The Selkie wrote:Celina Altra of the Tribe of Wicklow.
Our driver shrugged. “Don't know, you'll have to ask the medics...”, he said and then clapped his hands. “Now, if you'll excuse us? We have a patient to transport.” He paused for a moment. “And it's four-zero-four-one. That's the Taxi Company Headquarters here on the island. He'll be at the Snowflake Hospital.”
With that, we loaded our patient up, closed the door and I turned to the man: “We suspect heat stroke. Nothing one cannot fix!”, I said and rushed off to take my place in the cabin. My colleague was behind us with the guy.
With a deep rumble, the half-track began to move.
Cornwall Zimmern
"Thank you, sir." Cornwall gave a curt nod to one of the nurses and watched as Alastair was loaded into the back of the ambulance with consternation. His lord had fallen completely unconscious, his entire form limp like a rag doll and cherry red, and did not react to the treatment the paramedics had begun to administer.
"We suspect heat stroke. Nothing one cannot fix!”
"Right...." Cornwall grimaced. He knew heat stroke could be deathly, and if Alastair's recent distress was anything to go by, the man was not healthy to begin with. "Pardon while I dial ze taxi service. Snowflake Hospital, you said?" 'Twas an interesting name for a medical facility, he observed. But he was on foreign sand and had almost zero knowledge of the local culture.
He dialed 4-0-1-0 on his Blackberry and brought the device to his ear. Snowflake, he repeated silently, Snowflake Hospital. That was where he needed to go.
Cornwall kept his gaze fixated on the ambulance as it pulled away from where he stood. He had failed Alastair, failed to protect him from the biggest threat he faced: himself. He had trusted the Prince would be able to handle himself for a day, unwind, relax, but that trust had evidently been misplaced. However he had allowed himself to drift off, he now had widespread sunburn and what was likely heat stroke. His very life could be in jeopardy.
And Cornwall knew, knew Alastair could not be left to his own devices. Immense hardship had made him volatile and exacerbated his depression. Cornwall should have provided support for him instead of accepting a one-day vacation; Alastair would not be in this mess if he had not.
Please, God, let the taxi arrive anon.