SoKeefe One-Shots

Lighthouse: Part 2

This is part 2 to the chapter Lighthouse, please read that first.

The car ride had been a bit awkward but Keefe didn't seem to mind letting her take the reigns on getting him to the doctor's office. Once he was seen, she waited in the lobby to make sure everything was okay and to take him wherever he needed to go once he was all finished up. Sitting in the muted lobby chair gave her a moment to reflect on what had happened and suddenly she needed to take a couple of deep breaths. What had happened last night with the boat crash had been crazy and way out of what she was trained to do but she was glad to see that it had worked out and that it would all be over soon.

Or so she thought until Keefe came out with his leg in a brace and crutches.

"Are you his girlfriend?" asked the nurse who accompanied him to her.

"No! No, I'm just the one who found him, I wanted to make sure he gets home safe." Sophie rambled, blushing at the insinuation.

The nurse frowned at her, "He won't be able to drive for a while and he needs to rest. Do you live nearby?" she asked Keefe.

He shook his head, "I usually sail here from the mainland and my boat is wrecked, I'll have to fly out."

The nurse tutted, "The airport across the island is closed because of the damages from the storm. You'll have to sail back on another boat."

Sophie frowned at this, there weren't any tourist boats from the mainland during the winter, he would have to find passage on a trading boat and no one would likely be leaving for a couple of weeks.

"You'll have to come home with me then," she stated like it was something easy, like she wasn't inviting an entire stranger into her home. "Just until we can figure something out."

Keefe looked worried, "I don't want to impose, I'm sure I can find something."

Sophie sighed, "There won't be any boats for weeks and I have plenty of space, if you don't mind the old rattling of a lighthouse that is."

Keefe smiled, "I don't mind one bit, thank you."

Sophie helped him back into her car and got ready for the short ride home.

Before she pulled out of the parking spot she turned to him, "I have to ask, have you been coming here from the mainland for a while now?"

Keefe couldn't meet her eyes, embarrassed, "Oh just every now and again. I've always been good at sailing and it was a relief to get away from everything."

Sophie nodded and started the drive home, "I used to live on the mainland as well, grew up on the west shore. There's a sort of peace here, I know what you mean."

She could feel him looking at her but kept her eyes on the road.

"I never thanked you, you probably saved my life," he murmured, almost mesmerized by the thought.

She waved it off, "No worries, it's part of the job. Well, kind of."

"You help boats caught in storms?"

"More like look for them usually, I keep up the lighthouse so boats can find their way back to land and avoid the harsh rocks."

He was still studying her, "have you saved anyone before?"

Sophie blushed, "It doesn't happen often but I will admit that usually I let the coast guard handle it and call it in." She turned into her driveway.

"Why help me then?" he wondered.

She sighed, trying not to look him in the eye as she turned off her car, "I've seen your boat before and I knew it wasn't a fishing boat. You sail here every Tuesday, I was always curious as to who owned that little blue boat and why they sailed here. I guess a part of me felt connected to it and I knew the Coast Guard wouldn't be able to help you in time so I knew I needed to do what I could."