Last to Sea

There was debris everywhere scattered along the white sands. Small waves splashed upon the broken boards and luggage floating along the shore. It was the dawn after the storm.

Floating in the water with the wreckage of a good fishing boat, was a body. The waves washed it ashore and retreated just as quickly, leaving the man to bask in the morning sun.

He coughed some water up and stayed where he was just feelingthe warmth of the sun on his face thinking this must be heaven. He slowly opened his eyes and glared against the brightness. His eyes focused and he saw a crab scuttling right for his head. He let out a small yelp and jumped up into a sitting position. This scared the crab and it scuttled back into the ocean.

The man looked around remembering what happened. He slowly stood up and took in the wreckage and began to sob seeing no sign of the mate he had on board with him.

He frantically ran down the beach yelling his friend's name, growing more panicked.

He looked out at the water, and there he was, floating amongst the wreckage.

The man did not hesitate, he jumped back in the salty sea and swam vigorously to reach his friend. He reached him and hung his friend's arm over his shoulders and took him back to shore.

The man threw his friend on the ground and frantically checked for breathing and a pulse. His friend was not breathing but had a faint pulse, so CPR was initiated.

After what seemed like forever, the friend gasped for the breathe that gave him new life. The man fell back thanking his lucky stars.

The friend coughed it all up and sat up and just looked at the man.

"How do you feel?" The man asked his friend.

"Like I almost drowned." He replied in a daze. "Who are you anyway?"

The man looked up at his friend in shock.

"Andy" he began, "Its Joey. Your best friend."

They both looked confused.

"My name is Andy?" He asked Joey.

"Oh no." Joey shook his head

"Where are we?" Andy asked finally taking a look around and slowly standing.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Joey questioned also standing.

Andy thought for a moment and he could not remember his own face, his mother, his home. He could not tell you the difference between his sister and his aunt.

"I can't remember anything." Andy realized. He began to panic. "I can't remember anything!"

"Hey, hey" Joey began, taking a step towards him calmly, "it's ok. We can get your memory back. I'm just grateful we are both alive."

"Alive!?" Andy yelled. "What the hell happened?"

"We were fishing yesterday," Joey stated, "we stayed out too late and too far out and got a little too drunk, and we capsized during the storm last night. I washed up this morning and looked for you. I just found you floating and pulled you out and did CPR."

"So, I'm alive because of you?" Andy stammered.

"No," Joey contradicted, "you almost died because of me. You said we should go back to shore it was getting late and cold and I didn't listen, and now we are stuck on what appears to be an island with no food and no water or shelter and you have amnesia and it's all my fault."

Joey dropped his arms in defeat and turned towards the trees and began to sulk away.

"Where are you going?" Andy yelled.

"To find food!" Joey yelled back over his shoulder, and continued to walk and disappeared in the trees.

Andy turned and looked all around the beach and decided he should gather the usable wood in case they need it for shelter or fire.

He gathered all the wood and piled it neatly and decided to also gather any other materials floating around they may still yet be able to use.

Andy saw the picnic basket floating and he waded out to get it. He got it back to shore and opened it to find it full of sandwiches and chips all protected from the water with plastic bags. Andy sighed with relief and went to fashioning a fishing pole.

After doing all this, Joey still wasn't back and Andy was worried. He decided to set up a fire and a spit to cook his fish on. Once, the fish were cooking, Joey stammered back through the trees holding what looked like his shirt full of coconuts. At least they had coconut water.

Joey was shocked but pleasantly pleased at all that Andy accomplished while he was gone. He staggered over to the fire and dumped the coconuts on the ground and plopped down. He tore a piece of fish off the spit and flung it in his mouth with a yummy noise.

The two men ate in silence watching the sun set into the water.

The next morning, they woke to the crackling embers of fire remaining and a rumble of clouds. Joey looked up at the sky and saw that a storm was rolling in. He thought they should probably build a shelter. Joey rubbed his eyes and stood up stretching and taking in the morning sun. After a big yawn, Joey walked over to Andy.

"Andy, there's a storm coming, we should build a shelter." Joey said.

There was no response.

Concerned, Joey kicked Andy over on to his back and gasped. Andy was covered in blood. It was coming from his ears and his nose and sneaking out the corners of his mouth. He was breathing but unresponsive.

Joey had seen this before. He was pretty sure Andy was in a coma. He made Andy a bed out of palm fronds and placed it in the shade and carried Andy to his resting place. He cracked open a coconut and forced Andy's mouth open to drizzled some in so he would not dehydrate. He spent all day taking care of Andy. He finally sat back against a tree and let his eyes close.

Joey was woken from his nap by Andy seizing and gasping. His body went rigid, his eyes rolled and his fingers and toes curled. All Joey could do was hold his head up so Andy didn't choke.

Finally Andy went limp, his breathing shallow while Joey held him and sobbed quietly.

Andy's breathing slowed and stopped completely. Joey sobbed towards the sunset as he felt his best friend slip away.

Joey held Andy until the sun slipped in its bed made of the sea. He finally pulled the blow up raft over to Andy and laid him in it, after a few last words, Joey pushed Andy into the ocean and watched him float away.

When Andy and the raft became nothing more than a dot in the distance, Joey looked up at the stars with tears in his eyes but a smile on his lips. He was glad that Andy was able to have such a peaceful and beautiful send off from this world.