Robbie and Samantha were still embracing each other on the log. Robbie asked, “Samantha , are you okay? If not, it’s okay to talk about it.”
She replied, “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Why?” Robbie asked. “Because you saved Daddy’s life by using a sword on—”
Samantha cut him off, saying, “It’s fine, Daddy. It’s just like a video game. They’re not real.”
Curious, Robbie asked, “Where did you learn this stuff?”
“From The Elder Scrolls Online,” Samantha said.
Robbie frowned. “Now, Samantha, what did I tell you about playing mature games? They’re not for you.”
Samantha just looked up at her dad. Robbie looked back down and said, “Thanks again for helping me. Good job.”
Robbie wondered why his ribs didn’t hurt anymore when Samantha hugged him hard. He asked her to go over to where the vessel was and bring him its clothes. As Samantha left, Robbie checked himself. He touched his ribs, and they didn’t hurt. She returned with the shirt and asked, “Why do you want this, Daddy?”
“I’m going to use it to wipe the Goo off my face after that incident,” Robbie said.
Samantha looked puzzled. “What Goo?”
Robbie put his hands up to his face and glided his fingers across his skin to check for blood. He saw nothing. He began to think to himself, “Am I becoming one of those creatures?”
“Daddy?” Samantha said softly.
Robbie looked down to reply but noticed she didn’t look well. He felt her forehead with his hand. “Damn, she’s burning up,” he muttered to himself. He placed his daughter by the log and began to lay the clothes Samantha had brought him on the ground. He then gently placed Samantha on top of the clothes. Feeling her forehead again, he realized she was still burning up. Robbie ripped his shirt apart and searched for any cool liquid. He spotted a small pond, rushed over, soaked the shirt in the water, and ran back to Samantha with the dripping shirt. He placed the cold, wet shirt on her forehead to try to cool her down.
“Relax, Samantha . Stay down. I know you’re tired,” he told her. “Get some rest.”
Robbie watched his daughter sleep, worrying and wishing Anna was there. She always knew the right things to say. But then he thought, “Never mind, who wants to be in this place?” He knew he had to keep moving, as Sara had told him. Robbie planned to go back to the cave where Sara and the others were to get a bag he had spotted earlier, hoping it might contain food or medicine. He gently picked up Samantha , put her over his shoulder, and began to walk back to the cave. As he got close, he could hear the vessel’s screams. He hid behind a tree to see how many vessels were there. He counted six and decided, “Not going that way. I’ll have to find another route.”
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As he turned around, he saw a juggernaut vessel right in front of him, already swinging its sword. With no moment to spare, Robbie closed his eyes, thinking this was it for him and Samantha . He regretted leaving his sword behind and not being more alert. Just then, Sara came up behind the vessel and stabbed it, causing it to disappear just in time.
“You can open your eyes,” Sara said.
Robbie slowly opened his eyes and saw Sara. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said. “But I need your help. It’s Samantha .”
Sara replied, “I’m fine, but what’s wrong with Samantha? Is she sick or hungry?”
Sara explained, “She’s not hungry or sick. It’s the island. Once you’re on the island long enough, it affects the weak. When that happens, every vessel on the island will come for you. It’s best to pick them off one by one. Samantha and I will hide while you do that.”
“I don’t have time to kill them all one by one,” Robbie said.
Sara suggested another way. “You have to go to the hospital ward and kill the elder vessel.”
Robbie agreed, but Sara interrupted him, saying she saw a woman being chased by vessels. “What?” Robbie exclaimed.
“She’s wearing a bracelet that says Anna,” Sara said.
Robbie backed up. “Wait, what? That’s my wife! Where is she? I have to save her.”
Sara said, “She’s close to where I found you.”
Robbie asked Sara to watch Samantha And stay there. As he left, he picked up the sword from the vessel Sara had killed and started running in the direction Sara had indicated. He couldn’t find Anna at first, but then he heard a vessel scream. He turned around and kept going straight. He saw the vessel and decided to sneak up and kill it from behind. Now, he was looking for Anna. He called out her name but got no response. He looked down and saw footprints, assuming they were Anna, and followed them. He got close to a tree and called out, “Anna, are you here?”
“Robbie , is that you?” she replied, squeezing out of a tree hole.
“Yes, it’s me,” Robbie said as he saw her emerging. They grabbed each other and kissed, embracing tightly.
“Where is Samantha ? And what the hell was that thing? It killed the marines I was with,” Anna said.
“Marines?” Robbie asked. “But yes, Samantha is okay. She’s with someone I trust. She just has a mild fever.”
“A mild fever? Where’s my baby?” Anna demanded angrily.
“Come, we’re going back to Samantha . Explain to me how you got here and why you were sent with marines,” Robbie said.
As they walked, Robbie and Anna explained to each other what had happened. They were both shocked. When they finally reached the tree where Robbie had told Sara to stay, they didn’t see Sara or Samantha . Robbie started to panic.
“Where is she?” Anna asked.
Sara then called out to get Robbie attention. He saw her and grabbed Anna hand, running over to Sara. Anna hugged Samantha tightly. “My baby, are you okay?” she asked.
In a soft voice, Samantha replied, “Mommy.”
Robbie asked Sara why she had moved. “Because the vessels will be looking there again,” she explained.
Sara asked Robbie if his wife was all caught up. Anna looked at Sara and put her forehead to hers so she could hear Sara talk without Robbie as a mediator. “Yes, Robbie told me everything. You’ve been helping them and saved their lives. For that, I want to thank you so much for saving Robbie and my princess. Robbie also told me you said Samantha doesn’t really have a fever; it’s the island affecting her. Those things that attacked me earlier will come for her and us. The only way to stop it is for Robbie to kill the elder vessel at the old hospital building.”
Sara confirmed, “Yes, it’s dire that we go right now. I’ll lead the way. Every second we waste, your daughter will get worse. If you’re not strong enough, you’ll end up like your daughter. I don’t want that to happen, so let’s go save Samantha .”
Anna and Sara told Robbie it was time to go.