| |
WHEN WE WOKE EARLY the next morning, it was humid and already warm.
The sun was just beginning to rise when Tank stepped out of the hut. Even though he left as quietly as he could with his shirt in his hand, the crinkling sounds from the tarp beneath his feet gave him away.
After all of us had checked ourselves for ticks and bites—of which there thankfully were none that we could see—we used the jungle, otherwise known as our restroom in this case, and then joined Tank. He was standing just outside the hut on the edge of the beach, bloody shirt in hand, looking over at the plane.
He’s thinking of Cutter, I thought.
If he was wearing that shirt, I knew he’d give it off his back to have Cutter safely back with us again. They weren’t just colleagues—they were close friends. I could only imagine how he was feeling right now. I’d only known Cutter for about a year—but Tank had known him for many years, and the idea of not knowing whether his friend was dead or fighting for his life in an unknown jungle must have been eating him up inside.
Not that he’d ever show his emotions to us again. He had once—briefly—but I knew that was it for him. That’s just who Tank was—a closed box to most, but with a massive heart of gold that those closest to him could feel down to their cores.
He turned to face us.
“At this point, whatever food Cutter got off the plane is unusable due to the heat. The exceptions are the non-perishable foods—like the bags of chips, crackers, peanuts, and whatever else fits into that category. Those are fine to eat, but ration them. Today, we need to find food and water. We’ll discuss who’s going to venture into the jungle in a minute. But there are all sorts of bananas, coconuts, and citrus on this island. We’ll likely also find breadfruit, papaya, and pineapple. We’ll bring back whatever we can.”
“How will we get all of that back here?” Daniella asked.
“We’ll take one of the blankets and use it as a sack. Those of us who go need to be careful out there. I don’t think we’ll have to wander far to find what we’re seeking, but those of you who come need to be aware of boars, insects, and snakes. Remember that snakes often hang low in trees. They’ll drop down on you if they feel threatened or, if they’re large enough, if they’re hungry. But most, if not all, will just let you pass. Still, you need to look for them and listen for them. If you come upon a large spider web, don’t go near it. If you hear a hissing sound, step away from it and alert the rest of us so we can take another path. Be aware of your surroundings and listen to your instincts. Those who go need to become one with the jungle when we enter it. As beautiful and as seductive as it is, it’s dangerous.”
“Why are you being vague about who’s going?” Blackwell asked.
“Because I want to let everyone know what they should expect to find out there should they decide to come.”
“What if we run into those horrid boars again?”
“What happened yesterday was unusual,” Tank said. “Boars generally aren’t that aggressive. But I think the crash rattled them. I think they were frightened, and they reacted on that fear. Frankly, the insects and the snakes concern me more than the boars, so take heed. That said, if we do come upon any boars, the best way to handle them in an open environment, such as the jungle is to just stand still until they walk away. If we do that, we should be fine, despite what happened yesterday.”
“Then I’d like to do my part and go,” Blackwell said. “Alexa also should come. She’s a naturalist, which will be helpful. As for Daniella, I’m afraid the jury’s out.”
“Why is the jury out on me?”
“Because I know how you are.”
“I want to come,” she said. “I want to help.”
“Help or harp?” Alexa said. “Which is it?”
“Help. I’m sorry about how I behaved on the plane. I apologize for it—and I want to do something good to make up for it.”
“There must be a volcano somewhere on this island,” Alexa said. “Perhaps you could offer yourself to it.”
“Fuck you, Alexa.”
“You see? You can’t change a leopard’s spots....”
“I meant what I said. I am sorry. And I’m coming.”
“Great. Can’t wait.”
Tank turned to Lisa. “How are you this morning?”
“Sore like everyone else, but I’m good. And I’m also happy to come along and help.”
“I have another idea. How about if you stay here? You can go to the edge of the beach, just where high tide ends, and spell out the letters ‘SOS’ in the sand. Grab a branch in the jungle—a thick one—and use that to make the letters as large as possible. Are you up for that?”
“Of course. And I’ll be on the outlook for Cutter should I hear him.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“I’d like to come,” I said.
“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”
“There’s no more spotting. I checked when I was in the jungle. I’d like to come along. A walk would do me good.”
“I should also go,” Alex said.
“Somebody needs to stay here with Lisa.”
“I’ll be fine,” Lisa said. “I’ll be out in the open on the beach. No insects. No snakes. If any boars come, I’ll just go into the water and wait them out. I doubt if they’d come after me there.”
“I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone.”
“If the others want to go, let them. I don’t mind. And you have to admit that being out in the open on the beach is pretty low risk.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
Tank looked at Alex and me for a moment as if he were assessing us, which of course he was. “If you’re going to come, Alex, I first need to check your throat and change your dressing. If there are no signs of infection, you can come because it really is just a walk. But if you have an infection, all bets are off. You and Jennifer will have to stay here.”
But when he changed Alex’s dressing, everything appeared to be fine.
“You’re healing,” he said. “Obviously, it’s still raw, but I think we got to it in time. I don’t see any signs of infection at this point. I think the ointment helped.”
“Then apply more.”
“Done.”
When he finished treating Alex’s throat and wrapping it in gauze, he stood and looked at everyone. And then he seemed to make a decision.
“We’ll all walk together,” he said. “If we find water, we’ll stop to fill our empty bottles. If we find fruit first, we’ll gather it and move on. Expect to attract boars at any moment. They’re out there. We need to be prepared to confront them.”
“How am I supposed to run in heels if those hoary beasts come running after me?” Blackwell asked. “And in ruined Chanel, no less?”
Tank tucked his bloodied shirt into one of his back pockets and shrugged. “If you’re concerned about any of that, then I suggest you stay here with Lisa.”
“I was just offering an amuse-bouche,” she said. “These heels won’t be the end of me. I’ll find a way.”
“Of course you will,” he said. “You’re Blackwell.”
“You say that as if I’m superhuman.”
“You are.”
“I know that people think that I am—it’s been written. Whispered. Spoken about in certain circles—the right ones. But I’m not. I’m only human. For instance, if I were indeed superhuman, would I be dying for a cigarette right now? Because I can tell you that I am.”
“You’re dying for a what?” I asked.
“A cigarette. I used to smoke these lovely Sobrianie cocktail ciggies back in the day. You know, years ago, when it was still in fashion. They were long, thin, and black. And they had this lovely gold-tipped foil for a filter. So decadent—and beyond elegant. They alleviated stress, and I loved them for it.” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Then came the movement. Then came the warnings. One shouldn’t smoke. It was as if a switch had been flipped—suddenly, smoking was no longer considered an indulgence. Instead, it became a poisonous addiction. So, naturally I stopped, even though I hated to do so. But I’d take one now in a heartbeat. Hell, I’d smoke the damned pack.”
“I can’t believe you used to smoke,” Daniella said.
“Well, believe it. I smoked for years.”
“I bet you smoked while you were pregnant with Alexa,” she said. “Finally, an answer to why she turned out the way she did. No wonder she’s so consumed with battling the world for clean air.”
“Shut up, Daniella.”
“Actually, I’d given it up by then,” Blackwell said. “But when I was carrying you?” She shrugged her shoulders at Daniella. “I can’t quite remember, but I might have been smoking heavily when I was carrying you, so you might want to think about that, my dear. And whatever consequences that came from it...”
“Mom!”
Tank gave Lisa a kiss, and then he motioned forward. “Let’s go,” he said. “There’s work to do.”
* * *
WITH TANK IN THE LEAD, we all fell into place behind him and started into the jungle.
Before we left, Tank had found a small plastic sack in one of the boxes, and he’d filled it with our empty bottles, which needed to come back full. Daniella carried her blanket over her shoulder to use when we came upon fruit.
While the two girls were dressed casually, the rest of us were not. Like Blackwell, I also wore heels, though at least the heel itself was minimal. Still, moving through the jungle with its thick foliage, damp ground, and cords of vines curling beneath our feet proved a challenge. To help steady me, Alex held my arm, just as Alexa held onto her mother’s. The best was coming out of everyone now, but I had to wonder how long it would be before frustration inevitably set in if we weren’t found soon.
As we walked through the lush greenery, I put my arm around my husband’s waist, kissed him on the cheek, and sent off another prayer for our child. The fact that there was no spotting this morning gave me hope. What I didn’t know is—if I had lost my child—when I would have my period. I couldn’t be on my normal schedule at this point, could I? I had no idea, and so I asked Alex if he would change places with Alexa so I could talk with Blackwell.
“What’s the problem?” she asked when she took my arm. “If you’re tired, there’s no shame in turning around, Jennifer. Alex will go with you. The rest of us will be fine.”
“No, I’m good. I just have a question.”
“Ask away.”
“If I lost my child, when would my period come? Would it come right away? I can’t imagine I’d be on my normal cycle anymore. I need some insight, and I was hoping that you might have some.”
“Over the years, friends of mine have shared with me their experiences, and I’m afraid it’s all over the map. Sometimes they’ll have their period the next day. Sometimes it will be a few weeks. Sometimes, the next month. It’s unpredictable.”
“That’s not what I wanted to hear.”
“I know it isn’t, but that’s what I know. The fact that you didn’t spot this morning is a good sign. Has there been any more cramping?”
“None.”
“Morning sickness?”
“Not today. It seems to have left me—which also worries me.”
“So, let me break this down for you. You’ve had no food today. You’ve also smelled no food. When you were in New York, when did the morning sickness hit?”
“I didn’t know it was morning sickness then. I thought I was throwing up due to the stress of what was happening with Wenn.”
“Think.”
I thought back to the times I’d gotten sick, and tried to remember what was happening before I needed to rush to the bathroom. “It happened once when Alex was cooking breakfast,” I said. “Another time, it happened when I had coffee. When I had lunch with Lisa, the moment I caught a whiff of her salmon, it was over for me. And then there was that time on the plane, when we were served breakfast. You should remember that because you’re the one who held my hair.”
“And yet you’ve experienced none of that today. Nothing to trigger the sickness. We need to look at that as a positive sign. We will find coconuts on this island, and here’s the thing about them—they have a strong odor. We’ll need to assess how you react when one of them is served to you.”
“I think I might have lost it, Barbara,” I said in a low voice so Alex couldn’t hear. “I can’t imagine a fetus that’s only a month old surviving that crash.”
“Don’t you dare give up hope on that child,” she said quietly. “I haven’t, and neither has your husband. You need to keep positive until we know for sure. Yes, we landed hard. Yes, you spotted and experienced cramping. But that child might still be alive. Look at where we are right now. Certainly, stranger things have happened.”
And when she said that, stranger things did happen. Without warning. Right in front of us. And what we saw was a horror show.
