The Jabberwock

“I basically knew that, just count it,” Charlie tries to argue.

“Charlie when you can correctly answer each question, I’ll pass you. Take the sheet and go over it some more. I need to help Audrey with Level one,” I say. It was the same conversation with her every day. Charlie trying to skip a level, and me trying not to curse out a 13-year-old.

“Ugh fine,” she responds. “But you said I could steer today, can we just skip this.”

“No, I need to do something else. You can later.”

“Ugh, fine.”

After a week of this back-and-forth arguing about Charlie’s sailing knowledge, I was tired. I dig through the lockers for Audrey’s Level One sheet, feeling guilty because I hadn’t been able to give her any attention all week because of Charlie’s excessive bickering. Through the mess of ropes and sweaters, I find the Level One sheet.

“Okay, Audrey ready-” I look over to her and she was holding her face then dark red liquid leaks out from between her fingers.

“I’m bleeding,” she says through her hands.

“Uh, hold on I’ll get you some tissues,” I say.

 She seemed scared by the way her shoulders were hunched and was clutching her nose as if it was about to fall off her face if she let go. This was just a normal nosebleed, so there’s nothing to worry about. I get back into the locker for the first-aid kit quickly while trying to steer at the same time, knowing if she got blood on the boat I’d have to be the one to clean it. Christian, the second instructor onboard, was spaced out, distracted by who knows what. I slip on some surgical gloves and pass Audrey a few tissues and alcohol wipes.

“I think she needs more tissues,” Sofia, another student, said worriedly. I look over and they were right, it had only been a few moments but all the tissues I gave Audrey were soaked with blood.

Hurriedly I reopen the first-aid box to find not nearly enough tissues for Audrey. I empty out a ziplock full of first-aid supplies and have Audrey cram her blood-drenched tissues in. Christian had finally broken from his spell and was now focused on the blood spilling out from Audrey’s nose. The nosebleed had worsened and we were out of tissues. There was blood running down Audrey’s face and dripping all over her clothes, and she wasn’t speaking. I take out whatever tissues we have left, and look at Christian for some moral support, but I only find a fear-struck expression on his face which at first seemed a bit dramatic until I looked back at Audrey. She had lowered the large clump of tissues from her face. There was a thick pool of blood accumulated in the bowl of tissues that could’ve been mistaken for ketchup, and there were still thick streams coming from her nose. It looked less like bleeding and more like two running sink faucets as if her brain was pouring out of her nose.

“Charlie, take the tiller. I need you to steer,” I said trying to hide the panic in my voice.

“Wait no, I don’t want to. I don’t know how.”

“Yes you do, don’t lie. Also you’re closer and you’ve been begging for it all week so take it. Don’t crash.” 

I let go of the tiller leaving Charlie to catch it. I reopen the first-aid box and decide to improvise. We burned through the gauze, and bandaids and had to resort to an ace rap. Pool after pool of blood was being shoved into this one ziplock from the first-aid box. The strong wind we were enjoying moments ago was now our worst enemy. In between gauze and tissue replacements, the blood was now spraying everywhere, including the boat I would later have to clean.

“Charlie brings us back to the dock,” I said with a strict tone in my voice that I wasn’t used to.

“Okay yeah, great but how do I do that.”

“Christian!” I shouted.

“Yes…” He said.

“Take Charlie’s place and radio the dock that we need someone to pick up Audrey,” I said frustratedly.

Tears were now streaming down Audrey’s face, leaving paths across dried blood stains. Christian was still frozen.

“Christian!” I shout again.

“Yeah, I got it,” he responds quietly making his way over to Charlie.

“I’m gonna die,” Audrey says through her ace rap, those were the first words she’d uttered since I gave her tissues.

We all go silent not knowing how to respond. I could see the desperation and fear in her eyes.

“You’re not going to die, you’ll be okay,” I say calmly in an attempt to comfort her. Her expression didn’t change much though.

“Christian, did you radio them?”

“Right, I’ll do that” Christian says as he clumsily reaches for the radio.

“I can’t breathe,” Audrey says.

I should comfort her. But what do I say? My silence didn’t soothe her either so I decide to focus on cleaning up the used tissues and gauze from the floor. I knew she could breathe, but the panic in her voice told me she was being water-boarded.

“Have they responded yet?”

“No,” he says with a nervous chuckle.

I quickly grab the radio from him and radio the dock.

“Piers Park, Piers Park this is Sonar 12. We need someone to come to pick up Audrey, she has a nosebleed and….Um. We’re out of tissues and there’s just a lot of blood,” I say over the radio, only to be disappointed by silence. I try three more times and finally I get a response.

“Sonar 12 sail back to piers? I’m the only one on the dock, I can’t leave,” a dock staff responds.

I look out in the distance for a Piers Park motorboat and I spot one. “I see Liz on Skiff 3, could she come to get Audrey? We’re by the Hyatt,” I radio back desperately. I take a glance back at Audrey and her ace rap clump, bigger than the size of her fist, was nearly finished too. Audrey’s face had gone pale, and all of the color in her face had drained from her nose. Panic sets in me. Then the Radio chirps and the sweetest words I’ve heard all day radio in.

“This is Liz, I’m on my way.”

Relief washes over me as I see Liz on the motorboat turn towards us.