Chapter 24

Day 7 – Late Afternoon

Trent was running as fast as possible on the sandy beach. He wasn't even sure why he was so concerned about a guy he hadn't even met before. He just figured he didn't need to see anymore deaths, even if this one wasn't his fault.

When he got to camp, Jason and Gabriella were the first people he saw.

"That Zack kid is lying on the beach unconscious!" he said, breathing hard.

"You mean Zeke?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, whatever, but we think he's dehydrated."

"We got to bring him back to camp!" Gabriella exclaimed.

"You mean carry him? I mean, he's out, he can't walk," Trent explained.

"I'll go get Ryan, Troy and Chad. You five can carry him, right?" she asked.

Trent and Jason exchanged glances, "Yeah." Jason answered.

"You go to Zeke, I'll tell the others."

"Got it." Jason said. He and Trent began running to Zeke and Kelsi.

Gabriella decided she should tell the guys first so they could get Zeke to camp as soon as possible. She started searching frantically through the jungle until she found them collecting firewood.

"Zeke's dehydrated; we need to bring him back to camp! Just go towards the way to the water path!" Gabriella ordered. The guys dropped their sticks and ran as told. Next she went to Ryan who was trying to fish. He ran off with Troy and Chad. She then told Taylor and Martha who were collecting fruit and Sharpay who was lying on the beach. Sharpay was almost in tears as they set up the boys' tent for Zeke to lie in. Taylor dug through the first aid kit looking for something that would help for dehydration. But then she realized they were missing the one thing they needed.

"Does anyone have water left?" she called.

"I have about half a bottle left," Gabriella answered.

"Go get all the bottles that have water in them and stick them in the boys' tent. Trent and Kelsi are going to have to make their water run soon." Taylor said.

HSM HSM HSM HSM

Kelsi waited nervously for help to come. "What if we can't get him healthy? What if we run out of water? What if he dies?" Kelsi tried to shake off the bad thoughts but it was useless. She felt helpless and scared. There were no doctors, no hospitals, and no medicine except for whatever they had in the first aid kit, which wasn't much.

Relief flooded through her when she saw Trent and Jason running towards her, followed by Troy and Chad, then Ryan.

"We're gonna carry him back to camp, then deal with whatever else later," Jason explained. Kelsi nodded as the boys gently lifted Zeke and slowly walked back to camp.

HSM HSM HSM HSM

Gabriella went running to the lagoon where Ryan was fishing, pleading he brought his water bottle with him. To her luck, she found it sitting next to the can they kept fishing supplies in. It wasn't even halfway full, but any amount of water would work.

She hustled back to camp. "I've got Ryan's!" she said, heading to the tent.

"Good," Taylor responded, "Troy and Chad's are in the tent. They're only a quarter full, though."

"Ryan has about half left."

Martha then emerged from the girls' tent with four bottles, "I've got all the girls' except Sharpay's."

"Mine's on the beach," she said, sniffling. She got up from her seat on the cooler and trudged down the beach.

"You stay, I'll go," Gabriella told her, decided that Sharpay wasn't going to get it fast enough.

Shortly after the girls finished setting up the tent and gathering water, the guys and Kelsi came carrying Zeke.

"Is he breathing?" Sharpay asked.

"Ya, but he's out," Chad told her.

"Where do we put him?" Troy asked.

"Boys tent," Gabriella said.

The boys walked over and placed Zeke in the tent. Everyone was now gathered outside it.

"Now what?" Ryan asked, "I took Drama, not First Aid."

"I think we need to give him water. That's most important." Martha explained.

"I'm gonna go look in the handbook that came with the first aid kit. There's millions of pills in there, there has to be one for dehydration." Taylor said, sitting down with the first aid kit, rummaging through it to find the handbook.

"How much water do we have left?" Troy asked.

"Not much. I think Trent and Kelsi should still go get more. We don't know how long it'll last." Gabriella advised.

"Should we go now?" Kelsi questioned.

Trent nodded, "Our stuff is still down the beach. We'll get it on the way." He started walking away.

"Take care of Zeke!" Kelsi called.

HSM HSM HSM HSM

Martha was in the tent trying to feed water. It was a tough job, considering she could only give him small sips and most of it trickled down his chin. She was about to give him another sip when he started groaning.

"Zeke? Are you awake?"

"Where am I?" he mumbled. His eyes were barely open.

"You're in the boys tent. You're dehydrated, but we're nursing you back to health."

"I need water."

Martha handed him the bottle she was using.

Zeke began chugging the water.

"Don't drink too fast!" Martha warned, "You don't wanna-,"

Zeke clutched his stomach, then ran out of the tent.

"-puke."

Taylor poked her head into the tent, "Is he ok?"

"Ya, he just, um, got sick."

"Oh."

"Did you find the right pills?"

"I know what I'm looking for, it's just a matter of finding it. The first aid kit is just a big, orange duffel bag filled with medical supplies."

"Well, keep looking

HSM HSM HSM HSM

Kelsi and Trent had reached the spot where they left there stuff, and were now walking down the beach, looking out for the "T" tree.

"Do you think Zeke will be alright," Kelsi asked, breaking the long silence.

Trent stayed silent before saying, "I don't know. I mean, people get sick like that at home and live all the time. But we're not home."

It was silent again until Kelsi broke the silence... again, "So, how's your head?"

"My head?"

"Like psychologically , not physically."

"Ok, I guess. No weird urges to kill today. Maybe because I'm getting to know everyone."

"Or maybe because your realizing killing someone isn't going to make you feel better, just worst."

As they walked on, Trent thought about what Kelsi had told him, "Maybe she's right."

A/N- Sorry for the long wait!! I started typing this at school a few days before we were let out (around 6/18) but then came summer vacation and I kinda put off typing this.

Also, watch Thunderbirds on Disney Channel on July 11th at 8 PM EST/ 7 PM C. It's a really great movie (or at least I think so) and Vanessa Hudgens is in it! It may sound like a wierd movie, but that's what I thought 2 years ago when my mom bought the DVD for me, and now I love it! So ya, watch that (: