Chapter 57 Two Men
"She looks rough. Should we hit up the hospital?" The coach, who'd been totally ignored, finally chimed in.
Camilla suddenly noticed she was surrounded by a bunch of people, all looking kinda relieved.
Juniper finally got it, "I already called 911. You feeling messed up anywhere else?"
"My arm might be jacked up." Camilla tried to move it. She could move it underwater earlier, but now it was totally dead.
"What went down? Why'd you just sink like that?"
Camilla paused for a sec. "I think my oxygen tank crapped out."
Juniper grabbed the oxygen tank that had been tossed aside.
The tank looked fine on the outside, but there was a tiny hole at the bottom!
Even though it was just a pinhole, it was definitely there!
Juniper's eyes zeroed in on the diving coach.
The coach, looking all serious, quickly defended himself. "No way! That's impossible! Our gear gets swapped out every year, and we do strict checks before each use. We've never had a problem in all these years! Plus, even if there was a risk, the safety zone we're in allows for quick rescues. No way someone could drown here."
Juniper got even more pissed. "So you're saying my friend is lying? Do you know what could've happened if I hadn't brought the yacht over in time?"
Camilla glanced at the coach, who was trying to explain. His nervous and anxious look didn't seem fake; he genuinely seemed confused.
Amidst the arguing, Camilla suddenly spoke up, "I ran into a shark."
Juniper was floored.
The coach was even more shocked. "No way! There are blacktip reef sharks outside the safety zone, but they usually chill in deep waters below 600 feet. They're more scared of us than we are of them and rarely attack."
Camilla spoke softly, "The camera on my diving suit should have caught everything. If you don't believe me, check the memory card now."
The coach was momentarily speechless.
"Oh my God, what went down?"
At that moment, the lifeguard Eli, who'd been MIA, finally showed up, looking shocked and clueless.
The coach, with a dark expression, wanted to deck him, "Eli, where the hell were you? Why didn't you come to the rescue right away?"
Eli raised his hands like he was surrendering, took a couple of steps back with an awkward smile, "I just hit the restroom. So what happened? Why's everyone so serious?"
Juniper was instantly furious. "How dare you say that! Aren't you the lifeguard? My friend was in trouble, desperately signaling for help, and you were MIA. I have every reason to think you bailed on purpose."
In a deep diving area, having a lifeguard is crucial. If Juniper hadn't noticed in time, Camilla could've been a goner!
Eli, of course, wasn't gonna let such a serious accusation stick. With a bit of rogue cunning, he defended himself, "I just had a stomach issue. There's no rule against using the restroom during work hours. Besides, running into some unexpected stuff in the ocean is normal. Your friend is fine, right?"
Eli shrugged, his tone indifferent, making everyone grit their teeth.
Camilla started feeling a chill. The sea breeze was making her shiver.
Juniper could see they were trying to shift the blame. She wanted to keep pushing, but hearing Camilla sneeze and cough, she decided to get her to the medical helicopter first.
At the hospital, a nurse saw Camilla was soaked and handed her some dry clothes to change into.
Juniper was worried about her hand and made sure the doc checked it out thoroughly.
Luckily, the exam showed no major issues, just a sprain that would heal in a few days.
After getting some ointment for bruises, they took the helicopter back to the island hotel.
Juniper, still pissed, went to find the hotel manager responsible for the diving services.
The manager's attitude was okay, but he kept dodging responsibility, refusing to admit it was the hotel's fault.
During the argument, Leopold happened to come back from outside. Hearing Camilla's name in their convo, he asked what was up and found out Camilla had an accident while diving.
Even though he wasn't there, he could piece together the dangerous incident from their words, feeling a bit scared.
Thinking about how timid Camilla was, always calling him to fall asleep when she was alone at home, he wondered how terrified she must be after this near-death experience.
Leopold wanted to comfort her but noticed Marcus was already there, being all attentive to Camilla.
Leopold was annoyed for a couple of seconds, then adjusted his expression and walked over.
"Camilla, I heard about what happened. The ocean is no joke. If there are any hidden injuries, it could be bad news. My family has a private hospital nearby. Let me take you there for a full check-up."
Marcus's narrow eyes slightly lifted, and he said calmly, "The hospital's exam results are on the table. Didn't you see? This hospital is good enough; no need to waste time on another check-up. Camilla's just been through a scare. What's more important now is rest, got it? It seems you're not paying attention." Marcus paused, implying, "You never know what a woman needs most."
Leopold glanced at the report on the table and sneered, "It's just a small clinic. How can you be so sure the results are accurate? The Wipere family's medical center has top-notch gear. The check-up won't even take half an hour, and seeing the results with your own eyes is more reassuring than anything!"
Marcus replied, "I don't want to argue with you now. If you really care about her, you should let her rest."
"Do you think I don't care about her? Camilla is not your employee. She doesn't need to prioritize your demands."
Camilla watched them bicker, from barely keeping it civil to outright confrontation, and felt a headache coming on.
Tired of watching them argue, Camilla decided to head back to her room.
In the darkness, Camilla looked around in confusion. A deep, eerie light surrounded her, and her body swayed with the glow.
She felt uncomfortable and tried to lift her hand, but her limbs felt heavy, like they were weighed down by stones, completely out of her control.
The fear of being dragged down, like she would fall into the abyss the next second, made her sit up in shock.
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