Spoiled Rotten by Dayle Gaetz Read Free Book Online Page A

course you can,” I told her confidently. “Watch me.”
    I didn’t waste any time. I gathered my strength and pushed off, leaping over the fast water. One foot landed on the rock, the other slid into the water. I grabbed the pointed top of the rock and pulled myself to safety.
    â€œSee?” I called. “It’s easy. Throw me your knapsack.”
    I caught her knapsack and put both packs on the rocks out of the way. Then I turned back to help Amy. “Your turn!”
    She looked at me. She looked over the waterfall to the rocks below. She looked down at the water rushing between us and then back at me again.
    â€œI’m right here.” I held on with one hand and leaned forward to stretch my other hand toward her. “I’ll help you.”
    She shook her head.
    â€œJump!” I yelled.
    Amy hesitated. She took a deep breath, stepped back and jumped.
    Her feet hit the rock and slid backward into the water. I reached for her. She grabbed at my hand, and our fingers touched. I almost had her, but she slipped away.
    I threw myself down on the rock and reached for her hands. But it was too late. Amy was in the water. Her long hair floated on the surface; I made a grab for it. I touched it but couldn’t hang on.
    â€œAMY!” I screamed.
    Her big blue eyes stared at me helplessly before she disappeared over the edge. I scrambled to my feet. There was something in my hand. I looked down and saw her pink scrunchy.
Oh, Amy.
    â€œLet her be all right! Let her be all right!” I said over and over as I climbed down the rocks beside the waterfall.
    I hit level ground and scrambled over loose rocks toward the river’s edge. Then I saw her. Downstream, pushed up against a log at the edge of a shallow pool, she lay half in, half out of the water. One leg stuck out at a weird angle. Her arms were bent beneath her and her face lay against a rock. She didn’t move.
    I hurried over and crouched beside her. I gently touched her shoulder. She moaned.
    â€œYou’re alive!” I cried. I didn’t think it was possible the way she looked.
    â€œI think so.” Her voice was tiny and her face was still pressed up against the rock.
    â€œWe need to get you out of the water.”
    I tried to take her arms and help her move, but she cried out in pain. The fingersof one hand dug into the flesh of my wrist. Her other hand hung limply at the end of a twisted arm.
    â€œI can’t,” she whispered.
    â€œListen,” I spoke sternly. “I know how much it hurts, but you’ve got to get out of this cold water. Do you understand?”
    She moaned.
    â€œAmy, you’re a brave kid. I know that now. So just try to hang on and I’ll carry you. Okay?”
    She nodded.
    I bent down and slid one arm under her stomach. I put my other arm under the leg that looked normal. Gently I began to lift. Amy gasped and went limp all over. She was unconscious. Maybe that was good because it saved her some pain as I half carried, half dragged her from the water to a smooth, sandy patch of ground.
    She looked so small lying there, all wet and shivering. Not moving. My stomach twisted in knots. My mind whirled. I wished Dad was with us because he would know what to do.
    Okay. I told myself, it’s up to you. Do something. I took a deep breath and tried to think. Babysitting. First aid. I took a course when I was twelve. What to do?
    Don’t move the patient. Well, I couldn’t have left her in the water.
    Check her heartbeat and breathing. Okay, that part of her was working fine. But her leg! Her arm! I couldn’t fix them.
    And she was shivering. I couldn’t leave her to go for help until she was warm.
    I went back to get our packs. My fingers shook as I fumbled for my first-aid kit. I took out the scissors and started cutting up the leg of Amy’s soggy jeans. I prayed she wouldn’t wake up until I had finished.
    I moved her slightly to get the jeans off.