Part 38: Day 7
Marita slowly opened her eyes. The constant flapping of the ocean wind on the tarp had awaken her. Most everybody else was either asleep or not in the tent. The Latina turned over and checked on Tony. He was shivering still, holding his blanket. He was gritting his teeth, in another effort to force his body to stop trembling. Marita gently placed her hand on his forehead, and cheek. He was severely hot, because of a high temperature. Tony tilted his head toward her, “Marita?”
“I’m here, Tony,” she said, moving closer.
“I have. . . I have to tell you something.” He trembled.
She leaned in, letting him feel her breath caress his cheek.
“I was in Australia . . .chasing my ex-wife.” He coughed.
“Ex-wife?” she asked, confused.
“She had left me. I . .I thought . . .I could g-get her back.”
“Tony, you don’t have to tell me this,” Marita wept, knowing how difficult it was for him to talk.
“NO,” he grunted, “I have to. I thought. . . I could convince Claire to come back with me to the states. But she had fallen in love with an Australian man. How, I am not too sure. But I thought I could get her back.”
Marita stroked his hair. She didn’t say anything but wanted the blind man to know she was still listening.
“It was . . .because of her I became . . .a family doctor. We had been married for 7 seven years. I thought leaving the marines and spending more time with her was what . .ugh . .she wanted. But It seems that she actually didn’t want me to spend time with her ALL the time.”
“Oh, God, Tony, that’s awful.” Marita mentioned.
“I know. I had been lonely for a year. I heard she moved to Australia and I thought I could convince her to go home. Part of me is pissed at myself for being stupid enough to go to her cause it cause me my sight and pretty soon . . .my life.”
“Tony, shhhh,” Marita didn’t want to hear him speak of death.
“Please let me . . .finish,” he grunted, “I said part of me is upset at myself. The other half of me is glad.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Cause had I not gone . . .I don’t think I ever would have met you.”
“Oh, Tony, “she wept.
“Marita, we have to accept the reality of this situation. I . .am not going to make it.”
“Tony, please don’t say that. I don’t want to hear it!”
“Honey, please. I want you to promise me something. Promise me you’ll look after Eddie.”
“Of course,” she wept.
“One more thing. I need to know something.” Tony gritted his teeth briefly to control his trembling.
“What is it, Tony?”
“If I were able to make, and we get off this island, “Tony tried to smile, “If I were to ask you to come live with me . . .what would you say?”
Marita giggled briefly, brushing aside her tears. She even felt her cheeks blushing at his question. But she knew in her heart what the true answer would be. “Without hesitation.” She whispered.
“That’s good.” He smiled, “I was hoping . . .you’d be my girlfriend. I feel like we’ve come so close in a small amount of time.”
“I would be honored. Despite what your ex-wife might say, I think you’d be a wonderful person to live with.”
Tony smiled at the sound on her voice. Then his face began to wince. He looked like a man who was trying not to cry and failing. “Tony, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“I wish . . ..I wish I could see you.” He wept.
Marita then held onto him, tighter than she held onto him before. Tony had no more strength in his arms to hold her too. He simply pressed his head toward hers. She kissed him on the hair as the rain continued to smack the tarp above. Marita thought for a brief second like the island was crying for them.
Later that afternoon, the wind didn’t seem like it was stopping. McKay peered out from beyond the tent, watching the beach. Small pockets of sand clouds kicked up along the shoreline. Most everyone was huddled near the fire. Eddie held onto his kangaroo. John took a bottled water from Yolanda and brought it over to the little boy. He held it out for him but he didn’t take it. Eddie just kept staring at Tony, watching the poor man shiver under the blankets. “Eddie, you have to drink something,” John insisted, “Remember what Tony said about you be hydrated.”
The little boy looked at John with a very sad look, then took the water. “I don’t like watching him in pain.” Eddie whispered.
“None of us do, Kid,” John stood up.
The archer stood up and looked at his friend. The blind doctor was shivering but not as often. It seemed to be coming in spurts. John then walked over toward him and kneeled down beside him. He gently took the hand of the blind doctor and held it. “John?” Tony called.
“How could you know that, blind man?” John chuckled.
“You’re hands. Rough around . . .the fingers. All your years with a bow?”
“You know me well, doctor.” John smiled, “Makes me wonder. Would you and I have met in the real world?”
“Probably not.” Tony chuckled, “But I am glad we did meet.”
“Me too.”
“I am sorry Ramon treated you the way he did, John.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked the archer.
“You must have known he was taking advantage of your friendship. Why else would you bother to introduce yourself to me while we were swimming for our lives? You really need to connect with someone.”
“I guess you’re right,” John said, “I knew . . .I just knew, you’d make a perfect friend.”
“I’m not perfect, John,” Tony whispered,” I don’t even have my eyes anymore.”
“That doesn’t matter, Tony. It’s just another obstacle to overcome, just like this infection. You’ll beat it. I know you will. I can’t give you up just yet. The adventure is just beginning, my friend.”
“I don’t know, John, “ the blind doctor whispered,” I’m so tired. My whole body hurts.”
“I also wanted you to know. You’ve taught me so much. You taught me that friendship means more than loyalty. Integrity and honesty are valuable parts. Without those the friendship can’t work. Thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome,” Tony coughed, “Now take everything I’ve taught you and hold these people together after I am gone.”
“You have to hang on, Tony. I keep telling you, you are needed here. I’ll do what you ask but please promise me, you’ll hang on as long as possible.”
Tony tilted his head toward his friend. Indeed, finding Eddie and Marita on this voyage was not the only thing that came out of it. He knew if he made it, John would be his friend for life. The blind doctor sorely didn’t want to give them up. The only thing he was unsure of was if his body would cooperate. “I promise to hang on as long I as I can,” he whispered.
“I’m here, Tony,” she said, moving closer.
“I have. . . I have to tell you something.” He trembled.
She leaned in, letting him feel her breath caress his cheek.
“I was in Australia . . .chasing my ex-wife.” He coughed.
“Ex-wife?” she asked, confused.
“She had left me. I . .I thought . . .I could g-get her back.”
“Tony, you don’t have to tell me this,” Marita wept, knowing how difficult it was for him to talk.
“NO,” he grunted, “I have to. I thought. . . I could convince Claire to come back with me to the states. But she had fallen in love with an Australian man. How, I am not too sure. But I thought I could get her back.”
Marita stroked his hair. She didn’t say anything but wanted the blind man to know she was still listening.
“It was . . .because of her I became . . .a family doctor. We had been married for 7 seven years. I thought leaving the marines and spending more time with her was what . .ugh . .she wanted. But It seems that she actually didn’t want me to spend time with her ALL the time.”
“Oh, God, Tony, that’s awful.” Marita mentioned.
“I know. I had been lonely for a year. I heard she moved to Australia and I thought I could convince her to go home. Part of me is pissed at myself for being stupid enough to go to her cause it cause me my sight and pretty soon . . .my life.”
“Tony, shhhh,” Marita didn’t want to hear him speak of death.
“Please let me . . .finish,” he grunted, “I said part of me is upset at myself. The other half of me is glad.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Cause had I not gone . . .I don’t think I ever would have met you.”
“Oh, Tony, “she wept.
“Marita, we have to accept the reality of this situation. I . .am not going to make it.”
“Tony, please don’t say that. I don’t want to hear it!”
“Honey, please. I want you to promise me something. Promise me you’ll look after Eddie.”
“Of course,” she wept.
“One more thing. I need to know something.” Tony gritted his teeth briefly to control his trembling.
“What is it, Tony?”
“If I were able to make, and we get off this island, “Tony tried to smile, “If I were to ask you to come live with me . . .what would you say?”
Marita giggled briefly, brushing aside her tears. She even felt her cheeks blushing at his question. But she knew in her heart what the true answer would be. “Without hesitation.” She whispered.
“That’s good.” He smiled, “I was hoping . . .you’d be my girlfriend. I feel like we’ve come so close in a small amount of time.”
“I would be honored. Despite what your ex-wife might say, I think you’d be a wonderful person to live with.”
Tony smiled at the sound on her voice. Then his face began to wince. He looked like a man who was trying not to cry and failing. “Tony, what’s wrong?” she asked.
“I wish . . ..I wish I could see you.” He wept.
Marita then held onto him, tighter than she held onto him before. Tony had no more strength in his arms to hold her too. He simply pressed his head toward hers. She kissed him on the hair as the rain continued to smack the tarp above. Marita thought for a brief second like the island was crying for them.
Later that afternoon, the wind didn’t seem like it was stopping. McKay peered out from beyond the tent, watching the beach. Small pockets of sand clouds kicked up along the shoreline. Most everyone was huddled near the fire. Eddie held onto his kangaroo. John took a bottled water from Yolanda and brought it over to the little boy. He held it out for him but he didn’t take it. Eddie just kept staring at Tony, watching the poor man shiver under the blankets. “Eddie, you have to drink something,” John insisted, “Remember what Tony said about you be hydrated.”
The little boy looked at John with a very sad look, then took the water. “I don’t like watching him in pain.” Eddie whispered.
“None of us do, Kid,” John stood up.
The archer stood up and looked at his friend. The blind doctor was shivering but not as often. It seemed to be coming in spurts. John then walked over toward him and kneeled down beside him. He gently took the hand of the blind doctor and held it. “John?” Tony called.
“How could you know that, blind man?” John chuckled.
“You’re hands. Rough around . . .the fingers. All your years with a bow?”
“You know me well, doctor.” John smiled, “Makes me wonder. Would you and I have met in the real world?”
“Probably not.” Tony chuckled, “But I am glad we did meet.”
“Me too.”
“I am sorry Ramon treated you the way he did, John.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked the archer.
“You must have known he was taking advantage of your friendship. Why else would you bother to introduce yourself to me while we were swimming for our lives? You really need to connect with someone.”
“I guess you’re right,” John said, “I knew . . .I just knew, you’d make a perfect friend.”
“I’m not perfect, John,” Tony whispered,” I don’t even have my eyes anymore.”
“That doesn’t matter, Tony. It’s just another obstacle to overcome, just like this infection. You’ll beat it. I know you will. I can’t give you up just yet. The adventure is just beginning, my friend.”
“I don’t know, John, “ the blind doctor whispered,” I’m so tired. My whole body hurts.”
“I also wanted you to know. You’ve taught me so much. You taught me that friendship means more than loyalty. Integrity and honesty are valuable parts. Without those the friendship can’t work. Thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome,” Tony coughed, “Now take everything I’ve taught you and hold these people together after I am gone.”
“You have to hang on, Tony. I keep telling you, you are needed here. I’ll do what you ask but please promise me, you’ll hang on as long as possible.”
Tony tilted his head toward his friend. Indeed, finding Eddie and Marita on this voyage was not the only thing that came out of it. He knew if he made it, John would be his friend for life. The blind doctor sorely didn’t want to give them up. The only thing he was unsure of was if his body would cooperate. “I promise to hang on as long I as I can,” he whispered.
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