dug up. “The reason I shared Dr. Drakoulias’s concerns with the team was to give everyone the option to sit it out until the test results are back, if that’s what they’re most comfortable doing.”
“But how could it have anything to do with the dig? We’ve been here two months with nobody getting sick.”
“I agree. But until we have confirmation that it’s not a fungal infection, I think everybody has the right to be extra cautious if they want, and we’ll stay out of the caves for now.”
“I don’t get why he thinks there might be something in the caves. Mel hasn’t been in there since June.”
“It’s possible she got something from Tom. But I figure it’s more likely they got some random virus from some long-gone tourist while we had dinner in Delphi, or someone who stayed at the hotel. Though Dr. Drakoulias and I have both talked to management there, and as far as they know, nobody’s been sick.”
“So we should just keep at it, don’t you think?”
“I’m planning to, but, again, I understand people being concerned. We all want this dig to end on a high note. Hopefully the three of them will be fine soon, and we’ll find there’s nothing to worry about.” She prayed that was true, and that the high note was a certain big, knockout find she hadn’t given up on.
“Well, I’m not worried about it. And I’ve gotta say, I’d rather be in the nice, cool cave than out here all day. I’d forgotten how beastly hot it is.”
“Working in heat, cold and rain is part of the gig sometimes. And don’t forget about the snakes up here. Gotta be tough to be a digger.” Laurel smiled and tossed a water bottle to Becka. “We’ll quit for the day in about an hour. Hydrate and take a little break.”
Becka stood and swigged down some water. Laurel’s smile grew at how much the girl reminded her of her sister Ariadne, and as she was wondering what her siblings were doing, Becka interrupted her thoughts with a chilling scream.Her heart knocked against her chest when Becka dropped the bottle and fell, writhing, onto the ground.
“What’s wrong?” Laurel leaped to her feet and ran the few feet between them.
“Oh, God, my leg! What…?”
Laurel followed the girl’s wide-eyed gaze, horrified to see that beneath the hand clutching at her calf, blood gushed down her leg, a shocking amount pooling around the dirt and stones she lay sprawled on.
“Becka. Let me see.” Laurel’s heart pounding now, she dropped to her knees and instantly saw what had happened. “I think your trowel cut you.”
“I’m so stupid,” the girl moaned. “You always said never to stick our trowel in our back pocket, but I did, didn’t I? Did it cut through my shorts and fall out? Is it bad?”
“It’s a pretty good gash.” That was an understatement, but the last thing Laurel needed was for the girl to faint or go into shock. “Let me get it wrapped up, then we’ll have to get you down the mountain somehow.”
Her mind frantically spun to first-aid classes she’d learned, and she prayed she remembered right. The injuries her sisters occasionally came home with had been pretty minor. Definitely nothing like this. Laurel had seen a few injurieson the digs she’d been able to go on close to home but hadn’t been in charge. Why hadn’t she paid more attention to how they’d stopped the bleeding?
Okay, she reminded herself grimly, freaking out and staring at it wasn’t going to fix it. She ran to the supply box and dug through until she found gauze wraps on the bottom and the duct tape she’d used over her bandage. But when she kneeled next to Becka, the amount of blood pouring through the girl’s fingers sent fear surging down her spine, and she knew she had to do something more than just wrap it.
“I’m going to try to hold it together and put pressure on it for a few minutes to slow the bleeding before I wrap it. Okay?”
Becka nodded. Just as Laurel began to lay a piece of gauze
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