Episode 4 (Serena Season 2)

We have dinner with guys and Angelo before Serena and I head back to our treehouse.

She was quiet for most of the meal,

but slips her arm around my hips once we're up on the bridge and making our way through the door.

Serena: "Did you have a good time at the party?"

MC: "Even with the medical emergency in the middle of it, yeah."

Serena's low 'tsk' of displease is unmistakeable,

and I lure her back into the bedroom before sitting down, curiosity getting the better of me.

MC: "The guy was alright, Serena."

MC: "You didn't do anything wrong."

Serena: "I know I didn't."

Serena: "It's what Olivia did."

MC: "With the plants? Yeah, that was bizarre."

MC: "I thought we got lucky with those when everyone was sick,"

MC: "but it seems like there's a ton of different kinds here."

Serena: "It's not safe."

MC: "What do you mean, it's not safe?"

Serena: "If I'd had a choice to use anything but those plants, , I would have."

Serena: "You don't just experiment on people using things you find in the jungle."

Serena: "My parents, my grandparents, they all used home remedies for illness when I was growing up,"

Serena: "but that has centuries of precedence."

MC: "I mean, maybe this is something new? It could be a great discovery."

Serena: "Maybe, but that takes testing."

Serena: "It takes research."

Serena: "Instead, she's using those leaves to cure something as simple as heat exhaustion."

Serena: "Rest and fluids is enough."

A. "Take Olivia's side."

B. "Agree with her."

C. "Say they both helped."

---

B. "Agree with her."

MC: "I guess it was kind of over the top."

MC: "She's only got to have so much of that stuff, right?"

MC: "It is a little weird to waste it on something you could fix with sleep and water."

---

Serena sighs, jaw tensing as she looks away from me and out one of the windows.

Her frustration is palpable, but she doesn't pull away when I put my hand over hers.

MC: "It's been a while since you worked in the hospital, right?"

MC: "And back then you had other doctors and admins pressuring you to focus on things you didn't want to."

Serena: "Yes."

MC: "So having another doc show up after you've been doing stuff for us by yourself isn't a great reminder, yeah?"

Serena: "..."

Serena: "I just don't want to see anyone get hurt."

MC: "Because you've got a big heart, and that's one of the things I love about you."

MC: "Maybe you two have different methods, but two doctors is totally better than one."

MC: "Both of you can help a lot of people."

Serena: "You always know the right thing to say."

MC: "I know you."

MC: "And I promise you'll always be my doctor."

Serena: "I better be."

Her feigned air of offense makes me laugh, and I pull Serena down onto the bed so we can cuddle together.

She presses a kiss to the top of my head, fingers winding through my hair as our bodies press together.

MC: "What do you think about staying here?"

Serena: "For good?"

MC: "It's a lot nicer than the resort."

Serena: "It is."

Serena: "I can't say I really wanted to spend the rest of my life there."

Serena: "Or even the next year."

A. Ask what she wants to do.

B. Same here.

---

B. Same here.

MC: "Same here."

MC: "But it was a roof over our head."

---

Serena murmurs a reply against my hair and I smile to myself,

realizing that she's starting to fall asleep at my back.

Falling quiet, I listen to the sound of her breathing going even,

the weight of her presence soothing me to sleep moments later.

Breakfast is waiting for us like the morning before,

but as soon as we're done eating, Serena drags me out of the treehouse.

We meet up with the guys out under the sun where it's warm but not overwhelming,

and Clyde's pulled out some wooden chairs.

Clyde: "Found a rack of these out behind our house."

Clyde: "Thought we could all sit and talk."

MC: "Sure. What's up?"

Clyde: "Just wanted to get the lay of the land from everyone."

Clyde: "How we're feeling about this place."

Logan: "Are you kidding? I love it."

Logan: "A bunch of folks here were getting a kick out of Hope last night,"

Logan: "and a couple of the villagers have engineering experience too."

Arthur: "There is a wealth of knowledge."

Arthur: "Kiyoe has been collecting books from the buildings and wrecks here for years."

Arthur: "I had resigned myself to being surrounded by mysteries."

TK: "When all we needed was to take a trip over the mountains."

MC: "So you like it here too, TK?"

TK: "Plenty to take pictures of."

TK: "And a couple kids dragged me into their soccer game this morning."

TK: "Definitely more than I expected after we were almost crushed ina temple and crocodile bait."

Serena: "You say that like you were the one that fell."

Serena: "My question is, does Angelo want us staying?"

Clyde: "Seemed like it when I talked to him. Sharp bloke."

Clyde: "He's been in charge for a long time through a lot of troubles, but keeps an open mind."

MC: "I like Leilani. She's sweet."

Logan: "She is. Olivia's not bad either."

Logan's wide grin makes Serena roll her eyes, but she doesn't make any other comment.

Serena: "Does that settle it, then? Everyone's happy?"

Clyde: "In a way, I suppose."

Clyde: "But I hadn't quite resigned myself to living out my days here."

Clyde: "I don't know about the rest of you."

MC: "I mean..."

MC: "If I had a chance to go home, I'd definitely take it."

There's a moment of silence before everyone murmurs in agreement.

(Just because things are a lot nicer in the village,)

(doesn't mean our everyday lives aren't still waiting out there.)

Clyde: "I want to get everyone back safe."

Clyde: "I've promised that."

Clyde: "But the question now is how."

TK: "This village has plenty of resources."

TK: "Hell, they already have ships."

Logan: "Good enough for fishing even in a storm, from what a couple guys on the docks told me."

MC: "Does that mean we're building a boat?"

(I wonder why the people here haven't.)

(Especially if there's other wrecks around.)

(Our ship got smashed in half, but are all of them that way?)

Clyde: "That was the first thing that came to mind."

Clyde: "I know Logan got Hope flying, but he is more of land and water kind of guy."

Serena: "I'm not sure any of us want to fly Owens Airlines any time soon."

Logan: "Hey, I--"

Logan: "You know, that's fair."

Logan: "I haven't built a lot of planes."

TK: "And you're a captain, not a pilot, Clyde."

Arthur: "It does seem to be the safest option, provided we have the supplies."

MC: "This village seems to have everything."

MC: "I bet there's a lot of tools to go around if we ask."

Serena: "We'll have to start working to earn our keep if we're going to scavenge this place for parts."

Clyde: "The jungle's got a lot to give up without taking what's already tied down."

Clyde: "Besides, Serena, you're already working on patients."

Clyde: "I saw that yesterday."

Serena clears her throat quietly, but once Clyde's attention turns away from her,

I catch a small, pleased smile.

(She does like having her work noticed, even if she'd never demand it.)

MC: "That doesn't mean you guys can get banged up putting the ship together, though."

TK: "Hey, I'm putting a hammer in your hands too, ."

MC: "I'm happy to help."

MC: "I know Serena's already gonna take care of me."

Clyde: "She just doesn't want to share."

We all laugh and Serena smirks, her knee brushing against mine through our skirts.

Logan: "Hey, don't be like that."

Logan: "I don't have any insurance out here."

Olivia: "Don't worry, Logan."

Olivia: "Serena's not the only doctor around here."

I turn and see Olivia standing on the far bridge, wood creaking softly under her feet as she approaches.

When she waves, I wave back, and Clyde pulls up another chair, scooting over to give her some space.

Clyde: "Come take a load off, Olivia."

Olivia: "Oh, I'm fine, thank you."

Olivia: "But I wanted to take a minute to check in on everyone."

Olivia: "Settling into the swing of things?"

Logan: "This place is fantastic."

Arthur: "It really is impressive."

Serena shrugs when Olivia looks at her,

and I have to stifle a chuckle at Olivia's slightly alarmed expression.

(I guess Serena's a little hard to read if you don't know her.)

Olivia: "I'm glad to hear it, but I don't think you've had a chance to see everything."

Her eyes settle on mine, bright and eager, and my heartbeat does a bit of a surprised stutter.

Something about Olivia's gaze is a lot more intense than I expected.

(Or maybe I've just been out in the sun too long.)

Olivia: "How about a tour?"

Clyde: "That'd be lovely, Olivia."

Arthur: "I would like to stretch my legs."

One of the hardest things on the island is keeping boredom from setting in,

and a chance to see something new is too much of a temptation.

I'm up out of my seat a moment after Clyde, and Serena moves to follow, even if she doesn't say a word.

Olivia: "You can go down the ladder first, ."

Olivia: "I'll hold it steady for you."

MC: "Oh! Thanks."

It's not a long trip down, but Olivia leads all of us away from the docks,

to the other side of the coast and through a copse of fruit trees.

A few villagers pause in their work to say hi,

and my mouth waters at seeing entire baskets of fruit just sitting there.

(No wonder there's always enough to go with breakfast.)

Olivia: "Just come through here and... check it out."

When we step through the line of trees, I'm expecting a beautiful view of the ocean,

and while that's part of it, that's not why my eyes go wide.

Rolling green hills sprawl out towards the horizon, each one dotted with a windmill,

huge vanes slowly turning with the breeze.

Logan: "You have wind power here? Damn."

Oliviva: "Have to use what you got, right? The island didn't really come with a power grid."

MC: "Wow."

MC: "How long did it take to build all those?"

Olivia: "A while, but it gets easier once you get the first one up."

Arthur: "Practice makes perfect."

Olivia: "Yup! And they provide a lot of energy we can't get anywhere else."

Olivia: "But there's one more place I want to show you."

We cut a wide path through the hills,

following a trail through cut grass until coming to another group of treehouses.

The one in front is absolutely covered in plants,

vines and flowers spilling down the roof and obscuring the windows.

Olivia: "That's my house."

Olivia: "If there's ever an emergency, you can find me here."

Olivia: "Or just if you want company."

Olivia: "It gets lonely in the greenhouse sometimes."

Logan: "The greenhouse?"

Olivia: "Just a joke we make around here."

Olivia reaches up and plucks one of the flowers closest to her door,

its lush pink petals large enough to hide her hand when she offers it to me.

Olivia: "A token to welcome you all here."

Olivia: "I don't have a lot of chances to give gifts."

A. "Thank you so much."

B. "We won't be here long."

C. "It's beautiful."

---

A. "Thank you so much."

MC: "Thank you, but everyone here has already been so generous."

MC: "I think the village makes a culture out of giving gifts."

<p style="text-align:center;">---

Olivia: "We have to watch each other's backs in this place."

Olivia: "It's how we keep going."

I take the flower when no one else reaches for it.

hoping that the blush I can feel rising up my face goes unnoticed.

Serena: "Thank you for the tour, Olivia, but I think we should head back now."

Olivia: "Of course. I should get some gardening done."

Serena exchanges the flower for her hand, which I grasp tight as she turns around.

The guys seem a little confused but say their goodbyes nonetheless,

running to catch up before we're out of sight.