Page 85 of Swim To Me

With one last wracking cough, the young boy spurts vomit all over me, chunks of the stuff sitting in my hair, dripping down the side of my face.

My own gag reflex threatens to upheave, but I push it down, not allowing myself to think, nor feel, the cold piece of half chewed food sliding down my jaw. But I can’t ignore the putrid smell beneath my nose, or the sight of the beige-coloured vomit floating atop of the pool water.

One of my co-workers’ hands me a towel to wipe myself off as the boy and his dad are pulled out of the pool and whisked off to the medical room to be checked over, but I stink and my stomach threatens to flip again.

“We’ll have to close the pool down for an hour or so,” one of the other lifeguards says, the whistle which usually hangs down by his neck, just pursed before his lips so he can blow it and grab everyone’s attention.

It’s not going to be an easy job, and there’s always flack when we have to close down unexpectedly, but the water is now contaminated, and we need to fix it, so others don’t catch the boy’s vomit bacteria.

“Good luck with that.” I reach out to pat his shoulder and then think better of it. “I’m going to grab a quick shower and then I’ll be back to help clean out the pool.”

The shrill blast of a metal whistle being blown three times in quick succession sounds behind me while I trail to the staff only access showers. Thankfully, I keep a spare pair of shorts and a t-shirt in my work locker, so I can strip off and scrub at my hair, face, and body with the generic scented soap the leisure centre supplies us with.

I have just enough time to fire off a quick text to Delilah, still in disbelief at the entire being vomited all over situation. I mean, it’s not the first time it’s ever happened, and probably won’t be the last, but it’s still never something I anticipate happening when I clock in for my shift.

Me: I’ve just been vomited all over :/

Delilah: how lovely x

Me: pls save me xx

Delilah: can’t :/ sorry xx

Delilah: *one photo attachment* I’m currently drowning in edits xx

I open the photo she’s sent me to find a selfie of herself, a red pen clutched in her grasp. She’s smiling, and her eyes are bright, but with a hint of tiredness. A sea of paper covers her desk, coloured clips lying in a neat line off to the left, beside a bunch of files and Delilah’s reusable bottle of water. I can spy a portion of her desktop too, another book manuscript splayed across the blue light monitor.

Me: don’t overwork yourself… remember to take breaks!

Delilah: I’m taking breaks I promise! Xx

Delilah: I can’t wait to see you on Saturday xx

“Millen!” Jude, another lifeguard I work with, pokes his head through the staff break room, calling my name. “We need all the hands we can get to clear out the pool, man.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

Me: got to go and clear out the vomit pool :/

Me: will ring you after I get off my shift xx

It takes longer than expected to clean out the pool water, much to the dismay of visiting patrons who wished to use the facilities. All the while, my phone feels like it’s burning a hole back in the staff room and I wish for a second shower.

I’m already dialling Delilah’s number before I slip in the back of my private car, needing to hear her voice to calm me after my stressful shift.

“Hi! Hang on just two minutes…” I can hear her shuffling something on the other end of the phone.

“You okay?”

“Yes! Still over here, editing. Are you okay? Did you manage to get the vomit off?”

“I’m fine, gorgeous. Yeah, I had a shower at work, but gonna have another one when I get home. Are you still at the office?”

“Mhm,” Delilah hums softly. “There’s a few of us working late tonight, so we’re going to open a bottle of wine and order something in to fuel us.”

“Well, I was going to offer to pick you up, but if there’s a few of you working… sounds fun.”

“You don’t mean that,” she giggles over what sounds like a printer shuffling.

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