He tried to sit, but found he was too weak, so he dropped back onto the pillow, and waited. He passed the time by gazing out the window at the clouds moving across the clear blue sky. He waited for nearly a half an hour and tried to rise several times before he finally succeeding in hoisting himself to a sitting position. He was happy with his accomplishment, but did not know how he was going to reach the pitcher of water. He was still going over his plan when two people abruptly came into the room. An old man and young woman entered, both stopped short when they saw him. They appeared to be as surprised as he was by the sudden meeting.
“Excellent,” the old man said with a genuine smile. He walked over to Gwaynn, his back slightly hunched with age. “How do you feel this morning?”
“Thirsty,” Gwaynn answered in raspy voice.
“Yes, yes of course. Forgive me,” the man added and poured Gwaynn a tall glass of water. Gwaynn drank it in one breath and handed the glass back for more. The man obliged.
“I’m Pugg,” the man said by way of introduction. “Doctor.”
Gwaynn nodded but said nothing; he just continued to drink his water, this time a little more slowly.
“And this is Vio,” Pugg added, curious about the boy before him. “She was the one who found you…saved you actually. You would not have survived if she had not happened by.”
Gwaynn looked at the young woman. She smiled at him. He nodded but did not smile back. Pugg waited for the boy to introduce himself but was disappointed.
“Are you hungry?” the doctor finally asked.
Gwaynn thought about it a moment. “Yes, I’m famished,” he replied.
“Famished,” Pugg repeated. “Vio, could you tell Alynn to fix up something for…our guest. Say what is your name?”
Gwaynn hesitated for a moment, a hesitation that both Pugg and Vio noticed, but he could not think of a good reason not to tell them…at least his first name.
“Gwaynn,” he finally said.
“Please to meet you Gwaynn,” Pugg said smiling again.
Vio turned to go to the kitchens, but stopped at the door. “Nice to meet you Gwaynn,” she said, echoing Pugg’s thoughts.
Gwaynn was silent for a moment and she turned to go once more. “Nice to meet you both,” he answered. “And thank you,” he added. She smiled and left. Gwaynn finished with his glass of water and felt infinitely better. He held the glass out for more, and Pugg refilled it once again.
“How do you feel?” The doctor asked.
“Much better,” Gwaynn answered feeling stronger by the moment. He leaned over, fighting a brief dizzy spell and set the glass on the table near the bed. He sat back up slowly. His back felt tight and there was still a bit of pain from it when he moved. He put up a hand and reached around. His skin felt hot.
“You have a severe burn, but it is healing nicely. The pain should subside in another couple of days. How long were you in the water?”
Gwaynn tried to recall exactly how long, but he couldn’t really remember much of it, including how or when they ever reached land. “I’m not sure,” he finally answered.
“I don’t even remember getting to the beach.” Gwaynn struggled to remember and then it hit him. “Karl…where’s Karl?”
“Karl?” Pugg repeated though he suspected the boy was referring to his dead companion.
“He…he was my friend. He was with me when the ship went down in the storm. We floated on a raft together.”
The doctor hesitated for a moment, not wanting to give the boy the bad news while he was still so weak, but when he looked into his eyes he realized there would be no getting around this subject.
“We don’t know how long you were on the beach before Vio and Master Kostek happened by. You were barely alive, and frankly I’m surprised you are recovering so quickly,” he began. Gwaynn had aged immensely over that past week and immediately realized what was coming. His face must have betrayed his thoughts.
“I’m…I’m sorry. He was already dead when we found you. It was over before we had a chance.”
Gwaynn sat on the edge of the bed in silence, just looking at his hands. The doctor stood by him silently, just waiting. His patience paid off.
“He saved my life,” Gwaynn began softly. “More than once he saved my life. He saved it on the sea…I don’t even know how we reached the shore, the Captain said we were still at least a day from the islands, and that was on a ship. I remember being in the sea. I remember Karl finding the raft, and kicking for…maybe two or three days, but then I don’t remember anything. I don’t remember kicking anymore or coming ashore.”
Pugg took a deep breath. “Well your friend must have been alive then. I don’t believe either of you could survive the breakwater unconscious, so he must have helped you ashore. Plus you were found together, side by side.”
“He saved me in the sea, and he saved me…before,” Gwaynn said then slowly moved back and dropped down to a prone position. He was still there when Vio returned with a tray of food and some honeyed water.
“I didn’t know what you liked so I got you a little of everything,” she said smiling, oblivious to the mood in the room. She brought the tray over to Gwaynn and placed it across his midsection.
“Perhaps we should prop you up,” Pugg said and moved over and grabbed him by the arm. Vio moved to the other side and assisted him also. Gwaynn said nothing and allowed them to prop pillows behind him until he was fairly comfortable and in an upright position. He wasn’t sure he could eat and truly was not interested, at least not until he looked down at the tray of sweat meats, several cheeses, dates, grapes, and some dark berries with which he was unfamiliar. His stomach rumbled, and he plucked some cheese from the tray. He took a bite, enjoying the flavor and without thought he ate more and more until he was surprised to find the tray empty.
Pugg was already gone before he finished, but Vio had stayed around, talking about people Gwaynn didn’t know and things he could not relate to, but he didn’t mind. Her voice was pleasant enough and it kept him from thinking about other unpleasant things. When he had finished eating, Vio took the tray but made no move to leave and continued to tell him about daily life here on the island. Gwaynn just listened, taking an occasional drink of water. Soon, however, he grew sleepy.
“Vio,” he said, interrupting her. She looked up at him surprised, but happy he was finally talking. “Could you help me back down? I’m tired.”
“Yes, yes,” she answered, content to help in any way. She removed most of the pillows and placed one leg on the bed to get better leverage as she held Gwaynn’s shoulders and lowered him gently down.