Well, here's Chapter 11. I hope you enjoy it because I had a lot of fun with this one. Thanks to everyone who's left nice comments. However, the mean comments still do pop up from time to time, so please stop because it is discouraging. Even when I delete them, I don't delete the hurt.
Enjoy this chapter and comment if you like it and think I should continue!
Chapter 11: 108 degrees
"This heat is unbearable," Brittany moaned.
"And all they tell us to do to deal with the heat is drink water, drink water, drink water," Santana whined.
"We need air conditioning, full time," Quinn pouted. "The dining hall and the staff house aren't good enough."
Rachel wiped some sweat off her forehead. "Summers are NEVER this hot back home."
The fifth week of camp was underway and the four girls were currently at the pool with their campers for free swim. Rachel was with the scuba diving group, Quinn and Brittany were with the slumber party group and Santana was with the canoeing group. All three of their groups had been scheduled for free swim at the same time today, so the four girls decided to get in the pool together. It had been at least 100 degrees every day this week. Other than the air conditioning in the dining hall and in the staff house during their breaks, they were stuck in the heat ALL the time. Several campers complained the heat was making them faint, but when they went to the nurse's office, Sue just told them to drink lots of water.
The pool felt especially good this week. The four girls were leaning against the vortex, feeling the water moving. Their campers splashed and throughout the pool, some going down the slide, some jumping off the diving board. This was the best relief for the heat possible.
"So, Rachel, tell us, how are you and Finn? Excited to be in the same unit again?" Quinn asked, smirking at Rachel.
"Guys, the campers can hear us," Rachel whispered.
"To heck with the campers," Santana said. "I want to hear about Finchel!"
Rachel giggled. Her friends had even come up with a cute nickname for her and Finn. And for the first time ever, she had a boyfriend. "Well, we're really glad to be working together again," Rachel said.
"Have you two kissed yet?" Brittany asked.
"We kissed several times," Rachel said. "On the 24 hours in the woods with the CITs, we had our first kiss. It was amazing."
"AWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Santana said, hugging Rachel. She whispered quietly enough for just Rachel, Quinn and Brittany to hear. "Have you two done the deed yet?"
Rachel jumped back in horror. "No! We met seven weeks ago, we only kissed two weeks ago… We're really just friends, having a little fun. Okay, yeah, we're boyfriend and girlfriend."
"I want to get the Finn effect with Puck," Quinn declared.
The Finn effect? Rachel wasn't even sure if her relationship with Finn would last beyond this summer. Yes, she hoped it would, but who knew? They lived in different states. Maybe the only reason it seemed so special was because it was her first ever relationship.
The girls watched as their campers swam and splashed in the pool. All day the kids had been complaining about the heat. Hopefully some cool off time would cheer the kids up a little. It was definitely cheering up Rachel, and being with Quinn, Santana and Brittany was an added bonus. The four girls had really bonded during pre-camp, but other than weekends, the four of them rarely got to all be together now.
Rachel's campers this week were a big relief after having to work with Sparkles for three weeks. There were 15 kids in the Scuba Diving program, eight girls and seven boys. All the kids were 13 and 14 years old. Rachel was particularly bonding with the girls in the group. Since the unit leader was a boy, she was the only one who lived in the cabin with them of their counselors and often she would just talk to them about their early adolescent issues in the cabin during the evenings. They shared a cabin with the girl CITs.
The whistle blew and the lifeguard announced that it was time for the Scuba Divers to get out of the pool for their showers. Rachel reluctantly got out of the pool and said goodbye to Quinn, Brittany and Santana. She led the eight girls to the girls' side of the shower house while the Unit Leader took the boys to the boys' side. (Finn was on his two-hour daily break.) Rachel reminded the girls they had thirty minutes to shower, then sat on the bench outside the shower house. She'd just gotten out of the pool, but the heat was already drying the cool water on her body. She got out her water bottle and took a big gulp. Still no help. She needed air conditioning and she needed it now.
By the end of the girls' thirty minute showers, the heat had dried all the cool water on Rachel's body. Her hair was even almost dry. It was another hour before Rachel's two hour break but the heat had been a pain all morning. She wasn't even sure if she could make it through the extra hour.
The group was going to nature by the river after showers. As if the heat wasn't enough, they had a LONG hike ahead of them. Luckily, these kids were old enough to know better than to complain. As they began walking, Rachel felt one of her campers, named Zoe, nudge her.
"You okay, Rachel?" Zoe asked. "You're looking a little pale."
"It's just the heat," Rachel croaked, not wanting to worry her camper.
The truth was, she felt ready to pass out at any moment.
The group arrived at the river for nature. As the kids sat in the pavilion, Rachel sat off to the side. She'd finished her water bottle on the way there and still didn't feel any better. She thought about going over to the water pump to refill it, but she was too wiped out to even get up. She'd checked her phone, currently it was 108 degrees.
It felt like Rachel's head was spinning. Why couldn't she just go into the air conditioning? The time came to leave for her two hour daily break, but she didn't even know if the walk up the hill to the staff house would be manageable. Rachel took a deep breath and began to walk up the hill, feeling like she was losing her breath. When she reached the top of the hill, she couldn't take it anymore and just fell over.
"Rachel, are you okay?" Rachel forced her eyes open to see Finn standing there. He was obviously on his way back from break.
"Finn – I think I might pass out," Rachel moaned.
Finn ripped out his cell phone. "Will, it's Finn. I have a code red on the top of the hill that leads to the river."
Finn kneeled down next to Rachel and sprinkled his water on her forehead. "Help's coming soon, Rach."
"Finn," Rachel just moaned.
"I think you have heat exhaustion," Finn simply said. "You'll be okay."
Just then, Will and Emma pulled up at the golf cart. "Finn, what happened to Rachel?" Rachel heard Will say.
Then Rachel just collapsed.
X
"Rachel?"
Rachel rolled over, not sure where she was. It looked like she was in a hospital bed and wearing a hospital gown. She looked up to see Finn kneeling next to her.
"Finn, where are we?" Rachel asked.
"The Calvert Memorial hospital emergency room," Finn said. "You fainted, Rachel. Then you fell asleep for like two hours."
"Shouldn't you be with the kids?" Rachel asked.
"The kids are fine," Finn said. "Emma's here, too, talking to the doctor. Besides, since they're at nature, they're in ratio still and then the nature specialist is joining them for their cookout meal."
One of the doctors came in. "Well Rachel, it looks like you have heat exhaustion and it appears that you are also quite dehydrated."
Rachel sighed. "I've been so focused on making sure the kids stay cool that I haven't really been taking care of myself."
"It's 108 degrees outside," the doctor said. "You NEED to take care of yourself. Air conditioning and ice packs seemed to do the trick for you, but STAY COOL at camp. Drink lots of water and stay in the shade. Put ice packs on your forehead if possible. Don't get so carried away with worrying about the kids that you don't take care of yourself."
Rachel nodded. "Okay, thanks doctor."
The doctor pointed at the cabinet. "Your clothes are in there. If you're ready, you can get changed."
Rachel stood up and went over to get changed. She then went back to find Finn. "Finn, you really didn't have to come."
Finn gave Rachel a hug. "Actually, Will and Emma said I should. It's your first time going to a hospital away from home and they thought it might make you more comfortable."
Rachel smiled at Finn. He was so sweet! She followed him to meet up with Emma and they began driving back to camp. They stopped at McDonald's to pick up dinner and then at Wal Mart to get more water bottles. Rachel also got popsicles at Wal Mart to give to the campers that night.
When they arrived back at camp, Finn and Rachel said their good nights before heading back to their respective cabins. Rachel made a mental note to take care of herself, but also was SO glad Finn had been with her. He made it so much less nerve wracking to be in a hospital. Luckily it wasn't too serious. Heat in the DC area was certainly unlike heat at home in New York.
Rachel got to the cabin. Her eight campers were with a program specialist, while the girl CITs were with their counselor in the corner. At the sight of Rachel, the girls jumped up and ran over to her.
"I come bearing gifts for you guys," Rachel said, handing each girl a popsicle.
The girls smiled at Rachel and began eating their popsicles. "Hey Rachel, can I ask you something?" a girl named Lucy asked.
"Sure, what's up?" Rachel said.
"Are you and Finn together?" Lucy asked.
Rachel blushed, smiled and looked down.
"I knew it!" another girl named Sarah said. "But don't sweat it, you two are cute."
"We can tell," Zoe added.
"Okay guys, yes, Finn and I are together but technically we shouldn't talk about this with you guys," Rachel said. "But since you're older and you've been so much fun to have this week, I can make an exception, as long as we agree this conversation stays in the cabin."
"How long have you two been together?" a girl named Hailey asked.
"We just met this summer," Rachel said. "Something just clicked."
"Awwww!" the girls chorused.
"Seriously guys, I hope you find someone like Finn," Rachel said. "He's so sweet to me. He came to the hospital with me and we have so much fun together on weekends. The other counselors even gave us a nickname."
"Really? What is it?" a girl named Ellie asked.
"Finchel," Rachel said proudly.
"Finchel, I like that," Sarah said.
"Well, I think it's pretty unanimous, we all approve of Finchel," said a girl named Katie.
Rachel laughed. "I'm glad we have your approval." Her campers approved of Finchel, her co-workers approved of Finchel – even though they didn't know, her bosses approved of a Finchel friendship, having let him go to the hospital with her and letting them work together so much.
"Tell us about your first date with Finn, Rachel," a girl named Grace said.
Rachel smiled and told the girls the story of the weekend she'd spent in DC with Finn and her other friends and exploring DC together. She also told the story of helping each other through their fear of heights during the ropes course at pre camp. The girls swooned. Part of the nice thing about having older campers was sometimes you could just have conversations like a big sister and little sisters, rather than always being the authority figure.
It was getting late, so Rachel put the girls to bed. Despite ending up in the hospital she couldn't deny: today had been a pretty good day, and this had been a great week.