Page 19 of Uncharted Desires

Kat felt a sense of comfort in the continuous sounds of the jungle around her, even though some of the animals could pose a threat. They hadn't bothered her yet, and she was grateful for their presence because it reminded her that she wasn't completely alone.

For the past couple of days, Kat had been tending to West's injuries while he remained unconscious. He would groan occasionally, which reassured her that he was still alive and his body was trying to heal itself.

After an entire day of self-pity and wallowing, Kat realized that she couldn’t just sit around waiting for life to come to her, but rather she needed to get out and find her new life. They just had to get off this island first.

He groaned again and she rushed to his side with a coconut full of water, carefully helping him sip it without choking or sputtering. Slowly but surely, and against all odds, Kat was nursing West back to health and keeping him hydrated.

Kat knelt beside West, her hand resting on his forehead to check for a fever. His eyes were open but dull, and he weakly gurgled as she tried to offer him water. She could feel her heart flutter with relief as he spoke, his first words in three days.

Joy flowed through her, not because she wanted West specifically, she told herself, but because she was tired of being alone and proud of herself for saving him.

“You have to drink,” she said softly, lifting a coconut to his lips. “It will help you feel better.”

He struggled weakly, trying to push her hand away, but eventually gave in and drank the cool liquid.

“What . . . what’s wrong with me?” he asked, his voice barely audible.

Kat tilted more water down his throat. “You were bitten by a snake, but you're going to be okay. You can go back to sleep, I got you.”

His eyes fluttered closed again, and Kat was left in silence once more. But this time, she felt a glimmer of hope that they would make it through this together. She knew working with West instead of arguing with him would be difficult, but not impossible. And for the first time since being stranded on this island, Kat allowed herself to believe they could get home.

West’s head felt like it was about to burst, his tongue a withered raisin in his mouth, and the slightest twitch of his muscles felt like daggers piercing his skin. His eyes protested as he opened one and then another. The slivers of light shining through the canopy sent a shock of pain through his brain. He tried to remember what had happened: thrown from a yacht, stranded on an island, and . . . bitten by a snake, that about summed it up. When he tried to sit up, his world spun, and he would have toppled back if not for two hands steadying him and guiding him down onto a lap that felt like clouds.

“What are you doing?” her angelic voice whispered in his ear.

He tried to speak, but his voice was stuck in his throat.

“Don’t try to speak yet.” She reached for something and helped him to sit a little, handing him what he now noticed was a coconut. “Can you hold it?”

He took it and lifted it to his lips. The liquid hit his throat, cool and sweet. His whole body seemed to quiver with life as the elixir rushed through him, giving him strength and vitality.

He gave her a weak smile in thanks, and she smiled back, encouraging him to drink more. He complied meekly, gulping down the rest of the liquid.

After he’d finished, she rose from her crouched position and walked over to the stream that ran nearby. She filled the empty coconut shell with fresh spring water and returned to him. “Here, you should probably have some actual water.”

He took it and drank eagerly.

After a while of staring out at their surroundings, he felt his body slowly come back to life. The fog began lifting from his brain. “How am I alive? People don’t survive snakebites without antivenom. Not that I’m not eternally grateful,” he added for good measure.

Kat hid from him, a faint blush tingeing her cheeks. “There are quite a few herbs and plants on this island that can be used to create an antivenom, so I made one.”

She stood up and went to fill her own coconut with water, not elaborating any further. West glanced down at his foot and noticed part of her pants wrapped around it, with a dark reddish paste smeared on it.

“And . . . how did you know those plants would do that? Are you a herbologist in disguise?” he prodded her for more information.

She returned to his side, a sweet jasmine scent trailing behind her, blending with the salty ocean breeze. Her wild hair was coming out of its braids in an unruly mess, but she didn’t seem to mind. A smudge of dirt colored her otherwise perfect face and West had the urge to reach up and brush it away. But he remained still.

“It was just a simple mix of some plants, a little coconut milk, and my grandma’s secret ingredient.”

“Which is?”

She smiled, unable to meet his eyes. “Spit.”

West looked down at his foot in awe, strangely aroused at the idea of her spit on his foot. He knew her mouth hadn’t been on him, yet it felt oddly intimate all the same.

“My grandma swears by the healing powers of spit,” she continued. “I figured it couldn’t hurt.”

“I’m alive, so she must be right.” He admired her handiwork. “You still didn’t answer my question. You’re not a doctor, at least I don’t think you are, so how did you know how to save me?”