Chapter 2: Wounded Crane, Downed Pilot
As David finally pulled the dinghy ashore night had fallen and had allowed the cold to begin to seep into David's tired body.
His flight suit was still damp and he knew he would need to get warm somehow or risk getting hypothermia.
He thought of making a fire but then thought better of it because of the possibility of the Red Axis still lurking around, and the thought of being a POW did not entice him in the least.
He felt his M9 pistol in its holster and made a mental note that he would take as many of them with him if they tried to capture or kill him.
After getting his bearings he finally got the idea to use the dinghy as some kind of shelter. He decided the best course of action would be to sleep in the dinghy further inland and use his thermal blanket from his survival kit in order to keep warm at least until he knew more about the situation.
He also inventoried his survival kit.
He had about three days worth of food and water, some gear for fishing, a signal mirror, two signal flares, a first aid kit, some kindling with matches, a flashlight, a multi-tool, and an emergency radio with a short range.
David sighed as he knew the radio had its limitations. It could only broadcast on the emergency frequency of 121.5 and if he used the voice feature he could easily attract the wrong attention, namely, the Red Axis.
Still though, he had to try.
Turning it on, he made an attempt to call anyone.
"Any Azur Lane units, this is OUTLAW 25 on Guard."
He was met only with static.
"Any Azur Lane units this is OUTLAW 25 on Guard, please respond if you can hear me."
Again static.
He decided it would be best to wait until morning to try again as he could likely find a higher elevation and get better reception, and he didn't want to drain the battery down too much.
He shut off the radio and crawled into the dinghy wrapping the thermal blanket around him. He was exhausted and began to pray for some divine intervention for rescue in the morning.
When David awoke he saw the sun peeking over the horizon and was now able to finally take in the island.
It looked as if it was an island made from an underwater volcanic eruption as a decent sized peak sat in the center of the island.
He also noted any of the trees with fruit that looked edible on them as it would be vital to his survival.
More importantly however, he knew his real concern would be a source of clean water.
"I can boil seawater if I need to, but a fresh water spring would be even better." he thought.
He was still unsure as to the exact size of the island but he knew it would be best to at least do a little exploring while there was sufficient daylight.
After downing a bit of his rations and some water from his survival kit, he racked his M9 and began walking towards the beach to see if there were any remnants from the previous days battle.
Upon reaching the shore, David noted the peak was of considerable height and might even give him a chance at getting the attention of rescuers if they were nearby.
As he walked along the shore he also noted several coconut trees which were sure to be of use later.
He was in the middle of taking note of this when something made him stop short and immediately draw his pistol.
He was not alone on the island anymore.
Lying there face up on the sand was a girl, unconscious and unmoving.
David's heart sank, she was probably dead, but he had to make sure.
Upon approaching her his heart nearly leapt out of his chest when he realized who the girl was.
A long brown ponytail, a red dress with a white overcoat that were both now ripped and burned from battle, and a scabbard that would have housed a katana were clear giveaways.
This girl was the Sakura Empire's fleet carrier Zuikaku.
David eyed the girl and saw many wounds from her battle the previous day.
A deep gash was present on her left thigh and he could tell she had been bleeding quite profusely from all of the dark red stains on her coat.
Her face and the rest of her body also showed signs of heavy beatings and David was unable to distinguish whether the red streaks below her eyes were blood or smeared eye makeup that was so common among Sakura Empire girls.
David would have certainly thought she was dead if it hadn't been for the faint almost unnoticeable rising and falling of her chest.
He looked at his enemy hard now, she was at his mercy and helpless. He remembered all of the horrible things the Sakura Empire had done along with Ironblood, and how they in essence had betrayed humanity for the lust after power.
As David's grip tightened on his pistol, he seemed to loose all feeling in his hand and his chest began to tighten.
His memory began replaying the image of her sad expression in his dream as she clutched a photo and his eyes met hers.
The look of loneliness and sadness that one gets when one is completely alone in the world was more than David could stand to see, and he felt himself regretting even considering putting her out of her misery.
He then took another look at her.
She was…beautiful.
Despite her wounds and disheveled attire, it was clear to see she was an incredibly beautiful woman.
Her athletic figure complemented her curves well, and her face had the aura of a strong yet gentle demeanor.
"The girl on the water…..the girl in my dream…." David thought out loud.
"I can't leave her like this." He thought.
It was a long shot to try and save her with her wounds as serious as they were, but David's conscience wouldn't let him do anything else besides try.
Gingerly picking up the wounded carrier, he carried her bridal style back to his makeshift campsite carefully avoiding touching the gash in her leg.
Upon arrival, he gently laid her in the still inflated dinghy and withdrew his med-kit.
He carefully began bandaging the gash on her leg first making sure to apply disinfectant before wrapping it, and then the wounds on her face and the rest of her body.
He noticed her flinch several times but was still mostly unresponsive, but he knew once she awoke, she may be hostile.
He wondered if he should tie her up but realized to do so would be pointless as her leg wouldn't allow her to go far.
He also knew she was unarmed, and if she chose to attack him he still had his pistol.
He still hoped however she would be more grateful than hostile if anything.
In the mean time he decided to try the radio once more to see if any rescue craft were around.
Turning it on once more he made several voice transmissions only to be met with static once again.
Disgusted he switched it off but noticed the girl beginning to stir. Slowly she opened her eyes and began trying to take in her surroundings.
Welcome back everyone and thanks for reading! Definitely have gotten some positive reactions to the story so publishing a bit more here. I also want to thank everyone that has left a review and a follow or like on the story so far, it means a lot! Stay tuned for more soon, and hope you all enjoy!
InfantryGrunt94