Island of the Unemployed

SAVE ME!

River laid on a table, arms restrained, shirt open. A bright narrow ray of light shined down on him in, an otherwise, dimly lit room. Simon stood next to him.

"Simon! What's happening? Why am I being held prisoner?" River was understandably confused.

"You're not a prisoner."

"I'm not?"

"No. This is a hospital, not a prison."

"Then, why am I in a hospital? I'm not sick."

"Not physically. It's not that kind of hospital."

"Then what kind of hospital is it? Why don't you help me?"

"I'm not helping you because it's not my job."

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" River got more and more agitated.

"Don't you remember what I told you when we were waiting for the train? I told you those people were coming to save us. Do you remember?"

A door opened. Walter walked into the room. His face was expressionless, eyes glazed over.

"Walter! Help! I'm being held prisoner!" Walter didn't seem to hear him. River struggled to free himself, but the straps that secured him in place held firm. "Walter, help me!" Still no response. "Simon, what's going on? Why doesn't he answer? I thought you said he was coming to save me."

"He doesn't answer because he can't hear you."

"Why not? He's right there. Why can't he hear me?"

"It's funny, isn't it? People always trying to save themselves, spending their lives looking for ways to improve their own lives. For some reason they think the answer is accumulating possessions. The more possessions they have, the more tightly they cling to them, as if somehow they might save them. It's sad, don't you think? Such a waste of time and energy. Why is it people don't understand it's the people we try to save that end up saving us!"

Walter picked up two paddles with wires attached to them, and looked down at River's chest.

"What is he doing? I thought he came to save me. Why isn't he releasing these straps?" River's voice became more desperate.

"Because it wouldn't do any good."

"Why not?"

"Because you're dead."

"What? I'm not dead! I'm right here talking to you!"

"Well, what do you call it when a person's heart stops working." River pulled harder at his restraints. "Don't bother, River. I already told you, you can't save yourself. But don't worry, sometimes a person's heart just needs a little jump start."

"Why can't he hear me? You can hear me."

"He can't hear you because he's not aware of what he's doing. Neither are you, for that matter."

Walter put the paddles to River's chest, sending a shock through his body. River jerked upwards.

"Ahhhh! That hurts! Make him stop!"

"Don't you want to be saved?"

"Saved from what?" Suddenly, River heard a heartbeat. Softly at first. Then gradually louder and louder until he could hardly stand it. "Make it stop! It's hurting my ears!"

It began to rain and thunder. The rain soaked him to the point of not being able to open his eyes from the pounding. The sound of thunder built to a crescendo until he thought his eardrums would burst.

"Simon! Save me!"

He woke to the sound of his roommate snoring. Thank God! It was just a dream!" He sat up and looked over to his aged roommate. How am I ever going to get any sleep with all the noise he's making?

"Get up! Get up, I said!"

Haden gave Mila a kick in the side, as she laid on her stomach. She rolled over, eyes filled with tears, one of them blackened.

"Do you have any idea what kind of problems you and your friends have caused me?" he screamed. "My hands may never be the same! Some of my best soldiers are dead! Somebody's going to pay, and I'm going to personally see to it that you and your friends' lives are a living hell!" Mila scrambled looking for her glasses. "That's it. Go ahead and cry." Haden bent down and yelled into her ear. "Did you really think you could save your father? Are you really that stupid? He's not even on the island! You caused all this trouble for nothing! Do you want to know where he is? Dead! He's dead!"

"My friends are going to come back to rescue me!"

"My friends are coming back to rescue me," Haden mocked. "Your friends aren't coming for you. They don't care about you! They're not going to risk their lives for the stupid girl that caused everybody so much trouble!"

He kicked Mila again. It began to rain. Lightning struck. Thunder rolled.

"River! Where are you? Remember what I told you? Do you remember what I told you about love? I know you'll come back for me. I know because I have a way of knowing these things."

River woke again to the sound of his roommate snoring. He sat up, and pondered the meaning of the dreams he had experienced lately. Why did he keep having the same ones over and over?. Then something happened, something that hadn't happened in a very long time. A single tear rolled down his left cheek.