Chapter 89 Open Eyes
Lungs burning, throat on fire, Andrea struggled for air. Her head felt like it was caught in a vice, and then, she opened her eyes to bright lights and a fountain of water spewing out of her mouth like an angel on top of a fountain in the midst of a deluge.
“Andrea? Are you okay?” she heard Kelsey say from near her ear. She tried to turn her head to look at her friend, but everything hurt. She continue to cough and choke for a few minutes, but she still couldn’t breathe well, and her throat ached so badly, she could hardly stand it.
“Andrea, honey, the ambulance is on the way,” the nurse next to her said. “Try to take deep breaths and inhale through your nose, sweetie.”
She couldn’t speak, so she nodded and laid back, trying to rest her eyes. Vaguely, she recollected what had happened to her, but it was a bit of a blur. She remembered being in the water, that she was supposed to swim under the boat and get out of the water. But for some reason, she couldn’t.
Then she remembered, “Sven!” It came out as a croak, not strong enough for anyone to understand.
“Don’t try to talk right now, sweetie,” the nurse advised. “Just focus on your breathing.”
Andrea glanced at the faces. She saw Kelsey right next to her, Lance was there, too, and he was soaking wet, as if he’d come in to the water to get her. Cam was also dripping wet where he stood next to Lance. There were others, too, but the more she looked around, the more she became dizzy and had to close her eyes. Andrea felt herself fading away again, but she looked at Kelsey and mouthed, “Call Case.”
She nodded, and then Andrea faded away again.
The next time Andrea opened her eyes, she was in the hospital. Her hair was damp, but she was wearing dry clothes and felt he warmth of the blankets over her. A chorus of beeps and buzzes let her know she was alive, not that she had any doubt. Though her lungs were not on fire any more, she still felt awful.
“Are you with us, Andrea?” a kind voice said next to her.
She opened her eyes to see a woman wearing a nurse’s outfit. “Yes.” Her voice was a croak still, but at least she could speak. “Where’s… Kelsey?”
“She’s in the hallway, honey. She can come in after a while, after the doctor makes sure you’re all right.”
“Can you see if she called Case?” Her voice was stronger now.
“Sure. I’ll ask her. You rest. I’ll let the doctor know that you’re awake.”
Andrea nodded in thanks, and the nurse headed out the door. She wished she knew what time it was. While she didn’t feel all that great, she hoped Case wasn’t on his way to California. She knew she was going to be okay, no thanks to Sven. Had anyone seen what he’d done? Or would it be her word against his, like it had been when Sarah had done her dastardly deed the last time they worked together on a movie? If her half-sister was behind this….
Andrea’s thoughts were caught short as a man in a lab coat walked in. She assumed he must be the doctor. “Oh, good. You’re awake, Ms. Sparks. It’s nice to see your eyes. I’m Dr. Tourney.” He smiled and gave a little chuckle. The doctor looked friendly, old enough to be her dad, but certainly kinder than Alan Locke. “Let’s check your vitals.”
The doctor did his examination and nodded affirmatively with each new test. “Very good. Everything seems to be returning to normal, young lady. Your oxygen levels are a little low, but I expect them to keep improving. We’ll keep you overnight, but I believe you’ll be ready to go home tomorrow. Do you have any questions, dear?”
Andrea swallowed hard. It was good to hear she was going to be okay, but she needed more answers. “Where are the police?” she asked.
“Police? Wasn’t this an accident, Ms. Spars? My understanding is you were filming a scene and your costume got caught on one of the props, a large boat. When the scuba diver came over to help you, you panicked, and fought him. Both of you almost drowned because you pulled the respirator away from him, and neither of you could use it.”
Andrea shook her head. “No, that’s not what happened. I didn’t get caught under the boat. He grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. He wasn’t our normal diver, Doctor Tourney.” She prayed he’d believe her, even though it sounded ridiculous coming out of her mouth.
The doctor’s forehead crinkled. “Aren’t there cameras under the boat?”
“Yes, but they don’t cover everything. I want to talk to the police.”
“Okay. I’ll… go make some phone calls.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Andrea felt relieved that he seemed to believe her, but the stress of speaking to the police and everything else it could mean was unsettling. Last time, she’d decided to go with what the studio said and not press charges against Sarah, but this time, she wanted to fight. Sven had tried to kill her, and he needed to pay. Whether or not Sarah had anything to do with it or not remained to be seen.
A moment later, Kelsey came flying in the door. “Oh, Andrea. Thank God! I was so scared. Are you okay?”
“I’m okay. Please tell me Case isn’t on his way here, though.”
“Are you kidding? He called me before the ambulance even got to the hospital. He should be landing any minute.”
Andrea hung her head. She hated making him interrupt his schedule, but at least she’d get to see him. “I’m fine.”
“Thank God. It took three people to get you out from under the boat. Sven was doing his best, but he couldn’t breathe either.”
“No, Kelsey. That’s not what happened. I wasn’t stuck. Sven wasn’t trying to help me. He was trying to kill me.”
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