Never Is A Long Time

Chapter 29

OPEN THE LIGHT

"Where are they?" Both Clara and Jack can't find Deenah or Josh when they go back to find them "We can't call Deenah obviously. Her bag is with me."
"I'll call Josh." Clara dial his number but then get a declined tone. "I can't. Wether he get no signal or his phone died."
"Damn. I told them not to going anywhere."

°°°°°°

"He told us not to going anywhere." Josh walk behind her and can't stop looking back. "I told you, you can stay there but I won't. We waited for 2 hours and I wasn't sure if they remember the track so I'll find them by myself."
"I'm not that crazy to leave you alone. You know that. Now my phone is dying."
"We're not gonna talk about that. So you better stop complaining."
"I'm freaking tired. Okay? Can we please stop?" Josh breath heavily and trying to catch some air. Deenah goes back and check on him. "You're alright?"
"Yeah, but I think we can't walk now. Not in this dark. We have no idea what is ahead."
"Okay. What's your idea?"
"Get the tent in my bag and stay overnight. We'll figure out something in the morning." She feels bad about it and agrees. "Okay. We'll stay."
"Alright. Now help me to get the tent done." Josh unloaded his bag and start to build the tent along with Deenah. It's a pretty small tent which he brought just so he can sleep alone unlike others who got tent for 3 persons.

"I'm sorry."
"For what?" Josh stop what he's doing and look to the other side of the tent. Deenah looked like she feels bad and looks down while talking to him. "Umm. For dragging you into this problem. You were right, I shouldn't going anywhere and wait for Jack. I screwed up."
"Hey, I'm sorry too. I don't mean to blame you or something. I'm just....tired. I didn't sleep well last night."
"Yeah, me too. I guess it screwed our mood, right?" She smiles, still with a guilty look. "Yes. It did." Josh replies her smile and continue to get the tent done.

"So.. how are you?" She clearly knows Josh is trying to have a chit chat and she appreciates that. "I'm good. If you don't hear that yet, I'm gonna on road again with Irontom. He doesn't want me to be jobless, you know."
"That's...good to hear. You're happy with that?"
"Well, I considered hanging out with them as a not-so-job so...yeah. I enjoy it." She smiles, tug her long hair behind her ear which Josh missed of. "I'm glad you're happy. I kinda...feel like I screw your career and..."
"No. You did great. Don't get me wrong, I love my last job but...my mom is happy to see me turning into the old me. That's something that might be impossible if I didn't quit that job." She then takes care the rest as Josh fixing the tent.
"I spread the blanket just so we can get some sleep soon." Josh is the one who goes inside and snuggles. He might be really tired.

After make sure their tent is comfy enough, Deenah join him inside the tent, laying down and trying to sleep considering the previous one that wasn't really working. Her eyes are heavy and her breath is heavier, she's about to going under but then suddenly she remembers her dad, again. At that time her dad would tell a story of the woods or something, lit a fire and sing for her. She goes outside the tent and then trying to inhale the fresh air, looking at the sky hoping to see some beautiful stars. It's kinda sad, but it's undeniable a good memory.

From outside, she hears something that sounds like a breath. She looks inside and find Josh's back is shaking. He feels cold. Even with all those layers of clothes, he can't stand the air. She lift her blanket and then put it on his body, it's not really working. And then she got and idea to lit a fire outside the tent and let the heat fill the air. The warm air start to fill the tent and she's checking his forehead. His skin is still kinda cold, she thinks for a moment and have a doubt to do this. But she's really concerned about Josh having a fever or something yet the have medical kit with them. So she lay down, wrap the blanket around both of them and she hug him tightly, trying to share her own body heat to him. "Please stop shaking." She whispered to herself as she tighten her arms around him.