Under Normal Circumstances

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

"The island is surrounded by a perpetual storm system," Bill Randa explained to me over dinner that night at the base. "That's why it's so important we go now, while there's a break in that system."

He was an older, heavy set gentleman, whose wrinkles made him look like he was perpetually sneering, but otherwise didn't seem unkind. He was very close with Houston since he had been the only one to believe and support his theories.

"We don't know exactly what we're going to find on this island," Houston said after wiping his mouth. "We want to learn about it geographically and biologically, -who knows what we might discover! Alternative fuel, medicine, new species, the possibilities are endless."
He spoke so passionately that some of the soldiers near by stopped eating to look at him.

Houston and San seemed excited, the thrill of the unknown gleamed in their eyes. But the expression on Mr Randa's face was a bit harder to read. If I didn't know any better, I would think he knew what was there and he wasn't too thrilled about it. But he was definitely determined.

"I'm a bit relieved that you're going with us," Mr Randa told me.

"Oh?" I said, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
"Why's that?"

"You have an inside connection," Mr Randa smiled knowingly.

"Oh, you mean my brother in law," the disappointment barely hidden in my voice. I thought I could actually be useful for something more than that.

"It'll be nice to have someone that they'll listen to. I'm afraid our mission sounds a bit crazy to them," he explained.

"Well, I can't say I'm too relieved about all this, it means Jack won't be going home yet," I told him.

"I am sorry for that, but that was out of my hands. I requested a military escort, but I'm not the one that chose your brother in laws team," Mr Randa explained.

I shrugged.
"That may be, but if this mission wasn't happening, they'd never have to ask anyone to go on it."

"The Landsat team may have asked for a military escort on their own," Mr Randa quipped back at me.

"I guess I'll just have to blame it on the whole island," I joked. "But you're lucky I'm here and not my sister, or you would be done for."

After dinner, San and I walked back to the room they prepared for us. We were far from the men's barracks and luckily we had our own bathrooms. I was thankful for the opportunity to take a shower before our 20 hour flight.

I was getting excited about seeing Jack again. I hadn't spent a whole lot of time with him considering how long he and my sister had been married, but we got along pretty well. That's how it felt to me, anyway. No matter how much time had past since I'd seen him, we would always pick back up wherever we left off. He always remembered what I had been up to and asked me about it the next time. Whenever Grace went off on one of her classic tangents, he and I would share a knowing look. In fact, many of her antics were our inside jokes. Jack was what some people would call simple, I suppose. But what he lacked in school smarts he made up for in common sense and kindness. When I was going to college, he asked me if I could teach him how to balance a check book, which I gladly did. He picked it up really fast, faster than I did in class. I also liked to think I did a better job of explaining things than some of the teachers.

"What are you thinking about?" San asked me as she moved things around in her suitcase, trying to find her toiletries bag.

"Oh, just Jack I guess. It'll be nice to see him again but I feel guilty," I said, scrunching my nose.

"That you will see him before his family?" She guessed.

I nodded.

She smiled.
"My brother is married," she said with a far off look. "My sister in law is one of my best friends. I think I would be excited to see her and not think much about my brother."

"I suppose it would be like that too if it wasn't for Billy."

"Who's Billy?" She asked.

"My nephew," I said and watched her expression change to a sympathetic one. "He deserves to see his dad before I do."

"Well, you be sure to tell him all about Billy and bring him home safely," she told me.

I chuckled.
"I bet he'll bring me home in a body bag," I joked. "Sounded like that tracker guy you hired wasn't so optimistic about this trip. I'll be taken down by one of those mosquitos in a second."
I snapped my fingers to emphasize my point.

"You will not!" San laughed at me, playfully shoving my arm.

We joked as we walked to the bathrooms to get ready for bed. I was already feeling worn out from my travels that day, I couldn't imagine how I'd feel after a 20 hour flight. Guessed I'd find out soon enough though.

After washing up we came back to our room.

"What about you and Houston?" I asked with a yawn as I pulled back the itchiest green blanket in the world and said a silent prayer of thanks for the white sheet that would go between it and I.

"What about us?-He and I?"

Oh she slipped up.

"Is anything going on between you two?" I expounded with a deliriously sleepy grin.

She sighed and squinted in thought.
"I suppose he's what you would call a nerd."

I snorted.
"Says the biologist."

She scoffed.
"Sure, I study nature, but I also go outside once in a while."

I chuckled at this and was thinking I'd just let the conversation end there and fall asleep, but she piped up after a brief pause.
"Why? Do you like him?"

"Sweetie, I'm no scientist, but I know chemistry when I see it."