The next thing I knew I was thrashing for my life in the waves. I couldn't see the island or any land. Was this it? Was there any hope? How long had I been in the sea?
Based on the fact that I wasn't dead yet, probably a few minutes.
I swam and swam. Finally I remembered Chuck. Where was he?
I looked around wildly. Then I saw something blue going up and under the waves, barely managing to stay afloat. But there was blue and another color. He had found som sort of branch.
I didn't realize that I had risen higher and higher in the next wave. Finally the wave rolled over and I was thrown into the water. I couldn't sense which way was up. All around me was a mess of bubbles and water. My lungs fought for air but could not find any. Then I used the last of my strength to kick the only direction that seemed fit. Luckily it led me upwards. My hands made contact with something other than water. Once my head hit air, I realized it was a branch. Was this not the same one Chuck had stayed on? Where was he!?
I saw a body bob up and down through the waves a few feet away. Holding on to the branch, I reached for his arm. My hands grasped hold of something and I realized it was him. I pulled him to the branch and I realized his eyes were closed. I bent him over the branch and pressed on his back hard a few times. He then violently coughed up lots of water and took a strangled gasp.
That was when I saw a boat. It was perhaps fourth feet away. I screamed as loud as I could and tried to get closer. I screamed again. It was probably a speedboat, as it was not too big. One of the men saw us and quickly shouted to the other people. The driver quickly turned towards us and was covering the distance towards us fast. Within a few seconds, he stopped a few feet away from us and a few people lent us their hands. I grabbed hold but I couldn't pull myself up. But they pulled me up and soon followed Chuck. I lay coughing and spluttering on the boat for a minute.
After I had taken a substantial breath of air, I tried to get up. But that attempt was soon killed as every single muscle and spot in my body burned like fire.
"No. Don't try. We'll take you inside," said a womanly voice. I barely registered that she was in the middle of a thunderstorm on a boat in the middle of who knows where and surrounded by men. Before I passed out.