Robert’s eyes were still shut, and his lips were blue. Someone put a blanket around Ben’s shoulders, but he barely noticed.
. . . two short, gentle rescue breaths . . .
Ben had never seen a face so white. Except for the blood on Robert’s forehead.
. . . and thirty shallow chest pumps, count them out.
Halfway through the chest pumps, Robert coughed. A flood of water gushed from his nose and mouth. He gasped, and the woman turned his head gently to the side to clear his airway, then gave him a couple smacks on the back. He retched more water onto the deck, plus a bunch of other stuff. And everyone aboard the boat cheered.
A minute later the motorboat was speeding toward the pier. Robert was bundled up in three wool blankets, stretched out on a cushioned bench. White tape and a piece of gauze covered his cut, and he was shaking all over, still deathly pale. The woman who had done the CPR held a plastic thermos for him, and he took a careful sip of something hot. And that’s when he noticed Ben sitting about five feet away.
He looked confused. “Hey . . . I thought you were out ahead of me. What happened?”
Ben shrugged. “A lot of stuff.”
Mr. Wirtz, the finish-line official, sat on the seat next to Ben. “I believe you two know each other already, but I think a fresh introduction is in order. Robert Gerritt, this is Benjamin Pratt, the young man who just saved your life.”
There were two ambulances waiting at the pier, but Ben refused to get into the one for him. “I’m just wet. Really, I’m fine.” And his parents agreed with Ben.
As two policemen kept the crowd of onlookers out of the way, the other paramedics hustled Robert into the second ambulance. Just before they closed the back doors, he lifted his head up off the stretcher and called out, “Hey, Pratt, I know I could have caught up to you. And I want a rematch, okay?”
Ben grinned at him. “Anytime.”
A reporter from the Edgeport Pennant wanted Ben to describe the race and the rescue, but his mom shooed the young woman away. “No,” she said firmly. “We’ve got to get him home now.” And as she guided Ben by one elbow, his dad moved out ahead of them, opening a path through the crowd.
Once they got to the parking lot, his dad took Ben’s other elbow. He didn’t really need help, but he let his knees sag a little anyway. And both his parents held on tight. It felt good.
When they were almost to the car, his dad gave Ben’s arm an extra squeeze. “You did great out there,” he said, “in every way. We’re so proud of you.”
His mom nodded and smiled. “I know Robert has never been your favorite person in the world, but right now, I can guarantee that you’re his favorite. And his parents’, too.”
Ben still had the blanket wrapped around him like a sleeping bag, so he had to back his way into the front seat of his mom’s car and then swing his legs inside.
His dad buckled him in and then pushed his damp hair up off his forehead. “See you next Saturday, okay? And we’ll talk this week. Really a great day, Ben, a great day. So, I’ll see you.”
“See you, Dad.”
His father started to shut the car door, but suddenly pulled it wide again, then leaned in and kissed Ben on the top of his head. “I’m just so glad you’re safe, Ben.”
“Me too, Dad.”
“Good. So, I’ll see you.”
Ben nodded and smiled up into his dad’s face as he shut the door, then watched as he turned and began walking back toward Parson’s Marina.
And right away Ben felt like he had to show his mom he wasn’t having unhappy thoughts, even though he was. Because that always made her sad. And then it was harder for both of them.
So he turned to his mom and smiled. “What you said about Robert? It’s true—I’ve never liked that guy. At all. But when his boat flipped, I just went on autopilot or something.”
“Well, your father was right, you certainly did everything great out there, and we’re very proud of you.”
She started the car, but before she had put it in gear, there was a tap on Ben’s window. He turned quickly, thinking it was his dad again.
But it was Jill, with a pair of binoculars hanging around her neck.
He smiled and put his window down.
“Hi, Ben. Hi, Mrs. Pratt.”
“Hi, Jill,” she said. “It’s good to see you.”
“Good to see you, too.”
“What are you doing here?” Ben said.
“What do you think? I’m a huge sailing fan, so I came to watch the race. And instead I got to see the big rescue scene—very cool. Hero stuff.”
“Nah,” said Ben, “it just sort of . . . happened.”
“Right. Well, anyway, just wanted to say hi. And I can’t wait to talk to Robert, to hear his side of the story.”
“Yeah,” said Ben, “maybe he’s the one who rescued me.”
Jill smiled. “Anyway, see you Monday. And be sure to e-mail me the stuff about that social studies project, okay?”
“Right,” he said. “See you Monday.”
As his mom drove out of the parking lot, she said, “You two are working on a social studies project?”
“Yeah, just some stuff we’re doing for extra credit. About the history of the Oakes School.”
“Hmm,” his mom said, “that sounds like fun.”
“Yeah,” said Ben. “I think it’s going to be pretty interesting.”
Also by Andrew Clements
A Million Dots
Big Al
Big Al and Shrimpy
Dogku
Extra Credit
Frindle
Jake Drake, Bully Buster
Jake Drake, Class Clown
Jake Drake, Know-It-All
Jake Drake, Teacher’s Pet
The Jacket
The Janitor’s Boy
The Landry News
The Last Holiday Concert
Lost and Found
Lunch Money
No Talking
The Report Card
Room One
The School Story
A Week in the Woods
Andrew Clements, We the Children
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