"They need you more out there than we do in here, I thought we'd gotten past this Dru." Rukma was stood between me and the quarantine, her hand pressed up against my chest in an attempt to stop me and me.

She must have followed me when I snuck away from the groups of people preparing to leave. I sighed in defeat and backed off from her, knowing I was going to fight a losing battle. It was my idea to split up and search the island. My idea to leave as soon as possible to find the teenagers before anything could happen to Cara. But I still felt guilty leaving Rukma to look after all these people.

Jenny was staying back too, but only to look after Addy who was in no state to be walking around. When I'd found the 7 year old her Tibia had been poking out of her shin. She was healthy, fought off any infection that came her way but we all knew she wouldn't be leaving base. Jenny had begun to take care of the girl after he parents died, refusing to leave her side for even a moment.

I was grateful to know that people like Jenny here, protecting others so selflessly- it was just what everyone needed.

"Go. Just take care of them all." Rukma gave me a soft push before she turned and entered the quarantine. So I did. I walked over to where everyone was gathered on the skirts of the forest.

Everyone had a pack of some sort on their backs, even the children like Ari and JJ. Ari was sat with between his sister Freyja, Elena and Gemma- with Joe still shoving things into his pack. It didn't seem right to see Ari and Freyja with out their sister Lola but that morning I'd spent hours sat over her and her mother watching them come to terms with how they were dying. At least they had each other. Joe wasn't as kept together, his hands trembling as he brought the bottle to his lips for a sip. I watched as Gemma held onto his arm, making it possible for him to actually take a sip.

My eyes filtered over to the next group, James, JJ, Nisha, Chadna and Dailia. Elena and Dailia had to split up, insisting they had to cook their groups- they were no use in the same group. Chadna and Nisha sat there silently beside him, barely moving unless it was to occasionally respond to whatever Mason was saying. JJ seemed oblivious to the fact that his mother and sister weren't by their side, his small laugh could be heard as he threw something at Ari's head. James, on the other hand, looked broken. He was smiling down at his son but his eyes told a different story. He was covered in dirt, blood and cuts but he always refused to let me help him. I respected his strength, the way he was there for his son- but I knew that eventually he'd have to break down.

The next group had Emmet, Mason, Caila, Jesse and Vincent. I made my over to that one. They all looked up when I made it to them, but my eyes met Jesse's. He was supporting the faint black eye that I was proudly the creator of. After I'd punching him I'd made him leave, it may have taken Vincent dragging him away- but he did leave. I didn't have time to lose my control around him anymore, but I also couldn't have him in another group. I didn't trust him to look after those people while I wasn't there.

"Ready to go, Doc?" He spoke, jumping to his feet. This action cause everyone else to do the same, I felt 15 pairs of eyes on me all looking for my instructions.

"You all know what to do. Everyone is to back here in five days, you must return down the same path that you came on. You must mark your path with the red material every hundred meters or so- stay in as straight of a line as possible. Don't leave anyone behind. Take note of anything you find- if it's too hard to bring back don't worry about it we can spend people back later." I listed off the important points we'd already covered not even an hour before.

"Anything else, princess?" Jesse challenged, chuckling as if I'd just given everyone a difficult to do list.

"Yes." I shot back at him, as I begun to walk the way my team had been assigned. The group with Gemma was to head to the left side of the island, James the middle and Mine the right. "Stay alive."

~~~~~~~

"We are not playing that game again! It's not fair." Vincent groaned, his annoyance was obvious, as Caila had suggested playing the party game. We'd been walking for hours, coming across nothing more than more fruit trees and flowers. The hours had been full of conversation, none of it contributed by me. My eyes couldn't stop scanning our surroundings, my head running with possibilities of what that other groups were up to. Was any one in trouble? Had they found anything?

"Come on guys, he's right. Lets play something more for his intellect level." Caila spoke up from my side, although she had remained silent by my side I knew she'd be listening to every word that came from Vincent's mouth.

"Thank you Caila!" Vincent seemed shocked that someone actually agreed with him.

"He's right guys. How about a game of eye spy? I think he'd be able to handle that one." Caila teased, her lips pursing in amusement.

"Exact- Wait!" Vincent was too quick to agree with her before her words registered. He called out in protest as everyone couldn't help but laugh at their exchange. "I'll have you know- eye spy can be difficult!"

"All there is around here is trees, grass and fruit. After three rounds we'd be finished." Emmet added. Besides me Caila had begun to shorten her strides, falling into step with Emmet, Mason and Vincent. I didn't mind, I was too preoccupied anyway. Well that was until her place was filled with an unwanted presence.

I didn't turn my head to see him, nor did I fire out the words I wanted to at the boy. Instead I increased my pace, pushing my legs faster as I continued to climb over small logs and tall grass. He didn't bother to speak up either, but he never wavered from my side- his pace increasing with mine.

We stayed like that for too long, wordlessly pushing bushes aside- occasionally stopping to tie the material around a tall tree. It was never comfortable; I could feel the uneasy feeling I always got around him- the anger and annoyance stirring in my stomach. I should have been used to this by now, yet all I wanted to do was put as much distance between us as possible. I couldn't afford to lose control again.

"Please explain how we ended up in the same group." He sounded angry, his voice came with a deep sense of annoyance towards me. I refused to look at him, so I couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking like I usually could when our eyes met. I didn't respond, pushing my legs faster hoping we would come across somewhere to camp for the night. I could feel the breeze chilling on my skin, I could see the light fading as the sky said goodbye to the sun and began to welcome the moon.

Pushing aside a bush I found the largest clearing we'd seen yet. Don't get me wrong, it was tiny- there would barely be enough room for a fire and us. But it was all we needed at this point. I hoped that the groups with children appreciated the extra blanket that I'd put in their packs so that they would be comfortable where ever they chose to camp tonight.

"Oi- " Wrapping his fingers around the top of my arm Jesse pulled me so that our eyes finally met. My teeth ground together as I freed my arm, all but growl at the boy I tried to push down the anger that was surging. "You don't get to act like the only one who doesn't want to be in this situation. I don't think it's good for either of us to be near each other, so I want to know what made your ass decide this was a good idea?"

He stood close to me, his words firm and his eyes shooting at mine as he spoke. We stayed like that for a second too long before I finally spat out at him.

"Because I don't trust you." I kept it simple, but my words said so much more to him- I didn't trust him around other people, I didn't trust that he wouldn't be the reason some of them could die. My words didn't shock him; instead a faint arrogant smile drew at his lips. He began to walk away from me, pulling his pack off and throwing it onto the floor. I was frozen, attempting to win back the control over my emotions.

"Funny, Princess, That's the exact reason I agreed to be a part of this group. Maybe it's time for you to look in a mirror."

I could hear the venom in his words; the words that stabbed me like a knife.

~~~~~~~

Right hook. Left jab. Right double Jab. Left uppercut. Right hook again.

My knuckles were splintered with wood and the tree that was serving as my boxing bag was loosing branches with each hit. I continued to throw random punches at the bark, at times using my old combo's from training. I could feel my hands protesting but my body wasn't, it was demanding that I continued to let my anger flow out.

After everyone had caught up with Jesse and I they'd been quick to set up a fire with surrounding wood and the matches every group had taken. They prepared some sort of fish and pineapple meal that I'd declined, much to Caila's dismay. I'd stayed silent for most of the night. I'd been silent as they sat around the fire sharing stories of their lives back home. I was silent when Caila asked me what was wrong, all I could give her was a shrug. I was silent whenever Jesse shot words at me when no one else was listening. I was even silent when everyone decided it was time for bed.

I'd stayed up, sitting up besides the fire as everyone lay behind me. Everyone but Jesse, he lay on the other side of the fire. I could see that his eyes had been open, he was watching the stars as I watched his face. I saw the faint outline of the stiches I'd given him, how wrong was I when I thought we'd made some sort of progress? Idiot. I couldn't stay there any longer, each time his face moved I could hear his words slicing at me.

That's how I found myself here, boxing against an innocent tree- allowing all my rage and heartache to be translated into my punch. This is how I'd always dealt with things growing up. It had started at the age of 11, my dad and mum told us they were getting a divorce. I ran away from them, locking myself in dad's gym room. I stayed in there for hours, my only companion being my tears and the boxing bag he had set up in the corner. The first time I hit it I cried out, the bag harder than I had expected. It split one of my knuckles but the rush I'd gotten made me continue. With each punch I realised what did and didn't hurt and eventually my tears had dried up and I was letting it all out with force and strength.

When I'd finally left that room the first thing I did was ask dad, "If you're leaving can you at leave the boxing bag for me." My parents had been shocked at first, but they agreed.

I'd never looked back, the year after dad left I goggled every at home training you could do- youtube being my best friend. I would come home every day from school, see my mother and punch out all of the anger for my dad. One day it stopped being about my dad and became about boys, friendship and petty things that were on my mind.

At the age of 15 I'd saved up enough money to attend a class for the first time, the instructor saw what I could do and couldn't believe I'd taught myself everything. The next day I started training at gym with him, I was there every morning before school and every afternoon that I wasn't studying. He was a tough trainer, the conditioning left me with more broken bones then I ever saw at Med school.

By 17 I'd won a national title for my weight class, but the titles wasn't why I did it. It was my release, the only time I let myself go and be completely honest with myself. Boxing was who I was, just as much as helping people was.

When I graduated high school I had two national titles and was heading off to start a medicine degree. But nothing every made me too busy to box, the bag in my bedroom allowing me to train via skype with my trainer whenever I had a early lecture.

Now, 21 years old I held 4 titles with countless competition wins under my belt this was the longest I'd ever gone without it. After all this time on the island I was finally letting it go- freeing myself temporarily from the weight on my shoulders.

With each punch I saw a different face, each one belonging to the 16 dead. 16 deaths that I had caused. I could feel the tears escaping my eyes but I kept on punching, my punches growing messy as I lost control over my anger. I quickened as more tears escaped, a loud sob leaving my lips as my arms gave up.

My forehead fell onto the trunk of the tree, my sobs taking over my body. I don't know how long I stood there leant up against the tree allowing my emotions to take over. Not even boxing could release me from the pain I felt, from the guilt or the anger. Pushing myself away from the bark I reached out for one more punch but something stopped me, a voice.

"What did that tree do to you?"

~~~~~~