Chapter 144 I Might Not be Able to Protect You Anymore
"William, what's up?" Margaret could tell something was off and asked, worried.
Pain shot through his wound, but William took a deep breath and forced a grin. "I'm good."
"But..." Margaret started, but William cut her off.
"Shh, save your energy." He put a finger to her lips, signaling her to hush.
Margaret still looked worried. "You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah," William said, flashing a small smile. "No time to waste, we gotta move."
They started swimming together, their strokes in sync, heading for the island.
Time ticked by, second after second. As they swam, William kept scanning the horizon for any boats. But this part of the ocean was deserted, not a boat in sight.
Staring at the endless water, William's mind wandered. Years ago, his dad had taken a yacht out and got caught in a storm, never making it back. He was determined not to let that happen to them. They were gonna make it.
With their combined effort, the island was getting closer. The sun was rising, and the island was becoming clearer to Margaret.
"Margaret, we're almost there," William kept encouraging her.
His deep voice seemed to chase away all of Margaret's exhaustion. Just a bit more, and they could rest once they hit the island.
As they got closer, Margaret's nerves started to ease up. Suddenly, a massive wave crashed into them. Margaret and William were pushed back by the wave.
"William, wasn't it calm just now? Where'd that wave come from?" Margaret asked, confused.
William's voice was cold. "Margaret, move back, now!"
"Huh?" Margaret squinted and saw a big black shape swimming towards them. The wave had been caused by it.
Margaret's heart raced. 'What is that? A shark?'
Margaret squinted harder, trying to make it out. It didn't look like a shark. She'd never seen a fish like this and had no clue if it was dangerous.
"William, what kind of fish is that?" Margaret asked, her nerves on edge.
William frowned. "No idea."
He pulled a dagger from his backpack and untied the life jackets connecting them. His tone was firm. "Margaret, you gotta go. Swim as far away as you can!"
"No way, we're in this together." Margaret refused.
William, on high alert, kept Margaret behind him, watching the big fish. Then, the fish attacked.
As it lunged, William shielded Margaret without hesitation. With one hand protecting her, he used the other to stab the fish hard. The knife went up and down, quick and precise.
William kept stabbing, aiming for its vital spots. Margaret wasn't just watching. She swam behind the fish and grabbed its tail tight.
No one knew how long it took, but the fish finally stopped moving.
"William, it's dead," Margaret said, feeling like an eternity had passed. She let out a long breath.
But William stayed silent.
Margaret's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly swam over to him. William's handsome face was covered in blood.
"William, are you okay?" Margaret's heart sank, her voice full of concern. A wave of heartache hit Margaret hard. William had risked everything to save her again.
"I'm fine," William said, panting. His voice, like music to her ears, instantly lifted Margaret's spirits.
"But you're covered in blood," Margaret said, holding him tight.
William smiled softly. "It's the fish's blood, splattered on my face. Margaret, I'm glad you care about me."
Margaret glared at him. "Who cares about you? Let me wash it off."
Still shaken, Margaret used seawater to wash William's face. Only then did she notice how pale William's handsome face had become. And his arm was bleeding.
"What's up with your arm? This doesn't look like fish blood," Margaret's nerves tightened again.
William shook his head. "It's nothing. We need to go. It's not safe here."
"Let me see," Margaret insisted.
She checked William's arm and saw it was in bad shape. The wound on his arm had reopened. And that wasn't all. During the fight with the fish, William had gotten several injuries.
William's complexion was getting worse. Margaret touched his forehead; it was burning hot.
"We need to get to the island, fast," Margaret said, trying to stay calm.
William's wound was already infected. If they stayed in the seawater any longer, it could get really bad. She had to get William to the island quickly to treat his wounds.
"William, hang in there," Margaret said, feeling his condition deteriorating.
William pressed his pale lips together, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. "I'm sorry, Margaret, for making you worry."
The fight with the fish had drained too much of his energy. Despite his strong will to suppress the pain and keep swimming with Margaret, he felt powerless. His body was burning with fever, while the seawater was icy cold, making him feel like he was being tortured between extreme heat and cold.
Margaret supported William with one hand and tied their life jackets together with the other, decisively swimming towards the island.
William grew weaker by the moment. Margaret became anxious. "William, how are you holding up?"
William didn't respond.
Margaret's heart tightened. She shook William's arm. "William, wake up! Don't fall asleep!"
The man beside her struggled to open his eyes and looked at her. "Margaret, I'm sorry. I might not be able to protect you anymore."
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