First Love..again

Chapter Ten: An Awkward Encounter

"Stay back. I'm okay," Madison hollered frantically!

He can’t see me like this. Not after all these years. I’ll be mortified.

Ben didn't know what to make of it! Why wouldn't she let him help her.

"I worked as a volunteer firefighter, Maddy! I've been trained to handle accidents," Ben explained!

He then proceeded closer to her, not listening to her words of caution and in full on service mode. About 6 feet away, Ben could clearly see now why she wouldn't let him help her. She was butt naked!

Noticing him staring and in complete shock, she covered her breasts with her hands!

"I'm naked," she barked!

Ben turned around, a little embarrassed.

"Ah yeah! I could see that! "I'm sorry Maddy! I was just trying to help!"

He smiled behind his back. Although she must have been in some sort of anguish for whatever reason he didn’t understand, she was naked. Fully naked. From head to, well water!

"I know," she relaxed a little. "I'm going to get up now...stay in that direction," she ordered!

"I promise," he noted!

He would agree to his promise. He didn’t want her to not trust him. Besides, he had seen her naked plenty of times. But just, well not so fully mature. She had aged well.

Maddy squinted at the pain and tried to stand up, but now the bottom of her foot was swelling and throbbing uncontrollably.

"Ben...," She blurted!

"What Maddy? I'm not looking...give me some credit," he barked!

She sighed.

"I know...I'm...I don't think I can walk! The bottom of my foot has a Jellyfish sting," Maddy explained both embarrassed and defeated.

She wasn’t one to need anyone to take care of her. She prided herself on being self reliant. But now, she did t know what to do.

"Oh,...he stated! "That is a dilemma. I'll have to carry you then. But I can’t turn around…”

"I guess your right," she blushed but understood the urgency to get out of the water. The pain was getting worse now! “You can turn around. But close your eyes!”

Ben laughed out loud.

“If I did that, Maddy, we’d both be in trouble!”

“Okay. Okay. You can turn around. But don’t judge me!!

He turned around and stared her directly in the eyes.

"Come on. It's not like I haven't seen you naked before," he reassured her!

“Not in forever. Im sure you had forgotten.”

“Not likely,” Ben walked over and reached down, picking up her naked body, bridal style.

Maddy gave a slight grimace. She supposed she appreciated the sentiment, but not so much in the moment.Sstill embarrassed tried to cover her boobs, but with him stumbling through the rocks in the water, she had to let go, and just to hold on. She wrapped her arms around his neck. For some reason, she no longer felt awkward in his arms. She felt comfortable. Just like old times! She gave him a small smile.

Ben returned the sentiment. He tried to keep his eyes up, but he did sneak in a few quick glances. He couldn't help it. Her body always excited him back then. Clearly, she still had some power over him now too.

"So...you work out too," he tried to cut the awkwardness with a joke!

Madison blushed even more. Letting go with one hand, and she slapped his back lightly.

"Hey! I was just complimenting you," he chuckled!

Ben, now out of the water with Madison in his arms, set her down in the blow up boat.

"I'll get your clothes," he told her.

"Their dirty; I need to wash them! Can I borrow something from your bag," she asked casually, now trying to cover her body again?

"Yes, if course," he responded.

He walked over to his bad and dug inside the bag and pulled out a t-shirt. It was big on him, so it would be like a dress for her.

“Here you go!"

"Thanks Benny," she smiled and put it over her nakedness.

He then turned around so she could put it on.

Madison appreciated the sentiment.

"Now that Jellyfish sting," he announced! "I'm going to have to clean it and remove the stingers!"

"Are you going... going to pee on it," she asked cautiously?

"No. You’re good there! That actually makes the pain worse," he added!

"Oh thank God," she tried to joke through the pain!

"Hey. Some woman would pay to have me pee on them," he joked back, while he began digging through his bag again. He then pulled out his multi tool.

"Your not going to cut me, are you," Madison squirmed?

"No Maddy; I would never," he smiled affectionately! "Tweezers...see it has tweezers," and he lifted her foot towards his body.

"Uh...," Madison pulled her foot away quickly!

She knew that if he lifted her leg any higher, he would be completely faced with her privates.

"We have to get...," he began to lecture her like a school girl!

"I have no undies on, Benny," she huffed.

"Oh... right," he said embarrassed for them both, not realizing the rawness of the situation.

"Here, use a pair of my boxers," he reached in his bag again and tossed them to her! "Don't worry, they are clean!"

Madison smiled at him. "Thanks Benny," she said softly.

After putting them on Ben lifted her foot again, and this time, used his tweezers to pull out to stingers.

"That feels better already," Madison gawked at her foot, "but it itches like crazy," she explained!

"Try not to itch it; I haven't cleaned it yet. We don't want you getting an infection," he stated.

"Oh right," she said in an embarrassed tone. She knew that she should have known better.

“So, some woman pay for you to pee on them, hun? Is that a kink thing,” she tried to make light of the situation!

“No,” he laughed.

Madison too smiled at the funny thought..

"You were busy while I was asleep. You gathered wood and made a fire, I see," Ben announced as he eyed her wound.

"Yes, and I found a coconut and opened it. It's over there if you want some," Madison happily added.

She pointed in the direction of the round opened food source. She liked that she could feel useful, given the circumstances.

"Well right now I am going to take my canteen here, and my small pot, and boil a little water to clean your wound," he explained.

"But...that's our only source of drinking water," she protested.

"Your foot needs it Maddy," he said to her. It normally rains for about 30 minutes each day in this part of the globe. We'll just put out my pot and my cup each day and catch rain water," he assured her.

“Each day?”

"We'll be fine, I promise. Someone has to rescue us at some point!”

"What would I do without you, Benny," she asked?

"Well up until today, I would say you did just fine without me," he made a passive aggressive comment, and then continued on to boil water.

Madison knew just what he meant. She was a strong, determined woman, and she had done well in her life. But today...today she wouldn't have survived without him, and she was eternally grateful.

"Well that may be true...but today you were definitely my hero, and look at you now...you keep rescuing me," she explained!

A long silence came between them.

"Why Ben?"...she only called him Ben when they were having a serious conversation.

He stared back at her in bewilderment. He wasn’t sure what she would say. Would she ask about their last? Lord he had hoped not. He wasn’t ready for that conversation just yet.

"Why did you risk your life over and over again to help me," she asked, still quite shocked? "You definitely don't owe me anything!"

Ben breathed after what seemed like an endless breath. He took the now boiling water off the fire and let it cool down for just a minute, so it would've burn her foot. He then carefully tested it with his finger, and then poured some on her wound, after it had cooled off.

He still didn't answer her question.

There were so many reasons why he had helped her today, however he didn't know how many he wanted to divulge to her.

Madison looked away, saddened a little. Maybe he had regretted doing so and he couldn’t bring himself to tell her.

"I promised your husband I would look after you," he finally noted. "I was just keeping my word," Ben explained after several minutes of silence.

“Oh! Well I’m sure he’d be most appreciative,” she added supportively.

He then got into his pack again and pulled out some aloe for sunburns. Gently he rubbed it in her foot.

"This should help the itching and the pain," he noted before he headed back over towards the fire.

He pulled up a big rock to sit by and tend to it. He couldn't talk to her anymore now. He felt so vulnerable.

Meanwhile, Madison was left in the boat with nothing but her though too...and a bum foot. She was saddened by Ben's response. She felt so alone.

She then remembered her locket around her neck that Avery has given her. Opening it up, she looked at the picture inside. It was a little stuck to the glass from the water, but she could still clearly make out her family.

"Thanks Avery," she whispered to herself! "Thanks for always having my back!"

...........

About an hour later, Ben poured the coconut milk into his cup and broke down the coconut carefully with his knife. He then walked over toward the boat again, where Madison rested. He then handed some coconut to Madison and offered her some milk. Still in silence, he sat next to her, and the two ate and drank without uttering a word for about 15 minutes.

Finally, Madison broke the silence. "Do you think we'll really get rescued," she asked bluntly?

"I do," Ben replied back. "I have no idea when, but I'm confident that we will," he added!

Madison gave him a smile.

"Listen, I just want to thank you again for all of your kindness. After everything we went through, you didn't have to do that, and you did. Even if it was because you were keeping a promise to Avery," she said confidently. "Still, I appreciate everything!"

"Listen Maddy I did promise Avery that I'd look after you...but honestly, even if I hadn't, I could never not do so. There was a time...for several years...that you were the most important person in my life. I haven't forgotten that. You will always hold a small place inside me," he explained while staring off at the water!

Madison looked at him, surprised that he was being so vulnerable. But she felt the exact name way. Part of her still and probably always will love and care for him... because he was her first love, her first everything!

“Thanks Benny! You mean a lot to me too," she added, and then left the conversation alone.