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#1
Old 05-11-2016, 12:22 AM

Dr. Rider, an older man in his late 50s believes he has discovered the last remaining population of the rare Golden Splitwing, a bird that has not been seen by humans in hundreds of years. His years of study and researched turned up the location of a small island, a few hundred miles off the coast of Mexico, unexplored by humans. A legend seemed to surround the island, stories of storms and other occurrences making ships disappear, never to be found again. None of that would deter the old Doctor, no he needed to find this, it would be his greatest discovery.

It didn't take long to put together a small team of other scientists and students willing to follow him (rather blindly) to track down this island. The team of 10 set out on a small chartered boat, expertly driven by Dr. Rider himself, who was unwilling to let any more people than necessary find out about the island and his discovery. Some might think it was a mistake to not even leave behind information about their mission, no clue as to their destination, should the worse happen.

The destination was just a small island, barely ten square miles in size, dense with trees. Satellite imaging showed a rain forest like environment, with tall trees and dense underbrush. A thin, white sand beach stretched around the island and small streams and ponds seemed to dot the interior. An untouched paradise. The true mystery was the inhabitants, animal or otherwise.

------

The small vessel was tossed around in the growing swell, the waves rising above the boat before crashing over the deck, threatening to topple it at any moment. The shouts of the passengers were drowned out as the storm raged on around them, the dark churning sky showing no sign of relief. A loud crack of lightning, far too close for comfort, only distracted from the wave that sent the boat into a tumble, the waves tearing the small ship apart.

Just as the storm began to brew, land had come into sight, now the blessed land, that they had rushed to reach, was a curse as the waves threw them against the shore, humans and debris alike. Yet despite the damage the storm continued to rage.

------

Sometime during the night the storm had stopped, yet darkness reigned as the clouds covered any light from the moon and stars. The sunrise cast light along the white, sandy beach of the island, littered with debris from the wrecked boat. A large chunk was still intact, sitting there like a shack, the waves crashing against it. The rest of the ship was scattered, including its crew and contents, some probably lost to the bottom of the sea or drifting aimlessly away.

Collin gasped for air as the waves came rushing up, forcing water down his throat. Couching and sputtering he managed to get to his hands and knees. The salty water stung his legs, coming away pink as it washed away fresh blood. Small cuts littered his calves, likely from the rocks he had previously been bobbing against. With effort he managed to get to his feet, groaning as he did so, his battered body protesting.

Squinting his eyes he scanned the beach, his heart skipping a beat as he noticed a familiar body near the broken hull of the ship. He broke into a run, stumbling every free feet, rushing to reach his friend. "May!" His voice was hoarse, cracking as he called out to her. The pain barely registered as he dropped to his knees beside the seemingly lifeless form. The body was that of a female, spread out on her back, fresh blood streaming from a nasty gash in her leg and matching cuts and bruises forming on her other appendages.

"This is all my fault." Collin all but sobbed, remembering how he had begged May to come with him on this trip. They had been friends since they were still in diapers, practically siblings. A small groan caught his attention, a sense of elation as he realized she still lived. Quickly he was on his feet, grabbing her at her shoulders and dragging her across the beach, away from the water and other debris. He didn't spare a moment for any others who might still be alive on the beach, his focus on May, who still lay unconscious. His shirt was removed and used as makeshift bandages before he dropped down beside her, his body still too tired to do much more.

Despite the lack of blood relations, they looked so much like siblings, people usually assumed they were, perhaps even twins, considering how close they were. Both had jet black hair and the same pale skin. May kept her hair long, falling nearly to her waist, but normally twisted into a bun at the back of her neck, where Collin's was trimmed rather short, an attempt to look more professional. Maven was of rather average height, but slim build, a fact she often complained made her feel like a boy rather than a woman of 25. Collin was nearly as slim, better suited for his work as a scientist instead of a more athletic career He was tall though, nearly freakishly, it seemed, as people tended to point it out to him. His face was all angles, with dark green eyes, May's was soft and nearly childlike with light green eyes.

[[lunanuova: Here we go! Sorry it's so long, I just wanted to sort of set the scene and introduce my characters. It wont be so insane next post. I left it pretty open for you to just join with your character.]]

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#2
Old 05-11-2016, 02:40 PM

The ringing was deafening; a high pitched squeal that seemed to swirl around Will's head. A dull ache spread from ear to ear and the heaviness felt like the dark, wet sand below was dragging him under. He took a small sharp inhale, grasping on to the oxygen his body craved, but with it came the scratch of sand on his already tortured throat. He jolted upright; coughing hard. The movement caused a pounding pain at the back of his head. He raised his hand to his head carefully and discovered blood on his fingers from a small dented gash in his skull. Luckily, it wasn't bleeding profusely, although the effects of concussion were prominent in his mind from the many times he had dealt with cases as such in med school. He wasn't used to being the one needing to be fixed up, but he was well educated and knew that he could help himself with the right resources.

Flashes of memories pulled him away from consciousness, loud thunder echoed inside his mind, surely these were just bad dreams? Will remembered the shouting, his team scared and frantic, gripping on to the sides of the boat. He looked up as bright lightning struck above him, hitting him, burning his retinas with a pure white light. Just as quickly, his view snapped back to reality, the grey blanket of sky felt so close in the humid heat. The light, creeping into view from the sunrise reflected almost an eerie and spellbinding purple on the edges of the thick cloud. As the ringing subsided, his eyes flicked to the water, noticing debris, all too familiar, but now vastly different. The sight was something he never would have thought he would be witnessing. He leant back on his hands, using his slim but muscular arms to pull himself up and slowly his legs found balance in a crouch where he halted, catching sight of his new colleague now floating face down in the water, caught near the rocks. Rosa. Her deep complexion now so lifeless, such a contrast from her determined and energetic self he had met before embarking on this journey. A gasp almost caused him to fall back, but he rose pushing the sand away with his boots, wet sand covering his strong legs, his eyes wet, still locked on the body.

His gaze broke suddenly as he whipped his head round to follow the sounds in the distance. Movement, a shout, people may be in danger. Will instinctively started to move as quickly as he could, ignoring the pain radiating from his hips and arms as he pushed against the coastline to find whoever was there. The sun now peaked through the clouds, giving his wet brown hair and matching brown eyes the same golden tint. His surroundings were somewhat unfamiliar for the 27 year old, he had not been in the field of research science long before Dr. Rider had selected him to be part of his team. His ability to learn fast and his MD degree had earned him his place.

He spotted someone, recognizing Collin crouched beside another. "Hey" Will rasped with desperation, straining for his voice to be heard. When he reached them, he fell to his knees with a thud as close as he could get, breathing heavily. "Are you okay?" he demanded with genuine concern. As Collin turned, Will saw the girl on her back and quickly moved above her. "Is she breathing?" he added straight away, a look of worry on his face, placing his fingers to her carotid artery in her neck to feel for her pulse and then lowering his cheek to her mouth and nose to feel for her breath.

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#3
Old 05-11-2016, 03:08 PM

Everything seemed to blur around him, Collin found himself struggling to focus on the task at hand. His hands trembled as he checked the bandages a third, then fourth time, wondering if it would be enough. The grimy and salt-water crusted shirt was hardly suitable to be used as a bandage but at this point he could see no other options. Perhaps one of the med-kits survived the wreck? He had to check, he had to move...

The sound of a voice, very near, made him pause and he searched with cloudy vision to find the source. His eyes stung from the salt, but he could just make out the blurry form of Will, one of the other researchers involved in the project. He couldn't remember, was Will the one with the medical background? Entirely more practical than his botany degree. His brain took longer to process the words than necessary and struggled to answer him. "She wont wake up. She's alive but she wont wake up!" His voice broke as he fought to hold back the sob.

She was crudely wrapped in the torn strips of shirt, the largest of which was around her leg. Already bright red blood was seeping through, staining the grimy bandage. Hundreds of other small cuts seemed to cover her, her simple outfit of denim shorts and ribbed tank were near shredded. It was clear she had been bashed against the rocks just off the shore, Collin wondered how she was even still alive, how battered and bruised she looked. "Please, it wont stop bleeding..." He mumbled, pressing on the bandages at her leg, hoping to stop the bleeding.

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#4
Old 05-11-2016, 05:10 PM

Will could feel the throb of the artery below the girls ear. He could see now that the girl was Maven or May as he recalled, remembering her long dark hair and how she and Collin seemed very close when they were in their group, now significantly smaller, still a fact that seemed so hard to believe. The gash on her leg and the flow of blood that seeped through the makeshift bandage looked so grossly ill-matched in comparison to her petite, female body.

Lifting her head up carefully to expand her airways, his face close to hers, too many seconds passed. Behind them, the waves on the shore flowed in the steady rhythm that was missing from May's lungs. Will glanced at Collin, feeling his distress; he held her nose and placed his mouth on hers, blowing two quick breaths. He watched her chest laboriously. He repeated the procedure, breathing a loud sigh when her chest rose and fell; his own moving rapidly, short-winded and heart beating hard. He immediately got to his feet, removing his shirt and moving to her leg to compress the wound further. Luckily it was fairly clean and she had no other symptoms to indicate internal bleeding.

Everything was so accelerated, only seconds had passed, "May? Can you hear me?" he urged as he pressed down tightly against the wound.

Last edited by lunanuova; 05-11-2016 at 05:19 PM..

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#5
Old 05-11-2016, 05:38 PM

Collin could only watch on in silence. Panic set it, he wanted to scream, to shake her, to do anything to get her to wake up, it took every ounce of energy in his body to control himself as Will did what was needed to hopefully save her life. He couldn't believe this had happened. It seemed like minutes ago they were excited to see land after having been on the small vessel for three weeks, circling and looking, trying to find this island that Dr. Rider was sure existed. Many times Collin began to doubt him, wondered why everything had to be so secretive, why they were not out here with a larger team, more known scientists. No one on the team had been in the field very long, they were all so young, so hopefully, excited at the chance for experience with such a well known and esteemed Doctor and scientist.

He finally let out a breath as he saw May continue to breathe, her chest rising and falling more steadily. When Will came to put pressure on the wound, Collin sat back, dropping to the sand, wariness taking him over. Yet he would not sleep, he couldn't not until he knew May was going to be okay. Her skin seemed so pale as he watched her face, waiting for something, anything. He held his breath as her blue lips parted slightly, letting out a moan as Will put more pressure on her leg. It wasn't much, but it was something and Collin reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly. "May, it's me. It's going to be okay..." He assured her, even if he didn't quite believe so himself.

As he held onto her hand he allowed himself a moment to scan the beach, the morning sun was bright, nearly blinding him as it reflected off the water. Debris bobbed in the waves along the beach, along with what he was pretty sure was the other researches on the trip. Had anyone else made it onto the beach? He didn't see any other movement, no other signs of life. Could really only the three of them be left? God, he hoped not.

Turning back to Will, he studied the man. Yes, he remembered he was the one who had the medical training of the group, something he was thankful for right now. As he watched he noticed the fresh blood on his neck, which seemed to be coming from somewhere on the back of his head. "You're injured..." He pointed out rather lamely, sure that the man probably knew so as well.

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#6
Old 05-11-2016, 06:13 PM

Will was studying May's face intently, pushing down with straight arms, beads of sweat starting to trickle down his back as the sun continued to rise and the temperature heightened. As he saw her lips part and her lungs take in a more significant amount of air he breathed another sigh of relief, knowing that the respiratory system had taken over its rightful job. He watched Collin move to her side and take her hand, understanding now that Collin really did deeply care for her. A thought came to Wills' mind how awful it would have been for Collin if May had not responded and stayed lifeless and alone on this beach that had reaped so much damage from the wreck.

When Collin spoke, it took a second for Will to understand that he was referring to his own head, after being so wrapped up in tending to someone else. "Uh, yeah.." Will replied, somewhat dazed, reaching again to touch his head wound. A lot of the blood had dried on his skin in his messed up salty hair, but a small stream of fresh blood crawled slowly down onto his neck. He knew he should really compress the wound. Still with his hand to his head, he looked from side to side across the beach, gulping and steadying his breath.

"Here." Will instructed "Hold this" he motioned to the shirts acting as a bandage to her leg. "I'm going to have to look for our supplies, we need something" He wasn't exactly sure what he would find, the boat had been ripped in pieces and all he could remember was the thrashing waves that wanted to claim anything and everything on board. In his mind he was half hesitant, finding more of his dead crew members was indeed inevitable, he'd rather imagine that they were safe in their homes, hundreds of miles from here. But he remembered the supplies they had packed and stood up so that Collin could take over. "And, tightly" he added with a plead visible in his brow, pointing to the compress and taking steps backward in the sand.

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#7
Old 05-11-2016, 06:32 PM

Collin was surprised, it seems Will had forgotten about the wound on his head, he was sure it had to hurt, he knew he ached all over and was struggling to just keep going. When Will moved aside, Collin took his place once more, putting pressure on the wound, hoping that soon the bleeding would stop. How much could someone bleed before it would be too late? No, he shouldn't think like that, but everything already had gone so horribly wrong he couldn't help it. May needed a hospital, trained doctors and possibly stitches, not crusty t-shirts and sand in her wound.

A small croak sounded from her and he leaned over, trying to hear. She coughed, a hoarse sound that wracked her whole body. "I'm here." He tried to reassure her, still keeping the pressure on her leg. Another moan on pain escaped her, he worried he was pressing too hard, but Will had said to tightly press, so he continued to do so.

"W-water..." Came the hoarse voice, sounding nothing like the girl he knew. Frantically, Collin looked around. She couldn't drink from the sea, it would only make things worse, but he wasn't sure there was a source of fresh water available. His own throat screamed for something as well, but he tried to ignore it. Will couldn't have gotten too far, "She needs water!" He called out in desperation, afraid to remove the pressure from her leg to go in search of some. Another dry rasp caught his attention and he shifted the pressure on her leg, using just one hand, holding her hand with his free one. "Shh." He soothed, hoping Will would be able to find something.

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#8
Old 05-12-2016, 10:34 PM

The waves lapped up at Wills' legs, the salt stinging the grazes, as he moved towards debris spread across the shore. His eyes scanned the mess of the destroyed boat trying to decipher the angle of the vessel, most of which was jutting out of the sand like a chunk of glass, it's sharp edges pointing towards the endless blue ocean. The boat had been loaded with crates of supplies, Will remembered very well from being the one to lug the heavy crates in the heat on the mainland.

He reached out his hands leaning on the wreck to get closer; recoiling as the burn of the metal panels, already heated by the morning sun, stung his palms. 'Medical, medical, medical' he repeated under his breath, distinctly searching for the printed logo he could see so clearly in his memory. Will climbed up carefully into the inside, gripping the sides above him and stepping into water once again now dense with seaweed and littered with the contents of the boat.

A shout came from Collin, pulling his attention back to the shore. Water. His eyes flicked back to the inside of the boat. Pushing harder through the thick seaweed, he plunged his hands into the water to lift up a plastic wrapped container of which the corner peaked above the water, almost camouflaged reflecting its surroundings. However the back of his hand met something a lot softer. Something smooth like skin. Lifting up the container, the seaweed displaced and through the gaps, the form of a hand and shirt sleeve swayed gravely beneath the surface. Will quickly looked away and headed backwards, focussing on ripping at the sides of the container to salvage whatever supplies it held.

------

Underwater, there were no cries, no crashes of thunder and lightning, just the hollow pressure of the pacific ocean water in the ears of Dr. Rider. It was like the waves that pulled and dragged him under were insisting on his defeat, swallowing him like the monster that he knew the island was. The very fact of which he kept quiet for years and denied the dangers when fellow scientists reacted to his interest in the area in the beginning. He believed the storm was a resistance, at the hands of the island, lashing out at their boat - a warning to stay away. This would not deter him. His determination for this mission had never faltered and never would.

The darkness made it hard to distinguish between water and air, but Dr. Rider pushed hard against the brine, gasping as the air hit his face. He had put too much work into this to surrender to the elements.

On land, Dr. Rider had dragged himself to what little shore there was next to the rocks, stopping short of the edge of the dense jungle. The boat, his boat, nowhere to be seen. He remembered the force of the waves ripping him from the deck and pulling him away. He had hardly slept in the recent days, peering endlessly across the vast blue horizon for the island he so desperately needed to claim. As a scientist, he felt so hungry for this island that even the tragedy of the storm failed to diminish his relief and wonderment that he was touching the same sand of the island that guarded his most prized scientific dream, the Golden Splitwing.

Stepping his way through the outskirts of the jungle, he gripped onto his water canister that miraculously still hung securely around his neck along with his binoculars and locket, the three things that he was never seen without. He gulped some water and pulled on his rucksack that hung on for dear life, a half ripped handle sodden with water. He struggled to fathom what had happened. The storm had hit so quick. His equipment! The others on the boat.. he remembered. Moving quicker now, he pushed past vegetation, searching for an opening soon appearing from the light that now dominated the morning sky.

At the edge of the jungle, Dr. Rider stood stunned, looking out at the white beach stretching far across the island. The sight of the wreckage rattled him. However his eyes were firmly locked, squinting in the sun, on Collin, knelt above another in the distance. It was in this moment as Collin looked back that he realised the extent the damage of this accident; his responsibility for his team and the real cost of this trip.

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#9
Old 05-12-2016, 11:18 PM

Collin could see Will searching in the wreckage, he knew he was trying, but what was only minutes seemed like ages when it came to what could possibly save May's life. He felt useless, sitting here, while he could be looking for whatever it was they could salvage, yet he wouldn't leave, not with the fear of her continuing to bleed. In all his schooling he had done some basic biology courses, he had taken a first aid course many years ago, but he couldn't remember just how much blood a person could stand to lose before... No, he couldn't even imagine that outcome.

He continued to scan the beach for any sign of life, anyone else who had survived, but his eyes still stung from the salty water. No matter how many times he blinked his vision still blurred and his eyes watered. May made no more sounds, at first he feared the worse, but her chest slowly rose and fell, a steady rhythm, then there was the unmistakable sound... her snore. She hated when he brought it up, too embarrassed that he knew, despite there being little reason to be, since it was a result of an injury to her nose when she had taken a softball to the face over ten years ago. It wasn't overly loud, but it was noticeable.

With her asleep he risked moving his hands, taking the pressure off the wound. He hadn't gotten as good of look at as he would have liked to, the panic had cause him to just cover it as quickly as he could. He removed the shirts, unwrapping the one he had wound tightly, careful as it stuck to her. He sighed in relief when blood didn't immediately start spurting from it, instead just a small trickle ran down her leg, dropping to the sand below. It wasn't as deep as he had thought it to be, but it had been hard to see clearly through the blood. The cut was jagged though and ran nearly from knee to ankle and was surrounded by many other smaller cuts, the blood on those now drying.

Satisfied that she was at least okay, for now, he managed to stand, groaning at the amount of effort it took. He looked to where his side hurt, not surprised to see a rather large bruise starting to form, though the pain was dull and he was glad it didn't seem like anything had broken. Not wanting to be from May too long he started a sweep down the beach, picking through the hunks of wood and junk along the beach, looking for anything useful.

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#10
Old 05-13-2016, 09:55 AM

Dr. Rider stumbled over, emerging from the trees, a look of numb disbelief on his face. All he could see was the stark contrast of the girls jet black hair against the white sand and the glaring red blood across her leg. Was she dead? He stood before her, his team member Maven, laying helplessly below him. He was confused and dazed. He gripped onto his canister, when he heard a shout from the shoreline.

"Hey!" Will called, after ripping at the box, "I found water!". He lugged the box above his head to climb back over the wreckage. As his feet pushed through the water and reached the land he spotted a man stood by May. "Dr!" Will called in surprise. He was alive, he felt relief that he was not also lying face down in the ocean. The Dr looked up at Will as he made his way over to them, pulling at the plastic wrap of the box to free one of the bottles of water. "She'll be okay" Will reassured Dr. Rider seeing confusion in his face. He looked over her wound again, happy that it was not gushing blood. He would need to stitch it and dress it soon. He opened the water and poured some carefully across her leg, washing the wound to avoid infection. Then he lifted up May's head "Here, May, drink" trying to coax her to consciousness.

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#11
Old 05-13-2016, 11:41 AM

Collin focused on his task, combing the wreck that littered the shore. It was mostly random things, a lifejacket that had not been used, had not saved one of the team members, chunks of the boat that has crashed against the rocks and broken apart, shards of glass and bits of metal. A single boot bobbed in the low tide, the other he had seen a few minutes before, still attached to the wearer, crashing against the rocks still at sea. He felt sick and couldn't watch, yet he knew somehow he would have to do something, they couldn't leave them there...

Voices and commotion over by where he left May had him turning and practically running. As he got closer he could see the familiar form of Will crouching over her, but someone else stood by. It wasn't until he was much closer he was surprised to see Dr. Rider. Where had he come from? He hadn't seen anyone else moving on the beach. He had heard Will cry out that he had found water, his throat screamed at him in anticipation.

"She's sleeping..." He pointed out, crouching down next to her as well. He could still hear the gentle snores, though her face was contorted in pain and he could see beads of sweat forming on her face. A sound, much like a whimper came from her. "Hey, May, wake up..." He urged, wondering if she was dreaming or if it was her injuries. When she didn't wake he shook her shoulders lightly, "Wake up." In an instant she responded, her eyes flying wide open and a gasp escaping her. He could feel her trembling under his hand that still rested on her should.

She looked around frantically before her eyes landed on Collin. She tried to speak but all that came out was a hoarse rasp. "Drink." Collin urged, showing her the water that Will held out to her. Her first attempt left her coughing and sputtering, nearly choking on the water but she continued to drink, her throat so dry it burned. Finally she coughed one last time then pulled back from the water, her head dropping back onto Will's hand that held it up. "Thanks." She managed to get out, barely above a whisper.

Now conscience she could feel her entire body in pain, each little cut felt like it was burning. Her arms hurt, hell, her whole body hurt and she wasn't even sure she'd be able to move. She remembered the storm, the dark water pulling her under and thinking she would soon be dead. The memories made her shiver despite the warm sun on her skin. May tried to sit up, groaning in pain as her muscles fought against her. Collin helped her into a sitting position, which proved to be a bad idea, since she could now see her leg. "Oh, that's not good..." She mumbled before the world started to spin and she began to fall.

"Hey now, it's not that bad." Collin tried to reassure her as he helped her back into a sitting position, but she still struggled to hold herself up. "Will, hold her up while I find something for her to lean on." He didn't wait for a reply, he jumped up and hurried down the beach, hoping he could find something that would do the job.

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#12
Old 05-13-2016, 05:29 PM

Will quickly outstretched his arms to hold up May as Collin let go and stood up. "May you've got to stay awake now, okay?" Will instructed. "How are you feeling?" He asked, trying to judge the severity of her condition, placing his palm on her forehead to feel that her temperature was okay. "Dr Rider, I need to check her leg, can you hold her?" he asked and Dr. Rider dutifully knelt down to keep her in position. He looked around, mouth parted, at the scene before him. His vessel in pieces, his crew injured or dead, his months of hard work crumbling around him. "What a mess" he exclaimed. He had had a very detailed plan for this trip and now it ceased to take priority. His conscience crept in: his persistence, his stubbornness and selfishness; all factors that made him a driven scientist, but precisely what caused conflict; were the very reasons why these poor young students were in pain, or worse, floating deceased in the ocean. He had taken responsibility for these people, and now with the danger they were all in, he doubted whether keeping this mission a secret was actually worth it.

Will slowly elevated May's leg; the bleeding subsiding now. He checked carefully around the wound "Well the good news is your leg's not broken". He covered up the wound again with the makeshift bandage. Will could feel the sting of the sun starting to burn his shoulders. Swatting away sand flies near her legs he added "Because we can't stay here for long, we need to get you, well, all of us into the shade" he nodded towards where the white sand merged with the forest floor.

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#13
Old 05-13-2016, 06:33 PM

May complied amid a bunch of groans, every movement caused her pain, her eyes watered as she tried to hold back the tears. "I think you're wrong, everything feels like it is broken..." she managed with a hoarse laugh. She had to keep taking, otherwise her eyes wanted to close and she wanted to sleep, probably for a hundred or so years, it felt like.

Collin had managed to find one of the cushions, perhaps even the same one he had clung to in an attempt to save his life. This plus a rock or two should be enough to keep her upright for now. As he was walking back to the group he heard Will mention needing to hey into shade. "Shelter? Let me handle that." He said with a grin, sure that he would be able to do it. Just last month he had marathoned all of Survivor. He left the things with them, hoping they would get May propped up and comfortable.

Collin hurried off to the tree line, it was already getting warm and they needed shade and some more water if they wanted to survive the day. Okay, he could do this. He searched for large branches, making a pile as he found them. It was taking longer than he thought it would already, large enough sticks were not easy to find, or bugs had eaten then and made them frail. He still needed leaves, and something to bind this all together with. With enough sticks collected he arranged them in the sand, the hot sand burning his hands as he worked to bury them.

With those in place, six of them arranged in a large rectangle, he worked on finding large enough ones to go across to make a base for the roof, which slanted back. Already he was sweating.

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#14
Old 05-13-2016, 08:45 PM

"Let me help" Dr. Rider suggested, taking the cushion and rocks that Collin had brought back. He arranged them, pushing them into the sand to create a steady prop for May. Will nodded in agreement to Collin, pleased to have him being so actively optimistic and productive. They were going to have to work hard to stay alive on this island.

"You poor thing" Dr. Rider muttered, shaking his head slowly, looking down on May. He offered her some water from his canister, unsure of what else he could possibly do at this moment in time. He racked his brains, remembering all of the equipment and supplies they had on the boat. He knew they had lots of medical supplies, food rations, water, tents. They were so prepared. He spotted a clump of thick waterproof material nearby, despite being ripped, he took it over to Collin to help build the shelter.

Will gave a small worried laugh, his face wincing slightly, "I know, it must be" he said in response to May, expressing her pain, clearly distressed. "But you will still be able to walk eventually, that's the most important thing" he tried to reassure her. He moved closer to her, checking with his hands as gently as he could her other leg, her arms and then her ribs. "Sorry" he interjected, knowing her bruised skin would be sensitive to his touch. Her torn shirt exposed a bruised rib. "It's possible you could have a couple of broken ribs, maybe collarbone, I wouldn't know for sure without x-rays" he explained. "Don't worry, we'll take care of you" Will nodded sincerely.

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#15
Old 05-13-2016, 09:17 PM

May closed her eyes and bit her lip, trying to control herself despite the pain. Everything hurt, she ached and the cuts burned. She couldn't look at her body, all the different cuts and scrapes that covered her appendages. Was she the most injured? The others seemed to be up and moving, those she could see, anyways. The world around her spun too much for her to look around, to see how bad their situation she was. Beyond the white sand below her and Will in front of her, she noticed little else. The water helped soothe her throat but what she wouldn't give for some aspirin. Or perhaps even morphine.

She tried to control herself as he did the exam, each where he touched seemed to feel good and hurt at the same time, his hands soothing the cuts but hurting the bruises. A few tears rolled down her cheeks, despite trying to hold them back. Never before had she hurt so much, she felt like she couldn't move, but sitting here was so painful she couldn't take it anymore. "I'm sorry." She mumbled, hating that she seemed so weak. "Don't worry so much about me, I'm sure the others need your help as well..."

Collin was hard at work, sure that he could remember what to do. May had laughed at him, they were not going on Survivor, they were going on a trip with other people, with tents, and equipment, and food. He hated now that it seems he had been right in his preparations. He had managed to lash together some sticks with the vines he had found among the other vegetation. He had been rather excited to see the vast array of plants, even just here at the treeline. This was where he would thrive, he could tell them what plants were safe, what were not, and perhaps he'd even find something to help with the injuries that May had.

He noticed Dr. Rider coming closer to him, carrying some large piece of fabric. "Thank you." He said as he grabbed the fabric, it would serve as much better roof than leaves and would hopefully keep them drier. He stretched the fabric over the frame, wrapping and tying it down the best he could. It was a little small, for all four of them to fit they would have to sit side by side and it would be impossible to stand, but they could lay out in it, out of the sun, and keep dry if another storm approached.

"It's not much, but it will have to do for now. I wish we had one of those tents we brought with us..." He mused while scanning the beach, looking for anything. Many things still bobbed out in the waves, perhaps caught in the low tide. Maybe high tide would bring them some more supplies. He knew they had everything they needed for a team of ten people to stay here for over a month, plus the journey home, so there had to be something left, something that survived.

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#16
Old 05-13-2016, 10:19 PM

Will noticed the tears rolling down May's cheeks, it pained him to not be able to give her the medical care she needed. He took more water and cleaned the cuts and grazes on her arms, careful not to waste too much, aware that they were on a desert island with only a percentage of the necessities spread carelessly across the shore.

Dr. Rider was impressed with Collins quick building skills, "That's good" he said "There must be more we can use. I'll look around". He walked across the sand with a slight limp, his body sore and tired. He came across many heaps of debris, collecting what he could, hoping to come across any of the vital supplies he had spent so much time organizing.

Will frowned when May apologized. "You're hurt, May" he explained calmly "We need to help you. Don't worry about anyone else just now, we're okay, we'll be okay". As the words left his mouth he was reminded of his own injury, still a gash on the back of his head that needed bandaging up. Collin and Dr. Rider were coping well enough, he looked over at their progress, satisfied to see a small but sturdy shelter. "We'll get you over to the shade soon enough" he said and then motioned over to Collin to help. "This is going to hurt, I know, but you won't survive out here if you get heatstroke" he explained, moving over to wrap her arm across his neck to be a human crutch.

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#17
Old 05-13-2016, 10:36 PM

May sat in silence as he continued to doctor her, her mind still foggy. The water cooled her skin, she wished she had an entire pool of cool water to dunk herself in and never leave. The ocean teased her, calling to her, the waves looking so calming, so cool compared to the sand that was heated by the sun. Yet she knew it was a trap, the salt of the water would burn, would bring her to tears.

Collin was as pleased as he could be with the small shelter, it would work well enough for a short time, until they could make something better. Hopefully they wouldn't be here too long, though, surely when they didn't return, didn't check in on the radios, people would come looking for them? He hadn't know enough details to really describe where they were going to his parents, but he assured them that Dr. Rider was well respected and he was in no danger. He noticed Will moving, and when he motioned for him, Collin feared the worst. He all but ran across the beach, his muscles hurting at the exertion. It wasn't until he was closer he noticed at Will was trying to lift her. His panic dissolved and he hurried to her other side, hooking his arm around her just as Will did. "Come, let's get you out of the sun..." He soothed.

May cried out as she was helped up, her entire body screaming in pain. The flimsy flip flops she had been wearing were gone, the sand all but burned her feet as she tried to plant her feet. Yet her leg, the right one with the gash along it, would not work, instead it buckled, threatening to bring her to the ground. "You can do this." Collin's voice was a comfort, but she doubted his words. Yet she knew she had to, she could already feel the burn on her skin, she was sure she had turned pink, her pale skin far too sensitive to the sun. Perhaps if she made it to the shelter she could just sleep... Already now, despite the pain, she struggled to keep her eyes open, her body too exhausted.

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#18
Old 05-15-2016, 04:18 PM

"Here" Will said, lifting her good leg up so that she was off the ground completely and didn't have walk and put pressure on her legs. "It's not too far" he said, trying to encourage her to keep going. Despite her pain, they managed to carry her over to the shelter and lay her down gently. It was still quite hot in the shade, but Will could feel the relief of his skin as he broke away from the suns glare, before going back to retrieve the case of water bottles he had scavenged from the wreck.

Back in the shade, he looked out across the shore, hanging onto hope that Dr. Rider would be able to find their valuable supplies. He checked May's leg again and propped it up on a smooth rock. He stayed knelt in the sand and exhaled, puffing his cheeks, a sigh that encompassed the dejection and concern he had for their situation. What could they do? He racked his brains and tried to piece together the surreal happenings that ripped their mission apart. They were alone, as far as he could tell there were no more survivors from the boat, and they had no way to contact anyone for help. Will ran his hands from his forehead through his hair, a matted mess of salt and dried blood. In the heat, with their injuries and exhaustion is was pretty hard to do almost anything.

Dr. Rider continued his search for the supplies, looking from side to side, scanning the debris. He waded out into the waves, each one threatening to push him over, to reach heavy and large boxes bobbing sluggishly in the ocean.

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#19
Old 05-15-2016, 05:47 PM

With May safely under the shelter, Collin hurried down to the beach, wanting to help Dr. Rider look for supplies. He noticed him struggle in the waves, working towards the items that bobbed in the water just off the beach. Perhaps one of the tents was in there, a better shelter for them, and maybe the supplies of food and medicine. They needed some sort of hope, some sign that they would be able to survive this until someone came to their rescue. Surely, when Dr. Rider didn't check in after a short time they would send a team to find them.

"How long do you think it will be before they come searching for us, Doc?" Collin asked as he worked his way towards him, the salty water stinging his legs as it lapped against him. He had forgotten about his own cuts, considering how injured May was. She seemed the worst. Well, the worst of them, others fared far worse... his thoughts grim as he noticed one of the others from their group bobbing in the water off to the side, face down. There was no way they still breathed and he wasn't sure he could handle seeing them right now, not so soon.

May looked over at Will, struggling to calm her heartbeat after the pain she felt getting here. "Your.... your head..." She managed to get out, pointing out the dried blood on his neck and in his hair. "Is it bad?" Not that she was sure there was anything she could do, she could look, but she was no doctor, she studied animals. Rodents, mostly as well as other small animals. She actually had hopes of seeing something new, or rare, on this trip, it's tropical climate perfect for the small animals she loved. It was the only reason she had agreed to come.

It felt nice to be in the shade, but it was still far too warm for her. Her clothes felt stiff and itchy and honestly were hardly doing the job, as shredded as they were. Her hair was a tangled mess, she was sure she'd never be able to get the brush through it again. If she ever made it home she wanted to climb in the bathtub and never leave again.

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#20
Old 05-15-2016, 08:34 PM

Dr. Rider looked round at Collin, almost surprised, the noise of the ocean covering his approach. He paused, digesting Collins question. His stomach dropped. This trip was so sacred to him, his one chance to find the rarest of birds that he was convinced lived on this very island. If he could prove the existence of the small population he believed still thrived here, he would be the pioneer of the biggest discovery of modern day in the science of biological species. If he had broadcast his plans for the mission, he would be at risk exposing his research for other scientists to claim as their own; it would have been a frenzied race to the island. If they knew what he knew, he would lose this opportunity. That's why he couldn't tell anyone. He just had to keep it quiet. He tried to remember exactly who knew of his departure, and whether they would realise what had happened. How long would it take? He highly doubted anyone would have a clue, never mind think to come looking for them. Was this a total mistake? Was there something he could have done to prevent this mess? There must have been someone to trust, a backup plan to put in place. But the doctor had been so confident that this would be the pursuit of a lifetime and everything would fall into place. A reckless optimist, he supposed.

Dr. Rider debated in his mind, knowing very well that telling the honest truth would do nothing but drag the poor young botanist into despair. The only thing he could hold onto was the fact that he was here, on the island that he had dreamed about for years, and somewhere in the forest hid the most majestic bird he knew of. It was still possible after all; the discovery.

Dr. Rider snapped out of his trance, "Uh.. soon, I suppose" he said nodding, convincing not only Collin but also himself. "I'm sure they will be on their way" he continued "But we mustn't sit around and wait" reaching forward to drag the boxes toward the shallow water.

Under the shelter, Will appreciated the shade, the salt water and sweat drying on his bare skin as he cooled down a couple of degrees. "Well.." Will replied "I can't exactly see it" he said and gave a small chuckle. The laugh felt surreal, as if wrong, but also exactly what they needed. "But from what I can tell, I'll live" he joked, flashing a genuine smile. "I just need to wrap it up for now, just like your leg" he said and looked out to the ocean, a look of concern replacing the smile "I just hope that's possible".

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#21
Old 05-16-2016, 11:02 AM

Collin noted his moment of silence before he answers but thought little of it. Surely, when Dr. Rider didn't check in thy would be here, just like he said. Why wouldn't they? He only wished he had been able to give more details to his parents, other than they were going to some tropical island to find a rare bird. They wouldn't even know to worry until a month or so from now when he didn't return home, which was far longer than he was sure they'd survive on this island by themselves.

"Yes, let's do the best we can." Collin agreed as he worked with Dr. Rider to get the crates to shore, some had cracks, water probably getting in, he hoped the contents would be safe though. As much as he cared for the pursuit of science he would probably cry if these crates were filled with all the tools and stuff they planned to track, records, and document the Splitwing. The crates proved difficult, as they were waterlogged and bobbing in the small waves off the shore. Soon he was grunting and sweating, even in the cool water, the sun was nearly overhead now beating down on them. Yet they needed all these crates to shore so he continued on.

May managed a small laugh but it turned into a cough, her throat still raw from all the salt water that had been forced into her as the storm tore the ship apart. "I can look at it while we wait, to see if they bring in any medical supplies..." She offered, while she was no medical professional, at least she could do something useful. At the thought of being useless she looked down at her leg, sighing deeply. How would she be able to help them if she couldn't even walk?

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#22
Old 05-19-2016, 09:43 PM

Dr. Rider struggled against the water, pulling along the crates, his limb exhausted. He was glad that Collin had gone along with his positive spiel and vaguely agreed to focus on the task at hand rather than pin his hopes on a rescue that may never be. Reaching the shallow water, the crates proved more difficult to drag along the sand, but the two managed to get them on shore. Dr. Rider flipped the locks open and pushed up the lid of the crate with a grunt of physical effort. "Ah" he sighed, recognizing the dark green and navy tents, folded and bound with rope. The crate was dedicated to camping equipment, "This may come in handy" he said, spotting the pots for cooking food. Shattered glass littered the crate, one of the gas lamps broken, luckily two others more securely packed were miraculously intact.

Helping Collin open another crate Dr. Rider exclaimed "I think we hit the jackpot". He was sure this one contained medical supplies, remembering his preparation. "See, there must be something in here for you to help May" he said with an encouraging smile to Collin. Dr. Rider looked out at the ocean again. If the teams supplies were still salvageable, his equipment must be nearby, he hoped. "I'll keep looking.. you use what you can" Dr. Rider enthused and stepped away, back into the water.

Will considered May's offer, "Sure" noticing that anything to take her attention away from the pain and grief of her own injury would be a good thing. He came closer to her and turned to let her see his wound, pushing his messed up hair out of the way, the pain in his head feeling stronger that now he became more exhausted and dehydrated.

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#23
Old 05-19-2016, 10:09 PM

Collin was ready to drop, his legs hurt, his eyes hurt, and his head was on its way there. The sun was overhead now, meaning it was probably the hottest it was going to be, which was quite hot, at least compared to what he was used to. Even the cool waves lapping at his legs as they moved the crates to shallow water and onto the beach, did little to refresh him. He could only imagine the sunburn he would have by the time to day was over. He was panting by the time they were opening the first crate, his tired lungs struggling to bring in needed air. What he really needed was an ice cold drink. And maybe a nap.

At the discovery of the tent, Collin sent up a thank you to whatever God may be listening. It would be much easier if they had the equipment they brought. "And medical supplies?" He was so happy, though he felt too exhausted to show it. Now he just needed to get these items all the way down the beach... He felt like crying at the thought, the crates were heavy and needed several people to move there was no way he could do it on his own. He watched Dr. Rider go back out into the water, perhaps he was looking for the food crate? His stomach growled at the thought of it, he remembered seeing all the delicious things inside just before the storm, as him and the others had grabbed a snack.

All his hopes crashed down on him then. Had they closed the crate back up? If they didn't he was sure the food in there would be floating freely in the ocean, or have sunk all the way down now. May hadn't been there for the small meal, she rarely seemed to eat, she could survive on air and a cracker a week, it seemed. "Please, please let the food have survived..."

May managed to barely lift her arm, her finger lightly brushing along the back of Will's head. "It doesn't look too deep..." She mused, trying to move the strands of his hair, which were stiff with blood and salt water. "No fresh blood." She assured him, sitting back, even that small amount of activity causing her to feel exhausted. "I'm not a doctor, but I don't think it'd need stitches. Just cleaning..." Hopefully she wasn't wrong, because she didn't know how to do stitches anyways, and she was sure Collin didn't know either. He knew plants, not people.

"Will!" Came Collin's cry, she could see Collin moving towards them, a large grin on his face. Perhaps his search had gone well. "We found... the... tent..." He managed between gasps, out of breath. "Maybe we could put it together." He said, but instead of going back he sat down under the shelter, needing to be in the shade. After laying back it took him but a few minutes before May could hear his snoring. "Well, I guess the tent will have to wait." She said with laugh.

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#24
Old 05-22-2016, 11:07 AM

May's light touch almost made Will shiver, despite feeling the effects of the midday humidity. He smiled when she confirmed what he thought to be true, and felt relieved that the sight of it wasn't a cause for alarm. There wouldn't be much he could have done, if it were a worse head wound, out here without medical help. "Thanks"

Will looked over upon hearing his name. As Collin returned to the shelter he informed them of the tents. Will was comforted by the fact that they at least had something left from the boat. Now they would be able to shelter properly from the sand flies and other creatures in the night. "Oh, good" he said sighing with some relief, although if he could choose between a tent and food and water for the night, he would be more inclined to sleeping rough. Will nearly didn't notice Collin falling asleep so quickly, distracted by his own daze, but when he saw how exhausted he looked, he decided against waking him up. After all, he had worked so hard to drag the crates to shore, which Will felt very grateful for. Especially for the fact that Collin didn't look the strongest, but he seemed extremely caring.

"Sure thing" Will replied, multiple minutes too late to Collin, now snoring flat out under the shelter. He tried to pull himself up, his body rejecting the idea, his muscles stiff from resting for a short period of time. He made his way over to the crates, reaching in to touch the waterproof materials that promised shelter and hope. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the medical logo on the other crate. Rushing over, his feet dragging against the water at his ankles, he sifted through the crate to find supplies. He sighed a rugged sigh, relieved and ecstatic to find bandages and dry gauze unopened and protected from the sea water, as the ocean can contain microbial bacteria.

He pulled at the side of the crate to move it closer across the sand. The crate wasn't too heavy but the exertion in the heat gave him lightheadedness and he only just managed to reach the shelter before diving for the shade. He flashed a smile at May "First aid" he said out of breath "is here" falling back from sitting to flat on his back, just like Collin.

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#25
Old 05-22-2016, 12:20 PM

May laughed, "Some first aid..." She mumbled as Will collapsed under the shelter. She could still feel the heat, even in the shade, she couldn't imagine how hot it must be, lugging those heavy crates on the beach. Collin had been drenched in sweat, Will probably was too. How she wished she could be useful, could help get bring in supplies and build shelters. The ache in leg reminded her of her injury, she had seen it, the large gash, 12 inches long, the bright red muscle underneath. Though it wasn't just her leg, he side ached, her the cuts on her... well, the cuts everywhere, stung even now. She wanted to rinse the salt from her skin, her hair, she could feel how it was drying her out. Where was the storm now that they needed the fresh rain?

A hoarse cough escaped her, reminding her of how dry her throat remained. Had they managed to find more fresh water, or perhaps food? She could feel her stomach growling, but she ignored it, knowing they all probably needed food and water, the men even more so, as they were doing all the work. Scanning the beach she searched for Dr. Rider, wondering if he had found anything else. The sun reflecting off the sand made it difficult to see, making her head hurt.

"If I could just stand..." May said with a groan, digging her hands into the sand, trying to push herself up. She didn't want to sit here being useless, she needed to help, somehow. Despite how much she wanted to, her side screamed at her with each attempt to move, and her leg... well she wasn't sure she'd even be able to put weight on it. "Damn it!" She muttered, slamming her fists to the sand, frustrated at herself.

 


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