After the Hate Has Gone (Sebastian Vettel)

47. Finding You (1)

This one's for HoneyBee3112   No hugs for Seb yet I'm afraid but the future's looking brighter

6 Days earlier

" Lottie!!" screamed Antti, spluttering on the salt water. He looked all around but she had disappeared. He was fighting to stay above the waves but it was getting harder and harder.

Suddenly, Lottie's head broke the surface next to him.

"Antti," she gasped, stretching out to him.  He reached out and grabbed her hand. They clung to each other, desperately trying to stay afloat.

"Don't let go of me," Antti shouted above the roar of the storm. He knew deep down that they were fighting a losing battle. If they didn't reach land very soon, they were going to be done for. He looked around urgently, finally spotting something that could be their salvation.

"Lottie, I see some wood from the boat. I need you to swim. Come on girl, you can do it." 

"I'm too tired Antti. Leave me. I'm holding you back."

"We sink or swim together. Seb would never forgive me if I left you. Plus I've got kind of fond of having you around." Lottie's eyes were closing. He had to get her moving or she wasn't going to make it. And if she wasn't, then he wasn't. He'd meant what he said. They would sink or swim together.

"Lottie, come on. Do this for Seb.  You can't do this to him. You are his world. If you give up now, what will it do to him? Come on!"  Hearing Seb's name seemed to do the trick and snap her out of it. They fought their way over to the panel of wood and clung on to it. Neither of them could tell how long they'd been hanging on. Lottie felt so tired. She just wanted to close her eyes for five minutes.  But she knew if she did then she wouldn't be opening them again.  "I see land, I'm sure I do," yelled Antti.

Lottie peered into the distance. He was right. The waves carried them closer to the shore. Too late they realised that they were heading for the rocks. They tried to swim away but the current had hold of them. Lottie felt an excruciating pain in her lower leg as she was thrown onto the rocks. She screamed, ingesting a mouthful of salt water as she did so.  She lost her grip on the panel and was flipped over by a wave, smacking her head on a rock. She felt a second of pain, then everything went black.

5 days ago

Antti cupped the water in his hands and brought it to his mouth. It tasted disgusting but he knew he had to keep hydrated. He searched around trying to find something he could carry water in back to Lottie.

He'd managed to drag her, unconscious, to shore yesterday. She still hadn't regained consciousness but she needed water. He'd bandaged her cut head by ripping his t-shirt up and tying it around her head. He was pretty sure her leg was broken from where she had hit the rocks, so he'd found some sticks and used the remains of his t-shirt to make a splint.  He knew help had to come soon. He had only left her to find water, he knew she was in a bad way. He himself was fine apart from bruised ribs. He spotted an old tin can sticking out from under a bush. It was filthy but beggars couldn't be choosers. He rinsed it out in the stream as best as he could, then filled it with water to take back to Lottie.   He hurried back.  He entered the cave where he'd carried her to safety last night. She was still exactly how he'd left her. He held her head up and let the water touch her lips.

"Come on Lottie, don't do this.  Wake up please.  Please," he begged.  He lay her down again and went outside.  The rain seemed to be moving off.  They should be found soon. He knew that if they were to have a chance of survival they had to be found soon.  They had no food, no clean water  and no way of keeping warm.  He walked around the near vicinity, looking for anything that could be edible.