CHAPTER 27
THE LAST THING Rachel remembered was taking a deep breath, just as she was driven underwater by the waves. Then, nothing. So she didn’t understand how she came to be lying on cold, wet sand, coughing up seawater in the dark. But there she was.
She lay, gasping, for some time. She could see a blotchy, starless sky above her, the moon peeking out from behind ragged clouds. She heard the waves washing ashore, felt them touch her legs with clammy fingers. She sat up. And saw Pathik, lying a few feet away.
It didn’t look like he was breathing.
“No. No, no,” she mumbled, just under her breath. She couldn’t stop shaking. She tried to stand, but her legs folded under her. Finally she crawled, scrabbling along until she was next to him. For a moment, she just lay there, aching and tired and weak. She didn’t want to take the next step. She didn’t want to know the future.
But then she felt his utter stillness. She sat back up and looked at his face, his pale, beautiful face, and then she pushed him over, so he was lying on his side. Water trickled out of his mouth, but he didn’t breathe. He didn’t breathe. She sobbed, and she hit him, hard, on the back. She hit him again, and again.
And then he coughed.
And then, he breathed.
SOMEHOW, THEY ALL made it.
When Pathik gathered enough strength, he and Rachel staggered down the beach, leaning on each other, looking for hope. And they found it, in body after moving, breathing body. Nandy first, crouching in the wet sand, shaking from the cold. Then Daniel, then Vivian and Malgam, helping each other out of the surf. They all laughed and laughed and none of them could stop for a time. Then, they cried.
And then they built a fire.
“It’s likely all of it will wash ashore,” said Daniel.
They had found one of the duffels; the one Rachel hadn’t been able to grab to tie to the others. It contained dry clothes and three foil bags of stew. Daniel had heated the bags and they were all taking turns dipping into the contents with their knives. Everyone had at least one dry item of clothing on, and the rest were quickly drying from the heat of the fire. They tried to scout a bit; they could see dense forest farther inland, and it looked as though there was a mountain range in the far distance. They were too tired to get very far from the beach they washed ashore on.
They didn’t find Nipper.
“We’ll have to check along the beach in the morning.” Vivian looked exhausted, but somehow, she still looked as happy as Rachel had ever seen her.
“I’m for sleeping,” said Nandy. She didn’t look like she held out much hope for finding Nipper alive. “And I apologize, but I cannot take first watch.”
Malgam put his arm around her. “I’m sorry, love. I know what he meant to you.”
“I can take first watch,” Pathik said, watching his father and Nandy.
“Me too,” said Rachel.
They finished the food, and dug out shallow beds in the dry sand. Soon the four adults were asleep. Rachel watched their chests rise and fall, and listened to their snuffling and snoring with quiet joy. She reached out for Pathik’s hand. He took hers, and they looked into each other’s eyes for the longest time, smiling.
“There doesn’t seem to be anybody here,” said Rachel. “Or at least, they don’t have a late-night welcome crew.”
He nodded. “Indigo liked to tell stories. Sometimes, only half of the story was true.”
Rachel thought about that.
“But sometimes,” said Pathik, “all of it was true.”
Rachel nodded, and smiled. She didn’t even care if the whole story was true. She was alive and so was Pathik.
“It’s a big island,” she said. “I guess we’ll find out what’s true in the morning.”