Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Lying in bed a few nights after her second confrontation with Bailey, Hilly couldn't turn her brain off. The summer certainly wasn't going like she'd imagined. A lot of it was turning out to be better, but some of it was a whole bunch worse.

Which, negative or positive, however, outweighed the other?

Okay. Hilly would make a list. Maybe it would work like counting sheep.

The good stuff, first.

Number one, her best friend Buffy was here, killing it as the newest member of her staff. Even before her buddy had gotten her degree in psychotherapy, Buffy had always been able to talk Hilly down off the ledge, and so far this season Buff had continuously lent her ear to Hilly, keeping her focused.

Number two. She had a stellar chef in Mrs. S. Unlike her previous two years, Hilly didn't have to give food a second thought. The woman was not only talented, she was organized and never needed hand-holding. A definite bonus.

Third on her list? She'd met and enjoyed Alvero's company, along with his help improving her ropes course, and now that he'd left, she'd made some amazing new friends. Crash and Adeline—as well as Coco. They were a bonus to have on site. She could tell, by the end of the summer, she and Adeline would be friends for life, despite the distance of an entire country between them.

Of course, the fourth positive was by far the most exhilarating. The important person who'd come into her life this season. Cisco. As much as he frustrated her with how slowly he was moving to take their relationship deeper, he'd somehow made incredible inroads into seeing that Hilly understood she really was a person of interest to him.

And that was saying something.

Her insecurities ran deep, but with the way Cisco spoke to her, looked at her, and touched her at every opportunity, those head-demons from her early years were, one by one, being put to rest.

Now, if she could just get the frustrating man to stop holding back; to up his game so she could see if he was still keen on her once they had their clothes off. She'd feel a lot better…in a whole bunch of different ways if she knew he wouldn't back away.

A shiver ran up her spine.

Mmm… Cisco naked…

Hilly snapped herself out of her X rated fantasies with reluctance, and dragged in a deep breath. It was time to go over all the fucked-up things that had happened so far this summer.

She gave a sigh, and began enumerating.

First, there'd been the offers to purchase the camp, followed by veiled threats from Langford Cottins. When she'd turned him down, flat, he'd somehow managed to bring in her bastard of a sperm donor to make her feel she didn't deserve the camp her grandmother had bequeathed to her. Her father's involvement with Cottins, thank God, had so far been an epic failure, and would continue to be so, if by some slim chance he managed to take her to court.

Hilly was fully aware why Gran had left her the property, as were her attorneys. The woman had stated—numerous times before her death—that she didn't like or trust her son; that if Hilly didn't want the camp, she'd leave it to a nature conservancy before letting Marty possess even a single tree.

Another horror—one that had taken place off site—had been Cisco getting shot. Not that it had kept the intrepid man down for more than a couple days. But Hilly hadn't bounced back as quickly. Watching footage of the event on YouTube which one of the bank hostages had recorded, she'd seen Cisco rushing the man, and the gun discharging. It had made for some rough nights' sleep. She couldn't get the thief's spewed words out of her head. Not that Cisco had mentioned them, and the networks hadn't quoted them, either. But social media sometimes revealed more than was reported. The thief had made explicit threats toward Cisco, saying he'd come after him and ruin his life.

Hilly needed to decide whether to air her concerns to Cisco, or not, determining eventually whether they had merit.

Back to camp drama, Hilly sighed, thinking of the shit that had unfolded here. Things could be worse she supposed, but not by much. Not only did she now have to keep an eye out for additional conflicts between an uncowed Bailey and some of her other counselors, she also had to worry that the nastiness Nurse Gorner had spewed before she had been escorted off the premises, would come back to haunt her.

Debbie didn't seem like the type to let bygones by bygones, so Hilly had no doubt the lush would try to make good on her parting threats; attempting to stir up trouble from afar at some point during the summer.

Was it any wonder Hilly was having trouble sleeping?

Nel must have sensed her unease, because she belly-walked her way up from the bottom of the bed to rest her head on the pillow next to Hilly, nudging her with her sweet, wet nose.

Hilly's hand went automatically to Nel's head, where she stroked the soft fur until sleep finally overtook her.

The blast of her alarm was a shock, waking Hilly far earlier than her body wanted. She groaned and hit the snooze, hoping for a few more minutes, but Nel, used to their routine, was already up and bouncing around, asking to be let out.

No doubt her dog was probably not only anxious to pee, but to see if her new bestie, Coco was out and about.

"Okay, okay," Hilly grumbled, throwing back the covers. "I'm coming."

The only good thing about waking today? It was Cisco's day to teach his self-defense courses, and Crash had agreed to put on a demonstration with the man, since they'd determined they had just about the same amount of expertise. The kids, and Hilly, would get quite the spectacle, seeing the two titans go at it.

Hilly suddenly felt energized. Being around Cisco was tops on her list these days for happiness quotients. And maybe, just maybe, the string of bad things occurring was at an end.

The police had made it pretty clear to Cottins and Marty that they weren't allowed on premise.

Bailey—Hilly hoped—was sorted.

And the existential threats? Words were cheap, and there was really little reason to believe that either the bank robber—if he were somehow out on bail—or Nurse Gorner would follow through on their nasty remarks.

Hilly did a few, quick stretching exercises before leaving her bedroom with Nel on her heels. She quickly opened the door for the dog, who took off like a shot, then she went to the old-fashioned coffee-maker her grandmother had owned, filling it up with grounds and water before turning it on. Hilly mused. It might be time to buy one of those pod things. It would certainly cut down on how much she poured down the sink at the end of each day.

Hilly headed to the single bathroom, and showered quickly before Buffy got up. She knew the noise she made wouldn't disturb her roommate. Buffy was a champion sleeper, and could snooze through a marching band.

Once she was finished, she donned her unofficial uniform of cut-offs and a t-shirt before she keyed up her mic and made the 7:30 announcements.

"Good morning, all! Another gorgeous day out there. The breakfast menu from Mrs. S today includes corned beef hash, and scrambled eggs. Make sure you fill those bellies, because instead of our regular morning routine, we're all headed out on buses for a morning hike. Our target is a short, two-mile loop, but the hill I have in mind gives us a great view of our lake when you're at the top."

It was a hike Hilly had included in her agenda for the past two seasons. The campers grumbled a bit, but ended up feeling pretty good about themselves after making the small climb. Which was the point. Hilly tried to cheer her kids on at every opportunity, showing, rather than telling them they could accomplish whatever they set out to do.

And the jaunt would also keep Hilly busy during the morning hours, hopefully stopping her brain from perseverating on Cisco's pending appearance after lunch.

Hilly gave the campers a few more tantalizing disclosures, including info about the match between Cisco and Crash that all the kids would attend later. She finished by telling them to get a move on. The buses she'd leased for the morning from the Orono School District would leave camp at nine o'clock, sharp.

The door to Buffy's room swung open, and the yawning woman emerged. "Does it have to be morning?" she groused, then stumbled over to the coffee machine, next to which Hilly had poured her a big mugful. Black.

"You're a life-saver, Hilly," she groaned, cradling the cup in both hands, breathing in the life-giving dark liquid. She took a huge gulp. "So good."

Hilly hadn't yet asked Buffy about her plans for the day. "Are you hanging out here, or would you like to go hiking with us?" she asked.

"It depends. What grown-ups are staying behind? You'll need some, you know, to sit out just in case a few kids opt not to participate."

"You're right," Hilly agreed with a smirk. "There are always a few who either pretend to be sick, or really are. But Adeline and Mrs. S have already said they'll keep an eye on things, here. So if you want to join us, feel free."

"I think I will," Buffy said, already looking more lively for the coffee infusion. "I need to break in my new hiking boots, after all."

An hour and a half later, Hilly counted heads as the kids and counselors headed onto the buses. Out of one-hundred campers, ninety-six had opted to go on the trip, with every counselor also joining in. This morning, at least, there seemed to be no tension amongst the teenagers, so Bailey must be behaving herself.

Hilly would supervise on one bus, while Crash and Buffy managed the other. It was a short trip to the small climb, only fifteen minutes, but the kids were bouncing off the walls, so they'd need a few well-placed words to keep them in their seats until they arrived.

By the time they got to the top of the small rise, the kids were extremely pleased with themselves, which had been the goal.

Hilly praised everyone, then let them loose to have some fun.

"Great job, guys. And now you can relax. Mrs. S has put your name on snack bags and bundled them into your labeled day-packs, so feel free to eat, then wander around and enjoy the view. But stay where we can see you. We'll hang out here for a half hour or so, then we'll head back."

Hilly settled in on a flat rock with a view of the lake, Buffy and Crash joining her.

"Man, I could get used to all this Maine wilderness," Crash stated, popping a handful of granola into his mouth. "Don't get me wrong. I love San Antonio, but this…" He swept an arm across the vista, his appreciation clear.

"This is nothing, Crash," Hilly informed him with a grin. "We Mainers don't consider this area the boonies at all. While well north of here, there's a vast area called the Hundred Mile Wilderness if you really want to get the full Maine experience."

"No thanks," Crash answered with a chuckle. "This is enough trees for me."

"Yup. The east coast has a lot to offer, Crash," Buffy put in. "You and Adeline should visit me in Boston sometime." She laid back to soak up some sun. "It's more civilized than this, but if you take a half hour to an hour's drive in most directions, you can always find some awesome hiking. Not to mention the Atlantic Ocean is right there."

"Not that you take advantage of either," Hilly teased. Her friend was normally a bookworm.

Buffy snorted. "Maybe I'm just biding my time until I can find a hot man to get active with. And speaking of hot men…"

"Nope." Hilly held up a hand. "We are not talking about Cisco with Crash listening. Do you want him to believe that all we talk about is men when we hang out?"

"Don't you?" Crash laughed. "When Adeline gets together with her posse, which is now…geeze, fifteen women strong?" He looked momentarily amazed. "They share all that shit. And I know it's true, because I get the cleaned-up versions of what they've discussed, once she's home."

Hilly grinned. "I don't?—"

"Miss Hilly! Miss Hilly! Something's wrong with Bailey!" A girl's voice interrupted, shrieking.

The three of them leapt to their feet, Crash grabbing the first-aid bag he'd brought along.

They sped across the rocks to where Bailey was clearly down on the ground, grabbing at her throat and gasping for air.

"What happened?" Crash took charge and knelt next to Bailey while Hilly and Buffy kept the kids back, all except for the one who'd alerted them.

"She was eating snacks with me, and all of a sudden she just started making an awful noise, then she fell over," the little girl, Farah, told Crash, with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Hilly's brain kicked in. "She has a peanut allergy, Crash. There must have been residue or something in her bag."

Crash quickly unzipped his medical kit with his one good hand and grabbed an epi-pen. Placing it against Bailey's thigh he depressed the auto-injector, then took it away and watched Bailey's face, carefully.

It was the longest thirty-seconds of Hilly's life, but eventually the counselor's breathing became easier, and her features relaxed.

Crash soothed her. "You're doing fine, Bailey. Everything's going to be okay."

The girl looked out of it, but managed a nod.

"Call for an ambulance," Crash told Hilly. "The epinephrine will only last in her system for twenty-minutes or so, and if she has a relapse, we want her to be enroute to the hospital."

"I'll call," Buffy said, removing her phone from her pocket, while she addressed Hilly. "You find the bag Bailey was eating out of. You might want to get it tested to see what she ingested."

While Hilly listened to Buff give details to the dispatcher in town, she laid a hand on Farah's shoulder. The little girl hadn't left Bailey's side. "Sweetie, first of all, you did good, coming to get us. But now can you tell me which bag she was eating from?" Hilly probed gently.

The child sniffed and nodded. "That one." Farah pointed to a discarded snack tote on a nearby rock. "We were sharing because I finished mine already."

If Hilly wasn't so focused on the well-being of her counselor, she might have felt elated that Bailey had been interacting nicely with one of the campers. The little girl certainly seemed to like Bailey, a lot.

"Thanks, Farrah. Try not to worry. Bailey's going to be okay."

The girl nodded, then ran to accept hugs from her friends.

Hilly walked over and retrieved the bag, which was oddly oily looking. Funny. The sacks Hilly and her friends had been eating from hadn't had anything leaching through the brown paper. Hilly stuffed the suspicious thing into her daypack. She was pretty sure Cisco could have some kind of analysis done on it.

The big question was, had this been a simple peanut oversight, or was this a deliberate attempt by someone to harm Bailey. Hilly knew there weren't many counselors who liked the girl. Maybe someone thought it would be funny to see her get sick; not knowing the seriousness of what could happen.

Hilly would try to keep an open mind until such time as they found out what was in the bag. Then, if peanuts were found, she'd interrogate every person who'd had the opportunity to handle the snack satchel.

Crash picked Bailey up, keeping his casted wrist safe while doing so. The girl had to be extremely shaken, because a normal-feeling Bailey would have reacted smugly to the muscly arms supporting her.

"I can make it to the bottom with her faster if I don't wait," Crash informed Hilly.

"Go," Hilly urged without hesitation. "We'll take care of everything here."

Crash nodded as he began to walk away. "I'll also accompany her to the hospital, and stay with her until she's in the clear."

Hilly nodded. "I'll contact her parents, and we'll send someone to pick you up once Bailey is released."

Crash gave a chin lift, then took off at an extraordinarily rapid pace. It was a good thing he'd come along, and even better that his firefighter training made him capable of carrying people over long distances.

"Okay kids." Hilly drew everyone's attention back to her. "We're headed down. Bailey's going to be okay. She's being taken to the hospital." Hilly tried to speak with confidence. She could only hope her assurances were correct.

She began gathering trash when Buffy knelt by her side.

"Do you think this was an accident?" her friend asked quietly.

Hilly sighed.

"I don't know," she replied grimly. "But I'm certainly going to find out."