"Tetap di sini," kata Alvaro sambil berdiri.
"Mau kemana?" Laura bertanya, mencengkeram kain celana Alvaro, matanya dipenuhi dengan kekhawatiran.
"Luka Anda semakin parah. Saya akan mencari persediaan dari puing-puing pesawat, mungkin ada obat yang bisa kita gunakan," jawab Alvaro.
"Ngomong-ngomong... Aku juga lapar dan haus," bisiknya, bibirnya pucat dan kering.
"Tunggu di sini."
Laura mengangguk ragu-ragu dan perlahan melepaskan cengkeramannya pada celana Alvaro. "Jangan terlalu lama," katanya lembut.
Alvaro menatapnya sejenak, ekspresinya tenang meskipun kedipan kekhawatiran melintas di matanya. "Aku akan kembali sebelum kamu kelaparan," jawabnya datar, menutupi kekhawatirannya. Dia berbalik dan berjalan pergi, meninggalkan Laura menyaksikan sosoknya menghilang ke dalam hutan.
Hutan di sekitar mereka terasa menakutkan, seolah-olah menyembunyikan sesuatu di balik pepohonan lebat yang menjulang tinggi. Alvaro bergerak dengan hati-hati, matanya mengamati setiap sudut untuk mencari puing-puing yang bisa membantu.
Dia berenang kembali ke wilayah laut untuk mengambil barang-barang yang masih mengambang di permukaan air.
Setelah beberapa menit, dia menemukan sepotong besar bagian logam dari badan pesawat. Tersebar di dekatnya adalah koper, tas kecil, dan berbagai barang lainnya yang dibuang selama kecelakaan. Dengan cepat, Alvaro mengobrak-abrik tas-tasnya.
"Perlengkapan medis," gumamnya ketika dia menemukan kotak pertolongan pertama kecil yang utuh. Dia membuka kotak itu dan menemukan perban, kapas, antiseptik, dan beberapa obat penghilang rasa sakit. "Ini seharusnya cukup untuk saat ini," gumamnya.
Tidak jauh dari situ, dia melihat sekantong transparan berisi makanan, bersama dengan sebotol air setengah penuh tergeletak di atas pasir. "Beruntung," pikirnya, mengumpulkan semua yang bisa dia bawa.
Saat dia hendak kembali ke Laura, dia mendengar suara gemerisik di semak-semak. Dia membeku, tubuhnya menegang.
"Sialan, jangan bilang ada binatang liar lain," gumamnya, mempersiapkan dirinya untuk yang terburuk. Tapi dari balik semak-semak, seekor rusa kecil muncul, tampak ketakutan.
Alvaro menghela nafas lega dan dengan cepat melanjutkan perjalanannya kembali ke Laura.
Ketika dia tiba, dia menemukannya duduk dengan kepala tertunduk, matanya hampir tertutup karena kelelahan.
"Laura," Alvaro memanggil, suaranya sedikit lebih lembut dari biasanya. Laura perlahan mengangkat kepalanya, senyum tipis di wajahnya yang pucat.
"Kamu kembali," katanya.
"Tentu saja," jawab Alvaro, meletakkan barang-barang yang dibawanya. "Sudah kubilang aku tidak akan lama, bukan?"
Dia duduk di depannya dan menyerahkan sebotol air padanya. "Minumlah ini," katanya. Laura mengambilnya dan segera meminumnya.
Dia tidak menyadari berapa banyak yang dia minum sampai dia melihat Alvaro, yang juga mengawasinya.
"Um ... maaf," katanya, menyerahkan botol itu kepadanya. Alvaro meminum sisa air sampai kosong.
"I'm going to treat your wound. I happened to find a bag with some medicine," Alvaro said.
"Um… are you sure you know how to do that?" Laura asked.
"Yes. Do I look like someone who doesn't?" he replied.
"I don't know. Judging by your clothes, your watch, and that suit… none of it looks cheap. I figured someone like you, who probably orders servants around, wouldn't be doing something like this... ahh!" Laura cried out as Alvaro poured alcohol on her wound.
"You're too noisy," Alvaro remarked, making Laura scowl as she endured the pain.
"The wound is deep. I think it needs stitches," he said, causing Laura's eyes to widen.
"Bite this," he said, handing her his coat.
"You're seriously going to stitch it?" Laura stared at Alvaro in horror, as if he were a psychopath.
"If you have a better idea, feel free to share it now," Alvaro replied coolly, pulling out a needle and thread from the first aid kit.
Laura looked at the needle in his hand, her face turning pale. "I… I think this is a bad idea," she said, voice trembling.
Alvaro sighed and looked at her with a flat expression. "You want your wound to rot? Or die from blood loss? It's your choice."
Laura winced, realizing she had no other option. Reluctantly, she bit down on the edge of his coat, eyes tightly shut. "Just do it... but if you make me look hideous, I swear I'll haunt you!" she threatened, her voice muffled by the fabric.
"Then stop moving. I don't want any ghosts messing with my work," Alvaro said as he began stitching the wound on Laura's leg.
Laura let out a muffled scream as the needle pierced her skin. The pain was sharp, almost unbearable, but she bit down hard on the coat to keep herself from screaming louder. Alvaro remained calm, focused on the task. His hands moved steadily, like someone who had done this before.
"I told you, you're too loud," Alvaro muttered without looking up.
Laura opened her eyes slightly to glance at his face. Despite his cold and seemingly uncaring demeanor, Alvaro's expression was serious. There was a hidden concern in his sharp eyes, and the way he handled her wound was surprisingly precise.
"How are you so good at stitching wounds?" Laura asked, trying to distract herself from the pain.
"It's a skill I had to learn in the past," Alvaro replied curtly.
"The past?" Laura pressed, her curiosity overpowering the pain.
"You don't need to know," he said, tightening the last stitch. He snipped the thread carefully, applied some antiseptic ointment, and wrapped the wound with a bandage.
"All done," he said, looking at Laura, who appeared slightly drained.
Laura released the coat from her mouth and sighed in relief, though her face was still pale. "I don't know whether to thank you or be scared of you," she said half-jokingly.
"Don't think too hard about it," Alvaro replied. He checked the bandage to make sure it was secure. "You need rest now. We won't be able to move far if you don't recover."
Laura looked at Alvaro with a newfound respect. "Your hand is injured too. Let me treat it," she offered.
"No need. It's not serious," he replied calmly.
Alvaro gave a faint snort. "And you're not as loud as usual. So we're even."
Laura gave a small smile, even though her body still felt weak. "I can be quiet when I need to, you know," she said defensively, trying to lighten the mood.
Alvaro raised one eyebrow, clearly doubtful. "I'll need more time to believe that."
Laura sighed, this time playfully. She glanced at his injured hand, noticing the dried blood. "At least let me clean your wound. Consider it a small payback for stitching mine."
Alvaro exhaled but finally extended his hand without a word. Laura took a cotton pad from the first aid kit, poured antiseptic on it, and began to clean his wound gently.
"No one's cared about my wounds in a long time," Alvaro murmured suddenly, his voice quiet, as if speaking to himself.
Laura paused, looking at his blank expression. "What do you mean?"
"It doesn't matter," he replied quickly, pulling his hand slightly away. "I can take care of it myself."
Laura held his hand firmly, looking him in the eyes. "You don't always have to act like this, you know? Sometimes, accepting help isn't a sign of weakness."
Alvaro went quiet, his gaze sharp as if evaluating her. After a few seconds, he sighed again and let her continue treating his wound.
***