Chapter 38 – A Night on the Island
The first thing Hank felt was pain behind his eyes. Sand stuck to his cheek. The sound of waves filled his ears.
He forced his eyes open, sat up too fast, and clutched his pounding head. Memory slammed into him: the storm, the tornado, the fall.
"Sean! Where are you?!"
A lazy, amused voice answered from behind him.
"Relax, man. Your spoiled kid is fine. He's lying right over there."
Hank whipped around. Razan was sitting cross-legged on a piece of driftwood, casually unwrapping a chocolate bar, watching him like this was the most normal morning ever.
Hank scrambled to his feet.
"Where's Sean? Where is everyone?"
Razan tilted his head and pointed with the chocolate.
"They're right there. I dragged you all out of the surf, lined you up like sleepy sardines, and waited. Figured you'd wake up on your own."
Hank didn't wait for the rest. He sprinted across the sand, dropped beside Sean, and shook him.
"Wake up! Wake up!"
Sean's eyes fluttered open.
"Huh…? We're still alive?"
He sat up slowly, looked at the endless empty beach, the strange oversized vegetation in the distance, and muttered:
"This is the place? Honestly… I expected more."
Kailani, stirred by the shouting, pushed herself up, spotted her father half-buried, and ran to him.
Gabato suddenly screamed in pure panic:
"My legs! I lost my legs!"
Kailani froze. Razan strolled over, hands in his pockets.
"Your legs are fine. They're just buried in the sand."
Gabato wiggled his toes frantically and nearly cried from relief.
"I didn't lose my legs! Thank God!"
Hank, Kailani, and Sean all let out the breath they'd been holding.
Razan clapped once, getting everyone's attention.
"All right, now that we're all awake and attached to our limbs, we should probably talk. The helicopter (aka our only ride home) is now modern art at the bottom of the ocean."
The reality hit Hank like a second crash. He stayed quiet.
Razan continued, "Sun's going down fast and it's getting cold. Let's move to the fire. We'll figure out Plan B there."
Sean nodded numbly.
"Good idea."
Gabato raised a sandy hand.
"Uh… little help?"
Hank hauled the pilot out of his sandy grave. The group shuffled over to the crackling flames Charlie and Loona had already started. The two girls sat down on either side of Razan like it was the most the world
Hank looked around the circle and spoke first.
"Our situation sucks. Unknown island, hurricanes all around, no transport. Rescue could take days… weeks. We need to accept we might be here a while."
Razan stretched, laid his head in Loona's lap, and gazed up at the emerging stars.
"Food-wise, you guys hit the jackpot. You came empty-handed. We came ready to explore, so we packed enough supplies to keep eight people fed for at least two weeks. Nobody's starving anytime soon."
Hank exhaled.
"Best news I've heard since waking up."
Charlie bounced excitedly.
"We should scout the island! Maybe we'll find something useful!"
Sean was on his feet in a second.
"Exactly! Let's go!"
Kailani stared at him like he'd suggested swimming with sharks.
"Are you insane? It's pitch black, we're beat, we just survived a helicopter crash, and you want to wander around a Island that might be full of predators?"
Sean snapped:
"So we just sit here and do nothing?!"
Loona's ears twitched in annoyance.
"Nobody said do nothing, you spoiled brat. We're saying we rest tonight so tomorrow we can actually think and move without breaking our necks."
Razan added calmly:
"Dude, this isn't summer camp. Venomous snakes, cliffs, who-knows-what. You want us stumbling around blind? If someone dies because of your genius plan, what then?"
Sean shut his mouth.
Hank placed a steady hand on his shoulder.
"Tomorrow, daylight, full energy. Tonight we sleep."
Sean slumped.
"Fine…"
Razan grinned.
"Cheer up. I brought three tents. Nobody's sleeping in the open."
Kailani:
"How many?"
Charlie, beaming:
"Three big ones. Super comfy."
Hank did quick math.
"Perfect. Guys in one, girls in another."
Razan gave Hank the most deadpan "are-you-serious" look in existence.
Hank blinked.
"What?"
Razan:
"Hank, I like you, you're cool, but I'm not sleeping in a tent full of dudes even if you paid me. I'm sleeping with Loona and Charlie. You three figure it out."
Loona shrugged.
"We don't mind."
Charlie latched onto Razan's left arm like a koala.
"And I wouldn't sleep well next to strangers anyway."
She glanced at Kailani. "No offense!"
Kailani waved it off.
"Then it's settled: Dad and I in one, you three in another, Hank and Sean in the last."
Sean groaned loudly.
"Why am I the only one stuck with the bald muscle guy?!"
Razan, now pinching Charlie's red cheeks, answered without looking up:
"Simple logic. Loona, Charlie, and I have known each other forever. Gabato and Kailani are father and daughter. Hank is your only family here. Conclusion: you get the pleasure of his company."
Sean deflated completely.
Hank chuckled.
"Let's eat something and crash. Tomorrow we explore."
Kailani rubbed her eyes.
"I need sleep after today."
Gabato:
"Plans for tomorrow. Tonight we rest."
Razan stood, stretched, and offered a hand to each girl.
"Night, everyone."
He disappeared into the tent with Loona and Charlie, zipping it shut.
Gabato turned to Kailani.
"Ready, daughter?"
"Coming."
She glanced at Sean and Hank. "Good night."
Hank and Sean watched the other tents go dark.
Hank:
"Bedtime?"
Sean sighed.
"What choice do I have…"
Inside Razan's tent, a small lantern glowed softly. Razan lay on his back reading comics. Loona slept peacefully with her head on his chest, tail curled around his waist. Charlie used his thigh as a pillow, completely absorbed in her own book, occasionally poking his side when she wanted the page turned.
In Gabato and Kailani's tent, Kailani whispered:
"Dad… I can't sleep after everything."
Gabato smiled, pulled out his little ukulele, and began strumming a soft lullaby, singing just loud enough for her to drift off.
In the last tent, Sean stared at the canvas ceiling while Hank's foot rested on his face and the man snored like a chainsaw.
Sean thought miserably:
This has to be normal… everyone else is probably suffering the same thing…
He closed his eyes and prayed for morning.