Love in the wild

Chapter 11. Hospital

Helen woke up to the harsh fluorescent lights humming overhead. The flood of sudden brightness forced her to wince and rub her eyes. A thin IV tube connected to her arm was caught on the thin white sheets, tugging uncomfortably at her skin. Trying to free the tube, Helen dislodged a small oxygen monitor that was clamped around her finger, causing the machine beside her to start beeping loudly.

Helen sat up and looked around, feeling utterly confused and disoriented. The beeping was drowned out by the buzz of voices talking excitedly in the hallway. A bouquet of white roses in a blue vase stood on the small bedside table, sharing this narrow space with an untouched breakfast tray and a stack of clean hospital gowns.

Ryan was sleeping peacefully in a plastic reclining chair beside her bed, using a scrunched-up blanket as a makeshift pillow. He was wearing a different set of clothing now, dressed in worn-out jeans and a gray sweatshirt that he did not have with him on the trip. His face looked drained and tired, with dark circles forming around his eyes and a mess of tousled hair falling over his forehead.

She heard a small commotion by the door. Lucas and Suzan peeked through a narrow window, and seeing Helen awake, barged into the room with excited greetings. Ryan opened his eyes, and a broad smile spread from cheek to cheek, lighting up his face.

"You finally woke up!" he announced happily, reaching over to place the oxygen meter back on her finger. The satisfied machine stopped its frantic beeping and displayed glowing numbers on its monitor. Everyone in the room grew silent and focused on the values that fluctuated for a few minutes, settling at 98 percent and 62 beats. Ryan seemed relieved by this, although Helen had no idea what it meant.

"How are you doing?" he finally asked, looking back at her.

Helen replied, feeling anxious and having so many questions pop into her head all at once, "I am good. Why am I here? And why is there a tube in my arm? And how is your cut? Did the doctor prescribe you antibiotics to control the infection? Are you feeling better?"

"What cut?" asked Ryan, eyeing Helen suspiciously.

She gave him a bewildered look. "The cut you got on a piece of driftwood the other day. It made you sick and dizzy, so I had to leave you and Suzan at camp to paddle out and find help. It's on your right arm, here, let me see."

Looking very perplexed, Ryan pulled up his sleeve and revealed a perfectly intact arm.

"That's strange," uttered Helen, biting her lip. "Maybe I'm confused. Was it your other side?"

Ryan shook his head and pulled the other sleeve up.

A stroke of panic flashed through Helen's eyes: "What's going on? Are you messing with me?"

Ryan, Lucas, and Suzan exchanged puzzled glances. Unsure of what to say, they remained silent for a few moments, trying to decide on how to proceed. Finally, Suzan came closer, pulled up a bedside chair, and reached out to hold Helen's hand.

"Helen, honey, you were lost for two weeks after the tsunami separated us near Catala Island. Your doctor said you were severely dehydrated and suffered a concussion. You must have hit your head on the boat while being knocked around by the waves."

Alarmed and confused by this sudden new development, Helen sat upright and squinted, trying to process the information.

She gave Lucas a suspicious look and asked, "Wait, does that mean that you did not get in a fight over a crab and leave us while we were sleeping, taking most of the supplies?"

Lucas shook his head in indignation. "Really, Helen? Of course not. Who do you think I am?"

"And Suzan, you didn't walk around our camp topless?"