The Radix
Moving on...
Later that night Lex sat against some driftwood and stared into the fire. Not far from him dozed Jack and Darryl. Every so often Darryl's snores would go beyond the level of acceptable noise and Lex would toss a small rock at him to make it stop. Jay was trying to catch a few winks as he lay on the opposite side of the blaze. His stomach had started cramping earlier that day though he kept it to himself; he didn't want to worry anyone needlessly, especially Amber; she looked as though the whole world was resting on her young shoulders. Next to him lay Sammy sleeping fitfully, with one arm around his midsection. He wasn't the only one with stomach problems, Jay mused.
After Salene's delicious stew was served, which all but Ebony ate eagerly, it was decided that the girls would sleep in the huts while the boys made do out in the open. Amber, Trudy and the little ones shared the first hut. May and Salene were going to claim the second until Gel put up an unnecessary fit about bunking with Ebony or Lottie. The former was sick and Gel simply didn't like the little pickpocket. Lottie herself wasn't entirely comfortable sharing with Ebony for fear of what she'd heard about the older girl. Finally Ellie offered to share with Ebony while Lottie stayed with Salene. May was unfortunately stuck with Gel. Before they retired May grabbed Gel's arm and hissed...
"You do anything to wake me up and I'll knock that pretty head of yours off with a stick, ya hear?"
Lex threw a pebble into the flames. He realized that Ebony hadn't made one comment about what was said or insinuated about her during the earlier argument. Instead she silently accepted Ellie's bunking arrangement and immediately went to bed. He also noticed that she hadn't eaten a thing since yesterday. Though it wasn't like him to be concerned about her welfare, he was curious about what she'd come down with.
No one seemed up to par since their arrival at the cove, not even himself. Lex wasn't willing to admit it but he hadn't been able to keep down the two bowls of stew he'd eaten. Now, Salene was a good cook and the food was tasty, but something didn't agree with him; he had managed to sneak off and purge discreetly behind a bush without anyone noticing. He couldn't help but worry slightly over what was wrong with all of them. Could it be the virus after all? What if they were exposed to it as they were leaving the harbor? Could a virus travel through the air that fast? Or maybe Ram was right and it had spread further than they imagined. Maybe they were breathing it in right now and would die one by one on this very beach?
Lex stretched the muscles in his back and tried to erase the horrible thought from his mind. He placed another piece of wood on the fire and gazed up at the star-studded sky. Another week or so and the moon would be full. As he searched for recognizable constellations he thought briefly of Tai-San and her opinions of the full moon and it's affects on the spirit. His eyes misted over and he thought of Zandra's and Siva's graves; he would never see them again. It wasn't fair, all the women he loved were taken from him and he had nowhere to even mourn them. He knew he could be a jerk sometimes but did any one man deserve such bad luck?
On the boat Slade slipped below deck silently into the darkness. It was nearly sunrise though, he didn't need light to see his way to where Ruby lay sleeping. He could barely make her out, but it looked as though she were sweating. Absently he wiped her brow with his sleeve and sat on the edge of the bunk trying not to disturb her. Ruby hadn't wanted to eat earlier so Slade, Ram and Trader split the fish that Lex had grilled. She wasn't taking much water either. Slade frowned noticing how fast Ruby's pulse seemed. His hand was resting gently on her arm and he could feel the steady flow of blood coursing through her veins.
After her run in with the truck, Ruby seemed fine and even managed to walk to the pier with little assistance. Maybe it was the adrenaline of trying to escape. Once they had set sail and the excitement waned, Ruby suddenly collapsed. Jack thought it was shock while Amber was positive it was a concussion. Slade didn't care either way as long as they found a way to fix it. They doctored her as best they could and guessed at some broken ribs, a sprained ankle, maybe even a fractured collarbone. Without x-rays, or Ruby to tell them where she was in pain, they had no way of knowing. Amber and Salene had found severe bruising all over Ruby's torso from the truck's front grille. All they could do was hope she would wake up. Ruby did regain consciousness over the next couple of days, seeming confused as to where she was or who she was surrounded by.
Slade had been worried sick but it wasn't just Ruby's health he was concerned with. In the fading darkness his hand touched her abdomen gently. He wondered of the life tucked safely inside. In all the excitement the baby had been forgotten by everyone who knew about it save for Slade. He had never seen himself as the daddy type but there was no denying the awe one felt when he learned he helped create a life. And maybe Ebony was right, maybe this baby would ruin everything that was good in his life right now. Still, Slade couldn't help wanting it, willing it to live. He glanced at Ruby's face, her brow furrowed. He only hoped his child and its mother were both strong enough to make it.
"Sammy!" Gel's screech ripped through the morning silence and echoed through the trees causing birds to fly off in several directions. She swatted at the leaves and sticks that had showered down onto her shoulders and hair.
"Hey look!" Sammy's eyes were wide with excitement. He ignored Gel's annoyance having grown quite used to it by now. "I found three more nests! There's enough eggs for all of us now!"
Gel rolled her eyes and looked down distastefully at the bundle of eggs she was already carrying. Why she'd been sent on this excursion was beyond her. In fact all of the happenings over the last week were lost on her. She couldn't understand why one measly explosion had caused them to leave their concrete jungle of a home. Sure, everyone was afraid of the virus but didn't the virus only kill adults? As far as Gel was concerned she was still a kid and couldn't wrap her head around all the panic.
Sammy carefully placed the eight eggs in the loose pockets of his jacket and started the precarious climb down the tree. He'd never been more pleased than when Lex sent him on this errand; a chance to prove he was more than just some useless little kid. Lex had taken a stab in the dark and guessed that it might be all the seafood that was making everyone sick. Maybe the ocean was polluted. He now believed that a hearty meal of mammals might get them back into shape. Sammy couldn't wait to show the older boy that he'd succeeded in his small mission. In his descent, a small egg slipped from his pocket and broke open onto Gel's head.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Jay looked up from his shaving as the scream alarmed him for a second. Salene and Lottie stopped filling their buckets with water and listened too.
"Gel," Lottie said and Salene nodded, her worry dissipating.
After no more noise the three resumed their duties. Jay watched the two girls struggle with the full buckets as they made their way back to the camp before turning to his shaving. It had been days since he'd taken a blade to his face and the fuzz made him almost unrecognizable. Lottie gave him the small hand mirror which she swiped from Gel's personal bag and for once he was grateful for the young girl's dishonesty.
He glanced back at the camp which he could see through the few trees. Lex was busy plucking a wild turkey he'd managed to hunt down that morning. Jay was hard pressed to admit it but that guy sure was handy when it was least expected. Putting him in charge of food was probably the smartest move yet. Having something to do kept him focused and less apt to bite anyone's head off. During their whole Robinson Crusoe adventure, Lex had been surprisingly pleasant and eager to help. Jay shook his head in wonder. He was now used to Lex and his myriad of mood swings. They were predictable which in its own perverse way was a comfort. At the moment they were all enjoying the break from Lex's sardonic personality. Like the sun peaking out during a hurricane, it gave them a chance to build up their defenses in preparation of the next downpour.
Amber groaned as she stretched. She was still so tired, though she'd gone to bed at a reasonable hour. Somehow it seemed she felt worse now than she had yesterday. She hadn't opened her eyes but she could feel the sun beaming down through the thatched roof. Was it that late? Usually she was up with the sunrise. She realized it was her son's fussing that had brought her from restless sleep. Rolling over to reach for him, Amber was surprised by how hot his skin felt. Her eyes popped open and she stared at her miserable child. Li'l Bray was burning up, his skin a strange shade of red, his little fists balled up as though he were in pain.
"Bray?" she almost whispered as she lifted him up. His clothes were soaked from sweat. She pressed him to her bosom for comfort but he continued his fussy whine. "Bray baby?" She spoke louder, her voice quivering with worry. "What's wrong honey?"
Suddenly Bray retched over her shoulder and his crying grew louder and more painful. Amber stared at him in fear. Though colicky as an infant, Bray had never been the baby who spit up. He was born with a strong stomach and one never needed a nappy while burping him.
"Bray baby, it'll be alright. Mumma's here," she cooed and rubbed his stomach gently.
Her son gave an even louder cry, his eyes wide as though he were begging her to help him and couldn't express the words. Suddenly Bray's face went white and he passed out in his mother's arms. Amber stared at him wide eyed, and without thinking shook him gently.
"Bray? Bray!" The scream started deep within and ripped through her body until it escaped her mouth. "JAY!"
Trudy reached the hut first. She and Brady had gotten up a couple hours before and she didn't want to wake Amber who seemed oblivious to the morning noises around her. While Brady played with shells in the sand, Trudy helped Jack and Darryl collect wood to make more shelters. Her stomach ached but she didn't want to complain, worried it would hurt Salene's feelings. As it was, though everyone enjoyed last night's stew, many had the same reaction and couldn't keep it down. Trudy and Brady and their rock hard stomachs were some of the few who'd eaten and felt fine afterwards. Trudy found Amber crying as she squeezed her unconscious son to her chest. Willing him with all her heart to wake up.
"What's wrong?!"
"He won't wake up!" Amber turned teary eyed to her friend, "He won't wake up!"
Trudy managed to get a hand onto the baby's forehead and gasped, "He's burning up!"
"I know!" Amber sobbed and hugged him tighter. "Oh wake up baby! Please wake up!"
Trudy quickly scanned the hut and saw where Bray had gotten sick. "We have to get him cooled down." She tried to remain calm. "We have to bring the fever down."
"What's going on?!" Jay arrived out of breath having sprinted from the stream. His chin was cut, no doubt from when Amber's scream had alerted him to trouble.
"The baby's sick;" Trudy kept her voice even. Spying Salene, who was behind Jay, she grabbed the soiled blanket from the sand. "Amber, get him undressed and I'll get water." Trudy didn't wait for her friend to respond as she slipped past Jay and out of the hut.
"What are you doing?" he asked her.
She didn't look at him as she thrust the blanket into Salene's arms. "We need cold water, it's the only way to bring his fever down. Sal..." She turned her attention to the worried redhead. "Take this and get it cleaned up."
"What's wrong?"
"Bray's ill." Trudy grabbed the water bucket as she marched towards the trees. "Lottie, keep an eye on Brady!"
Chaos ruled supreme for a bit while everyone ran around trying to figure out what to do. May had kept everyone from crowding around the hut while Trudy continually administered cold water to Li'l Bray's naked form with a wash rag. Jay calmed Amber assuring her that everything would be alright. After handing over his thermometer, Jack figured he couldn't do much more and encouraged Darryl to continue helping him build. Ellie joined them while Lottie entertained Brady. Lex also felt helpless when it came to sick people and went back to preparing his turkey for the camp. He even gave Sammy a pat on the back for his finding of eggs which Salene started scrambling, (though a few of them were cracked from when Gel dropped them as she ran into a spiderweb).
Finally Bray's fever was brought down and he even opened his eyes once before falling back into a fitful slumber. Mother and baby were left alone and Trudy gratefully returned to her daughter. Jay stood in front of the hut, worry etched in his face. He looked at his fellow companions and felt it was time to say something. Bray's small fit meant that the sickness, whatever it was, was spreading and could no longer be ignored.
By the time Slade rowed ashore mid afternoon, the camp was subdued. Everyone had been so deep in thought or manual labor that no one noticed his approach. Salene looked up from her quiet conversation with May to see him running through the surf. He hadn't even waited for the life raft to hit shallower water before leaping out.
"Where'd he get the other inflatable?" Asked Darryl who'd noticed as well. The life raft that Amber used the night before was still resting on the dry sand.
"Trader can pull anything out of his ass," May muttered as she jumped up and followed Salene.
"What's wrong?" Salene asked as Slade made it to them, his pants soaked from the knee down. "Why aren't you on the boat?"
"It's Ruby" he panted. "She's worse. Yesterday Amber said she was eating and drinking but now she can't keep anything down. And she's burning up."
May and Salene exchanged knowing looks as the rest of the camp became aware of Slade's presence. Many of them started towards the small group by the water.
"It's not just Ruby" Salene sighed.
"What do you mean?" Slade looked around at the gathering faces and realized that a particular one was missing. "Where's Ebony?"
Ellie stepped up. "She hasn't come out of her hut all day. She's not well and she won't let anyone help her."
Without a word Slade slipped past the girls to the dwelling Ellie had indicated. Ebony lay curled up into a ball, her jacket draped over her like a blanket. The sight of her startled him, for her usually warm-toned skin was now pale and gray. Her forehead was ringed with beads of sweat and dark circles had formed under her once fiery eyes.
"Ebony?" he said gently and touched her arm... she was burning up, just like Ruby.
She slowly opened her eyes and focused on him. A shy look of relief spread over her ashen face. "Slade," she whispered grateful for his friendly presence. He smiled warmly trying to mask his concern which was slowly turning to panic.
"I've been keeping an eye on her all day" Ellie offered from outside.
Slade didn't answer as he felt for Ebony's pulse. It was again the same story as Ruby. Her clothes were drenched and he wasn't quite sure what to do first. The night before she'd complained of an upset stomach and couldn't sleep. Now she lay dehydrated and looking half dead. In less than twenty four hours she'd completely deteriorated. She reached for his hand and he gently squeezed it.
"Don't leave me" she whispered hoarsely.
Those familiar words made his heart ache as he leaned closer. "Never" he promised and kissed her moist cheek. He needed answers; "I'll be right back love...." He kissed her hand before crawling out of the hut. Most of the tribe was gathered outside waiting for him. He looked around at their downcast expressions. "What's going on?"
A moment of uncertain silence before Jack cleared his throat. "We think it might be the virus."
"Or the seafood." Salene interjected not wanting to scare Lottie.
"What?" Slade frowned. "The virus? Here?"
Jay stepped forward. "Possibly. We're not sure of anything other than we're all sick."
"Not all." Ellie said quietly. She and Jack were feeling just fine.
"Some of us worse than others" Trudy offered. "Looks like Bray, Ruby and Ebony are our worst cases."
"Bray?" Slade queried disturbed by all he'd missed.
"He's just like you described Ruby" May sighed.
"Well his fever's gone down" Trudy reminded them.
"How's Ram?" Jay asked.
Slade shook his head, "Sick as a dog though he swears it's the rocking of the boat."
"Trader?"
Slade shrugged at Jay, "Right as rain as far as I can tell."
There was a strange silence for a minute before May sighed again, this time with frustration. "I say we get back on the boat and get out of here before someone dies or something."
Lottie stared at her wide eyed and Salene placed a reassuring arm around the girl.
"I'm with May." Darryl spoke up from his position by the fire.
Lex, who was sitting silently across from him looked up but said nothing as he tossed a stick into the blaze.
"Me too." Gel didn't want to miss a chance to have her voice heard, though her reasons for leaving the beach had more to do with the sand making her miserable. The fact that her stomach was cramping didn't seem to connect her to the reality everyone else was living in at the moment.
"It wont make a difference" Jack spoke up.
"And how do you figure that brainiac?" May frowned at him.
"Because," Jack narrowed his eyes at her, "If we're infected, leaving here won't solve the problem. All we'll do is take it with us."
"So what?" May shot back, her fear taking over.
"So what?" Jack shook his head. "So we might bring it to places where it wouldn't reach otherwise. Endanger other people perhaps."
"I don't care" Gel whined, "I just want to leave."
"Jack's right." They all turned to see Amber standing outside the hut that housed her ailing child. She looked defeated and drained of all her optimism. Jay was surprised he hadn't heard her and walked over to offer his arm. Amber gently brushed him away not wanting to be bothered. He tried to hide his hurt and gave her an encouraging smile instead. "If we are infected with the virus," Amber continued. "We can't risk spreading it among innocent people. It wouldn't help us anyhow."
Trudy sighed as she held Brady and tried to keep from crying. There was nothing worse than being a mother and not being able to protect your child. She didn't care what happened to her as long as Brady would be alright. What good was living if her daughter had no future?
"So what do we do?" Sammy asked meekly.
"We stay here and die;" Lex finally spoke with no emotion in his voice, never taking his eyes from the dancing flames.
chap one <-----> chap three
Later that night Lex sat against some driftwood and stared into the fire. Not far from him dozed Jack and Darryl. Every so often Darryl's snores would go beyond the level of acceptable noise and Lex would toss a small rock at him to make it stop. Jay was trying to catch a few winks as he lay on the opposite side of the blaze. His stomach had started cramping earlier that day though he kept it to himself; he didn't want to worry anyone needlessly, especially Amber; she looked as though the whole world was resting on her young shoulders. Next to him lay Sammy sleeping fitfully, with one arm around his midsection. He wasn't the only one with stomach problems, Jay mused.
After Salene's delicious stew was served, which all but Ebony ate eagerly, it was decided that the girls would sleep in the huts while the boys made do out in the open. Amber, Trudy and the little ones shared the first hut. May and Salene were going to claim the second until Gel put up an unnecessary fit about bunking with Ebony or Lottie. The former was sick and Gel simply didn't like the little pickpocket. Lottie herself wasn't entirely comfortable sharing with Ebony for fear of what she'd heard about the older girl. Finally Ellie offered to share with Ebony while Lottie stayed with Salene. May was unfortunately stuck with Gel. Before they retired May grabbed Gel's arm and hissed...
"You do anything to wake me up and I'll knock that pretty head of yours off with a stick, ya hear?"
Lex threw a pebble into the flames. He realized that Ebony hadn't made one comment about what was said or insinuated about her during the earlier argument. Instead she silently accepted Ellie's bunking arrangement and immediately went to bed. He also noticed that she hadn't eaten a thing since yesterday. Though it wasn't like him to be concerned about her welfare, he was curious about what she'd come down with.
No one seemed up to par since their arrival at the cove, not even himself. Lex wasn't willing to admit it but he hadn't been able to keep down the two bowls of stew he'd eaten. Now, Salene was a good cook and the food was tasty, but something didn't agree with him; he had managed to sneak off and purge discreetly behind a bush without anyone noticing. He couldn't help but worry slightly over what was wrong with all of them. Could it be the virus after all? What if they were exposed to it as they were leaving the harbor? Could a virus travel through the air that fast? Or maybe Ram was right and it had spread further than they imagined. Maybe they were breathing it in right now and would die one by one on this very beach?
Lex stretched the muscles in his back and tried to erase the horrible thought from his mind. He placed another piece of wood on the fire and gazed up at the star-studded sky. Another week or so and the moon would be full. As he searched for recognizable constellations he thought briefly of Tai-San and her opinions of the full moon and it's affects on the spirit. His eyes misted over and he thought of Zandra's and Siva's graves; he would never see them again. It wasn't fair, all the women he loved were taken from him and he had nowhere to even mourn them. He knew he could be a jerk sometimes but did any one man deserve such bad luck?
On the boat Slade slipped below deck silently into the darkness. It was nearly sunrise though, he didn't need light to see his way to where Ruby lay sleeping. He could barely make her out, but it looked as though she were sweating. Absently he wiped her brow with his sleeve and sat on the edge of the bunk trying not to disturb her. Ruby hadn't wanted to eat earlier so Slade, Ram and Trader split the fish that Lex had grilled. She wasn't taking much water either. Slade frowned noticing how fast Ruby's pulse seemed. His hand was resting gently on her arm and he could feel the steady flow of blood coursing through her veins.
After her run in with the truck, Ruby seemed fine and even managed to walk to the pier with little assistance. Maybe it was the adrenaline of trying to escape. Once they had set sail and the excitement waned, Ruby suddenly collapsed. Jack thought it was shock while Amber was positive it was a concussion. Slade didn't care either way as long as they found a way to fix it. They doctored her as best they could and guessed at some broken ribs, a sprained ankle, maybe even a fractured collarbone. Without x-rays, or Ruby to tell them where she was in pain, they had no way of knowing. Amber and Salene had found severe bruising all over Ruby's torso from the truck's front grille. All they could do was hope she would wake up. Ruby did regain consciousness over the next couple of days, seeming confused as to where she was or who she was surrounded by.
Slade had been worried sick but it wasn't just Ruby's health he was concerned with. In the fading darkness his hand touched her abdomen gently. He wondered of the life tucked safely inside. In all the excitement the baby had been forgotten by everyone who knew about it save for Slade. He had never seen himself as the daddy type but there was no denying the awe one felt when he learned he helped create a life. And maybe Ebony was right, maybe this baby would ruin everything that was good in his life right now. Still, Slade couldn't help wanting it, willing it to live. He glanced at Ruby's face, her brow furrowed. He only hoped his child and its mother were both strong enough to make it.
"Sammy!" Gel's screech ripped through the morning silence and echoed through the trees causing birds to fly off in several directions. She swatted at the leaves and sticks that had showered down onto her shoulders and hair.
"Hey look!" Sammy's eyes were wide with excitement. He ignored Gel's annoyance having grown quite used to it by now. "I found three more nests! There's enough eggs for all of us now!"
Gel rolled her eyes and looked down distastefully at the bundle of eggs she was already carrying. Why she'd been sent on this excursion was beyond her. In fact all of the happenings over the last week were lost on her. She couldn't understand why one measly explosion had caused them to leave their concrete jungle of a home. Sure, everyone was afraid of the virus but didn't the virus only kill adults? As far as Gel was concerned she was still a kid and couldn't wrap her head around all the panic.
Sammy carefully placed the eight eggs in the loose pockets of his jacket and started the precarious climb down the tree. He'd never been more pleased than when Lex sent him on this errand; a chance to prove he was more than just some useless little kid. Lex had taken a stab in the dark and guessed that it might be all the seafood that was making everyone sick. Maybe the ocean was polluted. He now believed that a hearty meal of mammals might get them back into shape. Sammy couldn't wait to show the older boy that he'd succeeded in his small mission. In his descent, a small egg slipped from his pocket and broke open onto Gel's head.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Jay looked up from his shaving as the scream alarmed him for a second. Salene and Lottie stopped filling their buckets with water and listened too.
"Gel," Lottie said and Salene nodded, her worry dissipating.
After no more noise the three resumed their duties. Jay watched the two girls struggle with the full buckets as they made their way back to the camp before turning to his shaving. It had been days since he'd taken a blade to his face and the fuzz made him almost unrecognizable. Lottie gave him the small hand mirror which she swiped from Gel's personal bag and for once he was grateful for the young girl's dishonesty.
He glanced back at the camp which he could see through the few trees. Lex was busy plucking a wild turkey he'd managed to hunt down that morning. Jay was hard pressed to admit it but that guy sure was handy when it was least expected. Putting him in charge of food was probably the smartest move yet. Having something to do kept him focused and less apt to bite anyone's head off. During their whole Robinson Crusoe adventure, Lex had been surprisingly pleasant and eager to help. Jay shook his head in wonder. He was now used to Lex and his myriad of mood swings. They were predictable which in its own perverse way was a comfort. At the moment they were all enjoying the break from Lex's sardonic personality. Like the sun peaking out during a hurricane, it gave them a chance to build up their defenses in preparation of the next downpour.
Amber groaned as she stretched. She was still so tired, though she'd gone to bed at a reasonable hour. Somehow it seemed she felt worse now than she had yesterday. She hadn't opened her eyes but she could feel the sun beaming down through the thatched roof. Was it that late? Usually she was up with the sunrise. She realized it was her son's fussing that had brought her from restless sleep. Rolling over to reach for him, Amber was surprised by how hot his skin felt. Her eyes popped open and she stared at her miserable child. Li'l Bray was burning up, his skin a strange shade of red, his little fists balled up as though he were in pain.
"Bray?" she almost whispered as she lifted him up. His clothes were soaked from sweat. She pressed him to her bosom for comfort but he continued his fussy whine. "Bray baby?" She spoke louder, her voice quivering with worry. "What's wrong honey?"
Suddenly Bray retched over her shoulder and his crying grew louder and more painful. Amber stared at him in fear. Though colicky as an infant, Bray had never been the baby who spit up. He was born with a strong stomach and one never needed a nappy while burping him.
"Bray baby, it'll be alright. Mumma's here," she cooed and rubbed his stomach gently.
Her son gave an even louder cry, his eyes wide as though he were begging her to help him and couldn't express the words. Suddenly Bray's face went white and he passed out in his mother's arms. Amber stared at him wide eyed, and without thinking shook him gently.
"Bray? Bray!" The scream started deep within and ripped through her body until it escaped her mouth. "JAY!"
Trudy reached the hut first. She and Brady had gotten up a couple hours before and she didn't want to wake Amber who seemed oblivious to the morning noises around her. While Brady played with shells in the sand, Trudy helped Jack and Darryl collect wood to make more shelters. Her stomach ached but she didn't want to complain, worried it would hurt Salene's feelings. As it was, though everyone enjoyed last night's stew, many had the same reaction and couldn't keep it down. Trudy and Brady and their rock hard stomachs were some of the few who'd eaten and felt fine afterwards. Trudy found Amber crying as she squeezed her unconscious son to her chest. Willing him with all her heart to wake up.
"What's wrong?!"
"He won't wake up!" Amber turned teary eyed to her friend, "He won't wake up!"
Trudy managed to get a hand onto the baby's forehead and gasped, "He's burning up!"
"I know!" Amber sobbed and hugged him tighter. "Oh wake up baby! Please wake up!"
Trudy quickly scanned the hut and saw where Bray had gotten sick. "We have to get him cooled down." She tried to remain calm. "We have to bring the fever down."
"What's going on?!" Jay arrived out of breath having sprinted from the stream. His chin was cut, no doubt from when Amber's scream had alerted him to trouble.
"The baby's sick;" Trudy kept her voice even. Spying Salene, who was behind Jay, she grabbed the soiled blanket from the sand. "Amber, get him undressed and I'll get water." Trudy didn't wait for her friend to respond as she slipped past Jay and out of the hut.
"What are you doing?" he asked her.
She didn't look at him as she thrust the blanket into Salene's arms. "We need cold water, it's the only way to bring his fever down. Sal..." She turned her attention to the worried redhead. "Take this and get it cleaned up."
"What's wrong?"
"Bray's ill." Trudy grabbed the water bucket as she marched towards the trees. "Lottie, keep an eye on Brady!"
Chaos ruled supreme for a bit while everyone ran around trying to figure out what to do. May had kept everyone from crowding around the hut while Trudy continually administered cold water to Li'l Bray's naked form with a wash rag. Jay calmed Amber assuring her that everything would be alright. After handing over his thermometer, Jack figured he couldn't do much more and encouraged Darryl to continue helping him build. Ellie joined them while Lottie entertained Brady. Lex also felt helpless when it came to sick people and went back to preparing his turkey for the camp. He even gave Sammy a pat on the back for his finding of eggs which Salene started scrambling, (though a few of them were cracked from when Gel dropped them as she ran into a spiderweb).
Finally Bray's fever was brought down and he even opened his eyes once before falling back into a fitful slumber. Mother and baby were left alone and Trudy gratefully returned to her daughter. Jay stood in front of the hut, worry etched in his face. He looked at his fellow companions and felt it was time to say something. Bray's small fit meant that the sickness, whatever it was, was spreading and could no longer be ignored.
By the time Slade rowed ashore mid afternoon, the camp was subdued. Everyone had been so deep in thought or manual labor that no one noticed his approach. Salene looked up from her quiet conversation with May to see him running through the surf. He hadn't even waited for the life raft to hit shallower water before leaping out.
"Where'd he get the other inflatable?" Asked Darryl who'd noticed as well. The life raft that Amber used the night before was still resting on the dry sand.
"Trader can pull anything out of his ass," May muttered as she jumped up and followed Salene.
"What's wrong?" Salene asked as Slade made it to them, his pants soaked from the knee down. "Why aren't you on the boat?"
"It's Ruby" he panted. "She's worse. Yesterday Amber said she was eating and drinking but now she can't keep anything down. And she's burning up."
May and Salene exchanged knowing looks as the rest of the camp became aware of Slade's presence. Many of them started towards the small group by the water.
"It's not just Ruby" Salene sighed.
"What do you mean?" Slade looked around at the gathering faces and realized that a particular one was missing. "Where's Ebony?"
Ellie stepped up. "She hasn't come out of her hut all day. She's not well and she won't let anyone help her."
Without a word Slade slipped past the girls to the dwelling Ellie had indicated. Ebony lay curled up into a ball, her jacket draped over her like a blanket. The sight of her startled him, for her usually warm-toned skin was now pale and gray. Her forehead was ringed with beads of sweat and dark circles had formed under her once fiery eyes.
"Ebony?" he said gently and touched her arm... she was burning up, just like Ruby.
She slowly opened her eyes and focused on him. A shy look of relief spread over her ashen face. "Slade," she whispered grateful for his friendly presence. He smiled warmly trying to mask his concern which was slowly turning to panic.
"I've been keeping an eye on her all day" Ellie offered from outside.
Slade didn't answer as he felt for Ebony's pulse. It was again the same story as Ruby. Her clothes were drenched and he wasn't quite sure what to do first. The night before she'd complained of an upset stomach and couldn't sleep. Now she lay dehydrated and looking half dead. In less than twenty four hours she'd completely deteriorated. She reached for his hand and he gently squeezed it.
"Don't leave me" she whispered hoarsely.
Those familiar words made his heart ache as he leaned closer. "Never" he promised and kissed her moist cheek. He needed answers; "I'll be right back love...." He kissed her hand before crawling out of the hut. Most of the tribe was gathered outside waiting for him. He looked around at their downcast expressions. "What's going on?"
A moment of uncertain silence before Jack cleared his throat. "We think it might be the virus."
"Or the seafood." Salene interjected not wanting to scare Lottie.
"What?" Slade frowned. "The virus? Here?"
Jay stepped forward. "Possibly. We're not sure of anything other than we're all sick."
"Not all." Ellie said quietly. She and Jack were feeling just fine.
"Some of us worse than others" Trudy offered. "Looks like Bray, Ruby and Ebony are our worst cases."
"Bray?" Slade queried disturbed by all he'd missed.
"He's just like you described Ruby" May sighed.
"Well his fever's gone down" Trudy reminded them.
"How's Ram?" Jay asked.
Slade shook his head, "Sick as a dog though he swears it's the rocking of the boat."
"Trader?"
Slade shrugged at Jay, "Right as rain as far as I can tell."
There was a strange silence for a minute before May sighed again, this time with frustration. "I say we get back on the boat and get out of here before someone dies or something."
Lottie stared at her wide eyed and Salene placed a reassuring arm around the girl.
"I'm with May." Darryl spoke up from his position by the fire.
Lex, who was sitting silently across from him looked up but said nothing as he tossed a stick into the blaze.
"Me too." Gel didn't want to miss a chance to have her voice heard, though her reasons for leaving the beach had more to do with the sand making her miserable. The fact that her stomach was cramping didn't seem to connect her to the reality everyone else was living in at the moment.
"It wont make a difference" Jack spoke up.
"And how do you figure that brainiac?" May frowned at him.
"Because," Jack narrowed his eyes at her, "If we're infected, leaving here won't solve the problem. All we'll do is take it with us."
"So what?" May shot back, her fear taking over.
"So what?" Jack shook his head. "So we might bring it to places where it wouldn't reach otherwise. Endanger other people perhaps."
"I don't care" Gel whined, "I just want to leave."
"Jack's right." They all turned to see Amber standing outside the hut that housed her ailing child. She looked defeated and drained of all her optimism. Jay was surprised he hadn't heard her and walked over to offer his arm. Amber gently brushed him away not wanting to be bothered. He tried to hide his hurt and gave her an encouraging smile instead. "If we are infected with the virus," Amber continued. "We can't risk spreading it among innocent people. It wouldn't help us anyhow."
Trudy sighed as she held Brady and tried to keep from crying. There was nothing worse than being a mother and not being able to protect your child. She didn't care what happened to her as long as Brady would be alright. What good was living if her daughter had no future?
"So what do we do?" Sammy asked meekly.
"We stay here and die;" Lex finally spoke with no emotion in his voice, never taking his eyes from the dancing flames.
chap one <-----> chap three