If things had looked bad before, by morning, they were
horrible. When Nick awoke, he found
that his ankle had nearly doubled in size with swelling, and it still throbbed
painfully.
The rain had stopped, at least, but the sun was now out, beating
it’s hot rays down on them, and making the car a very hot and uncomfortable
place to be. With the engine not
working, the air conditioning couldn’t run either, and even rolling down the
windows provided minimal relief from the heat, which would only get worse as
the day progressed.
On top of that, Nick and Angela’s need for supplies was becoming
more desperate. They hadn’t had any food
or water for nearly two days, and it was beginning to affect them. Nick’s stomach pained with hunger, making
him weak and nauseous feeling. His dry
throat burned with thirst, and his lips had become dry and chapped, a sign that
he was dehydrated. Why didn’t we
think to collect rainwater in something? Nick wondered, feeling like an
idiot. But it was too late now. The sky was sunny and cloudless, providing no
hope for rain.
The only good thing Nick could think of was that maybe now that
the weather was good, someone would drive by, see them, and get them help. That was the hope that he refused to let
leave his mind.
***
The day passed slowly, and no one came by. “What is wrong here?” Nick wondered
aloud. “Why does no one drive down this
road?”
“I don’t know,” Angela answered softly, her voice weak.
“How are you doing?” Nick asked.
She shrugged. “My leg
hurts, I’m hungry, thirsty, and sick and tired of being here. How about you?” she replied dryly.
“Ang, I’m sorry,” Nick said, feeling suddenly guilty. If only he had been more careful the night
before. If only he hadn’t have
fallen. If only he hadn’t have gotten
them into the mess they were in now in the first place.
“Aw, Nicky, don’t say that,” Angela said, the sarcasm in her voice
gone. “This isn’t your fault at all!”
“Yes, it is,” Nick replied.
“I’m the one who crashed the car.”
“Baby, it was an accident.
It happens to everyone,” she assured him. “You can’t take the blame for this.”
Nick shook his head, but said nothing. He couldn’t help but think that if he had
been in control, none of this would have happened. They would have been at the beach now,
enjoying themselves in the sand and sun, trying to forget the pain that
Angela’s father’s death had caused. Now
they were just in even more pain.
***