“Burt, would you like to walk on the beach with me tonight?” Carole asked. She had spent the last week at her parents house walking on egg-shells with their house guest and had told herself repeatedly that she needed to be a little bolder.

“Id be happy to if youd like,” Burt replied, but it didnt seem as if his heart was in it.

Carole understood. Her own husband had died in service to his country, even if it wasnt in the heat of a battle. He had been a sweet boy, full of life and honor. He joined the military out of some misconceived aspiration of being a hero and when that turned into the nightmare of neglect and failed dreams he had taken his own life. Carole didnt know if his last thoughts were of his family: of her or his young son, Finn, who was barely a toddler, but it didnt matter because he was gone.

Now she was trying to help this new friend shed been given, this man that was tearing himself up over the loss of his son; trying desperately to hold on to the hope that Kurt might still be alive somewhere. Carole knew that feeling, thinking of the days when her husband had been overseas, in a war. She closed her eyes and asked God to give her the strength to live through this again, for the sake of her friend.

“Hey, Mom, did you want me to walk with you?” Finn asked. He could see his mother was emotional, though he didnt know the cause of it. He rarely did. When she got that look, he would walk with her or just sit beside her and hold her hand while they watched television or sat on the porch swing. He knew it helped, she would usually be okay again in a few hours. He suspected that she might be lonely or missing his dad, so when his grandparents asked them to stay in St Thomas for the rest of the summer, Finn was optimistic that it might heal his mother to be near her parents.

“No, sweetheart, Burt is going with me. You can go visit that cute brunette I saw you with earlier today,” she smiled. Finn had always made friends easily and apparently the island was no exception since he already had a bevy of young friends that called or came over to get him for summer fun.

Finn blushed, so he must like this new girl, Carole guessed.

“Okay, Mom. Yeah, Sheila asked me to come to the dive-in – theyre showing one of the old Star Wars movies tonight.”

“Dive-in? Dont you mean drive-in?” Carole asked.

“No, they show the movie at the shore and they have those blow-up chairs that float? The audience is in the shallow part of the bay, which is roped off by buoys. So...you know dive-in...get it?” Finn giggled.

“Oh, very clever. Well, okay, sure. Be home by midnight. Do you need some money?” she asked.

Finn smiled at his mother. “No, Im fine. Thanks, Mom, and have a good evening, okay?”

“I will, sweetie.”

When the sun was starting to set, Carole and Burt were walking down a deserted part of the beach. Burt had been telling her a funny story about Kurt and a tea party hed insisted on having, including making petit fours. It took longer to clean the kitchen than to have the tea party. Carole laughed along with Burt.

“Kurt must be an amazing boy,” she said, walking closer.

“Yeah. I can hardly wait to see him smile at me again. I miss him so much...” Burt said in a melancholy voice, stopping to gather himself together. He had never been so close to tears as these past few weeks. It had now been five months and he was starting to admit to himself that Kurt might actually be gone.

Carole stepped closer in front of Burt, reaching up to wipe away the tears running down his cheeks. She hadnt actually seen him cry in the past month, but she could sometimes hear him late at night. She tried to think of something to say to make it better, but long hours of thinking had come up with nothing. So, she pulled him down to her and brushed her lips across his – and kissed him. To her surprise, he kissed her back and they spent the next half hour standing on the deserted beach in the last rays of the tropical sun just kissing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Come here, Dixon, come to Papa,” Kurt coaxed, holding a small fish for the pelican to gobble down. He could hear Blaine laughing from the log over by the shelter, but he ignored his boyfriend to try to get the bird to come closer to him.

“You need a dog, Kurt. I dont think that pelican is going to sit on your lap or lick your face,” Blaine said in a kidding voice.

“I dont need him to lick me – I have you for that,” Kurt snarked. He hated being made fun of and his wit was as sharp as ever, even here where the only other person was Blaine.

The doctor got up and walked towards Kurt, stepping silently across the fine sand so he could kiss his boyfriend. It had been the best month of his life, these past four weeks with Kurt. He couldnt help but imagine what being back in Charlotte Amalie would be like, he and Kurt sharing a little bungalow on the beach. Coming home every day to Kurts sexy smile and warm arms would be everything Blaine had ever wanted.

As he walked closer to the boy, his shadow happened to pass over Kurt and Blaine saw him flinch. He stopped in his tracks, wondering if the heat from the sun could be felt in just those few seconds when his shadow passed. He moved so the sun was back on Kurt, then sank down to see what would happen. Kurt flinched again.

“Kurt?” he asked and the boy startled, turning quickly towards the sound of Blaines voice.

“Yeah? Im over here with Dixon,” he answered, moving his head to try and hear what direction Blaines voice had come from.

“Kurt, can you see anything at all?” Blaine asked, hurrying to his side.

“Ah..well...I dont know. Every once in a while I think I see sort of a gray or a rosy sort of color, like it flickers. I thought it was my imagination, why?” Kurt said, sinking down to sit on the sand beside the large bird.

“Kurt, when I was walking over here, I blocked the sun from hitting your face, and you flinched.”

“No, I dont think I did. I didnt notice anyway....maybe it was a coincidence,” Kurt said, not wanting to believe in something that would turn out to be a lie.

“Why didnt you tell me?” Blaine asked, upset that Kurt was holding back something so very important from him.

“I...” Kurt tried to say, but the tears were now stinging his eyes and he covered his face with his hands.

Blaine moved quickly to sit beside the boy, reaching around him to pull him close. He left kisses on his head, then lifted his chin so they could hear each other.

“How long has this been going on?” Blaine asked as his professional bedside manner took hold.

“For a few weeks. My head hurts some days and then I think I can see these patterns – like rosy ink being poured over black velvet. Sometimes the inky patches are yellow or sort of a light blue. I thought it was because I wanted to see so badly that I made it up in my head,” Kurt said.

“I dont think you made it up, honey. It might be that the blood that was blocking the optic nerve might be dissipating. What can you see now?” Blaine asked, wishing with his whole being that he had a light to flash into Kurts eye to see if his optic nerve was swollen.

Kurt got a look of deep concentration on his face and stared at a space of blue sky. It was the only place devoid of clouds – and that, Blaine thought, was probably not a coincidence.

“It looks like sort of pinkish yellow? Just those inky splotches and a sort of lacy bit of darkness with the pink showing through? Does that even make sense?” Kurt asked, ducking his head down.

“Yes, it does. Kurt, I dont want to give you false hope, but I think you can handle the truth of it. It does sound as if your sight might be coming back, but slowly. You have to be extra careful not to look at the sun. Ill tie the blindfold back on if you want, but you have to be careful,” Blaine explained.

“So, you think Ill see again?” Kurt asked.

“I do, but the question is how much youll be able to see. It might just be light and dark you know. Kurt, baby, I dont want to set you up for disappointment,” Blaine said, hugging the boy close.

“Even if its just that – light and dark – I will be happy,” Kurt said, then kissed Blaine.

Living on the island by themselves had spoiled Blaine and Kurt to the point that they stopped several times a day to just kiss and cuddle, often leading to caresses and fondling and eventually to sex. The bottle of olive oil was eventually going to run out no matter how scrupulous they were with it and Blaine was trying to find a substitute, but so far he hadnt come up with anything.

The next evening the two were walking across the beach. It was low tide and Kurt was thinking of diving for scallops in one of the deep pools. They tried to rotate the few types of food, sometimes having clams and then fish for the next meal. Having to feed Dixon was a problem, but they always managed to skim enough tiny fish to satisfy the bird. He was much better, but would probably never fly again. Blaine had taken the canvas off when the bones knit, but the bird just stayed in camp most of the time, following Kurt around like a dog, begging for fish.

“How about lobster for dinner?” Kurt asked. It had been over a week since hed dived for lobster.

“Sure, that sounds great,” Blaine tried to sound cheerful. They were both so sick of their diet it was beginning to grate on their nerves, in spite of the fact that they knew how blessed they were to have any source of food at all.

Kurt walked over to the pool, his hand on Blaines arm for direction, and took off his clothes. If he had been shy to do this in the beginning, it was no longer a reason for blushing, neither of them thought much about showing their skin any more. Kurt slipped into the water, still feeling that apprehension every time he did it. It was scary to dive into water when you couldnt see where you were going. This particular tide pool was one they used a lot and as Kurt oriented himself, he felt along the rock shelves for some kind of shellfish.

What he didnt expect was the harpoon he stepped on while he was trying to find a foothold. The pain ran up his leg and caused him to take in a lungful of water, which caused him to panic and kick for the surface. He wasnt careful, had no time to feel his way and as he rose in the water, he hit his head hard against a rock. Kurts body breached the water, his throat no longer trying to scream as the sheer panic that was crippling him died as he lost consciousness.

Lucky for Kurt, Blaine was there and saw the look on his face. He lunged out to grab his boyfriend, pulling him out of the water and lying him down on the warm sand. Blaine was close to panic himself, seeing Kurt unconscious with blood running down his face. He checked to be sure Kurt was breathing, turning him on his side as sea water gushed out of his nose and mouth, then checking again. Definite breath sounds and a strong pulse.

Blaine moved to stop the bleeding next, applying pressure to the gaping wound on his head. He had managed to stop the bleeding and get his shirt wrapped around Kurts forehead. Now, to drag him all the way out of the pool.

Blaine grabbed Kurt under his arms and began to haul his legs out of the tide pool, but is foot seemed to be caught. He walked back to the edge and looked into the clear water, seeing if his heel was maybe stuck between some rocks...

What was that? Blaine focused his eyes on Kurts foot and it became too clear. He lifted the foot, setting it on the dry sand before dragging him the rest of the way out of the water. Blaine had been a trauma surgeon, hed seen some of the worst the streets of New York had to offer. Not one of those horrific things had ever made him sick enough to actually vomit – until now. He knew it was because it was Kurt, the boy he loved so much, and he was back by Kurts side in seconds.

The harpoons sharp spike was going through the ball of his foot and came out the top. It didnt bleed very much, but Blaine knew that it would when he pulled the metal out. He was dizzy thinking of the mess that would make of Kurts elegant foot.

Right now he was assessing whether it was the shock of the harpoon in his foot or whether it was the wound on his head that was keeping Kurt from consciousness. He was breathing fine, his pulse was still strong – both things in his favor.

Blaine knew if he was going to do something, it had better be now while Kurt was unaware of it. He did not have any anesthetic for him, and removing that wicked spike was going to hurt.

Blaine sprinted back to the camp, grabbing the first aid kit and making it back before Kurt had opened an eye. It was lucky that it was a very small harpoon – it looked like it hadnt broken any of the tiny bones of Kurts foot.

He worked quickly, pushing the harpoon the rest of the way through the foot, pulling against the hook would be much worse. He cleaned the wound as best as he could given the spring water and a little peroxide that was in the kit. There were sterile catgut and needles and Blaine placed a drain and sewed up the ragged tear. There wasnt much he could do after that, except hold Kurts hand until he woke up. He prayed it wouldnt be too long.

“Auuuuughhhh,” came from Kurt and Blaine was next to him, trying to comfort his lover.

“Kurt, baby...its going to be okay, I promise. Do you know where you are?” Blaine asked, smoothing his fingers across Kurts forehead and down his cheek.

“Blaine?”

“Yes. You were in the tide pool, do you remember?”

“Ahh...yeah. I was searching for a lobster and put my arm in one of the crevices in the rock, but I was slipping. I tried to get a foothold and something bit me,” Kurt said.

“It was a harpoon.”

“A harpoon bit me? Oh...someone shot me with a harpoon?” Kurt was dizzy and this made no sense to him. “Why would someone shoot me?”

“No, baby, you didnt get shot. You stepped on the harpoon. I had to remove it and stitch the wound shut. If youre doing okay, I can give you something for the pain, but you were out for almost twenty minutes,” Blaine tried to explain.

“Oh...my head hurts and the patterns are different. Like, brighter or something,” Kurt said.

“Lets sit you up and see, okay?” Blaine said, helping Kurt to sit up. He looked closely at Kurts eyes, but the pupils were the same size. They reacted when Blaine shaded them from the sunlight and he nodded to himself.

“How bad is the pain, honey?”

“My head is aching and my foot is throbbing, but it isnt as bad as it was when the spar fell on me in the storm,” Kurt said.

“How are you with needles?” Blaine asked. Kurts eyes got big, but he just nodded. “Are you allergic to anything, like penicillin?”

“Nope. Nothing that I know of, not even goldenrod,” Kurt said.

“Well, Im going to give you some penicillin. There is some in the first aid kit and I dont want you to get an infection with that deep wound. Have you had a tetanus shot in the last ten years?”

“I have no idea. Do you have to have one to go to public school?” Kurt asked.

“Probably. Were going to keep it so clean that there wont be a chance of an infection. Now, I dont think I can get you as far as the shelter, so Ill get you above the high tide line, then go get some things for tonight. Maybe I can make something for you so you can get back to the shelter tomorrow.”

Kurt lay back on the sand and closed his eyes. Blaine was back in a few minutes and gave him a very painful injection in his butt cheek. He had brought some blankets and food with him, then went back for the water.

Kurt glared at where he thought Blaine was standing.

“That hurt. I bet you enjoyed it, didnt you?” Kurt accused the doctor.

“Yes, baby, thats why I became a doctor – so I could stick needles in unsuspecting attractive mens butts,” Blaine said back playfully, rubbing the butt in question to try and make if feel better.

Kurt didnt eat much that night and he had a low grade fever by bedtime, so Blaine cuddled him close and held him all night. The boy woke up several times and Blaine gave him some of the pills that were in the medical kit, making Kurt sleepy.

The sun rose in the morning, hot and bright. Its rays woke Blaine from his sound sleep and he was able to examine Kurts foot before the boy awoke. It was warm but not hot and there were no red streaks or pus forming – good news. Blaine heaved a sigh of relief. Things could have gone much worse.

A few hours later they had eaten breakfast and Blaine had wrapped the wound on Kurts foot. He was working out a way to make crutches because he didnt want the boy to step down on his foot for a few days.

“I think I can carry you to the shelter, Kurt, then if you can stay off the foot for a few more...” Blaine started. He came to sit by Kurt with a bit of lunch, some pineapple and mango with clams. After lunch, Blaine was sitting close to Kurt, kissing him. They were hot and tired and needed to rest, so they were lying on the blanket. There was a bit of shade, some palms were growing close to the shore here, and it was good to be on the beach with an ocean breeze blowing restlessly across the sand.

The next day Kurt woke up, the colors hed seen were gone: he was blind once again.

“Its okay, Kurt. The blood clot must have shifted again. It might take a few weeks to dissipate, dont give up hope. I wont,” Blaine crooned into Kurts ear as he dried his boyfriends tears.

“It isnt fair,” Kurt was a mess of soggy sadness, holding on to Blaine like he was Kurts lifeline.

Blaine just held him close, stroking over his hair and kissing his face. If there was a blood clot shifting near Kurts optic nerve, there was a chance of Kurt having a stroke. Blaine was almost paralyzed with fear over that – but he also knew that worrying would not help either of them. He had to accept that it might happen and try to keep it from his mind. He blinked back the tears that threatened and coughed to clear his throat.

“Youre going to be fine, sweetheart. Ill take care of you, I promise,” Blaine said. He was feeling to see if Kurt had a fever. He was unusually warm, but not firecracker hot. The doctor had been on the lookout for anything that resembled the signs of tetanus: muscle spasms, irritability, fever. It wasnt likely that Kurt could get tetanus, but it would be best to keep on top of it.

Kurt stopped crying, but his mood didnt change much. Blaine tried to distract him with kisses and that worked better, leading to cuddling and then to touching.

“Blaine....” Kurt sighed, his hand on Blaines stomach. He was hard and needed Blaine more than he ever had before, begging for him to do something to make it better.

“Come here, baby...” Blaine said, helping Kurt remove the few clothes he was wearing and lie down on the blanket. He ran his hands over Kurts skin, helping him to relax, kissing him until hed forgotten his disappointment over his sight.

“Blaine...please, Blaine...make love to me,” Kurt asked, reaching out to stroke Blaines cock.

“Okay, baby...okay.” Blaine held Kurt tenderly, moving his hands slowly to prepare him and then when Kurt was keening and begging, Blaine slipped into him and they rode the waves together.

It was a long time before Blaine fell asleep that night, wondering how long it was going to take for them to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Carole, Im going to sail down past Martinique today. The wind is right and it just looks like a good day for a longer trip. Do you want to go?” Milo asked.

“Sure, Dad. Anyone else going?” she asked, hoping Burt would join them.

“Yeah, Finn and Burt. I asked your mum, but shes playing cards at the club this morning, so I guess its just the four of us. Ill be ready to go in half an hour, okay?” he said and Carole grinned.

On the ocean, the water was the perfect shade of aquamarine, the clouds puffy and white. Burt was tired from being up late the night before, but could not turn down another chance to search for Kurt. He was sitting on the deck, going over a map with Carole as they checked off the places they had already looked.

“Dad, are we going to the atolls west or east of Martinique?” she called.

“East, we have been west a few weeks ago,” he said. He had to admit that he was growing to think this was all just a wild goose chase, but Carole had asked him to keep trying for a while. Milo would do just about anything for his daughter.

As the yacht came around a spit of land, there was another atoll in the far distance. It was just like a hundred others they had sailed past, but Burt and Finn looked along the beach just the same.

“Burt, do you see that?” Finn asked, pointing to the small islet. “It looks like a sort of...structure?”

Burt rushed to the rail, telescope in hand.

“Yeah, that isnt natural I dont think. Maybe we should check it out?”

Finn agreed and got the little skiff ready. The yacht took too much water, so when they saw something out of the ordinary, they anchored the large boat and launched the skiff. Finn got in, taking the oars and rowed towards the tiny beach. He got out and waved at his grandfather and Burt, pointing to where he was going to look.

~*~*~*~*~

“Do you hear something?” Blaine asked, turning his head to hear better.

“Like what?” Kurt asked.

“A voice?” Blaine said, moving to the top of a rocky pile. “I can hear somebody calling, I think!”

Kurt started yelling, Blaine joining in. Blaine ran down the beach to the pile of greasy sea-grape to light it on fire. Soon billows of black smoke were filling the air. Both Kurt and Blaine were coughing, moving away from the drifting smoke and shouting. Dixon was following Kurt like a puppy, staying close to the person he trusted.

On the water, Milo saw the smoke and sailed the boat closer to the shore, looking to see where Finn had gone. He could see the skiff in the sand, but no sign of his grandson. Burt was leaning over the rail, watching the smoke and so excited he could hardly contain himself.

“It has to be Kurt!”

Carole stepped closer, taking Burts hand. She hoped it was Kurt, but there were still seven people missing and it might not even be a victim of the storm. She knew how it was to wait, wondering if the next minute would bring the good news they had waited so long for.

Finn walked along the shore for a while, but he thought he heard someone yelling and went towards the noise. He was struggling to get through the jungle, pushing aside the greenery. Finally he could hear the shouting more clearly, could make out the voices calling.

“Here we are! We need help!”

Finn shouted back, “Im here, I have a boat...where are you?”

He could see a big cloud of black smoke and followed it, coming out of the trees to see two men standing on the sand. Well, one was standing, but the other one looked as if he couldnt stand and was leaning against the man with curly hair.

“Kurt?” Finn asked. “Kurt Hummel?”

“Yes! Im Kurt...who are you?” he asked, not recognizing the voice. In his excitement he stepped forward, lost his balance as Blaine put his arms around him, keeping the younger man upright.

“Im Finn Hudson. Im a friend of your dads. Your dads name is Burt, right?”

“Yes...thats my dad. Where is he? Is he with you?” Kurt practically screamed.

“Calm down, baby,” Blaine said, “He looks like hes alone.”

Kurt wilted a bit, but held on to Blaine, trembling all over.

“Ah, hes in the yacht. My grandpa, Milo Forrester, owns the yacht and hes been helping your dad look for you,” Finn explained. He looked at the skinny boy with freckles and long reddish brown hair. He looked sick, so thin and he had a bandage wrapped around his foot.

“Were you on the ship, too?” Finn asked, shifting his gaze to Blaine.

“No, a different ship, but I got thrown overboard in the same storm. Im Blaine.”

Finn shook his hand and turned back to Kurt.

“We need to go back to the beach where I left the skiff. Do you need help?” Finn asked, seeing the boy was not able to walk by himself. Before Kurt could even answer, Finn picked him up and Kurts arms flailed out as he panicked. He screamed and flailed until Blaine came rushing forward – taking Kurt into his own arms and setting him down on the soft sand.

“Hey, Kurt. Youre okay, baby. Here, concentrate on me,” Blaine cooed, holding Kurts face and rubbing his cheek against the frightened boys face.

“Im sorry...” Kurt whispered. “Blaine...dont leave me. Please dont leave me.”

Finn just stood there, shocked at the other boys reaction to him.

“Hey, man, I didnt mean to scare you. I just saw that you cant walk and....” Finn just stood staring, trying to think of how to get Kurt to the skiff. He had to get him back to his father. Burt was going to be over the moon when he saw Kurt.

“Kurt, are you okay now?” Blaine asked, still holding his boyfriend.

“Yeah,” Kurt answered, holding Blaine with a crushing force.

“Let your arms relax, baby. This man is going to carry you, but I am going to be right beside you all the time. I promise. You can hold your hand, okay?” Blaine explained. Kurt nodded and allowed Finn to pick him up once more. This must be a very large man, Kurt thought, though he sounded young.

Blaine walked close to the young giant, watching as he walked back through the trees to the small beach to the north. The pelican followed close behind. They could see a large boat in the harbor and a small skiff beached among some trees. Finn set Kurt down and Blaine rushed over, keeping an eye on the boy.

Finn motioned for Blaine to follow and he stepped a ways away.

“Whats wrong with him?” Finn asked. “Why is he acting so strange?”

“He cant see. He was hit on his head in the boat wreck and hes just scared. Hell be okay if I can stay next to him,” Blaine explained and Finn nodded. Blaine rushed back to Kurts side.

“Kurt, are you okay to sit in the skiff?” Finn asked. Burts son looked like he couldnt even sit up for more than a few minutes.

“Yes,” he said, in some sort of shock thinking that all these months of being stranded were coming to an end. “But I have to have Blaine with me. I cant go without him...” Kurt sounded on the edge of panic, throwing his head around, trying to hear where Blaine was standing. He held out his arms with expectation and Blaine came to hold him.

“Are you...?” Finn started to ask, the knowledge of what was wrong with Kurt making him a little apprehesive. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Kurt said, burying his face in Blaines neck for security. He wanted to be taken to his dad, but he was afraid this was all a dream.

“Im sorry, dude, about the accident and you being blind. I bet my grandparents can find somebody to help,” he said, pulling the skiff from its place in the brush. “Get in, I can row us all back,” he said, helping Blaine get Kurt settled. Dixon screamed, very nervous of this new person and not wanting to be left behind.

“Can we bring Dixon?” asked Kurt, trying to face the new man.

“Is that the pelican?” Finn asked, watching the poor bird pace back and forth.

“Yeah, we rescued him. He cant fly or swim, so hell die if we leave him behind,” Kurt explained.

“Well, sure. I guess. Can you get him in the skiff?” Finn asked.

Blaine threw his shirt over the birds body to stop him from flapping his good wing, then placed him in the skiff.

“Is there anything else you need to take?” Finn asked. Hed assumed these two were the only inhabitants of the tiny atoll.

“No, nothing. We were here alone and theres nothing but a few things we found on the ship...and a lot of coconuts,” Blaine giggled, putting his head on Kurts shoulder. Kurts arm went around him instinctively and he kissed Blaines hair. He hoped with all of his might that things would end up with not losing Blaine. He could give up his sight, but he wasnt ready to say goodbye to this man.

“The water looks calm, but hold on. Swells can come up without warning,” Finn warned, pushing the little boat into the bay.

~*~*~*~*~*~

On the deck of the yacht, Burt was leaning over, his eyes glued to the binoculars.

“Theres someone in the skiff with Finn,” he said, scared to say that it might be Kurt. He had put forth a brave front, but he was still worried in his heart that Kurt was gone.