Complete the Story 22 of 198

 The Lake was still and shiny as glass, as if he could step on it and walk all the way across. It was one of those nights when it actually seemed possible. He stood there, breathing deep as he imagined himself swimming all the way across. It was all that he could do. It was his only option. The boat would not start and there was no other way off of this small island other than to swim. In normal circumstances they might brave the night & wait till morning. By then be it fishermen, boaters or the occasional sight seeing scenic plane tour guide, sooner or later someone was bound to see them and bring them back to the mainland. These were anything other than normal circumstances. Jeremiah had been bitten by a venomous snake and Cody knew that time was something that he was not given. He had to get to help and he had to get it as soon as possible. 

He was full of emotions, anger and fear. Jeremiah had seen the snake and went over to pick it up. Why couldn't he have just left it alone? The warning they had been taught when they were little had cemented itself in Cody's brain the moment he had first heard it, but Jeremiah always got it turned around. It was red on black, friend of jack. Red on yellow, I'll kill you fellow. Jeremiah had switched it around. He thought it was red on yellow, I'm a friendly fellow. Red on black, I'll kill you jack.  

"It's a scarlet king snake." Jeremiah argued. 

"No, it's a coral snake!" Cody screamed. "And the damn thing just bit you!" 

As the two walked back to the boat Cody couldn't help but feel resentment against Jeremiah. They weren't even supposed to be here to begin with. He had gone over to stay the night at Jeremiah's house, lying to his own parents that Jeremiah's single mother would be home all night. Truth was she worked as a bar tender at a club that was open till 4:00 a.m. and she usually didn't get home until 5:00.  

"We can go out to the island," Jeremiah had suggested to him. "Take the boat and go fishing." 

Cody tried to talk Jeremiah out of it as he suggested watching movies or playing video games but Jeremiah had his mind made up. Ever since his Grandpa had taken them out to the island, it seemed it was always where Jeremiah wanted to be. Cody figured it was because living in the populated area of Florida that they did, it was one of the only places where Jeremiah ever felt at peace. He wasn't a real people person and he enjoyed being alone. It didn't get anymore "alone" than the island. 

"It won't start." Cody kept turning the key but the boat would not start. They tried to start it manually but it wouldn't start that way either. 

"Something's wrong with the engine," Jeremiah said as he starred at the bite marks on his hand. 

Cody knew it was useless as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and tried to dial 911. There was never any reception at the island.  He watched as Jeremiah tried to dial out on his phone as well.  

"Shit!" Jeremiah repeated it over and over again. "Shit! Shit!" 

"Don't panic." Cody said to him. 

"What do you mean don't panic?" Jeremiah was almost in tears. "I just got bit by a f'n coral snake. I'm gonna die out here!" 

"No you're not." Cody said to him. "Please calm down. If you panic your heart will beat faster and your blood will pump faster. That'll pump the venom through you faster and it'll kill you faster. Please calm down. Breath as slowly as possible." 

Cody grabbed a big blanket from the boat as he laid it on the ground.  They had already built a fire as Cody stoked it as much as he could hoping that it would burn through the rest of the night. 

"Lay as still as possible," He told Jeremiah. "Don't move." 

"What are you going to do?" Jeremiah asked. 

"Go get help." 

It was a little less than half a mile to the shore. About 7 football fields. Cody had never swam that far in his life. Conditioning was the least of his worries though.  These waters were known to frequent Gators and although it was rare for them to attack during the fall weather, Cody knew that you could never rule it out completely. The temperature was in the high 60's, just below the 70 degree marker that experts claim is the bare minimum that one should enter the water. While the jaws of an alligator might not clamp down on him, he might very well feel the bite of hypothermia.  Still he knew that while death might come for him in that water, it would come for Jeremiah if he didn't jump in. He took a big breath and before he knew it he was submerged in the lake  heading towards the shore. 

As he swung his arms and kicked his legs in what is known as the American Crawl, he wondered how much time had already passed.  From the snake bite to trying to start the boat to calming Jeremiah down and stoking the fire, all of it had to have taken at least five minutes.  At this point, he was probably up to at least 10. As he starred ahead all he could see throughout the black darkness was a dim light that shined on the porch of the Hansen house. They were a rich family, both doctors with lake side property who often vacationed in the winter. They usually didn't take off until around the end of November, but every once in a while they'd leave earlier.  While everyone else from everywhere else seemed to come to Florida during these times, the Hansen's often left to avoid the tourist. Cody could only hope this wasn't one of those times. If they were home, he could arrive on the shore and be at their house within minutes.  If they were not home, the next house was at least another mile if not more up the road. 

He wondered how Jeremiah was faring. He knew the venom of some snakes worked slow while the venom of other snakes worked fast. He couldn't remember if Coral snake venom was a venom that would kill you in 20 minutes or if it was one that took more time. Of course he hoped for the latter but couldn't help but fight thoughts of the prior. He imagined showing up with help and Jeremiah lying dead on the ground. The thoughts gave him a second wind as he somehow found the strength to throw his arms and kick his legs harder.  

In what seemed like forever, the top of his right foot came down and hit something that felt scaly. His mind went into a panic as his first thought was that it had to be an alligator. He put his foot down again as he realized it was only the rocks buried within the mud.  He was close to the shore.  In a dead sprint he made it to the land as he ran up the hill to the Hansen's house. His only guide, the porch light that they always left on. Reaching the the porch, he beat as hard as he could on the door as he began to here the sound of a dog barking. 

Exhausted he collapsed on the porch in relief and hope. The Hansen's always took their dog with them whenever they left for vacation. They had not taken off yet. Nevertheless it still seemed to take forever before other lights turned on and the door finally opened. 

"Wendy?" Cody was surprised to see it was only the Hansen's 12 year old daughter, who was two grades behind him. 

"Cody?" She said. "What are you doing here? It's 1:00 a.m." 

"Are you parents home?" Cody asked. "This is an emergency. I need to see your mom and Dad." 

"Mom's visiting Aunt Cheryl in Vermont. Dad had to go to the E.R." 

"Can I have your cell phone?" 

"I don't have it."

"You don't have it!?!?!" 

"I had it taken away from me, " Wendy said. "I got in trouble yesterday. What's wrong?" 

"We were out on the island," Cody explained. "Jeremiah got bit by a coral snake." 

Suddenly Wendy matched Cody in his concern.  Cody sucked the wind remembering how he had told Jeremiah about a half hour earlier not to panic.  Did he have enough energy to run to the next house on down the road. Even when he was completely fresh the mile run during P.E. had taken him about seven and a half minutes. How long would it take now that his legs and arms felt like jello from the swim? 

"I'm gonna have to try and make it to the next house," He said. "Do you think they're home?"

"Wait," Wendy said. "We can take our other car." 

Wendy took off and was back within what seemed like only a few seconds. She threw the keys at him. 

He was freshly 14. He had never driven a car before. He knew Wendy had never driven one either.  This wasn't the best of ideas, but it was their best option. 

They ran out to the car as they got inside. Cody had seen his parents as well as many others do this plenty of times before. It couldn't be that hard. Yet when he put the car in reverse and put his foot down on the pedal, the wheels screech as they came within millimeters of hitting the white picket fence that surrounded the yard. 

"Don't hit the gas pedal so hard."  

Cody had figured that out for himself. 

As bumpy as the ride was, they were heading toward the hospital.  Of all the things that had gone wrong, Cody was thankful that the hospital was on the outskirts of town. One of the first buildings you arrived at as you entered the community. 

They pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance as Cody put the car into park and the two of them ran in. He ran up to the woman at the front desk. 

"My friend has been bitten by a coral snake!" He yelled at her. 

Soon Cody and Wendy were in a room as Cody explained the situation to the to a team of medical experts. 

The one grabbed his walkie talkie as he held it up to his mouth. 

"Prep the copter," He said as he looked at Cody.  "You're coming with us." 

Cody had seen the hospital helicopters many times throughout his life. He always wondered what it'd be like to fly in one although he thought he'd never get to.  Now he was following a group of medical staff as they led him outside and into the the front seat of one of them. All in all there besides him there was the pilot and two medics. 

"You are sure it was a coral snake?" The one said to him as the other prepared needles that Cody could only assume were full of antivenin.  

"Yeah," Cody answered. "Red, yellow, black." 

"This is the Island in the middle of May's lake?" 

"Yeah," Cody answered. 

"What side are you guys on? What should we look for?" 

"A white motorboat and a fire. It should still be burning." 

By the time Cody had jumped into the water until he had arrived at the hospital had to have taken at least an hour. Maybe more. The helicopter ride took took all of five minutes.  As they spotted the fire, the pilot landed the helicopter on the shore right next to the water.

"Wait here," The one said to Cody.

It was the longest wait of Cody's life. He feared what they might find when they came up to that fire. Would they find Jeremiah's lifeless body? Would he have succumbed to the venom yet? Would Jeremiah be on his last leg? Vomiting and convulsing?  What would his condition be? Had Cody made it in enough time?  As he sat there waiting he began to shake at the thought of the medics bringing the corpse of his friend back to the helicopter. Would they really do that? If Jeremiah was dead would they really bring his body to the helicopter and bring it back to the hospital? Or would they leave it out there and come back for it later?  He closed his eyes as he began to remember the first time Jeremiah's grandfather had taken them to the Island. 

"Someday I'm sure you'll be big enough to come out here by yourselves," He had said to them. 

"Yeah," Jeremiah had said. "Once I'm big enough, I'll be out here all the time." 

"Promise me one thing," His Grandpa said as he grabbed him by the shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Never come out here alone. Always come together." 

Jeremiah and Cody both promised but there words weren't good enough for Jeremiah's Grandpa. 

"Your hands on it" He insisted.  

He held out his hand and Jeremiah put his on top of it and Cody put his hand on top of his. It was the solid oath of Jeremiah's family. If you gave your hand on something, it was gold. 

"Cody?" 

It was the greatest noise that Cody had ever heard. It was Jeremiah's voice. He opened his eyes. He couldn't believe what he saw.  The medics were lifting Jeremiah into the Helicopter on a padded gurney. Jeremiah didn't look any different than what he had when Cody had left him. His face wasn't pale. His eyes weren't dim. Hell, he didn't even look sick. Spent from the exhaustion of worry but nowhere near the ready to be put six feet under that Cody had expected to see him in. 

"Lay back," The Paramedic said to him. "Be still but keep your eyes open. Look at me. Watch me."

Cody was confused. Happy, but confused. It made no sense to him that Jeremiah was in such good shape. He was glad he was in such good shape, but it made no sense. 

A few moments later they were back at the hospital. Jeremiah was wheeled away as Cody was taken to another area where Wendy was. 

"Is he ok?" Wendy asked. 

"I think so," Cody answered. 

"Was he really sick?" Wendy asked. "Was he able to talk?" 

"Yeah," Cody said. "He was talking. He seemed to be just fine." 

Wendy had the same look of relieved yet confused that Cody did. 

The two sat in the room both with a million thoughts racing through their heads but neither said anything.  

"So how did our car ride?" 

Cody looked up. It was Wendy's father, Dr. Hansen. 

"Yeah," Cody said as he stood up. "I'm sorry about that." 

"No," Dr. Hansen said to him as he reached out and patted him. "There's nothing to be sorry about. It was an emergency. You had to help your friend." 

Cody smiled. "Yeah, how is he?" 

"Just fine," Dr. Hansen smiled. "It was a dry bite." 

"What do you mean a dry bite?" Cody asked. 

"Sometimes Coral snakes as well as other snakes will bite defensively without injecting venom. Their venom is very precious to them. If they don't have to use it they won't." 

"You mean to tell me that Jeremiah wasn't even envenomated?" 

"No." 

Cody hung his head. He felt really stupid. He had bared a lake known to have alligators in what could have very well been hypothermic temperatures over 700 yards to be told that Jeremiah's life hadn't even been in danger. 

"What's wrong?" Dr. Hansen asked. 

"I feel like an idiot," Cody answered. "I feel like a fool." 

"Son," Dr. Hansen grabbed him in a hug. " You are anything but an idiot. You are anything but a fool. You thought your friend was in danger and you risked your own life to save him."