Epilogue
I was admitted to the same hospital as Musir, though my medical needs and recovery were less dramatic. They cleaned me up and bandaged wounds I didn’t even realize I had. They were possibly from the last mad dash to meet the honeymooning angels. An IV was started to rehydrate my body. I was put on a diet of clear liquids. Every salty broth, sweet Jell-o, and hot tea tasted like heaven.
Police came and went. I could only tell them as much as I had strength for; where we were from, who my parents were and how to contact them, and who my Arabic companion was. I hadn’t decided how much to tell them about Kent and Blue and wasn’t in the right state to make a full disclosure.
I asked for more information about Blue and whether they found anyone else, but they were not sharing many details either. I couldn’t tell if they knew of his connection to the terrorist group but didn’t want to be the one to tell them. They did say they thought they rounded up everyone responsible for the attack, at least those on board the ship. They were not sure about any masterminds who may have stayed home. They confirmed Blue was the only person on the lifeboat when they found it. Maybe I’d never know if Kent Carson drowned, had sunstroke, died from his wounds, or if Blue shot him. However, at least I now knew I didn’t need to keep one eye open for Kent Carson. Instead, I could fully focus on recovery for me and Musir.
My mind stayed on Musir all through the parade of people with questions. I longed for the next bite of news about him.
A nurse finally came to inform me Musir was out of surgery, stable, and doing very well. My attending nurse eavesdropped on the story I gave to the police. She spread it as a romantic tale. Our story gained the interest of the nursing staff so much so that they arranged for Musir to be in the bed next to mine when he was ready to be transferred out of intensive care. I was finally relaxed enough to let the hospital mattress lull me to sleep.
* * * *
I awoke to see him looking at me with tired eyes. I reached out and took his hand. I remembered a time when I’d never be so bold and outgoing as to try such a close encounter; a time when such a move would have caused him to pull back, long before he spilled his secrets, and before he fell in love with me.
My ears ached for the crash of the ocean and the gurgling river, for the birds in the trees, and the nameless creatures in the jungle that were the constant backdrop to my life for so long.
Yet there was a peaceful silence. Peace wasn’t the place or the situation, but being with the one I loved and having him with me.
I began to pick out the white noises of monitors beeping and carts wheeling down the hallway. There were questions and answers in hushed voices outside the door.
When my mom and dad walked through the door and saw alive and well the daughter they recently believed was dead, the room exploded with tears and joyful noise.
