Chapter 20 | Adam
The trip from the beach to the small cargo ship seemed the longest trip Adam had ever taken. The shoreline receded behind them. On the ridge, just above where their camp was left abandoned, the smoke still spiraled above where the three signal fires burned.
It worked.
It had actually worked.
To Adam’s embarrassment, he had grown complacent in watching the horizon for boats, but Wade had been ever vigilant for signs on the sea or in the air.
They had been found.
Just able to keep it together, Adam held tightly to Wade as they bounced across the waves. The dinghy pulled alongside the ship and a small ladder extended down.
Someone threw a blanket around his shoulders when he was on deck, guiding him away from the men who worked to get Wade up the ladder next.
He held his breath, anxiety worrying in the pit of his stomach. Wade was not in sight. Until he saw Wade, Adam couldn’t relax. He couldn’t let any of it go until he saw Wade again.
Then Wade climbed over the side. Another blanket appeared and was draped over Wade’s shoulders.
“Afternoon, boys,” a refined voice said from behind them. Adam turned to see a larger man with a bushy beard that gave Wade’s a run for his money, stop with his hands on his hips. “When Anatole told me we were taking on passengers, I didn’t believe it at first.” He motioned to the remaining smoke, drifting up from the signal fires. “Looks like we came by at the right time.”
“Your timing couldn’t have been more perfect,” Wade said.
Adam nodded. “We’re sorry to be a bother—”
The man tossed his head back and let out a healthy laugh. “The boy gets saved, and he doesn’t want to be a bother. How long have you been stuck on that rock?”
“Three months, a little more.”
The man let out a low whistle. “Three months. Swinson, get them below deck so Melda can get a look at them. I’ll radio ahead and let them know we have company.”
To Wade and Adam, the man tipped his head. “I’m Captain Enoch, and this is the Lily’s Night. We’ll be in the Port of Nassau in a couple of days' time. When we get some food in you and medical attention, I’ll see about getting your family information later to let port authority know we’ve picked you up.”
With a nod, the captain went back to the bridge, leaving the crew to tend to Wade and Adam.
As Adam followed the men below, tears slipped down his face.
Finally. Finally, he could allow all of the fear and worry and anxiety that had built over the weeks slip free. It came out in a torrent of emotion, and unable to hold it back, Adam let it overwhelm him to find release.
“Well, you don’t look too worse for wear,” the medic said as he checked Adam’s eyes. “How long were you on that island?”
“Three months and some change,” Wade said casually.
Adam knew it was far from 'some change.' Wade meticulously kept track of how long they’d been there. With a wink at Adam as Melda shoved a glass of something at him, Wade sat back and lifted his foot so Melda could look at his ankle next.
“You’re lucky we were out this way. The captain decided to skirt around some bad weather coming in from the northwest, and it swung us closer to this island than we usually travel.” Melda washed and dried Wade’s foot before he wrapped it. “Stay off this until we get to port. You can have a proper doctor look at it then.”
“Thank you, Melda,” Adam said quietly.
“No need. Glad we took our detour. I’m sure your folks are worried. We don’t have much room here and no spare bunks. But the infirmary doesn’t get as much use as you’d think on a ship this size, so we’ll just keep you bunked here until we’re at the port.”
Melda gave Wade the same sweet drink Adam sipped and minutes later, flopped some clean clothing down on one of the exam tables. “Figure you might like something clean to change into. No showers but there’s a sink over there to clean up. I’ll be back with some chow.”
Adam waited for Melda to leave before he tossed off the blanket and went to the clothing. He shook them out and held them up. “Not exactly my size, but should fit you well enough.”
Wade nodded silently and shoved the glass at his face to sip his drink.
Adam noticed the uncharacteristic quiet that fell over Wade. “Are you okay?”
It took a while for Wade to acknowledge that Adam had even asked the question. He finally nodded again. “It’s not real, you know?” Wade said, setting his empty glass to the side.
“Yeah. Like… what if a storm blows up and maroons the entire crew on an island.”
“On the same island.” Wade chuckled. “It’s ridiculous to consider, and my rational mind tells me that everything will be all right. I still have this low-level panic, though. I won’t believe it until my feet are on dry ground.”
“Or until I’m looking at the city limit sign ‘Welcome to Dreamer’s Folly.’” Adam helped Wade to the sink and out of his slacks which were, by now, nothing more than tattered shorts.
“It'll be nice to eat chicken again. Real chicken.”
“Or a hamburger from Jo’s down on the boardwalk.”
Wade rolled his head and made an orgasmic sound. “With coleslaw and those fat steak fries.”
Adam hummed at the pleasant thought. “If I don’t eat another fish, it’ll still be too soon.”
They fell into silence as they cleaned up. Wade inspected himself in the mirror and wrinkled his nose. His fingers scratched through the bushy beard. “I didn’t realize it was this bad.”
Turning Wade to face him, Adam scrubbed his palm against it. “It's not bad. I'll miss it.”
Wade searched his eyes, mouth parting to say something. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep in a proper bed again,” he finally said, his teeth clicking as his jaw snapped shut.
That wasn’t what Wade was going to say. Adam knew it. Deep in the pit of his stomach, he knew what was coming. Maybe it wouldn’t happen.
All of the maybes in the world didn’t make Adam feel better.
“Yeah,” he said. What else could he say? Adam knew they were going back to their real lives, and that meant he was losing Wade.
The time aboard Lily’s Night flew by at startling speed. Adam and Wade barely had any time alone in the infirmary. Melda kept a constant eye on them. The captain came down several times to relay messages of what would happen when they sailed into the Port of Nassau.
Once the port doctor checked them out and released them, they would fly by chartered jet to Miami International, where their families would be waiting for them.
It was easy to focus on that, on seeing his family again. On being home again.
At night, Adam stretched out on one of the exam tables but couldn't sleep. He watched Wade, who slept fitfully. More than two months had passed since Wade’s last bad night’s sleep.
Now that they had the anticipation of going home, his restless nights were back. Or perhaps it was the distance between them. They'd slept in close contact ever since the crash and before ever becoming lovers.
Sitting up, watching Wade turn over for the umpteenth time in fifteen minutes, what could Adam do? The ten feet between them felt like a yawning chasm. An impossibly long distance, which Adam couldn’t bridge to bring Wade back to him. Already it felt like Wade was shutting him out.
Maybe it was his imagination. The heightened emotions flowing through Adam were causing him to paint the worst possible outcome. Wade was just tired, right? Exhausted emotionally and mentally. They both were. They’d make it work. Once they landed in the Bahamas, they could re-evaluate where they were and how to proceed.
Ignoring his panic, Adam pulled the chair from the small desk tucked in the corner of the room. Sitting down, Adam took Wade’s hand to hold it.
Immediately, Wade settled down in his sleep, and his breathing deepened again.
The exam tables were too narrow for two bodies. Adam couldn’t sleep next to Wade and missed the comfort of his scent and his body warmth. Getting as comfortable as he could, Adam napped in the chair just to stay near Wade.
By morning, the captain came down to say they’d made much better time than calculated and were putting into port a day early. It was after lunch when Adam and Wade were escorted from Lily’s Night and onto solid ground, their first foray into civilization in months.
From there, it was a whirlwind of activity. Doctor’s appointments, nutritionist appointments, customs agents, immigration officers, identification checks, checks and more checks.
The bureaucracy ground along at a bureaucratic pace. Wade and Adam were left in rooms for long stretches of time before the next official wanted to see them.
At one point, they were both allowed to talk to family on the phone. Adam broke down when he heard his grannie’s voice.
“Adam,” she said, in her way that exuded compassion and strength. “It’s okay, baby. You’ll be home soon. You’ll be home, and it'll all be okay. None of us gave up on you. You're brother dreamed you were coming home. And now you are.”
Adam cried, but he couldn’t tell them why.
Of course, he was relieved to have been rescued and finally be able to go home.
He cried for his loss. The time he had with Wade was gone. It was different now. New.
Sehela’s voice chastised him in his head about all things undergoing death and rebirth. Intellectually, Adam knew an old cycle was coming to a close and a new one was starting up.
But what did it mean for him and Wade?
Wade wouldn’t talk to him. Ever since they disembarked in Nassau, he’d been quiet and distant. With every draw of his breath, Adam felt him slip away from him.
He didn't get the chance to pull Wade aside. More medical checkups, the ability to shower and change into better-fitting clothing, to shave and even get their hair cut—it was a whirlwind of activity to get them ready to board their flight to Miami and finally to their waiting families.
Sitting in the cabin, the only two on board, Adam settled into the seat next to Wade. Wade studied him, eyes searching for something. Adam didn’t know what to say.
Maybe… they had nothing to say.
Tentatively, he took Wade’s hand and held it through the flight.
When the wheels touched down in Miami, Adam knew their world was forever different. What they had, they'd left with the island paradise.
With a deep sigh, Adam gave Wade’s hand one final squeeze. He wanted to lean over to kiss Wade, but indecision held him in his place.
A soft brush of lips over his cheek surprised him. There was a smile on Wade’s face. The smile looked different now. It was still a beautiful smile, but sad.
The joy didn’t reach Wade’s eyes.