The next morning…
On the desert island…
Sybil woke up with a startle, alone, with the sound of a bit of metal that just tumbled a few feet from her. She got up urgently and it took her a few seconds to remember where she was. At last, she looked up to the tree and saw Tom perched in the branches near the Japanese plane.
"Morning!" he called with a warm smile from his perch.
"But, what are you doing?" she asked.
"I have a plan," he announced proudly.
"Good. Do you need help?"
"Yes," agreed Tom with an enigmatic smile.
Sybil frowned and crossed her arms on her chest. What did he have in mind?
"Ok, I'm listening, Mister."
Makatea, at the same time…Philippe, the hotel manager, ran up the stairs of Edna's bungalow and knocked at the door.
"Yes, just a minute, please!" called a female voice from inside.
After a few seconds, the door opened on Edna, wrapped in a kimono, her hair a mess.
"What? What's going on?" she asked still half asleep.
"Edna, the helicopter is leaving in about 20 minutes so if you want to go, hurry up!"
"Oh, 20 minutes! Oh shit, I didn't realize that…oh, OK, thank you Philippe, tell them I'm coming, ok?"
And without another word, she closed the door in his face.
"Ooh," she moaned, picking up the clothes scattered on the floor.
She ran to the bed and threw herself at the still sleeping figure before smacking his behind.
"Hurry up, get dressed. The helicopter is leaving in 20 minutes!"
Larry sat up quickly as she disappeared into the bathroom.
"Oh shit, but what…what did I do," he muttered, realizing where he was. "And how many times did I do it?"
"Are you alright?" she called from the other room.
"No, no," he moaned. "It wasn't a good idea. Not good at all!"
"Excuse-me?!" exclaimed Edna walking back in the bedroom. "How can you say that?" she furiously asked a messy haired Larry.
"No, no, everything YOU did was more than great," he said with a dreamy smile. "But it's what I did that wasn't good."
"Oh no, no…it's normal," she said, sitting next to him on the bed. "We're going through a terrible event. It's like…like after a funeral!"
"Oh yeah?" asked Larry, left puzzled by his lover's way of thinking.
"Everyone is fucking!"
Larry looked at her silently.
"Not everyone," he confirmed after a while.
"No?" she asked, surprised.
"No!"
A few hours later…On the desert island…
Tom had succeeded to separate the floats of the seaplane from the cockpit and they were now sailing on them as they were canoes. They were on a little river that Tom was hoping to lead them to the sea, not far from their camp and so, from his own wrecked plane.
But soon, the water was too still and they had to climb down in the water to pull their small boats after them. Sybil glanced and smiled at Tom, appreciating the fact to be with him like this, away from the world and its realities.
"What?" Tom finally asked as he couldn't take it anymore.
"Nothing," she answered with a smile.
"You know, the woman I told you about," said Tom after a few seconds.
"The heartbreaker?" she asked even though she knew he was talking about her.
"I wanted to marry her," he claimed.
Sybil's heart missed a beat. How could she have been so blind?
"Oh," she only said.
"I knew her for four years," he continued.
"You wanted kids?"
"Yes, I always wanted kids…a bunch…"
Sybil chuckled despite herself. It was strange to speak like this of oneself and about what she wanted as if speaking of someone else. Strange but a lot more safe than doing as if it was "for real".
"And, would have she been ok?"
"I think so…" said Tom, looking into her eyes.
Sybil quickly looked away.
"It's not too late," she breathed, looking up to him.
Tom shook his head.
"No, why?" Sybil inquired.
"I always wanted kids...But with her more than anything," he added looking down to the water. "Having kids with someone else now doesn't suit me."
"Oh…" Sybil could only say.
She knew she should have reasoned with him, tell him that even if she wasn't free anymore, he should go on and make his dreams come true…But she also knew that no one could make Tom Branson change his mind easily and that she probably couldn't either. She, herself, wasn't convinced by what she was saying anyway.
After silently walking in the water for several minutes, they heard the purring of water not so far away. They stopped away from a waterfall, a small but lively one.
"I'm gonna untie them so we can lead them down one by one," said Tom.
Sybil looked worriedly to the waterfall.
"You go first," she said.
Tom tied himself up to one of the floates and went to the waterfall. The progression was hard because of the slippery rocks, the weight of the material and the strength of the water.
"Careful!" cried Sybil when he was thrown off balance for a few seconds.
The bit of iron slipped through his hands and it started to tumble down the waterfall, dragging the chauffeur after it as he was tied up to it. It was a crazy fall that ended a few seconds later. Sybil, worried, watched the scene from the top of the waterfall and examined the boiling water with frantic eyes, couldn't wait to see Tom's head emerge quickly.
At last, Tom's blond head emerged from the water and Sybil let a relieved breath escape.
"Are you alright?" she called.
"I'm ok," he called back while trying to reach the shore. "Now, your turn!"
Sybil looked again with worry at the end of the waterfall, then Tom's figure. She breathed deeply and entered the slippery slope.
At the same time
Makatea…Edna and Larry were seated at the beach's restaurant and, as she was eagerly biting into some pancakes, Larry was gazing into space.
"Hum," hummed Edna, taking another bite.
"How can I eat?" cried Larry. "I'm an ass, a less than nothing? This experience was a test and it showed that I have no morality, no willpower."
"Stop beating yourself up!" groaned Edna. "You're a man, It's stronger than you!"
She was interrupted by Philippe who sat at their table next to Larry. He put his hand on Larry's shoulder.
"Mr Grey, excuse me. I just learned that they decided to stop the search. I'm sorry."
Larry looked at him, stunned.
"So, it's over? But…"
The manager nodded his head and Edna gulped. Larry took his head between his hands and started to cry…
To be continued…