Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in about a week but that's due to my laptop playing up. Thankfully, I managed to get through to Apple and they were able to help me figure out the problem over the phone. So, here's the next chapter.
(8:03pm) 1 hour and 5 minutes later…
Summer Bay – Surf Club – Angelos - Inside
After her lightbulb moment over an hour ago no one had seen Leah since she left.
The others had all decided to stay and come up with ideas on how to get more cash together.
"We could pull all our savings together and buy a truck load of scratchies." Johnny joked as he took a bite out of his pizza slice.
Laughing, Irene said: "Yeah well, the way things are going that's about as good as it's gonna get."
Just then Leah reappeared, and she wasn't alone: "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Amanda and I have some news that's good for a change."
Everyone turns and looks at the two women as they approach the group who were all intrigued to see what the good news was.
"Would you like to tell them, or shall I?" Leah asked her husband's ex-wife.
"It was your idea." Amanda replies with a smile on her face.
"We've been making some preliminary arrangements. The search will restart tomorrow morning at first light and will continue until every single one of them is found."
"How?" Sally asked totally confused.
"Amanda is going to fund the entire search and rescue herself." Leah explains.
From where he was sat, Alf says: "Good on yeh love."
With that they all gather round Amanda, except for Leah who walks over to Alf.
"I spoke to Walt Middleton and he gave me some contacts, aviation firms, a bush walking club and so on. We've already rung a few." Leah informs the man as she hands him the list.
"Well, I'll get on to the rest then." Alf says to her before rushing off to make the calls.
Summer Bay – Surf Club – Angelos - Outside
Noticing that Brax had stepped outside instead of going to thank Amanda, Ricky wandered on to the balcony and stood beside him: "Are you ok?"
"Just thinking?" Brax tells her as he looks at the ocean.
"About Kyle by any chance?"
"That obvious?"
"Well considering it's his birthday tomorrow, yeah it is."
"He was excited for tomorrow Ricky. Even though it's Monday he still had plans to go see a film with friends after we all had a meal together."
"And he can do all that when they come home. Didn't Casey say that he was waiting to celebrate his birthday with Kyle?"
"Yeah he did which was kind of him but it's still going to be hard not putting the kid's birthday presents out on the coffee table ready for him to open like we have down for the past couple of years."
"And throw the paper everywhere." Ricky laughed at the thought of paper going flying around the living room.
"You know what."
"What?"
"Right now, I would give anything to have Kyle making a mess around the house tomorrow."
"I know you do but we will find them just don't give up hope because I doubt they all are." Ricky says as she gives her boyfriend a hug.
"I hope your right." Brax mutters quietly so she can't hear him.
Meanwhile…
In the Middle of the Bush
"Hey." Rocco said to his friend as he sat down beside him.
"Hey." Kyle replies not looking away from the fire.
"Are you feeling ok?"
"I've certainly been better."
"I don't doubt that for a minute." Rocco says.
For a couple of minutes neither of them say anything else instead they just stare into the fire.
"I wonder how Brax is." Kyle suddenly says breaking the silence.
"He'll be fine just like everyone else."
"No, I meant as in he was looking forward to taking us all out tomorrow for my birthday meal. And now, I'll probably never get to celebrate one again."
"Oh crap! I forgot it was your birthday tomorrow." Rocco says, "And don't say that Kyle."
"That's ok, I think we all have other things on our minds right now. Also, why not? It's probably true in my case."
"We are going to be found and the doctors will be able to help you."
"You don't get it Rocco."
"Well, help me to get it."
"I was already at stage 3B before we went missing."
"So?"
"The fact I don't have enough tablets to help or the right food might run the risk of me getting worse."
"How worse?"
"Well, put it this way I'm currently only two stages away from needing a new kidney."
"Crap."
"Exactly, crap." Kyle copies what his best friend said.
"Please tell me Bianca knows there is a possibility of your situation getting worse because you can't take the tablets?"
"Well she doesn't know how bad and I don't want to tell her." Kyle yawns "And before you ask why, it's down to the fact that I don't need to add to her worry right now."
"Kyle you should tell her."
"I'll think about it but right now I'm tired and I want to get some sleep."
"Ok but one more thing before you do."
"What?" Kyle asked while trying to stop his eyes from shutting.
"Bianca gave Belle her painkiller ration for th…" Rocco stopped when he noticed that Kyle had fallen asleep.
Getting up, Rocco decides not to worry Kyle with it and goes to talk to Colby.
On the other side of the fire, Belle had noticed her boyfriend had fallen asleep just as Ryan came over with his jacket.
Placing it on Belle's shoulders, Ryan says: "You look cold."
"I'm fine." Belle tells him.
"They must be missing you."
"Who?"
"Your family."
"Well that depends on how you look at it."
"What do you mean?"
"Well my adoptive parents don't care about me, Irene who took me in when I ran away in search of my biological mother probably cares more about Bianca right now. Then there's my biological mother who I've only just found, and we barely know each other so to her it will be like nothing's changed." Belle explains her family situation to Ryan "Oh not to mention my grandmother sold me at birth which is why I was adopted in the first place."
"Sounds complicated."
"That's been my whole life. Oh, and did I forget to mention my new boyfriend has a serious health problem that even I didn't know about."
"He explained why though, and I can't blame the kid for thinking the way he did."
"How do you mean?" Belle quizzes him.
"Well, if I was him and I had a chance to move to a new school where no one knows anything about me then I probably wouldn't mention it either, in case I get bullied for it." Ryan says as he stands up "Think about it."
Ryan walks away to leave Belle to think about what he had just said and she mentally agrees with him about if she was in Kyle's shoes, she'd do the same thing.