Last Hope (Completed)

Chapter 10

Remy put Sarah's arm around her and helped her stand up. "Ate, stay with me. Mahaba haba yung lakad. Please, please, stay with me," Remy begged. Sarah was half awake, she managed to nod. Her legs felt like noodles, but she tried her hardest to walk. Remy grimaced in pain. Most of Sarah's weight was on her. She kept Sarah on one arm and the torch on the other hand. "Ate, I need you to pull more of your weight, please. Hindi ko kaya toh ng ako lang," Remy pleaded. Sarah's breathing was fast. Remy felt extremely bad for her. Sarah tried to walk with her. She gave it every bit of energy she had left. After about fifteen feet, Remy's shook her head. "Ate, I can't. I have to put you down for a minute," she said. Sarah nodded. Her breathing became shallower. Remy gently put her down by the base of another tree. She grunted as she knelt down. She arched her back and held her side while her other hand was on the ground. She was in extreme pain that she had to shut her eyes. Her legs were giving out as well. Sarah looked at her weakly. "Remy," she said. "I'm okay," Remy said in a heavy breathing. "Sorry," Sarah apologized. Remy shook her head. "It's not your fault, ate. I need to get you out of those wet clothes, please. It's too cold here. Everything's wet," Remy claimed. She too was shivering. "Come on, help me, ate. I have to get you to the shelter as soon as possible. Hypothermia abot mo nito eh," Remy said worriedly. "Can you at least hold on to the torch? Please, yun na lang. I'll carry most of your weight, just don't burn the two of us and please don't burn down the whole forest. I just need you to push yourself to be alert enough to know where you're holding the fire. Please, ate. Do just that for me, okay?" Remy asked. Sarah opened her eyes wide enough to accept the torch in her hand. Then Remy grunted in pain as she held most of her and Sarah's weight on her. Sarah tried to stay awake and be alert. She didn't want to burn Remy or the forest down. She kept her arm extended far enough to not burn her and Remy up. Remy grunted and moaned as she tried to keep going. Sarah tried her hardest to help. Remy wasn't about to give up now. "Remy, 'wag mo pilitin kung di mo kaya," Sarah managed to say, but Remy kept going even though she felt like her insides were going to burst open from the pain she was currently in. Remy tried to follow the trail marks. She tried to remember and trace her last steps. She wasn't going to be lost now. She can't afford to lose time. Her whole body was shaking by now, from the cold but mostly from the pain. She was exhausted, but she kept Sarah in her mind the entire time. After walking and carrying most of Sarah's weight for ten straight minutes, Remy knew she had to take a break. She picked out a tree and gently put Sarah down by its base. Then she went to the side and started throwing up. "Remy," Sarah said weakly. She peeked over towards her friend. "Okay ka lang ba?" Sarah asked. Remy couldn't answer. She was throwing up violently to the side. "Remy," Sarah called out to her again. Her world was spinning. Remy held on to her side again. Her back was killing her, but she knew she had to keep going. She crawled towards Sarah and stumbled right in front of her. "Remy," Sarah said again. "Come on," Remy said like a drunk person. She grunted and moaned as she carried Sarah's weight again. Remy could barely stand up, it took her time to get the momentum and start walking again.

After another ten to fifteen minutes of walking, they finally arrived at the shelter. Remy tossed the torch onto the stream to kill its fire. Then she gently placed Sarah on the bed of leaves Sarah had made for them as a make-shift bed. Sarah closed her eyes. She could finally rest. Remy took herself outside fast enough and just in time before she started to vomit again. She held on to her side again. Then she went back inside. "Ate, you have to change," she said, out of breath. Her world was spinning, too. She shook her head as she tried to shake the sensation off. "Ate, kelangan mo mag-palit," Remy said. She grabbed whatever shirt and pants she could get. "I'll go outside," Remy said. She got up and winced in pain. She limped her way outside. She was happy she had food already prepared before everything else happened. She peeked inside the shelter to see whether or not Sarah did as she was told. "Ate," she called out to her. She hurried back inside. She held Sarah's neck. Her fever had returned. Remy swallowed. "Ate, you have to help me. I can't change you kasi I know you're very private when it comes to things like that. Please, you have to get out of those wet clothes," Remy begged, but Sarah didn't move. Remy went over towards Sarah's head. Then she groaned as she carried her weight again. She placed her gently to rest on her upper body. "I'm so sorry," Remy said. She grabbed the towel and covered Sarah's body with it. Then she closed her eyes. She knew Sarah wouldn't like it if she had seen her body. Remy was crying now. She didn't want to violate Sarah's privacy like that, she felt extremely bad for having to do it, but she knew it was needed to be done. She took Sarah's top off first. She used the towel to gently dry her body before she put on the clean shirt for her. Her eyes were closed the entire time. Then she laid Sarah down on the ground, she pulled the towel to cover her legs. "Ate," she tried to call out to her, but Sarah was unresponsive. She didn't even know whether or not she was asleep or unconscious. "Ate," Remy said again. Tears dropped onto Sarah's neck as Remy cried. She patted her face gently. "Ate, kelangan ko tulong mo so I could change your pants. The top was fine, I mean ang hirap na nga eh pero nagawa ko na, and I promise, I kept my eyes closed the entire time. Pero sa baba, I can't. I just don't feel right changing you down there, but I know you have to get out of the wet pants, too. Wake up just for that and you can continue your sleep," Remy pleaded. Sarah didn't respond. Remy cried even more. "Ang hirap naman kasi eh," she complained as she sat by the fire, thinking of what she should do next.