"You better keep them all alive." I mumbled, patting Vincent's shoulder telling him that I was done. He thought he would get away from me this morning without my fixing up his stitches- he was sorely mistaken. I'd forced the whole group to wait while I mended his shoulder, purposely taking as much time as possible- hoping the boys would change their minds.

This morning I'd woken to a group of people, bags on back, shovelling their breakfast down. I didn't even take a moment for me to jump and make sure they had everything they would need and that they knew they had to be home before dark that evening.

"Vincent's in charge, everyone, he's your only hope of returning safe." I teased as I pushed up onto my feet. My arms folded over my chest as I faced the boys before me. I searched over Mason and Emmet- they seemed healthy and eager to leave. Jesse was a different story.

He clearly hadn't slept a wink last night and I could see the hollow bags beneath his eyes, even his posture was slightly altered- betraying his tired state. I knew that no one else had noticed but I couldn't miss it. He was preoccupied with the knife I had given him, he was trying to find a safe place to store it in his jacket and wasn't having much luck.

I reached out for the knife, and dropped down to the ground. He pulled up the leg of him pants as I tucked the blade into his boots. I pushed myself back up to find myself chest to chest with the boy.

"I thought we've discussed not needing a leader, princess." A small smile of amusement played on his lips but his eyes told me something different. He looked concerned, like he didn't want to be going out today.

"At least Vincent isn't the one that looks like he's going to fall asleep on the job." I whispered, we were close enough to each other that no one else seemed to pay attention. "I gave you the chance to stay, Jesse, so don't try and back out of this now."

He didn't even bother protesting, knowing his eyes had given him away. He hardens, lips forming a tight line and his eyes shifting to something unreadable.

"I'm barely even tired. Plus, tired doesn't mean stupid and it certainly doesn't mean weak." His hair had fallen over his eyes again, the curls so thick I couldn't even make out where I had given him stitches.

"Just be safe okay, keep them all out of trouble." I breathed, my hands having a mind of their own and reaching up to met his hair. We both froze for a moment, his breath fanning over my wrist as my hand just hung there.

Both pairs of our eyes were concentrated on my hand, waiting for it do something. I was pleading for it to drop back to my side and Jesse just looked like he didn't understand what I was doing. That made two of us.

My eyes met his and that gave my hand the go ahead to reach up and run my fingers threw his hair, pushing it to the side and out of his eyes. We were both breathing deeply, out chests starting to rise and fall slower.

My fingers fell down from his face, his hand catching it before it was back at my side. He caught it and held it, palm out, to his chest. My breath caught in surprise, my heart racing off as I searched his eyes for an answer. He didn't look sure of his actions either, it was clear that the both of us were acting off instinct rather than logic.

"I can't lose you either, you know that right?" His eyes pleading with me, begging for me to understand the way he was feeling. I understood all too well.

"Of course." I breathed out, I curled my fingers taking with me a handful of his shirt. I clutched on, knowing that when I let go he'd be walking away into possible danger and there was nothing I could do about it.

Of course I knew he needed me as much as I needed him here on this island to survive. It was the unspoken bond between us, we just understood that in order to get everyone and ourselves out of this alive we needed to strength of the other. I could just feel it and I could see it in his eyes.

It wasn't romantic; there was no desire in me to love him like that. But there was a strong need for him to be okay, for him to be okay and strong and survive. I needed him and by the way he was looking at me right now, with his large eyes, I knew that he understood this bond too.

I didn't need to answer his question; I just nodded as my fingers slowly released his shirt. My gaze dropped to the ground, unable to watch them leave- it stirred too many uneasy feelings within me. I should be leaving with them; I should be the one risking my life for answers. Not him, not them.

"Catch ya, Dru. Keep my girl safe will you?" Vincent broke my trance and caused me too look up. I shot him a weak smile as they began to walk out of our small clearing. Caila besides me had grown a deep shade of red as she pretended to be busy with Cara. But It didn't go unnoticed to me.

"Don't die." I yelled out as the last of the boys disappeared behind a bush, I heard their chuckles in response and then silence. I hoped I wasn't the reason one of them didn't come back to us.

~~~~

"I honestly feel fine, Dru." Cara repeated for the tenth time in the last five minute. I'd stitched up her leg and had managed to get the bleeding to stop. It was hard fixing it all up without moving her knee around but there wasn't anything I could do about it. Her knee had swollen up to twice the size of her other knee and she was completely incapable of bending it without screaming out in pain. This told me that she'd done something to her ACL, whether it was a tear, rupture or sprain I couldn't tell without X-ray gear. I didn't have anything close to that.

Caila and I spent the morning hovering over her, cleaning up the small wounds on her face and ear. We'd barely spoken, the sight of the broken girl between us making us both too weak to make small talk.

Cara was the most positive out of the three of us, insisting she was fine every time I thought I'd taken it too far.

As concentrated as I was on Cara at the back of my mind I couldn't help but think about what the boys were up to. Were they injured? Dead? Have they found anything that could get us off this island? I couldn't afford to let myself think about them dying, the thought alone numbing me.

"Dru, Caila, you need to stop wasting all that on me- I feel fine." Cara pushed out hands off from her, her words came out harsh and both Caila and I couldn't help but take her for her word this time.

We both mumbled our apologies as Caila began to make something for lunch, I couldn't drag my eyes away from Cara's knee- my guilt knotted up deep in me.

"They are going to be okay, Dru." Cara's hand reached out for mine, giving me a gentle squeeze. I didn't look up from her knee, I couldn't face her- or anyone. Her words had only just brought all the dark thoughts back to the front of my mind. What if they were hurt? They only had a couple of hours before they had to be home and I was more than prepared to run after them the second the sun fell behind the trees. "You can protect everyone all the time you know?"

That didn't help. But I appreciated her trying. I squeezed her hand back and allowed my self to push it all aside again.

"I guess I won't be walking the rest of the time we're here will I?" This time her attempt at lightening to mood worked, she chucked herself with was echoed by Caila and I. The girl was so full of life, so full of energy even when she was incapable of moving.

"I'll make you crutches when we get back to the base, I'd made some for Lola she doesn't uh-" I couldn't say need them anymore, the thought of the young girls death haunting me. Wait, was she dead? I had no idea how many of the dead had died in quarantine whilst we were gone. How many people had Rukma and Jenny had to burry? The nausea returned, I could all but feel my skin lose it's colour and I felt as if I might throw up just at the thought.

"I'm just glad that I don't need this chopped off. I guess there really is a god." Cara continued to joke, oblivious to the change in my demeanour. I guess all the blood and dirt that covered my face covered more than I thought.

"That god's name is Dru. I've seen wound like that before and the arm had to be amputated. This women-" She gestured towards were I was perched, "She's a wonder worker. " Caila's words caught me off guard, my head snapping to her direction a definite look of confusion on my features. The seriousness in her tone told me that she actually had seen something like this. Suddenly I realised how little I knew about her.

"Where did you see that?"

" Uh- a mission trip in Vietnam. Someone got caught up in barbed wire." Caila mumbled, her hands together as the fumbled with her fingers. Cara and I remained silent, waiting for Caila to continue. "It's no biggie, they are okay- The only thing they cared about was that they didn't get a movie like soul surfer." This time she smiled; clearly the memory brought back fond memories. The way her face lit up, her eyes shining with love, told me this person meant a lot to her.

"Who was it?" I tried to steer the conversation away from me, away from all the worries I was dwelling over. And I knew first hand that talking about the ones you missed always helped.

"My best friend. He's an idiot but he finally met Bethany Hamilton and said it was definitely worth losing an arm." She chuckled to herself, her head lifting up from her hands. " I miss him." she breather, her cheeks flushing a subtle pink at the thought of the boy.

"Tell us about him." Cara spoke up this time as she lifted a bottle of water to her lips. Her hands were shaking as she did it and I noticed a small dribble running down her chin that had missed her mouth. She looked fine but there were glimmers of something unsteady about her- something I didn't have time to pry about.

"He was-"

But Caila's words were cut off, by some one screaming out my name. My feet kicked up and my heart was immediately in my throat.

Someone was in danger.