Chapter 46 Ari
Ari
As soon as I step off the helicopter, the medic grabs my hand and walks me into a giant hangar, it looks like. There’s a shock of cold air, and the light is so bright, I put my hand over my eyes. This place is the exact opposite of the island—it’s sterile, sharp-edged, and colorless.
A white-coated doctor and a nurse in scrubs greet me, along with a translator who smooths over our words like a bridge. They guide me to a bed and begin examining me, asking me questions I don’t have the energy to answer.
Yes, I’m Ariana Williams.
Yes, I’m the only crew member who survived.
Yes, I’m pregnant. Obviously.
No, I don’t know if I have any diseases or infections.
It’s all so very irritating.
But when they bring out the heart monitor, and I hear my baby’s heartbeat, I can’t stop the tears of joy from streaming down my face. Relief, fear, and disbelief collide all at once.
“Where’s Vincent?” I ask, my voice cracking.
The translator asks the doctor, then answers, “He’s being examined.”
“I want him here. He should hear this, too.”
They nod, assuring me he’ll see me once the protocols are finished. I’m eventually wheeled to a private room, where everything is stark and white, and the air is unnaturally fresh and dry.
“You’ll be quarantined for forty-eight hours,” the translator tells me.
“And after that?”
“The embassy will handle your transport home.”
My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts, most of them about Vincent.
“Can I have my phone?” I ask. I’m so exhausted, I can’t even think.
The translator nods. “Once your examination is finished, I’ll check on that for you.”
But I don’t wait. The moment the room is clear, I close my eyes, and before he returns, sleep pulls me under into a deep, merciful escape from the chaos of the last several hours.