Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18 Dan had heard of people being "in shock" before. He thought it meant like being really stunned so you couldn't talk or even get your breath. This was different. He was breathing in tiny shallow gasps, trembling all over. His skin was cold and clammy; he felt cold inside, too. He had heard the ambulance attendant say it to Amy and Nellie. "He's in shock. We'll take care of him." How long had it been? Since Amy had left him in the water to run and call for help; since she'd come back; since he had heard the wail of sirens, and the beach had filled up with people— police and ambulance and rescue, people milling around everywhere, and none of them mattered to Dan. Only one person mattered. Lester. They'd had to drag Dan out of the water. He was okay, he kept telling everyone, he was fine, it

was Lester who was in trouble, he had to find Lester. They had brought Lester up onto the beach, and Dan was still okay then; he had knelt next to Lester while the EMTs worked on him for what seemed like hours. A police officer wanted to interview him; he refused to budge from Lester's side, but he told the officer what had happened, beginning with Hugo and Anton chasing Lester out into the ocean, and how Lester had helped them escape from the quicksand. The police officer had been very gentle with him, not asking any hard questions, so Dan didn't have to explain why the two thugs had been chasing Lester in the first place. Finally, they had taken Lester away on a stretcher. And even then Dan might have been okay, but as one of the EMTs closed the ambulance's bay doors, she looked at the police officer standing nearby and shook her head, and Dan could see it in her eyes, could see beyond any doubt, that there was no hope for Lester. That was when he had gone into shock. Amy had been by his side, she had caught him as he fell

to his knees, and then another EMT made him lie on a stretcher and put blankets on top of him, but still he couldn't get warm, and now that was all he could think about, how cold he was, shivering, shaking, his teeth chattering, cold to the very middle of his bones. So cold that he'd never ever ever be able to feel warm again. The hospital was keeping Dan overnight "for observation." A nurse came into the room from time to time, but she didn't need to do much observing. Amy was doing it for her. She hadn't left Dan's side for hours. When the EMTs had put him in the ambulance, they had tried to explain that minors weren't allowed to ride along, but Amy had spoken to them so firmly that Nellie looked at her in surprise. "I'm his only relative here, and she's our guardian," Amy had said, pointing at Nellie. "She's giving me permission to ride with him." And without waiting for a response, she had climbed into the ambulance.

Dan hadn't said a word since going into shock. He had looked at her just once, with so much bewilderment and grief in his expression that her eyes had instantly filled with tears. Finally, he had fallen asleep, and Nellie had made her sit in an armchair in the corner of the room with stern instructions to get some rest. Then Nellie had left to go talk to Miss Alice. Poor Miss Alice… Amy could hardly bear to think of her. She was so old… would she survive the shock of hearing the news? Amy woke an hour or so later. Before her eyes were even fully open, she was stumbling to Dan's bedside again. Nellie was right beside her. As if sensing their presence, Dan stirred. Amy waited until he sat up a little, then poured him a drink. Nellie reported that Miss Alice's niece was driving down from Montego Bay to be with her, and that Miss Alice appeared to be bearing the news with considerable strength. "She's pretty tough," Nellie said, admiration in her voice.

With a start, Amy remembered something. "Where's the box?" she asked. It was ages since she had last thought about it. "We split up on the beach," she explained to Dan. "Nellie had the box." "Don't worry, it's safe," Nellie said, waving her hand as if brushing off the question. Amy frowned. "Where?" "I said it's safe," Nellie replied. "But why won't you say where?" "Can't you trust me for once—" "Stop it! Just stop it!" Dan's voice was anguished. Stunned, both girls stared at him. Amy saw that he was clutching the bedsheet in both hands, so tightly that his knuckles were white. "I don't care about the stupid box anymore," he said, his voice cracking with strain. "Lester's dead. He died because of that box. If it were here, I'd smash it into a million pieces." Tears began streaming down his cheeks. "I'd give up the box, and every clue, and the million dollars, too," he whispered, "if it would bring Lester back."

Amy had never seen him so miserable. She got up from her chair and sat on the bed next to him. Gently, she pried one of his hands loose from the sheet and took it in hers. For what felt like a long time, the room was quiet except for the sound of Dan's sniffles. Amy waited until his tears stopped. With her free hand, she gave him a tissue from a box on the nightstand. She restrained her impulse to wipe his nose for him; she was pretty sure he wouldn't like that. Dan wiped his eyes first. Then he blew his nose. It sounded exactly like a goose honking. A tiny giggle escaped from Nellie; she immediately looked contrite and pretended to clear her throat. Dan blew his nose again. This time, it sounded like a goose honking while being tortured. Nellie burst out laughing, and Amy would have been appalled except that she found herself laughing, too. For a brief moment, Dan looked indignant, and then he was laughing hardest of all. It was one of those things that none of them