Ruby's Island (Watty awards 2011) (complete)

Lonesome Appologies

P O V Ruby:-

A sob caught in my throat, and I looked up as Kade came stumbling through the trees and onto the beach.

I really wasn't ready for another fight with him, so I turned my back against him, and held my breath momentarily.

I sat quietly for a minute, waiting for his angry shouts, but none came.

Maybe he'd had enough fighting for today as well I thought a little relieved.

It was then I heard the groan, not a groan of pleasure or disappointment, but a groan of pain. I looked over towards him, and was shocked to see that he was sprawled out face down in the sand.

“Oh my god Kade........Are you okay?” I asked running over to him and kneeling down beside his still body. His chest was moving up and down in small jerks, and his outstretched arms were covered in a sheen of perspiration.

Was he doing this on purpose? I thought, feeling a little angry that he may be stringing me along.

“I don't think you are very funny............”

I trailed off as I noticed two things at once.

A large gash across his forehead, and his left hand which was almost twice the size of what it should have been.

I placed my hand gently on his head, and he winced as if my touch had burnt him. “You have a high fever Kade,” I gasped with shock at the feel of his burning skin against my hand.

“L....leave me a.....alone,” he whispered barely inaudible, his voice rasping with the effort of trying to breath.

Panic seemed to set in, as did the tears that began to fall softly onto my cheeks. What was I supposed to do? I didn't know the first thing about illnesses, hell.....I wasn't a doctor.

But one thing I did know, was that Kade was gravely ill.

His face was deathly pale, a heavy sheen of perspiration spread across his brow and trickled down like tears onto his face, while his chest rose slowly as he in-hailed, It then seemed to stop for a few seconds, causing me to hold my breath in fright, then oh so slowly he would ex-hail, a ragged long drawn out breath.

I needed to do something quickly.

I sobbed as I ran towards the ocean and tore more of my nightgown away, and using it as a cloth, I doused it with sea water, then headed back towards Kade, fleetingly thinking that I would soon have no nightgown left if I carried on tearing pieces away. Not that it mattered though, because if Kade were to die there wouldn't be anyone here to see me without any clothes.

I stopped, then gasped out loud, this time repeating my words out loud. “If Kade were to die.” My heart lurched violently in my chest, realisation hitting me hard at the thought that kade could die.

I ran the last few feet, then pulled Kade towards the trees, as the sun was at it's hottest, and I really needed to try and keep him cool.

Resting myself against a tree, I took his head gently in my arms and laid it on my lap. I'm so sorry Kade,” I cried as I bathed his head with the cloth.