My Perfect Marriage

Chapter36

"She's lucky to be alive, and it's a miracle given her state. A few days here, and she can get out, but I want to observe her first. She has hypothermia, and the symptoms overlap with a concussion, so I can't tell how bad the knock on her skull is. Her head wound seems minor, but I'm not ruling it out. She has a warm saline drip and oxygen for now, but I think she's out of the woods. It was a long night." A man's voice reaches me in my sleep state, aware I'm somewhere soft and warm, but I have no memory of how I got here. The last thing I remember is the girl who pulled me off the road.

"I thought she was a goner, doc. You didn't see her when I pulled up." My angel's voice that I would recognize anywhere, bringing me around. I owe her my life. "I don't know what the hell happened to her out there."

"I don't think she would have lasted any longer out there. She's been in and out of consciousness but not much talking yet. If she gets worse, I'll transfer her to the mainland as we're not equipped to deal with major issues here, but I'm crossing my fingers that she will be okay. You did good and found her in time, Glenda."

"Thank you. I'll let you get back to it and go sit with her."

I shift in my bed, aware of my own body, and although I'm still groggy and tired, I manage to open my eyes and stare at the white ceiling above me without excruciating head pain. Their words ring around my head, and I exhale heavily, trying to clear my throat, but it's like I'm swallowing razor blades.

"You're awake." Her cheery voice pulls my eyes to her, standing in the doorway and beaming at me with the friendliest of smiles. In the new light of day, she's much prettier than I remember. Around my height, about five foot five, slim but athletic, and has mousy brown chin-length hair in a soft bob that frames her face with feathery bangs. She has the bluest of eyes, like a tropical sea, and dimples when she smiles. She's dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt that gives her a shapeless figure, yet there's something adorable about her. She has a youthful energy.

"I brought fruit." She waves a little basket around and then lays it on a table by the door before coming to my bedside. She seems more feminine now than she did last night, and looking at her, I have no idea how she carried my bodyweight to that truck. I'm beyond grateful to her. She doesn't look like she could drag me, let alone carry me, and I find myself sizing her up and wondering what she eats. I strain to sit up, spotting the tubes in my arms and try not to flex them too much, struggling, and she moves fast to assist me.

"Here, let me help you. You're still unwell," she says, gently raising Sophia up and adjusting the cushions behind her for added support. Placing her hand on the water jug nearby, she asks if Sophia would like a drink. Sophia nods, her mouth feeling as dry as if she had been licking chalkboards. The dryness may be a result of ingesting saltwater and subsequently vomiting. Sophia attempts to speak, but the effort is painful. A weak smile is all she can manage as her helpful companion brings the cup to her lips, allowing her to sip a few mouthfuls.

"So, our mysterious lady, the doctor believes you will recover with some rest. He mentioned that your injuries are not severe, although you seem to be covered in wounds. Did you roll around in shattered glass? Thankfully, none of the wounds seem too deep or likely to scar," her companion says, wearing a sunny expression that lights up her face. She places the cup back on the table and rests her hands on the rail of Sophia's bed.

"I... crashed," Sophia manages to utter, immediately coughing due to the strain. She wants to express her gratitude towards her companion, the first person she has encountered since the accident, but her voice is weak and strained.

"Where did the accident occur? I couldn't see a single car nearby. Did you manage to walk to the road? I didn't come across anything on my way here. If you can tell me where to find your car, I can arrange for it to be towed. It's also important that we file a police report."

"No... Peak Point," Sophia tries to explain, her words accompanied by another bout of coughing before she settles back down on her bed, her energy waning. The mention of involving the police only adds to the throbbing pain in her head.

"Peak what? I've never heard of such a place. Is it marked on any maps?" Her companion raises an eyebrow, displaying what appears to be genuine confusion. Sophia responds in kind, her brow furrowing in equal puzzlement. She wonders if her companion is joking because Peak Point is a well-known tourist destination, heavily promoted and marketed. They even filmed a commercial for POLO there.

"Up the mountain," Sophia makes another attempt to clarify, yet her companion's expression remains unchanged.

"But we don't have any mountains on this island."

"Hold on a moment," Sophia finds herself equally puzzled, needing time to process this new piece of information. Her head pounds with an intensifying headache, and she places a hand against her temple, aching with the effort to understand. Finally, the realization dawns upon her that she had indeed been cast out to sea, and she has been left disoriented, not knowing her current location. "I drove off Peak Point, fell into Dry River, and somehow ended up here."

"Oh my god... Dry River isn't even in this area. It's hard to believe, but you must have been carried by the north current, which pushes warmer water towards our south shores. By sea, that would be a distance of fifteen or twenty miles, if not more. Are you telling me you washed up along the coast?"

"Yeah..." Sophia responds, finding it surreal to articulate what actually happened. The thought of drifting that far on a makeshift raft sends shivers down her spine.

"Wow...you truly are a miracle. How did you go from crashing your car on the mountain to ending up washed ashore and walking miles to reach a connecting road? Just so you know, you were still about five miles away from here. This town is situated on the north shore. If you had walked the other way, it would have been even further, with only the weather station and harbor for the commercial vehicle ferry."

There's a brief silence as Glenda ponders the extraordinary circumstances, even though the story seems implausible, despite Sophia having lived through it. Sophia realizes that she would have never made it those additional five miles alone. Aside from Glenda and her truck, she hadn't come across any cars all day. The town seems to have a sparse population, with miles of road and no service stops, houses, or signs of life until reaching this specific location. It feels as though fate intervened to prevent Sophia's death.

"I guess you're lucky I was coming home when I did. I had to pick up stock I had shipped in," Glenda says.

Sophia nods and reaches for Glenda's fingers, gently patting her hand with deep gratitude, trying her best to offer a warm smile. However, contemplating the enormity of the situation feels exhausting and overwhelming at the moment. She tries to shake those thoughts out of her head, focusing on the present.

"Thank you," Sophia murmurs, receiving a soft smile in response.

Absorbing the peacefulness of the white and sterile room, Sophia gazes at Glenda for a moment, contemplating her next steps. She realizes that she is safe now and simply needs a few days of rest before reaching out to contact her family. She can only guess at how much time has passed since her last communication with them. Since it would be impolite to ask Glenda to make the call on her behalf, Sophia decides to wait until she can walk independently and pick up the phone to explain everything to her mother.

"Do you have a name? Or is it a secret?" Glenda fluffs Sophia's pillow and straightens the sheets, carefully moving the saline tube with a gentle touch. Sophia observes her with a sense of calm.