"Are you always this talkative?" he asked, trying to hide his awkwardness.
"Of course. I'm good at many things, including giving free advice," Laura replied with a small smile as she continued cleaning Alvaro's wound.
Once she was done, Laura closed the first-aid kit and leaned back against the tree trunk behind her. "We don't know how long we'll be stuck here. Do you really think someone will find us?"
"I don't know," Alvaro answered honestly, also leaning his back against the tree with a quiet sigh.
"I hope so. I don't want to die here, especially not with you as the last person I see," Laura said.
Alvaro let out a small chuckle, the first since the crash. "Don't worry. If it comes to that, I'll make sure you don't die alone."
Laura laughed softly, knowing there was a trace of truth in the joke. At least for now, they had each other. And for the first time, she felt slightly safer with this annoying, mysterious man beside her.
"I found a bag with some food. Hopefully, it's still edible," Alvaro said as he opened the bag.
Inside were canned fruits, a few packs of bread, chips, and some chocolate.
"Can I pick whatever I want?" Laura asked.
"You can pick one thing, just one," Alvaro warned, making Laura frown.
"I endured being stitched up and you're being stingy?" she complained.
"Don't whine. Just take one. We don't know how long we'll be here. We need to ration the supplies," he replied.
Laura let out a long sigh, staring at the contents of the bag with temptation. Her eyes lingered on the chocolate bar, then shifted to the bread, which looked more filling.
"This feels like choosing between first love and true love," she muttered to herself.
Alvaro gave her a flat look. "It's just food. Pick one and stop being dramatic."
"Maybe to you, it's just food," Laura replied, grabbing the chocolate with a wide grin. "But to me, chocolate is soul-saving."
"In that case, make sure your soul-saver doesn't run out in one bite," Alvaro muttered as he opened a can of fruit. He poured it into the clean lid and began eating calmly.
Laura unwrapped her chocolate, took a slow bite, and closed her eyes as if savoring the greatest thing in the world. "This is amazing. Maybe there is a silver lining to this crash. I can eat chocolate without feeling guilty."
"Silver lining?" Alvaro repeated skeptically. "We're stranded in an unknown place, with limited food, and no guarantee of survival. And you call that a silver lining?"
Laura shrugged. "At least I don't have to face boring work or annoying people."
Alvaro shook his head and continued eating his fruit in silence. He wasn't sure if Laura was truly naïve or just being optimistic to cover up her fear.
After a while, Laura sighed and clutched the remaining chocolate in her hand. "Alvaro… if we're never found, what will happen to us?"
Alvaro looked at her for a moment, then calmly replied, "If that happens, we survive with what we have here. That's it."
Laura swallowed hard, anxiety creeping in. "Sounds like the plot of a horror movie."
"There won't be any horror if you stay calm and do what I say," Alvaro replied as he packed the leftover food into the bag. "Now stop imagining worst-case scenarios and get some rest."
Laura watched as Alvaro stood up.
"Where are you going?" she asked, noticing the folding knife in his hand something he had found earlier among the wreckage.
"I'm going to find branches or wood for a fire. Night is coming."
"We're sleeping here?" she asked, frowning.
"No, we're staying in a five-star resort tonight," Alvaro replied with dry sarcasm.
"Hmmph... that would be better," Laura grumbled.
Not wanting to hear more of her chatter, Alvaro quickly walked away to collect firewood.
The evening breeze began to blow, bringing with it a chill that seeped into his bones. Alvaro looked out at the darkening forest ahead, feeling a mix of alertness and unease. For the first time, he felt small trapped in a world he didn't understand, where anything could become a threat.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself.
Alvaro returned after gathering a bundle of dry branches. He piled them up and reached into his pocket, hoping to find something useful. To his surprise, he still had his car key and a small gas lighter, both somehow forgotten by airport security.
"Lucky I didn't take these out at the airport," he muttered, flicking the lighter. A small spark appeared just enough to ignite the driest twigs.
Laura, who had been sitting quietly with her legs stretched out, watched him intently. "You're pretty handy for someone who looks like he lives behind a desk," she commented, a bit sarcastically.
Alvaro smirked without turning. "Maybe. But don't expect me to know how to hunt or climb trees," he said while gently blowing on the small flame until it caught. "I'm a businessman, not a survivalist."
Laura let out a long sigh and rubbed her arms against the cold. "None of us are ever really prepared for something like this," she said softly. "Unless you were trained for it."
Alvaro looked at her for a moment. Something in her voice hinted at a burden from her past, but now wasn't the time to ask.
Once the fire was going strong, Alvaro sat beside her, keeping a bit of distance to let her feel comfortable. "At least we have some light for tonight," he said, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.
Laura simply nodded, her gaze still fixed on the dancing flames.
She turned toward Alvaro. "Do you think we're the only survivors of that plane crash?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure," Alvaro replied. "I don't remember anything right before the explosion. I jumped with my emergency vest and landed in the ocean. When I woke up, I was on the beach… and then I saw you."
"What should we do now? If everyone else is gone, how are we going to get back?" Laura asked, her eyes glossy with tears. The reality of their situation was finally setting in, and Alvaro felt sympathy for her, even though he was in the same position himself.
"Don't worry. With that many people on the plane, the news of the crash will spread quickly. Help will come. It has to," Alvaro said with conviction.
The plane they were on was a commercial flight from Houston to Sydney for Alvaro's business trip. No one could have predicted the mechanical failure that brought it down.
"I hope help comes soon," Laura murmured.
"Get some sleep. I'll keep watch," Alvaro said.
"You must be tired too. You should sleep. We both need rest," Laura replied gently, but Alvaro chose to remain silent.
***