A/N: Hi, readers. Welcome to another episode of Being Marooned. BTW, the 'marooned' in the title is sort of a pun, with double meaning, since 'maroon' means to be stranded somewhere and also the color red, which in case, of embarrassment. Just an FYI for you…….if you didn't already know.

Disclaimer: AllDay, which is me, does not own Yu-gi-oh™


Day Five: Meant to Live

Seto was very distressed. Last night storm had completely damaged all of his work on repairing the boat, making it even worse. Dammit, how am I supposed to hide this . . . wreckage from the weather?! Sitting down with a plop on the sand, he put his head in his hands and cradled it.

He didn't know how long he was sitting there, doing the one thing he'd sworn never to do: Feel sorry for myself. But it had been five days and no sign of being rescued. No sign of whether his own brother was alright . . . or whether he was even alive.

Still as a statue, he heard light, soft music wafting through the trees. Somehow, even though he knew it was from the girl, the Sister, he felt a bit better. Why am I feeling better? It's just some music. But it made him realize that it wasn't over until it was over. As long as he had breath in his lungs and the willpower to live, they hadn't gotten the best of him. Yet.

Lugging the wreckage so it would be protected by the trees made him feel tired, his muscles all achy. Jaw screwed tightly shut, he remembered there was extra clothing in the supply package--even though the Wal-mart clothing was for a dork, not my taste at all---as well as a bar of soap. He hadn't taken a bath in five days, and his scalp itched, and he generally felt dirty all over.

Now I know what common folk like 'Suh ren nuh tee' feels all the time……He spotted Serenity, lying in some kind of hammock made between two trees, apparently asleep. Very nice idea, he thought, crossing over the shrubbery. Until one of the trees gets hit by lightning!

And she didn't listen when I told her to stay put for once. No surprise there; girls never listen. He crept over softly, and studied her eyes, which were firmly shut. Her head was tilted to one side, long auburn hair spilling over one pale shoulder. Even though she's Wheeler's sister, she sure doesn't look like it! What am I thinking? She's probably only twelve . . . Going away, he grabbed the soap and change of clothing, undressed, and walked into the small pool of water to bathe.

The next morning, Serenity woke up in her hammock, which had thankfully stayed up during the night. The sun said mid afternoon, not morning, and she sat up and rubbed her itchy. tiredeyes slowly. Another night here in tropical paradise, she thought dully. Her ears told her that Seto was working, probably making more repairs on their boat, and not to bother him…..

Oh, well. Might as well see if he needs any help.

Placing her feet on the soft sand, Serenity made a mental note to bathe herself soon. Though she felt kind of anxious to do so---especially since only he was here---she told herself that surely he would respect her privacy. He didn't seem like the type to lunge at girls, like many of her brother's friends…..no, he was a rare type.

Instead of the beach, though, he was nearly a large boulder, more like a cliff; the torn boat propped up against it. With no shirt…..him, she meant, not the boat.

Instantly, Serenity was reminded of her dream. In it....I remember that he was……taking a bath……in the pond! Which looks like the one next to our cave…… It was so vivid……Stunned for a second, she just stood there gawking, until he felt eyes on him and half turned around. Blushing red, she dashed off into the woods in embarrassment. "Humph. Good morning to you too," he muttered sarcastically under his breath, continiung to work..

Was that a dream.....? Of course it was!! Serenity walked back, thinking about it, the waves lapping at the shore. Suddenly, she spotted a bottle, greenish in color, and picked it up to study it. A soda company she didn't recognize was written on the label, and it had a screw-on top. Hey…..I got it!

Excitedly, she went back to the granite cave, and tore off a piece of brown paper wrapping. There was no pen or pencil, so she picked up a charred twig from last night's dinner and wrote with the blackened tip: Joey, I am all right. So is Kaiba. He is with me on a remote island. It's now been…..five days. Don't worry, I'll find a way to get back home. Love, your sis.

She unscrewed the plastic top, then stuffed in the note. The top should make it unsinkable and water tight, she thought. And now for a little faith……kissing message in the bottle for luck, she threw it as hard as she could in the swirling sea.

Seto watched as Serenity threw the bottle. Fat chance it getting to somebody, he thought cynically. He'd long ago not relied on hope and faith. Putting on a clean shirt, he felt a lot better as the material covered his tanned skin. Silly girl...but I'd better not tell her it won't reach anybody. Let her live in her silly fantasies…. "Hey. Girl!"

Serenity was so intent in her task, she forgot he'd called her 'girl' and not by her name. "Oh! Good morning!" she said sunnily.

"Yeah, whatever." He answered grumpily, glaring in the sun.. "It's your turn to cook, so hop to it ALREADY!"

"Sure," she practically chirped, then ran off. Boy, is she swift, he thought, staring. And rather agile.....He was so busy staring, that a sudden wave of water wetted his feet up to the ankle. He gasped, not only because it was so cold, but…of a sudden, sharp sting......

Dammit, a jellyfish…..

Afternoon...

Serenity heard the thunder again and she remembered the radio had said something about a tiny storm. This must be it, she thought. I'd better go and inform him. Running back, she saw him coming towards her, limp noticeably. "Oh, my God! What happened?" she cried.

"... jellyfish…" He muttered so low between tight lips. "Get me a bandage or something! I saw one in the---"

Serenity held one out already, and he was shocked, then snatched it, sitting down on the small boulder. Wrapping it carefully around his foot, he winced as the poison started to take effect and he started to feel nauseous..

"Here….there was antiseptic too…" she shook up the can, and he snatched it too, and read the label to make sure. With her absentmindedness, she'll probably hand me rubbing alcohol! Hey that wouldn't be a bad idea….I can't risk any infection!

Without preamble, he tore off a small square from his shirt and dipped it in alcohol. Then pressed it to his bare foot.

Serenity didn't know what to do; she had never saw anyone in so much pain. A light rain began to fall, wetting them both, but he still held the cloth firmly to his wound, even though his eyes bulged in pain. The poison from the sting was taking effect and his vision swam. He got up and staggered towards the cave, allowing her to help him, since his limbs felt so rubbery. But he didn't make a sound, not even a whimper. Mostly she was doing the whimpering for him.

"Oh my god! Why did you do that! That must really hurt!" On and on until he felt like turning to her and telling to shut up already, but then his world faded into blackness.

Later...

It wasn't until the next morning, so early the sun peeked through the horizon, that he finally regained consciousness. With a start, he sat up, a pad of damp cloth falling from his forehead. The first thing he saw was Serenity, lying a few feet away in the dirt, her legs and arms badly scratched up from coming back and forth from the pool to dip cloths for his raging fever. Seto quickly checked his wound; it still hurt like anything, but no signs of infection. Phew…

"Get up," he said to her, but she didn't move. At first, he thought maybe she knocked herself unconscious again, but he saw her shoulders move with breath. He got up. I have to go and work on our boat today, or we'll be stuck here forever! "Come on, get up," he said impatiently.

She stirred and yawned, blinking her long lashes confusedly. "Wha---Oh, you're all right! I'm so relieved."

"I'm…..sort of okay," he replied gruffly. Considering..... "Are you?" He gestured towards her scratches from the thorns.

"Oh! I didn't even notice those….I was so afraid you'd die….and be left all alone….." she promptly blushed at the implication and ducked her head as he handed her the antiseptic can and Serenity slowly took it.

Seto held it for a moment before realizing. "Thanks…..for all your help." he said gruffly.

Even his 'thanks' sounds sarcastic, she thought, but she could tell he was sincere, by the way he wouldn't look at her. She waited until their eyes met. "You're…..welcome."

He paused, still staring, just to let her know that he was still the boss around here. Her face was all smudged and dirty, her hair wet and stringy from the rain. Still, there was something……amusing about her, something intriguing. "I should……get back to work." he said finally.

"Yeah….." but neither moved. Finally, he stood hastily, too much, because he staggered a bit. "Wait! I mean, maybe you oughtn't go…..I mean, because of your injured foot," she explained.

"Then, are you going to go work on the boat, then?" he asked sarcastically, then gave a short bark of laughter when she nodded in agreement. "Puh-lease! We don't need any more accidents, and you're so clumsy!"

"I--" Her eyes were blazing, and she stood up too, but nowhere near his impressive height. The words stuck in her throat and he patiently waited. "Am…..not!" Who was the one who got stung? But he was looking so intimidating and daunting, that the words stuck. "W-well.....at least…..eat something!" She gestured to the food. "I was up all night making this….."

Grumbling, he sat back down relucantly. He was hungry, anyway, hadn't eaten anything all day yesterday. And it showed. She made enough for an army! he thought dryly. Thaaaaat's right. Waste all of our food! We have plenty! But he had to admit, as he wolfed it down, it was pretty good.

She ate a bit, too, since she'd hadn't eaten much. Still, she only picked at it, she wasn't feeling so hungry. He noticed and swallowed before speaking. "What are you doing, except for turning red as a beet? Eat already!" He bellowed crankily.

Serenity ducked her head. "I was just thinking…..of a dream I had last night….Er, the night before this one……whatever." That's reminds me. "I'm going to take a bath today, so if you don't mind…..er, staying by the beach….."

Something about what she'd just said didn't sit right. "What kind of a dream?"

"Oh," she squirmed, "Nothing!"

He followed her eyes, which were straying towards the pond and it hit him She's blushing like crazy! "It didn't have something to do with me taking a. . . bath, did it?" Oh please god no, that'd be so humiliating......

Her eyes widened into saucers. "How did you know--?"

"Because I did!" Throwing down his bowl, he got up and left disgustedly. Spying on me! just as disgusting as her----He was so angry, he could barely think. "It wasn't a dream!!!"

Meanwhile, Serenity stared in shock at the dicarded bowl. "It was too a dream!……" And then, "Wasn't it…..?"

TBC


A/n: Tee hee. Suuuure it was. Suuuure. Lol. Well, tune in next time. Only if you Review!