Ralph realized he was no longer on the island before even opening his eyes. He was lying on something soft. His heart skipped a beat as he began to remember what had happened. For a moment he was too scared to open his eyes- scared he might lost it all, that it was just a dream and when he opened his eyes, he'd be once more surrounded by trees and brush.
He clutched the blanket wrapped about him until his knuckles turned white, as though it would help him to keep this new reality. At last, he was able to work up the courage to open one eye. He wasn't disappointed. The other eye opened and he scoured the room. The first thing he noticed was Samneric lying in a seemingly lifeless heap and a few other boys he didn't know so well lay fast asleep beside them.
Something, he realized, was hugging his ribs. Pulling up his dirtied and torn shirt, he felt a thick bandage wrapped around his wounds. In alarm, he wondered if he'd passed out- and for how long. Why else could he not recall how he'd gotten there- wherever 'there' was? Wide awake now, he sat up. Dizzy and confused, he turned his head. To his right there were more boys- one of which was also sitting upright- a blank expression on his face as he stared at Ralph, his tangled red hair dangling over his face in clumps. Jack suddenly looked less confident, less treacherous, and more frightened, confused, and even child like.
For a few moments the two boys merely stared at one another, speechless. Ralph wondered what was going through Jack's mind. Did he feel sick at the thought of killing Piggy? Did he regret attempting to murder him? Did he realize what a savage he'd become? Did the others? Softly, he swayed back and forth- the whole room was swaying. He tore his gaze away from Jack's to look around the room once more. They were on the cruiser, he realized and wondered why he'd not done so before.
Glancing quickly back at Jack, he wondered if he should feel frightened. He was in a room full of boys who had previously attempting to murder him. The new expression on Jack's face, however, relaxed him. It was full of shock, fear, and perhaps even disgust at himself.
"I'm sorry." Ralph turned his head so quickly it made him woozy. The twins were sitting straight up and looking at him with eyes full of guilt and horror. Three other boys who had awakened, nodded in agreement. Ralph didn't respond. Samneric, they could be forgiven. They'd been tortured into giving him up (or so it had sounded like). But the rest, they'd wanted to kill him- him and Piggy. And Simon… he tried to force the thought, the face of Simon out of his head- and he succeeded, for the moment.
Ralph wondered if Jack too thought to apologize, but the redhead boy said nothing, only averted his eyes downward when Ralph tried to look at him once more. It almost seemed as though everything had happened was so distant- perhaps a terrible dream, to Jack most of all. But, they all knew it was real. Jack stared at the wall to his right. The person he'd become on the island seemed so different- almost another person entirely. He'd gone temporarily insane- they all had. He thought to explain himself to Jack, but couldn't put it in the right words. He knew that words would be useless anyhow. There was no taking back what they'd done back on the island.
