A Pretty Beach Wish by Polly Babbington (funny books to read txt) 📕

turned around at the same time as a seagull swooped down towards her. As she stepped onto the boat, the boat swayed and she missed her footing.

As quick as a flash the washing up bowl and its contents dropped, and Bella fell straight back into the water.

Juliette jumped up and Holly shrieked as they saw Bella sink down, disappearing into the dark water between the boat and the jetty.

‘Oh my god!’ Juliette screamed.

Luke, who had been standing at the back of the boat putting the latches across on the cupboards, dived off the boat towards Bella. Bella had already come back up and was struggling to hold onto the side of the boat.

Luke held onto the ladder with one hand and held onto Bella with the other.

‘My foot! I’ve hurt my foot!’ Bella gasped from the water.

‘Okay, Bella. Stay calm. We’re going to get you out of the water,’ Luke instructed and started to gently lead Bella to the ladder on the side of the boat.

Holly and Juliette were leaning over the side, looking down and reaching their hands towards Bella.

‘Oh no! Oh my God!’ Juliette kept repeating over and over.

‘She’s fine, I think,’ Luke said as he helped Bella up the stairs.

‘She is not fine, Luke! Shut up!’ Juliette shouted angrily.

‘My foot. It caught between the boat and the timber. I think it’s bad,’ Bella cried, as she pulled herself out.

They all looked down as Bella lifted her foot out of the water and saw that three of the toes on her left foot were crushed and out of shape. The third toe was bent back the other way and her whole foot had begun to swell. Bella looked down at her foot and started to cry.

Bella’s breathing was laboured and all the colour had drained from her face. She stepped onto the boat and placed her left leg out in front of her.

The toes on her left foot were crushed, the little toe almost going to the side and the middle toe misshapen.

‘We need to get her to your car. Where did you park?’ Holly shouted.

‘We need to get an ambulance and we need to get one quickly.’ Luke replied calmly.

Juliette nodded in agreement.

Bella sat motionless with her head leant back on one of the seats and whimpered in pain. Luke was already on the phone speaking to the emergency services, and Juliette held onto one of Bella’s hands, with Holly holding the other. Holly gently patted Bella on the arm and repeated, ‘It's okay. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.’

As Luke finished the call Juliette frantically looked down the jetty towards the road as they waited for the emergency services to arrive.

Juliette knew that something had been coming. This was obviously another one of life’s surprises. It what had been in the back of her mind all along.

Chapter 23

‘Yeah, cheers mate. Nothing else to tell you at the moment. I’ll send you an update,’ Luke said to Jeremy on the other end of his phone, as he paced up and down outside Newport Reef hospital.

‘What did he say?’ Juliette questioned as Luke walked back in, and sat back down next to Juliette in the waiting room.

‘Maggie’s going to stay there. He’s not going to tell her anything yet. He sounded very worried. Obviously.’

‘I can’t believe this is happening!’

‘I know. Me either.’

‘One minute we were clearing up and ready to go, the next minute she’s in the water. Just like that and slipped down into the sea!’

‘It was quick as a flash,’ Luke said, grimly.

‘I told you boating accidents are rife. Oh, my goodness, my beautiful daughter’s foot is shattered, Luke. What are we going to do?’

‘There’s nothing we can do. You and I of all people know that. All we can do is wait,’ Luke said, and patted Juliette on the leg.

Juliette nodded and fumbled in her bag for a humbug, unwrapped it and sat there, still with her swimming costume on underneath her shorts and top staring into space.

Every now and then panic rose up through Juliette’s throat and she just kept closing her eyes and shaking her head. Luke put his arm around her.

‘My Bella. She just fell, didn’t she? Right down into the water. Just like that. It was like I was watching it in slow motion.’

Luke nodded in agreement.

‘Luke, you and I know that look on the face of the consultant.’

‘Yep.’

‘Do you think she’s going to lose a toe?’

‘I’m sorry, I just don’t know the answer. But it’s not looking good. It really isn’t. The toes are not in a good way - I don’t think you have to be a medical professional to see that. It’s more that it was all crushed in there from the look of that x-ray.’

Juliette’s phone buzzed and she opened a text from Jeremy.

Any further news?

Nothing. I’ll let you know.

Thanks.

Juliette closed her phone and then gasped. ‘I’ve suddenly thought! Should I be calling Jack?’

Luke didn’t say anything right away as he contemplated what Juliette had said.

‘It’s not my call, but I don’t think so, at least not at this stage. I know he’s her biological father, but he has met her what, twice now?’

‘Yes. Yes. You’re right. He hasn’t been in her life so far, so, why would I let him know now?’

‘Exactly.’

‘Then again, does he have a right to know?’

‘It’s a tricky one. I think it’s best you don’t for now. It’s not like it’s a life or death situation.’

Juliette took another humbug out of her bag and nodded.

‘I’m not sure I can handle him anyway. Not that this is about me, but he’s not even really in our inner-circle is he? She’s only met him a few times.’

‘Yeah, it’s up to her. Best to leave it and go through it with her. See how she feels.’

‘Okay. Yep, I’ll leave it,’ Juliette replied putting her phone back in her bag.

‘Shall I go and see if I can find us a cup of tea while we wait to see what happens?’

‘Thanks, yes. But I’m