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“Right. I never even thought about things like that.”
“We have toothpaste and toothbrushes, shampoos, and even conditioners. Plenty of shower gel, though we do need to use all this stuff sparingly. We even have about a dozen rolls of toilet paper. What we don’t have are any washing supplies.”
She sighs but nods. It’s not so much of an issue right now, but it will be, especially in this heat. We’ll have to figure something out—maybe use some of the shower gel. Clothing-wise, we have a few things we can rotate through. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.
She puts her hand on the table and sways into me.
“Salem?”
“Sorry, I got a little dizzy there for a minute.”
“You need to stay hydrated. When Zig is back, I’m going to try to find a water source. A river or a creek or something.”
I place my hand against her forehead. Though she’s a little flushed, she doesn’t seem to have a fever. As I glance down at her, I see her nipples have pebbled and are pressing against her T-shirt. Well, well, well. Looks like she isn’t indifferent to us after all.
“Here, take this and drink it. Even the simplest of things out here take twice as much from us under these humid conditions. You might not even realize you’re dehydrated until you pass out. You need to listen to your body.”
“My body has been through hell and back, Oz. I’m not sure we’re on the best of terms right now,” she admits, taking the bottle of water from my hand.
“I know, and I wish I had something positive and upbeat to say to you. But I’m fucking terrible at motivational shit, so suck it up, Buttercup. You can either cry, which I don’t recommend because, again, dehydration, or you can try to adjust to your new home.”
“I’m not sure if you’re an asshole or just, no, never mind. You are definitely an asshole, but I get it. I don’t have time for a pity party.”
“I will try to tone down the assholishness.”
“Not a word, but I appreciate it anyway.” She chuckles before drinking her water.
“That is warm as hell, yet it’s still the best bottle of water I’ve ever had in my life.”
I grin. “See? It’s all about having a positive mental attitude.”
The look she is giving me now suggests she thinks I’m just plain mental, and I’m positive she might try to stab me in my sleep. I turn my back on her and hide my grin, then I hear her move around.
When I hear her spit, I look over my shoulder and find her using the last of her water to brush her teeth before spitting into an empty yogurt container she must have kept from one of the lunch bags.
“I never thought about going through the trash, but things like that and empty bottles will come in handy for collecting water.”
She looks up at me after she finishes and nods. “I can do that. I’m feeling kind of useless just sitting here doing nothing. What else can I do?”
I think for a minute. Unlike Zig and me, she has no experience with the jungle and its terrain, so wandering off is not an option.
“Can you put away the shit we’ve found? Somewhere handy. But also—” I hesitate, not wanting to spook her, but figuring laying our cards on the table is the safest way to play this.
“What?”
“Can you make a bug-out bag for the three of us?”
I wait for her to ask what a bug-out bag is, but instead, she nods and bites her lip.
“One bag for all of us or one bag each?”
“One for all of us. As much as it makes more sense to bring extra supplies, they’ll weigh us down. If one of us has the bag, the other can carry you if needed.” I hold up my hand to quiet her before she argues with me. “Not because we don’t think you’re capable, but because if you heal one of us and it drains you, you’ll need one of us to keep you safe, right?”
She swallows and looks down before nodding. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be confrontational. It’s a reflex at this point.”
“Salem, I get it. You’re hurting and afraid. Honestly, I’d be more worried if you weren’t having a few wobbles here and there. You’ve been taking most of it in stride, and I won’t lie, it’s been a little unnerving.”
“Unnerving? How?”
