Part 7 : G'day, McKay

The morning had arrived with much anticipation. For many, the nighttime brought about fear and monster, plus nightmares. For the sunlight to echo through the valley of the beach, it brought about a marginal safety blanket. For most but not for all.

Tony felt the sun on his face, and slowly woke up. He found it difficult to move. He realized it was because not only was Little Eddie sleeping on his chest but so was Marita. He smirked. Never would he had believed he would be stranded on an island and have people bond with him so easily. Then the dizziness hit him. He felt like he really should move for another few minutes. The eye wound bothered him more and more.

John slowly rose up from the sand. It wasn’t that comfortable to sleep on. He flicked the sand from the back of his hair, and then looked to his companions. Marita and Eddie were sleeping on Tony’s chest as if he was both husband and father to him. Yolanda cuddled by herself, next to a suitcase. The man then gritted his teeth as his stomach started to moan. He hadn’t eaten much except the peanuts. Scanning the beach, he looked at everybody else. Most of them where already awake. Then he saw McKay walking up to him. “G’day.” He waved.

“Morning, McKay,” John sighed, “Sleep well?”

“I’ve had wurse.” He said, holding out three packages, “These are for you.”

John gasped as it realized it was three of the food packages that the Airline served. McKay also gave them two bottles of water that he found. He pointed with his thumb back to an area of the beach. “There was a serving tray filled with these things back der. People started grabbing them up, so I made sure to get you’all some.”

“Thanks, McKay,” Tony said, finally leaning up.

“Would you join us?” John asked.

“No worries. I already ate one. I’m going to keep going around, trying to salvage what we can from the luggage and the wreckage.”

“They are coming, you know?” Yolanda pointed out.

“Sure, luv.” McKay chuckled, “I will at least take the chance they aren’t coming for a while, instead of sitting on me ass doing nothing and dieing of dehydration.”

“What the hell is that supposed to me?” Yolanda said, offended.

“I ain’t referring to you, luv. Have you seen the other people on the beach? Just sitting around, thinking we’re gonna be rescued in the next bloody hour? I’ve been raised me entire life to survive. I ain’t gonna wait around for the cavalry to save me. I am gonna do it.”

“McKay?” Tony said.

“Yeah, Doc?”

“You let us know if you need any help.”

McKay smiled, “Likewise, partner.”

The Australian began to walk away back to combing the beach for supplies. John started to snap out the dinners, and past them around. They were simple breasts of chicken with vegetables and a salad. It tasted slightly bad over the fact that they were cold but it was still food and that was what they needed. Eddie gagged slightly, eating the vegetables. He mostly focused on the chicken. Tony sipped on his water, passing it to the others. “Why do you think that McKay guy is helping us?” Marita asked.

“Everybody needs to follow someone.” Tony whispered.

“What are you saying, Tony?” John pondered, “He views us, as what, the leaders or something?”

“He might. He’s not comfortable making the decisions for these people, so he swifts the responsibility to us in his own way.”

“I don’t understand why we have to be the leaders. Sure, everybody is talking to us but we’re only offering our help, not taking the responsibility for them.”

“That could be viewed in two different ways, my friend.”

After the prepackaged dinner, the others decided to explore the rest of the beach. Eddie wanted to see if his parents were among the dead. Tony promised to go with him, as did Marita. John wanted to do his best to get Ramon out of the tree and Yolanda decided to look for other bags that no one was claiming. Possibly retrieve more medicine.

John huffed down the beach. He looked around for ropes or vines, anything that could help him to get up and bring his friend down. He wanted Ramon out of that tree more than everything. Ramon deserved better.

As he was walking, he saw McKay digging into a nap sack. He pulled out two hiking boots and quickly put them on. Then he pulled out a belt which contained a canteen, and a machete. He checked a compass, comparing it to the direction of the sun. John decided to go talk to him. “Hey, McKay?” John called.

“Yeah?” he turned around.

“I see you found the perfect bag. Looks like hiking equipment.”

“Yeah, “ he chuckled, “It’s mine.”

“Oh. So what are you, some hermit survivalist?”

“Far from it, Mate. I am just a child of the outback.”

“What were you doing on a plane to America?”

“On me way to Montana. My brother lives there. Ain’t seem’em in over three years. Then he tells me, he and his wife have had a baby. Me? Uncle Barto? He invited me to up to spend some time with him.”

“That’s nice.” John looked around, “Say, have you seen a long green metal case with a bunch of stickers on it?”

“Can’t say I have, mate..” McKay confessed.

“Well, I appreciate you looking out for us. I have to go figure out a way to get my friend down from the tree.”

“Say what?” the Australian was confused by what he heard.

“I was on the plan with a friend. He died in the crash and his body is stuck up in a tree. I have to figure out a way to get him down.”

McKay could tell he was sincere. He then leaned down on one knee and reached into his bag. He pulled out a small bundle of rope. John blinked, amazed that he even bother to carry any. McKay tossed him the rope. Then stood up, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. “Let’s go get your friend.” He whispered.

John just nodded in agreement. The two new friends began walking up the elevation of the beach. John looked into the distance of the trees. He started to panic as he couldn’t see Ramon. He looked around for the semblance of the wreckage, which he used to create a pinpoint to remind him where Ramon was. He was no where in the sky line. “He’s not there!” John gasped.

“Is that him?” McKay pointed.

John looked to where his friend was pointing. There was a body lying near the base of a tree. John ran up to it. The more closer he got, the recognized it was Ramon. He walked up and dropped to his knees next to him. He slowly let the rope slid off his arm. Then he turned over the body of his friend. Ramon was slightly bloated, from his exposure to the sun yesterday. The foul stench of his dead form made John gagged. “Well, I guess you don’t have to worry about getting him out of the tree, mate.” McKay pointed.

“How did he get down?” John looked up, “The branches aren’t broken.”

“Does it matter, mate?”

John sighed. “It’s funny. I wanted him out of that tree so bad, I prayed to God to bring him down.”

“The God answered your prayers, Jon.” McKay sighed, “What do you want to do with’em?”

“Bury him, I guess.”

McKay shifted his sack off his back and reached into it again. He then pulled out three pieces of metal. He began to assemble them, clicking and switching the parts. Within seconds, he had a small shovel. John was flabbergasted once again. “I’ll start.” McKay said, “I’ll hand off to you when I get tired.”

“Thank you.” John smiled.

“No worries, mate.”

McKay chose a soft spot in the ground and began to dig the grave. John still wasn’t sure why this man was helping him but at that moment, he didn’t care. He was just thankful he was helping him.