Milford didn't think to bring a life jacket. He scolded himself mentally for this as he kept swimming towards Max. Every ten seconds he'd either yell their name or put his head in the water for some sign of them. It took nearly ten minutes of that routine before stopping for a break. He knew he had to save them but he just couldn't breath.
Out of the blue, it seemed, Milford heard the sound of bubbles behind him. They were coming up fast. He instantly knew who it was before swimming down. He followed the trail of bubbles almost endlessly, before finding Max, desperately trying to swim up, but lacking the strength to. Max, with one last advantage, reached up their hand for Milford to grab. Milford did the same.
Closer, closer, closer.
Finally, their hands made contact as Milford swam upwards with little air inside of him. It was much like when the dragon crashed, yet harder because he was carrying a whole other 145 pounds with him. There was no telling as to when they would show up at the top. Milford literally felt his lungs losing air as the very little amount of it he had left blew out of him five feet away from his and Max's freedom. He was just about to pass out when air, sweet air came back to both he and Max. He couldn't put into words how happy yet scared he was at the same time.
_____________
When they eventually swam to the boat, only Pablo came to help let down the ladder for them both to get on the boat.
"Ajax, or whatever his name is, he's resting near the bow. He says he doesn't want to talk to anybody. We should be in Portugal by tomorrow," they explained.
Milford and Max awkwardly looked at each other. "Um, are you sure he's not gonna, like, kill me in my sleep or anything?" Max asked with a hint of sarcasm in their voice.
"Say you're sorry or somethin', I dunno," Pablo mumbled before walking away.
Milford and Max looked at each other yet again, not knowing where to go or what to do. "You wanna just talk?" Max asked.
Milford looked down, thought, and nodded. They both pulled up a chair, one directly in front of the other. Milford started.
"What made you attack them?"
"He made fun of you, why else?" Max asked. Milford thought that could be wrong somehow by denying it, but there wasn't a way it could've been. "Admit it, you hate him a little too, don't you?"
Milford paused for about ten seconds. "Look, I don't like him, but I don't hate him either."
Max frowned. "Well I think he's the worst." He got up and walked away from Milford.
He walked towards the steering wheel, felt tired, and curled up onto the wooden floor to sleep as Pablo started up the ship again.
