“Yes.”
“Can you walk?” Jack asked.
“Yes.”
“Can I help you stand up?
“Yes.”
“Say, is your name Pamela?”
“Yes.”
“What’s your husband’s name?” Jack asked.
“I don’t have a husband,” Pamela mumbled.
“I mean the person who yelled your name?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t hear anything.”
“You didn’t hear a male voice yelling for Pamela?”
“Oh, him. Yes, I heard him.”
“So, who is he?” Jack asked.
“She means you,” Andrew said sarcastically.
“No, I meant, before that. Didn’t you hear a different voice, Pamela?”
Jack was met with silence.
“Pamela? Hello,” Jack said. “Can you hear me, Pamela?”
Jack must have brushed up against Pamela, because once again, she screamed.
“Calm down, Pamela.”
“I’m not Pamela, I’m Nancy,” she responded.
“What?” Jack sounded astonished. “Then where did Pamela go?”
“It’s the same person, Jack,” Andrew said, and sounded annoyed. “You’re confusing her. You’re confusing us all with that Pamela nonsense, including yourself. Maybe you should check your head. I’m guessing you have a pretty big bump on it.”
After a short pause, Jack said, “No, I’m all right.”
“You actually checked?” Andrew chuckled.
“Are you sure you’re all right, Nancy? You should check your head for blood.”
“My hair is wet,” Nancy mumbled.
“But it’s just water, right? There’s no blood?”
“I can’t tell,” Nancy said in a quivering tone.
“Let me help you,” Jack said, and must have ran his fingers through Nancy’s hair. “You got quite a bump on your head, but I don’t think there’s any blood… Say, does anyone have a lighter?”
“I don’t smoke.”
“I smoke,” Nancy claimed.
“Check your pockets. Maybe you have a lighter on you,” Jack said.
Nancy seemingly searched her pockets, and then started to cry. “I lost my keys. I can’t get into my apartment now.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that, Nancy,” Jack said in a reassuring tone.
“That’s easy for you to say. I can’t get into my apartment now,” Nancy cried out.
“I have a cell phone, but I’m afraid to turn it on. It’s better to wait until tomorrow when it’s dry. We might need it to call for help,” Andrew said.
“Yes, that’s probably wise,” Jack agreed. “Don’t worry, Nancy. They’ll come for us soon. Everything is going to be all right. Let’s move away from the shore, and see if we can find a tree where we can shelter from the rain.”
A while later, the heavy rain was replaced by a light drizzle and dripping water from the trees. The group was silent, wrapped within the dark surroundings. The wind lessened, though tree branches still scratched about, and a person could be heard moving around. Suddenly, Nancy screamed in panic.
“What’s wrong,” Jack asked her.
“Get out!” Nancy screamed distraught. “Help me!”
“Calm down, Nancy!”
“How do you know my name?”
“It’s me, Jack.”
“I don’t know any Jack.”
“Listen to me, Nancy. You’ve been in an accident. I think you’re suffering from head trauma, and that’s why you don’t remember me. But you’re safe here with me and Andrew. So try to calm down. We’re just going to sit here and wait for the rescue team to find us. Everything is going to be all right.”
“I’ve been in an accident?” Nancy sounded confused.
“Yes, the plane crashed.”
“What plane?”
“We were on a plane, remember?” Jack asked, but didn’t get a response. “We flew from Anchorage to—”
“No, we departed from Seattle and flew to Anchorage.”
“Yes, you’re right, Andrew. I got confused. We flew from Seattle, but the plane crashed into the ocean—”
“No, this isn’t the ocean, the water is fresh. In fact, I don’t think we’re anywhere near the ocean. I’ve lived in Seattle my whole life, and this doesn’t smell like the Pacific. It smells different here.”
The group sat in silence for a while, but again, the silence was interrupted, this time, by the screams of another woman in pain.
“Hello!” Jack yelled.
“Help! I think I broke my leg!”
“Stay there! I’ll come to you! Where are you?”
Andrew chuckled sarcastically.
“I’ll follow the sound of your voice! Sing a song!”
“Take a branch with you, it will help you feel the terrain.”
Jack must have taken Andrew’s advice, and the sound of a branch breaking was then followed by the sound of a person stumbling across the terrain, accompanied by a woman singing.
Several songs later, Jack said, “I’m right here. We should make a traction splint to keep the leg steady. I have a shirt we could use.”
“Actually, it’s my ankle that’s broken. I misspoke. Sorry.”
“I think we should just leave it be then.”
“Sorry you had to come all this way for nothing.”
“No, don’t be. It’s better if we pair up. I’d hate for you to be all alone.”
“So more people are gathered over there?”
“Yes, Andrew and Nancy, and I’m Jack by the way… Say, your name wouldn’t happen to be Pamela, would it?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“I heard a man yelling for Pamela earlier. Did you hear that?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. What might your name be?”
The woman coughed a few times. “My name is Julie.”
Jack suggested the two of them should get out of the rain, and they crawled a short distance to the nearest tree. Jack yelled to inform the others that he would spend the night alongside Julie.
“You should wring your clothes out—they’ll dry faster. I can help you,” Jack said.
“No, that’s all right. My jacket isn’t that wet really, and I’m afraid to take my pants off—Because of my ankle, that is,” Julie quickly added.
“Good thing you brought a jacket. I wish I’d thought of that.”
“You’re not wearing a jacket?”
“No. I just have a shirt on. I left my jacket on the plane.”
“I never take my jacket off when flying. I’m always cold,” Julie said. “You can use my sweater if you like. I think I can do with just my jacket.”
“I’m sure it wouldn’t fit me. But thank you just the same.”
“I think it’s a size medium.”
“Well, in that case, it definitely wouldn’t fit me.”
“Perhaps you can use the sweater as a blanket?”
“No, it’s too small either way. I’m a very large man. Trust me, you’ll get better use of it,” Jack said. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to have a lighter, would you?”
“No, afraid not.”
“Don’t people smoke anymore? It’s as if everyone suddenly stopped smoking.”
“I only smoke when I’m nervous,” Julie said. “So I could use a cigarette, right about now.”
“You and me both.”
“So, you smoke?”
“For the last thirty years. But my lighter is in my jacket.”
“How old are you, Jack? If you don’t mind me asking?”
“I’m forty-two.”
“Twelve is a good age to start smoking. How did you manage that? I’m smiling by the way.”
“I don’t know. Perhaps I watched too much television back in the eighties or something. You know, smoking wasn’t dangerous back then. Too bad they changed it.” Jack chuckled. “So how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-ten.”
Jack chuckled once more.
“Too bad I lost my purse on the plane, or we’d have a phone to call for help.”