Return to Atlantis

Chapter 23 - Aftermath

In the cloudy haze of his mind, Alec could see the dazzling ripples of light above him, as the depths of the sea slowly pulled him down, swallowing him - a pressure so strong against his motionless body.

In his half-dead state, he saw her appeared against that light, her face before him. Her unperturbed eyes looked at his; her red-hair swaying up in the water. She extended her hand and took him by his arm. He could feel her strong grip as she pulled...

***

Alec woke up and felt the bunk and bed sheets he was lying on. Despite his still blurry vision, the interiors told him that he's inside a big tent. There were nine more beds lined up beside his, each with an occupant, men with bandages on different parts of their body. Boxes with Red Cross symbols are stacked up all around. A recovery tent.

"Ah, Private Alec Archer, you're awake. How are you feeling?" A man in a white medical gown with a stethoscope coiled around his neck came up to his bedside.

"Where am I? What happened?" he asked.

"You don't remember?"

Alec lowered his head with a slight shake as he gathered his senses. "Um...yes...I do. I went jumping into the ocean from the airship."

"That's right. And you are lucky enough to survive that 'suicide jump'. One for the books. I can't believe I am looking at you right now, alive and well.  You are still whole! How d'ya do it?"

Alec understood well what the doctor meant. When he jumped out of that ship, like jumping from the top of the building, he really thought that was the end of him.

"So where am I?"

"You're in a rescue camp set up here in Lipson, off Spencer Gulf in South Australia. The crash site is not very far from here,"

"How did I get here?"

"Well, you're a lucky man, Mr Archer, for having survived. Not everyone was able to y'know. Not everyone who was able to board the escape pods survive. The attackers took out some of the pods before they even made it on land. It was terrible, private. It seems that the intruders were on a slaughter spree. Such a disaster! And the wasted life of those promising young people is unpardonable," the doctor confided. Alec nodded sadly.

"Rescuers found you floating on the water," the doctor went on. "You were unconscious when they pulled you up."

The doctor went over to the sleeping patient next to him and appeared to adjust the hanging dextrose. "You've been sleeping for more than a day now. We've been monitoring your health and vital signs and so far, you are all good. No serious injury whatsoever, except maybe for some bruises that say you've been on a brawl, otherwise you are fine, young man."

"And how about Miss Kinski...were they able to find her also? She jumped with me from the airship!"

"A companion of yours? What's her name again?"

"Ava—Ava Pearce"

"But you said 'Kinski' a while ago—"

"I misspoke, doctor," Alec explained, the doctor seemed convinced.

"Then I suppose the rescuers weren't hallucinating," the doctor thoughtfully mentioned.

Alec gave him a quizzical look.

"You were floating above the water and they thought they saw a red-haired girl with you but she disappeared when they got to you."

Alec's eyes narrowed. "Dis---appreared?!"

"They never saw her again. They don't know if she survived or not. She may have drowned they say,"

The doctor then went over to his desk. "Okay let me do some scanning of all the recovery patients...and then...the casualty list. Better hope she's among the former list,"