to the ends of the earth

ten

I stepped into the lavatory, needing a moment to collect my thoughts before facing dinner. The events of the day weighed heavily on my mind.

I’d told Nelson that despite his will to do this all alone, I would still try to protect him, the same way he’d do for me. He tried to object, but I wouldn’t let him – I could never forgive myself if something happened to him.

Leaning over the sink, I stared into the mirror, trying to steady my racing thoughts.

As I splashed some water on my face, the door creaked open, and Julie entered. She looked surprised to see me there but quickly composed herself with a smile. “Nelson said I could find you here,” she said softly, her eyes reflecting concern.

I managed a weak smile in return, trying to push aside the worry that gnawed at me. “Yeah, just needed a moment to freshen up before dinner.”

Julie stepped closer, her expression mirroring the heaviness I felt inside. “Ragne, are you okay? You don’t seem it.”

I hesitated, not wanting to burden her with my concerns, but she deserved to know. “Please, don’t get cross with me… but I told Nelson about you and Colin.”

“Ragne, I told you–”

“Listen to me, please.” I met her worried brown eyes. “We made a plan. Nelson will do everything in his power to distract Colin as much as possible, befriend him, go along with his nonsense for the rest of the journey and keep him away from you. That way you hopefully won’t feel as trapped, and maybe I could keep you company? If you’d like?”

Julie’s eyes held a mixture of incomprehension, restraint but also gratitude. As she studied my face, her expression softened. “There’s no way to change his mind, I presume?”

I shook my head, letting out something between a chuckle and a sigh. “Believe me, I tried.”

“And there’s no way to change your mind?”

I shook my head again. “No chance.”

Julie’s let out a defeated sigh. “Ragne, I appreciate what you and Nelson are trying to do, but I don’t want either of you getting because of me.”

“We know the risks,” I stated. “But it’s worth it. We both care about you. And I don’t want you to worry, we won’t let anything happen to each other, okay?”

Julie’s hesitation was palpable, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. I could see the effect it had on her, but after a few seconds, she nodded. “Okay.” She looked directly at me. “I’ll accept the help, but please be careful.”

“We will be,” I spoke with a determination.

Julie let out a deep breath, her eyes still clouded with worry. “Thank you, Ragne. I just… I don’t know what I would do without you and Nelson.”

I reached out and took both her hands in mine, giving them a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t have to go through this alone. We’re here for you, no matter what.”

She nodded, biting her lip as she considered her next words. She glanced at the door to make sure no one else was around, before reaching into her bag and pulling out the small jar of salve we got from the doctor. “I can’t keep this. If Colin finds it, he’ll get suspicious. Will you keep it for me?”

I took the jar from her, staring at it, before looking back up, unsure. “Are you sure? Don’t you need it?”

“I’ll manage,” she replied. “It’s safer with you. I don’t want him to have any reason to suspect anything.”