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25

THEO

The medical center is crowded as people search for a place to sit. It’s clear that everyone is exhausted and out of sorts as the night goes on. I make my way to the back closet, where Mary is organizing the items on the shelves. I ask if she needs any help and she waves me along, telling me she can handle it. As I’m walking away, Sara approaches to speak with Mary. While Sara and Mary talk, I make my way over to Julie, who is off to the side chatting with people. I look around to make sure no one is listening, and I notice Kelly and Tyler are only a few feet away, moving people around to help them get settled in. Not wanting Kelly or Tyler to hear me, I pull Julie in the back, where no one else is around.

“What’s going on with you and Mary?” I ask as soon as we are alone. She gives me a confused look, as if I just asked her to jump off the side of the ship.

“What are you talking about? Nothing is going on between us. Why do you ask?”

“It's obvious something is going on between you two. We've been married long enough for me to know when something is bothering you. Like earlier, when you wouldn't let her speak, you kept cutting her off. What was that all about?”

“It’s nothing. Really, we are fine.”

“Then explain why you wouldn't let her speak.”

“I did let her speak,” she answers, her brows furrowed as she stares at me. The tone in her voice tells me I’ve hit a nerve, which only confirms my suspicion.

“No, you didn’t,” I say once again.

“Okay, maybe you're right, but ever since we’ve all been stuck here, she acts like she runs the damn place, and it's getting on my nerves.”

“Julie… she does run the place. This is the medical center, and she is the only nurse on board,” I say.

“Okay, but that doesn't give her the right to speak to me the way she does. It's my last name on this ship, not hers.” I don't respond. I stand silently, stunned by her words. This is a side of Julie I’ve never seen before. In the past, I never really paid it much attention when she’d get like this; it would just blow over after a while, and she’d just move on to something else. Like when my dad left the business to Tyler and me. She swore up and down that he was too irresponsible and she wasn’t going to let it happen, but it really wasn’t up to her. Dad could do whatever he wanted with the company, whether she liked it or not. In the end, it didn’t even matter, since he'd already signed over his company shares to me. Still, her words It’s my name on the side of the ship, not hers rings in my ears and pisses me off. Why does it even matter at this point?

“Actually, my name is on the ship, Julie. I'm the one in charge, not you!” I snap. Oh fuck, I’ve turned into my father. That's something he would say, not me.

Shock washes across Julie's face. Before I can apologize, she turns and walks away back to Tyler and Kelly. I think about following her, but I make my way to the center of the room instead. The sun is beginning to rise as the early-morning's faint, warm glow breaks through the clouds, and I can see the toll that being trapped not only on the ship but also in a confined room with little water and food has taken on everyone. I don’t want to keep going like this; from the dirty clothing to the unshaved faces and unkempt hair, I realize that if we don't change what we are doing, no one will survive, and Logan will end up killing us all.

“Can I have everyone's attention, please?” I say.

Everyone in the room turns to look at me. I watch Mary and Sara emerge from the closet. I don’t want to cause more drama, so I call Sara up to stand with me in solidarity. She joins me in the center of the room, waiting for me to speak.

“We can't continue living in fear of being killed or not surviving. Winter is quickly approaching, and we don't have enough food or water to stay separated. We need to work together to survive. I know it's been months, and I can imagine many of you have given up hope that we will be rescued.” I pause and look around the room at all the faces looking back at me. Sorrow, defeat, and hunger is all I see. I know deep down I need to give these people an ounce of hope, or else they’ll give up entirely. I take a deep breath and continue. “I need you all to believe that we will be rescued. I have no idea why no one has found us yet, but I am sure that when we get home, your families are there, waiting and clinging to the hope that you are alive.”

“Theo is right, guys. We are going home. Maybe not today, but tomorrow or the next day. Theo, what do we do?” Tyler pipes up from the back of the room.

“We have each other's backs and protect each other when Logan does show up.”

“I always have your back,” he says, putting a hand on my shoulder. His words remind me of when we were kids, when I was the one protecting him. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him—then and now. And when the roles are reversed, I trust him to do the same.

“Thanks, Tyler. I know everyone is exhausted, but Logan is going to realize soon that no one is in Paradise Cove anymore and he and his group will come looking for —” My words are cut off by banging on the door. A collective gasp sounds in the room.

“We know you are in there. Open this fucking door!” Logan shouts.

Standing tall, I turn my attention back to the crowd as Logan keeps banging on the door. Everyone’s wide-eyed and completely alert now. “Everyone, grab your weapons and do your best to stay alive. Leave Logan to me.” Heads turn, looking around at each other.

Then Sara speaks up, breaking the silence, “Don't just sit around. Get your asses in gear.”

At her command, the room erupts into chaos, and everyone starts running around frantically, grabbing the makeshift weapons they've created. There is a constant banging on the door as Logan’s group attempts to breach it. Tyler shouts to get Kelly’s attention, but she doesn’t hear him. I see him searching, and when he finds her, a smile spreads across his face as he watches her pull out a wooden broom handle with a broken glass bottle attached to the end. The thick, sharp glass fragment was held in place by layers of duct tape. On the opposite end, another piece of the broken handle is taped together like a cross, with butcher knives taped to the three ends. When she looks up and sees Tyler staring, she smiles back and winks. He quickly runs over to her. They’re nearby now, and I can hear their conversation.

“When, how, and where did you get that?” he asks.

“Julie found a case of butcher knives in the kitchen a while ago. She gave them to Mary and me and kept one for herself. I found the duct tape and broom in the supply closet the other day. I haven't been able to sleep, so at night I've been going into the supply closet to make this,” Kelly answers.

“That's badass, babe.”

“I made something for you, too.”