“It’s a plane!” she squealed, grabbing his arm.
“It is a fucking plane! We need to get the flare gun!” he hollered, pulling her up the embankment.
“Hurry,” she choked, suddenly terrified they’d be too late to signal it. “Run!”
The hum was getting louder, closing in on their island. It seemed such a foreign sound, having been isolated from civilization for nearly two months. Had Willie not heard it too, Joss would have thought she was imagining things.
“There it is, Christ, it doesn’t see us! It’s going to pass us by!” Willie cried out, waving his hands in the air, desperate to make himself seen.
“No!” Joss screamed, waving along with him, the tightness in her throat strangling her. She felt her heart sinking into her gut as her hope quickly dissipated. It couldn’t end that way, not when they were so close, not when Ryan needed it the most.
“It’s too late...” she cried, just as a shot rang out, scattering the hundreds of birds that had been resting in the jungle trees.
Chapter 27
The noise in the waiting room was almost too much to bear; the constant bells and beeps, the blaring television, even hushed whispers sounded like screams. After the tranquil silence of their beach, it was stimulation overload. Joss sat awkwardly on an orange plastic chair, cradling her head in her hands, trying to block out the din, scared and exhilarated at the same time. Over the past eight hours she’d experienced every emotion under the sun, and truthfully, she was in a paralyzing state of shock.
She was sandwiched between Danny and Charlie, with Willie sitting across the aisle. They’d spoken very few words over the past several hours, all of them still trying to wrap their brains around the events that took place. Everything seemed so surreal, dreamlike, since Grant had shot off the flare.
Under normal circumstances, they would have been celebrating their rescue, but it was impossible to be happy when Ryan couldn’t celebrate with them. As soon as the seaplane landed at the marina in Vanua Levu, they whisked him away by air ambulance and took him to the Labasa Hospital. It seemed to be a decent facility and the medical team wasted no time administering care. By the time the rest of them had arrived to the hospital, he’d already been admitted to intensive care, his treatment underway.
Joss was confident his celebrity status would ensure the best care possible. Reporters were swarming the hospital, but thankfully security kept them well behind the barricades. She wasn’t ready to talk to anyone, not until Ryan was out of the woods. One thing was certain; within a day or two the little island of Vanua Levu would be inundated with press from every corner of the globe. They weren’t just coming for Ryan. It seemed as though they’d all gained some notoriety during those fifty-nine days, lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Their story had hit every news station and front page around the world, going viral across social media. It was no surprise really, given the passenger list of the small, ill-fated plane.
Once they’d arrived at the hospital they were all examined. Joss insisted she was fine, that aside from Ryan they were in good health, but the doctor’s wanted to be thorough. The world was watching. She hadn’t seen Grant for hours. The last she saw of him, he was walking out the door with some serious men in suits. Joss assumed they were investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji, wanting to question him about the crash. He had turned around before exiting the building, searching for her. Their eyes briefly met and he smiled at her; then he was gone. She hoped he was okay and a small part of her wished that she was with him, offering him her loving support. She hated that they were separated from him. It was like a piece of her heart went missing.
“Hello. I’m Dr. Lasuma.”
Joss looked up to see a short, Polynesian doctor standing nervously in front of them. He turned and gave Willie a solemn look, wordlessly inviting him into the conversation. Willie quickly stood up and joined them, comically dwarfing the young doctor.
“I know you’ve all been waiting on news about your friend,” he continued, making eye contact with each of them. Joss nodded nervously as soon as his eyes landed on her.
“He’s a very sick man but we are doing everything we can. I’m confident that as his treatment continues he’ll gradually improve, but it will be a slow process. He was very lucky. Had he gone one more night without medical care, he probably wouldn’t have survived,” he said, demonstrating his point with a frown.
“Can we see him?” Joss sighed, releasing her breath. She felt like she’d been holding it since they’d arrived, anxiously waiting for news.
“He’s resting, and I highly encourage you all to do the same. Your bodies need sleep. It’s been a highly charged and emotional day for all of you. You’ve been under a great deal of stress,” the doctor encouraged, patting Willie on the back, his hand barely passing his belt line. “When you come back in the morning I’m sure you’ll see a vast improvement.”
“We will, Doctor,” Charlie assured, reaching for Joss’ hand, “but I don’t think we can go without at least saying goodnight, even if Ryan is asleep.” Joss nodded vigorously in agreement.
“That’s fine, but please, only one at a time. I’ll send a nurse to bring you to his room,” he agreed reluctantly, then as an after thought added, “maybe you haven’t found a hotel yet? The Northwinds is only a kilometer away if you want to call them to book? Hopefully they’ll have some vacancy.”
“I already booked it, Doc,” Charlie said, “I jumped on it as soon as I saw the media circus out front.”
“That was wise,” the doctor agreed. “I can arrange for security to get you there when you’re ready to go.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Joss said, standing up to shake his hand, the others following suit. They watched him walk away, not taking their eyes off him until he disappeared between the double doors he’d come through.
As promised, ten minutes later they were escorted through the hospital to Ryan’s room, where they took turns sitting by his side, holding his hand, sharing their encouraging sentiments. Sleeping or not, it was reassuring to be near him, even for only for a few minutes.
“Well, we made it here, my love, now it’s all up to you,” Joss whispered, kissing him goodnight. “Fight as hard as you can and come back to me.”
* * *
Maybe to the outside world it would have seemed unusual that Joss was sharing a hotel room with three men, and surely tongues were wagging, but for them it was anything but strange. In fact, it would have been more daunting had they been in their own rooms, separated from one another after sleeping in the same close quarters for two months. She was certain she would’ve had a panic attack had she’d been forced to sleep alone, and she’d told Charlie as much when he’d offered to book them individual suites.
In truth, it would probably take months for her to adjust to being alone. It suddenly dawned on her that her isolated little house in the mountains of Washington, a place she once loved, no longer felt like home. She wasn’t sure she belonged there anymore. She was no longer the girl that once relished a solitary life. Aside from the obvious relationships she’d developed, she’d grown accustomed to the company, the affection, and the warmth of the family they’d all created. It had become as important to her as breathing.
Everything about the hotel room seemed alien. Easily flipping on the lights when they walked in the room, the hot water flowing freely from the shower, the smell of the lilac shampoo as she washed her hair, even the bed was surprisingly uncomfortable; and she felt like she’d been picked up and transported to another planet. There was something about survival that kept a person grounded, aware, connected to the moment. This was all so effortless, and disengaging. It had not dawned on her until that moment how easy it was to move through life on autopilot; technology had a way of dumbing people down, forcing detachment. She felt so numb. It wasn’t until the lights went out, curled protectively by Charlie, that she finally felt whole again.
Chapter 28
“Hi Mom, it�
��s me,” Joss whispered into her cell phone. She was sitting on the bathroom floor, the only space in the hotel room that offered her a little privacy.
“Jocelyn?” her mother cried, “honey, it’s really you?”
“It’s me, mom,” Joss choked, suddenly overcome with emotion, just hearing her mother’s voice.
“I tried calling your cell yesterday as soon as I heard the news! My God, it’s a miracle!”
“Yeah, sorry about that. We literally had 5 minutes to throw our belongings together before we were whisked away. It was so chaotic, mom. We had to leave almost everything behind. I threw my cellphone in my bag but didn’t get a chance to charge it until late last night.”
“It’s okay, I knew you would call. At least I hoped you would. I know things were tense between us before...this...” Mary hesitated, her words dropping off.
Joss shook her head, holding the phone tight to her ear. None of that mattered anymore. “Of course I’d call,” she replied, “I’ve had a lot of time to think about things, and the truth is, mom, family is all that matters, being with people you love and who love you. I realize how important that is now.”
“Yes, it’s true. I tried to tell you that,” Mary chuckled, gently scolding her.
Joss shrugged her shoulders, despite the fact that her mom couldn’t see her. She couldn’t ever recall her mother talking to her about the importance of family, or even making an effort to mend their relationship, but bringing that up now didn’t feel appropriate. Not at all.
“I suppose,” Joss conceded, curling her knees up to her chest protectively.
“So when will you be coming home? So many people will want to see you. You know we had a memorial service for you just three weeks ago, the day they announced that they were changing the search and rescue to a recovery mission. We’d all given up hope,” her mother announced tightly. “Your friend Hannah was there. She came all the way to Portland, can you believe that?”
“I can believe it. I’m sure it was really hard for her. I was supposed to be at her wedding, you know” Joss agreed. Hearing Hannah’s name made her smile. She couldn’t wait to see her again. Hannah would never believe her crazy story. Joss could barely process it. “I think I will stay here for a little while. Honestly we haven’t talked about our plans.”
“We?” Mary asked, her tone pressing for more.
Joss ignored the question. She’d not really thought about what might happen next. Everything had changed so suddenly. The truth was, they’d climbed on that plane two months earlier as five complete strangers, with lives of their own, and those lives were about to commence again, right where they’d left off. What that meant moving forward was anyone’s guess. Maybe once they parted, the island would seem like a dream, a distant memory that had no place in their every day life. Maybe they would never see each other again. Joss clutched at her breast, the weight of that reality suddenly pressing against her heart. It was hard to breathe.
“Jocelyn?” her mother yelled, as though they’d been disconnected.
Joss forced herself to take a breath, pushing away her uncertainty before speaking again. “I’m still here, mom. Ryan’s in the hospital and I couldn’t bear to leave until I’m sure he’ll be fine. He needs me.”
“Ryan Watt? That young actor that was with you? The news mentioned he was hospitalized. What was that like, living with a big star? What was he like?” Mary said, as though Joss had only been vacationing with him.
Vexed, Joss just shook her head and smirked, pushing away her irritation. “He’s a special man. Quite sweet actually...” she replied, her tone softening; memories of their time together replacing the angst she felt.
“Well I appreciate why that might be important Jocelyn, but I think your family takes precedence here. Seriously.”
Her mom was right, family did take precedence, and Ryan was family. She loved him and couldn’t leave his side, especially while he was sick, but she couldn’t expect her mom to understand that. She didn’t know what they had gone through, what they’d meant to each other, and Joss wasn’t ready to tell her.
“Okay,” she placated, “I’ll come home as soon as I can.”
“Good. I thought you were going to be stubborn about things as usual,” Mary snickered, “You’re headstrong, just like your father was, god knows...”
“Okay mom,” Joss interjected, unwilling to fight. In spite of the fact that Joss was thirty-one years old, estranged for years, and a near death experience, she and her mother still couldn’t have a simple conversation without Mary making her feel like she was a fifteen year old girl. Before the island Joss would have pushed back, jumping right on the crazy train with her, defending her choices....but not anymore. The island had changed her and she no longer felt like she had to justify a thing; not to anyone.
After promising her mother to connect in a few days, Joss called Hannah. Thankfully that conversation was much easier. Hannah was overjoyed to hear from her but instinctively knew that Joss needed time to get her bearings again. As much as she probably wanted to inundate her with questions, she’d held herself back, instead assuring Joss that they would hang out as soon as she returned to the states. Joss appreciated her sensitivity.
Chapter 29
“How did that go?” Charlie asked, pulling her into his embrace. Joss melted in his arms, soaking up his strength.
“It was fine,” she assured, accepting a kiss. “Where’s Willie? And Daniel?”
“Willie went to the lobby to make some calls. He said he’d meet us at the hospital. Daniel went with him.”
“I see,” she replied, gently pulling away. “We should probably get going. I want to see how Ryan did through the night. Have you heard anything?”
“No. I’ve been on the phone with the states. I had a bunch of people to talk to.”
“Oh?” she asked, not wanting to press, but curious just the same.
“I’m going to have to leave soon, I’m afraid. I wish I didn’t have to,” he offered sadly, his eyes filling with regret. “I know we have a lot of things to work out...we haven’t had much time to talk.”
Joss looked at him hopefully, wondering if he’d had the same concerns that she did. He smiled at her warmly and nodded, as though reading her mind.
“When will you be flying home?”
“I’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning. There’s a flight at 5:00 am...” he hesitated, as though he had more to say.
“That is soon...”
“I could book a seat for you...?”
Joss felt her heart quicken in her chest, suddenly filled with mixed emotions. Of course she wanted to be with him, the thought of parting from him almost unbearable, but leaving Ryan, and the others? And when would she see Grant? They’d not even said a proper goodbye. She felt her emotion rising to her throat, her tears threatening to spill. There were so many moving parts and she was helpless to synchronize them. It was all spinning out of control.
Sensing her struggle, Charlie took her hands in his, swallowing his own pain. “Joss, I know things are really confusing right now. I’m sure we’re all overwhelmed, but everything will work out. I know it will.”
“How?” she choked, barely squeezing out the question.
Mouth agape, Charlie shook his head, the answer just not coming to him. He pulled her into his arms again, unsure who he was trying to reassure more, her or himself. As she sobbed against his chest he felt himself dangerously close to breaking down with her, but he knew he needed to hold it together. She’d been so strong on the island, confident, focused. It was Joss who had assured their survival after the crash. She knew what had to be done and she just put her head down and pressed on. Not once had she broken down, overcoming every obstacle thrown at them, finding solutions. Now it was his turn. And he wouldn’t let her down. He would figure it out.
* * *
Joss and Charlie walked into the hospital through a rear entrance, avoiding the mass of reporters that had gathered out front. Just as Joss suspec
ted their numbers had almost tripled from the night before, all of them waiting for a sound bite, or better yet an exclusive interview. Preferably from Ryan, Willie or Charles, but any one would do.
As they traversed the hallways, Joss kept her eye out for Grant, hoping he’d returned. She was desperate to see him, to make sure he was okay, but he was no where to be found. She wondered how his night went, if the investigators were raking him over the coals. He’d suffered so much, coming to terms with his guilt over the crash, and the last thing he needed was to be blamed for the accident. It killed her that he was dealing with it on his own.
Danny and Willie were waiting in the I.C.U. when they arrived. Ryan was still unconscious but the nurses explained that his vitals were good. They were hopeful that he was improving and assured them he would regain consciousness soon. The doctor finally agreed that they could all stay in the room together, sensitive to the fact that none of them could bear to be apart from Ryan. They spent the whole day by his side, quietly reminiscing about the island. No one talked about the elephant in the room, their inevitable separation. Nevertheless, Joss was comforted by their presence.
“Hey guys.”
Joss felt a flutter in her chest, her heart recognizing the voice before her eyes did. She glanced up to see Grant strolling into the room, his arms carrying a vase of flowers.
“Hi Joss,” he said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. She smiled again, suddenly overcome with emotion, overjoyed the family was finally together. He stared at her for a moment, his eyes revealing the strain he’d been through, but reassuring her he was fine. She reached for his hand and squeezed it, wordlessly expressing everything she couldn’t say. He winked at her, placing the vase of flowers on the table beside her.
“How’s he doing?” he asked, addressing the room. “He’s better,” Daniel replied, offering him a friendly hug.
“Have you been here all day?” Grant asked, making his way through the room, hugging Willie and Charles in turn.
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