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7: Alive, but is it Worth It?

 Chilled's POV

I felt like there was something lodged in my throat before my eyes even opened or my brain registered I was awake, sending me bolting upright into a sitting position. Within seconds, I vomited up water, and my throat felt raw. I coughed, sputtering and spitting more water onto the ground; I tried to remove the taste from my mouth. Once more, water came from the pit of my stomach, shooting out of my body and onto the sand. I shook my head, my entire body shivering violently as I coughed. I spit one more time before taking in my surroundings. I was on a beach, no signs of human life near me except for the man whose hand I had clasped in my own. Ze's face was soft, calm, and he looked pale and worn out. Our fingers were intertwined, and I slowly removed my hand.

Trying to remember the events from before only made the headache I had suddenly a lot more prominent. I realized quickly that we had been out for more than just a night, but rather two nights and the day in between them; the aching in my muscles felt so. We had jumped from the cliff to escape the bear, landing in the water below only to be swept away by the river that the lake emptied into. My hand was still clasped in Ze's, and so when I ran into the log head first after foolishly trying to stand up and getting swept off my feet even faster via momentum, Ze followed shortly. After that, I recalled Ze mumbling my name and the water drowning out his words completely. Then, this beach and being uncomfortably warm and ready to eject all the water I had intaken. It was miracle we were still alive.

I looked around, trying to locate our things when a sinking realization hit me. Everything we had in Ze's pack was washed away with the current, taken far downstream to where another player would find it and make use of it. My jacket was gone and any of the food in my pockets would be soaked, and the only thing I kept on me that was in good shape was my small sword. Everything else was gone, and it's as if we were reduced back to square one with nothing. I felt a sense of hopelessness take over me, and I kicked at the sand around me.

"Fuck!" I shouted, running my hands through my hair and grabbing it, pulling it. I couldn't believe it, I didn't want to. We couldn't just lose our things like that, but we did. It was painfully obvious, and several parts of me wanted to scream in frustration. I couldn't go out like this; we couldn't go out like this.

Suddenly, there was immense coughing behind me, and I turned. Ze was on his side, one hand propping himself above the ground as he too vomited up the water he'd taken in. He coughed more, spitting and choking into the sand. I was at his side instantly, rubbing a hand up and down his back as he shuddered, coughing more and choking back whatever was still trying to make an appearance. He glanced up at me after a moment, and tried a small smile only to result in another fit of coughing. I rubbed his back some more, and after a few moments he heaved a sigh, sitting up and facing the sky, eyes closed. I sat next to him, and for the few minutes that we allowed ourselves to be there and forget, it was nice. Then he spoke.

"We lost everything, didn't we?" he asked, and I knew that he had looked, and he had recalled his own memories of what we went through. I sighed, giving a nod that he peeked a single eye at me to catch. He looked down at his hands, appearing hopeless, and sighed once more, trying to focus on something else it seemed. We were screwed in the long run. All we had was my sword which was okay, but it wasn't going to get us through the rest of the games. I didn't want to watch Ze die, that would kill me personally, but I couldn't protect him from hunger with a blade. Ze stood swiftly from my side, turning to pace behind me as I continued to stare up at the sky. What a day this was going to be.

"At least we got a wash." I offered, laughing at my own crappy attempt at a joke and then breaking off. Ze chuckled softly behind me, but it was hollow and sounded almost forced. We were stuck here, with nothing to aid us in the long run, and we were too weak to begin moving. Vomiting had dehydrated us already, and it was only a matter of time before it killed us both. It was definitely not the time to be making jokes, but I couldn't help but want to lighten the mood.