Part 67: Mia Makes her Rounds Part 1
Mia walked along the beach, holding her arms together as the ocean breeze made her hair dance. The Lakota girl walked over to the main encampment, now dubbed The Medical Tent. Tony was sipping on something in a coffee cup. Eddie was nearby, playing with his Kangaroo doll. Marita was breezing through the book called The 505 Weirdest Online Stores, which everybody seemed to be sharing. Mia walked over to the blind doctor. “Morning, Tony,” she smiled.
“Mia?” Tony smiled, not hearing the girl’s voice in a while, “Top of the morning to you.”
“What are you drinking?”
“Water. But I am pretending its coffee.” He chuckled.
“I know what you are saying. I will kill for an ice cream Sundae.”
Marita then screamed in laughter. Mia giggled as it seemed the very mention of a sundae made the other girls in the tent laugh. Tony chuckled as Eddie laughed with them as well. “Please, ladies, do not discuss food, it’ll only make it that much worse.” He told them.
“Yes, sir,” Kristy and Jenny laughed in unison.
“Well, anyway, Tony, can I talk to you about something?” Mia asked.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?” he said, sipping his water.
“Actually, . .I’d prefer to talk to you in private.”
Marita then stopped reading and stared at her abruptly. Mia could feel her gaze and immediately threw up her hands. “Marita, please don’t take offense, “the girl blushed, “It’s just something that is . . .embarrassing.”
“Something you wish to discuss with a doctor?” asked Tony.
“Exactly,” the Lakota girl clapped.
Tony then put down his water and stood up. He picked up his cane and then held out his right arm. “Then let’s go for a walk.” He whispered.
Mia talked over, taking his arm. The young girl then guided him away from the Medical Tent. Marita leaned out watching them walk away. Kristy then giggled, mentioning how quick she shot Mia a jealous glance when she wanted to take Tony away from her. The Latina responded by playfully throwing a pillow at the wounded model.
Tony leaned his face back, enjoying the feel of the ocean breeze on his face. Mia walked along holding him close. She looked at everybody as someone noticing them walking. Her eyes met John. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t offer the same jealous glance that Marita gave. He just smirked, and continuing helping McKay break firewood. It made Mia proud to see him look at her that way. It meant he was comfortable with his friendship with Tony and he knew he’d never do anything wrong to her. “So, are we alone?” Tony asked.
“Mostly,” Mia whispered.
“Well, then what do you wish to discuss?”
“Tony, what I am about to tell you may seem very weird. I want you to listen to me before you say anything.”
“Okay,” he listened.
Mia took a deep breath and whispered, “There are other people on this island. And I'm not talking about us on the beach.”
“You mean that man you thought you saw at the waterfall?” Tony asked.
“Not just them. But more survivors. The people from the first half of the plane survived as well.”
Tony then stopped walking and turned to her. “How the hell do you know that?”
“I just know.” She whispered.
“Wait a second . . .where is your proof that the first half of the plane survived?”
“I have no proof. I told you, I just know.”
“Mia, that’s . . .that’s an awful lot to swallow.” Tony exhaled.
“I know, you’re a doctor. A man of science and medicine. You require proof to validate what you know.”
“I’ve never heard it put that way but yes, I prefer proof.”
“I came to Australia in a hope to find my faith, Tony,” Mia pointed out, “This place . . .this island has helped me reclaim that. I have faith that there are more survivors of the crash on this island.”
Tony squinted his face. He was a little angry that this young girl was expecting him to believe that there were more people on this island from the plane than them based solely on instinct. It was indeed a lot to accept. “Suppose for an instance, I believe you, “ Tony muttered, “What do you propose?”
“We try to find them. They would have to be on some beach or near some kind of water supply.” Mia said.
“Considering the craziness of this damn place, I don’t think it would be a good idea to send scouting parties in to unknown and hostile territory.”
“I am not talking scouting parties, Tony. I am talking about us. All nineteen of us.”
“Okay, Mia, now I know you have to be joking, “ Tony pointed toward the sound of her voice, “You might be able to convince a few people but every single person on this beach? There is no way in hell you’ll be able to convince them to uproot this locale in a search for survivors when we don’t even know where to freaking begin to look!”
“Like I said, I am asking for a leap of faith.” Mia whispered.
Tony sighed. He wasn’t even sure he was getting through to her. He bowed his head and tapped his cane. Then he leaned up and whispered, “I am sorry, Mia. I require proof before I can ask these people to just go trampling through the jungle looking for survivors that may or may not exist.”
“Oh, they exist,” Mia smiled, “I am more certain of it now then I was last night.”
“Why? Why are you certain?”
“My grandmother told me, “she giggled, “In my dream last night.”
“OH, Mia,” Tony had to sit down, “If you were talking to me like this in the real world, I’d consider having you committed.”
“Thank you,” she laughed.
“I had to admit . . .I wish I had your faith but I don’t.”
“Don’t worry about that, Tony. When the time comes, I am sure you’ll be able to help me convince the others. But I wanted to talk to you first before I start talking to everybody else” Mia shuffled her feet, “Well, thank for your time. You and I have the whole doctor/patient confidentiality with this, don’t we?”
Tony smirked, “Sure thing.”
“Thanks, Tony. If you can find your way back, I have to go talk to someone else.”
“It’s not problem, I enjoy the practice.” He chuckled.
Mia then began walking back toward the beach. After she got a few feet away, she heard Tony call to her. She stopped to see him walking toward him. It was amazing to see how well he was adapting to his injury. He stopped in front of her and whispered, “Mia, just to satisfy my curiosity, why tell me this? Why not John or Shanna or somebody?”
Mia smiled and gently stroked his arm. “I trust blind people.” She giggled.
“Huh?” Tony stuttered.
Mia said nothing, just turned and continued to walk down the beach. She felt a slight mix of guilt leaving Tony that was with such an opened ended answer to his question. There was no way he could have known about her blind grandmother.
Maybe one day she’ll tell him about her.
“Mia?” Tony smiled, not hearing the girl’s voice in a while, “Top of the morning to you.”
“What are you drinking?”
“Water. But I am pretending its coffee.” He chuckled.
“I know what you are saying. I will kill for an ice cream Sundae.”
Marita then screamed in laughter. Mia giggled as it seemed the very mention of a sundae made the other girls in the tent laugh. Tony chuckled as Eddie laughed with them as well. “Please, ladies, do not discuss food, it’ll only make it that much worse.” He told them.
“Yes, sir,” Kristy and Jenny laughed in unison.
“Well, anyway, Tony, can I talk to you about something?” Mia asked.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?” he said, sipping his water.
“Actually, . .I’d prefer to talk to you in private.”
Marita then stopped reading and stared at her abruptly. Mia could feel her gaze and immediately threw up her hands. “Marita, please don’t take offense, “the girl blushed, “It’s just something that is . . .embarrassing.”
“Something you wish to discuss with a doctor?” asked Tony.
“Exactly,” the Lakota girl clapped.
Tony then put down his water and stood up. He picked up his cane and then held out his right arm. “Then let’s go for a walk.” He whispered.
Mia talked over, taking his arm. The young girl then guided him away from the Medical Tent. Marita leaned out watching them walk away. Kristy then giggled, mentioning how quick she shot Mia a jealous glance when she wanted to take Tony away from her. The Latina responded by playfully throwing a pillow at the wounded model.
Tony leaned his face back, enjoying the feel of the ocean breeze on his face. Mia walked along holding him close. She looked at everybody as someone noticing them walking. Her eyes met John. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t offer the same jealous glance that Marita gave. He just smirked, and continuing helping McKay break firewood. It made Mia proud to see him look at her that way. It meant he was comfortable with his friendship with Tony and he knew he’d never do anything wrong to her. “So, are we alone?” Tony asked.
“Mostly,” Mia whispered.
“Well, then what do you wish to discuss?”
“Tony, what I am about to tell you may seem very weird. I want you to listen to me before you say anything.”
“Okay,” he listened.
Mia took a deep breath and whispered, “There are other people on this island. And I'm not talking about us on the beach.”
“You mean that man you thought you saw at the waterfall?” Tony asked.
“Not just them. But more survivors. The people from the first half of the plane survived as well.”
Tony then stopped walking and turned to her. “How the hell do you know that?”
“I just know.” She whispered.
“Wait a second . . .where is your proof that the first half of the plane survived?”
“I have no proof. I told you, I just know.”
“Mia, that’s . . .that’s an awful lot to swallow.” Tony exhaled.
“I know, you’re a doctor. A man of science and medicine. You require proof to validate what you know.”
“I’ve never heard it put that way but yes, I prefer proof.”
“I came to Australia in a hope to find my faith, Tony,” Mia pointed out, “This place . . .this island has helped me reclaim that. I have faith that there are more survivors of the crash on this island.”
Tony squinted his face. He was a little angry that this young girl was expecting him to believe that there were more people on this island from the plane than them based solely on instinct. It was indeed a lot to accept. “Suppose for an instance, I believe you, “ Tony muttered, “What do you propose?”
“We try to find them. They would have to be on some beach or near some kind of water supply.” Mia said.
“Considering the craziness of this damn place, I don’t think it would be a good idea to send scouting parties in to unknown and hostile territory.”
“I am not talking scouting parties, Tony. I am talking about us. All nineteen of us.”
“Okay, Mia, now I know you have to be joking, “ Tony pointed toward the sound of her voice, “You might be able to convince a few people but every single person on this beach? There is no way in hell you’ll be able to convince them to uproot this locale in a search for survivors when we don’t even know where to freaking begin to look!”
“Like I said, I am asking for a leap of faith.” Mia whispered.
Tony sighed. He wasn’t even sure he was getting through to her. He bowed his head and tapped his cane. Then he leaned up and whispered, “I am sorry, Mia. I require proof before I can ask these people to just go trampling through the jungle looking for survivors that may or may not exist.”
“Oh, they exist,” Mia smiled, “I am more certain of it now then I was last night.”
“Why? Why are you certain?”
“My grandmother told me, “she giggled, “In my dream last night.”
“OH, Mia,” Tony had to sit down, “If you were talking to me like this in the real world, I’d consider having you committed.”
“Thank you,” she laughed.
“I had to admit . . .I wish I had your faith but I don’t.”
“Don’t worry about that, Tony. When the time comes, I am sure you’ll be able to help me convince the others. But I wanted to talk to you first before I start talking to everybody else” Mia shuffled her feet, “Well, thank for your time. You and I have the whole doctor/patient confidentiality with this, don’t we?”
Tony smirked, “Sure thing.”
“Thanks, Tony. If you can find your way back, I have to go talk to someone else.”
“It’s not problem, I enjoy the practice.” He chuckled.
Mia then began walking back toward the beach. After she got a few feet away, she heard Tony call to her. She stopped to see him walking toward him. It was amazing to see how well he was adapting to his injury. He stopped in front of her and whispered, “Mia, just to satisfy my curiosity, why tell me this? Why not John or Shanna or somebody?”
Mia smiled and gently stroked his arm. “I trust blind people.” She giggled.
“Huh?” Tony stuttered.
Mia said nothing, just turned and continued to walk down the beach. She felt a slight mix of guilt leaving Tony that was with such an opened ended answer to his question. There was no way he could have known about her blind grandmother.
Maybe one day she’ll tell him about her.
posted by Jason | 8:29 AM
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