slept.
When we woke up, T.J. and I gathered breadfruit and coconut. Neither of us said much.
“Here.” T.J. handed me a piece of coconut.
I pushed his hand away. “No, I can’t. You eat it.” My stomach churned. I’d never get the image of Mick out of my head.
“Is your stomach still upset?”
“Yes.”
“Try some of the coconut water,” he said, passing it to me.
I lifted the plastic container to my lips and took a drink.
“Did that go down okay?”
I nodded. “Maybe I’ll just stick to this for a while.”
“I’m going to get some firewood.”
“Okay.”
He had only been gone a few minutes when I felt the trickle.
Oh God, no.
Hoping for a false alarm, I walked in the opposite direction from where T.J. had gone and yanked my jeans down. There, on the white cotton crotch of my underwear, was the proof that I’d just gotten my period.
I hurried to the lean-to and grabbed my long-sleeved T-shirt. Back in the woods, I tore off a strip, balled it up, and shoved it in my underwear.
I need this miserable day to be over.
When the sun went down, the mosquitoes feasted on my arms.
“You must have decided being cooler was worth a few bites,” T.J. said, when he noticed me slapping at them. He had put on his sweatshirt and jeans as soon as the bugs came out.
I thought of my long-sleeved shirt, hidden under a bush I only hoped I’d be able to find again.
“Yeah, something like that.”
Chapter 10
—
T.J.
We ate nothing but coconut and breadfruit for the next eighteen days, and our clothes hung on us. Anna’s stomach growled in her sleep, and I had a constant ache in mine. I doubted the rescuers were still looking for us, and a hollow, empty feeling that had nothing to do with hunger joined the pain in my gut whenever I thought of my family and friends.
I thought it would impress Anna if I could spear a fish. I managed to stab myself in the foot instead, which hurt like hell, not that I let her know.
“I want to put antibiotic ointment on it,” Anna said. She dabbed it on the gash and covered it with a Band-Aid. She said the island humidity was perfect for germs and the thought of one of us getting an infection scared the crap out of her. “You’ll have to stay out of the water until that heals, T.J. I want to keep it dry.”
Great. No fishing and no swimming.
The days passed slowly. Anna got quiet. She slept more, and I caught her wiping her eyes when I came back from collecting firewood or exploring the island. I found her sitting on the beach one day, staring up at the sky.
“It’s easier if you quit thinking they’re coming back,” I told her.
She looked up at me. “So I should just wait for a plane to randomly fly overhead someday?”
“I don’t know, Anna.”
I sat down beside her. “We could leave on the life raft,” I said. “Load it with food and use the plastic containers to collect rainwater. Just start paddling.”
“What if we ran out of food or something happened to the raft? It’d be suicide, T.J. We’re obviously not in the flight path for any of the inhabited islands, and there’s no guarantee a plane would fly over. These islands are spread over thousands of miles of water. I can’t be out there. Not after seeing Mick. I feel safer here, on land. And I know they’re not coming back, but saying it out loud seems like giving up.”
“I used to feel that way, but I don’t anymore.”
Anna studied me. “You’re very adaptable.”
I nodded. “We live here now.”
Chapter 11
—
Anna
T.J. yelled my name. I was sitting next to the lean-to, staring off into space. He ran toward me, dragging a suitcase behind him.
“Anna, is it yours?”
I stood up and raced to meet him halfway. “Yes!”
Please let it be the right one.
I threw myself down on the sand in front of the suitcase and yanked on the zipper, then flipped open the lid and smiled.
I pushed my wet clothes aside and searched for my jewelry. I found the Ziploc bag, opened it, and
When we woke up, T.J. and I gathered breadfruit and coconut. Neither of us said much.
“Here.” T.J. handed me a piece of coconut.
I pushed his hand away. “No, I can’t. You eat it.” My stomach churned. I’d never get the image of Mick out of my head.
“Is your stomach still upset?”
“Yes.”
“Try some of the coconut water,” he said, passing it to me.
I lifted the plastic container to my lips and took a drink.
“Did that go down okay?”
I nodded. “Maybe I’ll just stick to this for a while.”
“I’m going to get some firewood.”
“Okay.”
He had only been gone a few minutes when I felt the trickle.
Oh God, no.
Hoping for a false alarm, I walked in the opposite direction from where T.J. had gone and yanked my jeans down. There, on the white cotton crotch of my underwear, was the proof that I’d just gotten my period.
I hurried to the lean-to and grabbed my long-sleeved T-shirt. Back in the woods, I tore off a strip, balled it up, and shoved it in my underwear.
I need this miserable day to be over.
When the sun went down, the mosquitoes feasted on my arms.
“You must have decided being cooler was worth a few bites,” T.J. said, when he noticed me slapping at them. He had put on his sweatshirt and jeans as soon as the bugs came out.
I thought of my long-sleeved shirt, hidden under a bush I only hoped I’d be able to find again.
“Yeah, something like that.”
Chapter 10
—
T.J.
We ate nothing but coconut and breadfruit for the next eighteen days, and our clothes hung on us. Anna’s stomach growled in her sleep, and I had a constant ache in mine. I doubted the rescuers were still looking for us, and a hollow, empty feeling that had nothing to do with hunger joined the pain in my gut whenever I thought of my family and friends.
I thought it would impress Anna if I could spear a fish. I managed to stab myself in the foot instead, which hurt like hell, not that I let her know.
“I want to put antibiotic ointment on it,” Anna said. She dabbed it on the gash and covered it with a Band-Aid. She said the island humidity was perfect for germs and the thought of one of us getting an infection scared the crap out of her. “You’ll have to stay out of the water until that heals, T.J. I want to keep it dry.”
Great. No fishing and no swimming.
The days passed slowly. Anna got quiet. She slept more, and I caught her wiping her eyes when I came back from collecting firewood or exploring the island. I found her sitting on the beach one day, staring up at the sky.
“It’s easier if you quit thinking they’re coming back,” I told her.
She looked up at me. “So I should just wait for a plane to randomly fly overhead someday?”
“I don’t know, Anna.”
I sat down beside her. “We could leave on the life raft,” I said. “Load it with food and use the plastic containers to collect rainwater. Just start paddling.”
“What if we ran out of food or something happened to the raft? It’d be suicide, T.J. We’re obviously not in the flight path for any of the inhabited islands, and there’s no guarantee a plane would fly over. These islands are spread over thousands of miles of water. I can’t be out there. Not after seeing Mick. I feel safer here, on land. And I know they’re not coming back, but saying it out loud seems like giving up.”
“I used to feel that way, but I don’t anymore.”
Anna studied me. “You’re very adaptable.”
I nodded. “We live here now.”
Chapter 11
—
Anna
T.J. yelled my name. I was sitting next to the lean-to, staring off into space. He ran toward me, dragging a suitcase behind him.
“Anna, is it yours?”
I stood up and raced to meet him halfway. “Yes!”
Please let it be the right one.
I threw myself down on the sand in front of the suitcase and yanked on the zipper, then flipped open the lid and smiled.
I pushed my wet clothes aside and searched for my jewelry. I found the Ziploc bag, opened it, and
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