or two. Soon I'm saying bye and thank you to Nurse Anne and Dr. Cedar. On the way home Sara demands to hear what happened to me, so I tell her all that I know. “How are you going to find Mae Potts? You've never seen her.” Sara says. I honestly don't know how I'll find Mae Potts, but I'll figure it out eventually. 

The next day I decide to take a walk around town. I buy a book at the bookstore and take it to the coffee shop to read and drink some coffee. I find a comfy chair and start my book. About ten minutes later I feel a tap on my shoulder. I look over and see a strong looking woman standing behind me. “Are you the girl who is floating on a log in the ocean?” she asks. “Are you Mae Potts?!?” I exclaim. “Yes, I am” she replies. “I was going to look for you to say thank you for saving me! It's there anything I can do for you?” I say. “It wasn't a big deal.” Mae says. “But there is one thing you can do. I'm going to Ireland, and I would like someone to go with me. Would you like to go with me in my boat?” “Yes!” I say excitedly. “But are you sure this is all I can do to repay you for your kindness?” “Yes,” Mae replies. “I'm sure I will have a very good trip with you on board with me”. Mae smiles and leads me to her boat. “Are you ready?” she asks me. “Yes,” I answer.