Time: 9:15 AM.
During breakfast, Dr. John mentioned that he had found a way to save Rose but asked that no one question him about what that way was. Since they trusted Dr. John, none of them insisted.
Right after eating, Dr. John and Peter went to Rose with her food. Although she didn't eat all of it, the doctor still gave her as much as she could manage. After giving her the morning medicine, Dr. John stepped outside, leaving Peter with her.
"I need you to listen carefully to everything I'm about to say and you must do exactly as I tell you," Peter said firmly.
In response, Rose simply nodded. Peter then explained to her everything the doctor had told him. Even after hearing it all, she showed no fear, which surprised Peter greatly.
"I'm ready to do it," Rose agreed.
"Alright then, be prepared," Peter said, before getting up and walking back to Dr. John's side.
...
To collect water, a few of them took the small bottles they had in hand and set out toward the bamboo grove from the shore. Since there was no need to hunt for animals this time, Francis did not go with them. The pork they had caught the previous day was still enough for the night, so they had decided not to hunt today. With nothing else to do, and since he wasn't going along, Francis spent his time in the tent reading a book.
...
Meanwhile, Dr. John and Peter were preparing Rose's tent so that the Astral Projection could be carried out properly. After taking their own bedsheets from the suitcase, they came to Rose's tent. Using the sheets, they divided the tent into two separate layers. Not even the moonlight should disturb the one performing Astral Projection, so they covered the tent further with additional sheets. Luckily, moonlight reached the shore only faintly, so it didn't take them much effort to block it completely.
Inside the tent, the two of them moved out all the belongings together. Everything was transferred into the doctor's new tent. Those on the shore could not understand what they were doing and simply watched in confusion.
Inside the forest since they knew where the bamboo grove was, everyone reached there by afternoon. Each person began to bore holes into different bamboo stalks. Using the pots and bottles they had, they collected the water. On their way back, they only plucked some fruits.
...
Alice's tent.
She held a map in her hands. It showed the routes of the ship they had traveled on. For a while she searched through it. No matter how hard she tried, she could not figure out where exactly they had ended up stranded. She sank deeper into thought.
"Where exactly are we trapped? How did each of us get back our belongings in our own hands? What happened to the ship and to the others who were still on it?" Such questions sharpened Alice's thoughts even more. She even wondered if everything she was seeing was nothing but a terrible dream.
Thinking she might wake up, she pinched herself lightly. She did this with her eyes closed, holding on to the hope that when she opened them again, this would all turn out to be just a dream. But when she opened her eyes, disappointment was all that awaited her.
No matter how much she thought, she couldn't accept the things happening around her. Her reasoning simply refused to agree.
Suddenly, someone entered her tent. It was Max. As usual, she had been listening to music through his headphones. The moment she stepped inside, Max removed the headphones from his ears.
"Teacher, if you're free, will you come play with me?" Even though she wasn't really her teacher, Max always called Alice teacher.
"Sorry, I don't have time right now. Maybe later." Alice replied.
"Okay," Max said, putting her headphones back on. Listening to music again, she bounced out of the tent.
By the time the group that had gone into the forest returned to the shore, it was already around 3:00 in the afternoon. They distributed the collected fresh water equally among everyone. Each of them then became busy preparing for the night.
Peter, inside his tent, had dozed off lightly. In his dream, someone was repeatedly whispering a single phrase: "Hug me." The constant repetition made his ears begin to ache. Suddenly, as if struck by a blow, he opened his eyes wide. Even after waking up, that voice kept echoing in Peter's ears. He pressed both his hands tightly against them. Without even realizing it, tears began to stream down his face. Only when he heard the doctor's voice from outside did Peter return to his normal state. Quickly, he wiped away the tears with his hand and stepped out. By then, it was already 7:00 p.m.
"We need to give some instructions to the others," the doctor said as soon as he saw Peter coming out. Half-dazed, Peter nodded in agreement. Since the pork had already been cut, all that was left was to roast it. By 7:30, everyone was sitting around the fire, eating the pork.
The doctor stood up and gave a few instructions to the group:
"Tonight, everyone must go to their tents and sleep by eight o'clock sharp. All of you will notice the tent where Rose is lying, and the changes made to it. Those were done for the plan I am going to carry out tonight. No one should go near Rose's tent tonight."
"She must not be disturbed by sound or by light. This is the most important thing. I've already explained to you all what happened to her. If everything goes well tonight, she will be completely freed from her current condition. Do not ask me what exactly I'm going to do, because I cannot tell you. I trust that all of you will follow the instructions I've given."
Inside each of them, there was a mix of curiosity and fear about what Dr. John Samuel was planning to do. But because they trusted him, no one showed it outwardly. They knew that no one but the doctor could save Rose. That's why none of them opposed him.
To keep themselves a bit warmer, they all spent another 15 minutes around the campfire. Then, as per the doctor's instructions, by 8:00 p.m. everyone returned to their tents. This time, it was Peter who put out the fire. Then they went together to Rose's tent.
To be continued.....