Stranded

The Storm

                       Well, here's chapter 4.....
      

           West and I stare at each other in wonder.
         "What do you mean?" I ask curiously, keeping my hold on Elaine's hand.
         "Just what I said," she replies through her tears, "it's my fault the ship wrecked."
        With this the girl stands shakily to her feet and breaks into a staggering run towards the woods at the center of the island.
      "West catch her!" I cry, but he does not have to.
      With a cry Elaine tumbles to the ground unconscious.
      "She's burning up," I tell the young man worriedly, feeling Elaine's forehead with the back of my hand.
      "What do you think it could be?" He asks, clearly at a loss for ideas.
      "Could be secondary drowning," I reply thoughtfully, gazing at the girl's face with concern. "Pulmonary edema."
       "Excuse me?" West asks, raising his eyebrows.
      "Pulmonary edema," I repeat, "when someone is exposed to this much water, it can let fluid into the lungs. Usually it only occurs if you already have a heart condition or something."
       West's face is a mask of surprise, "and what about secondary drowning?" He asks.
       "Well," I begin, all the while trying to make Elaine more comfortable, "also when someone is exposed to this much water, it can irritate the lungs and cause swelling. This will hinder their ability to bring oxygen to the bloodstream, and it could be fatal."
      West shakes his head, "where did you say you were from?"
      I smirk but do not reply as a distant rumble of thunder is heard. My face turns serious.
     "West, we need to get her somewhere with more protection."
      The man nods and scans the wood line, before beginning to head in that direction.
       "You stay here," he directs, "I have an idea."
  ——————————————————————————
        "It's ready!" I hear West's voice ring out from the woods and I tear myself away from Elaine for an instant.
       "What is?" I mutter curiously, for he has been gone for quite a while.
       Soon enough I see him hurrying towards me, a big grin on his face. Without a word he stoops and picks up Elaine, gesturing with his eyes for me to follow.
     I roll my eyes, jumping to my feet and heading towards the trees with him. The island is fairly huge I suppose, with palm trees creating a thick forest in the middle, and who-knows-what on the other side.
We enter the jungle, and I notice that it is surprisingly clear, with no brambles or weeds littering the ground as they do back home. Soon we reach a big clump of palm trees, and in the center of which I see a neat little shelter made from sticks and branches.
I notice West watching me out of the corner of my eye. I avoid his glance and drop to my knees in front of the shelter, fighting a smirk as I can still feel his gaze on me.
"Well?" He asks impatiently as I begin crafting a little palette out of heather.
"What?" I say innocently, turning to look at him.
The expression on his face is too much for me and I burst into laughter. West looks at me indignantly for a minute before his expression begins to soften.
"You know, that's the first time I've heard you laugh."
"Well you looked so funny!" I reply, wiping the tears from my eyes as I finish my work, "you had that goofy look on your face."
"What goofy look?"
I imitate him and he chuckles as he lays Elaine softly on the bed I've prepared.
"I don't look like that," he answers, feigning offense.
I raise an eyebrow but decide that that remark is better left unanswered. Suddenly I grow serious.
"What do you think she meant?" I ask, as West crouches next to me under the shelter.
"I don't know," he replies quietly, "it was probably just a result of the delirium."
I nod, but I'm not convinced. Suddenly my stomach grumbles and I look down at it. It's been hours since I last ate.
"I'd better go look for some sort of food," West says in realization, getting to his feet.
"West?" I begin as he is about to go.
"What?"
"Be careful..."
He grins at me before winking and heading off through the trees. I smile softly to myself before turning back to watch over Elaine.

A/N
And that's chapter 4! Sorry it's been so long....
I kind of forgot about this story because I deleted the app for a while. If anyone is reading, please comment and vote! Love ya! ❤️