“You just told her yourself,” says Imani with a tense smile. “Her hearing is okay, but she’s very weak. She needs water immediately. And, Mia, can we prepare a meal? She has to be starving even if she doesn’t feel hungry.”

“Of course!”

Mia shrugs off her backpack, retrieving the essentials. Deke and I search for dry wood and kindling. He hasn’t had much to say since we found Cindi, but his eyes are troubled.

“You saved her. Feel good about it.”

“What if she dies?” he whispers, not wanting her to hear us.

“We won’t let that happen.”

“You can’t know what will happen, Daniel. None of us can.”

He’s right, of course. Here I am trying to cheer him up, and he points out that I’m full of baloney. Somehow, it’s not an insult, it’s stating the truth. The fact that Cindi Beacon survived the flood is a miracle, but it doesn’t mean we know how to keep her alive. She needs EMTs, not a handful of sixth graders. That will only come with a rescue.

Where are they? Why haven’t they found us?

Deke notices me searching the empty sky. “They must think we’re dead, that nothing could have survived the dam breaking.”

“Nobody knew we were rafting the Crazy,” I point out.

Deke shrugs. “It doesn’t matter why they haven’t found us. What matters is we’re on our own. We can’t assume we’ll be rescued. I thought so at first, but I was wrong.”

I point out that he was the one who was so sure we’d be found in a day or two that there was no reason to ration the food.

“I was an idiot,” he says contemptuously. “I thought it was all a game.”

We’ve gotten good at building fires, and soon the water is boiling and Mia is making a meal. One of the last few. She adds extra water to make a broth for Cindi, because that will be easier to swallow. Imani helps her get down a cup, and the effort makes her so exhausted that she falls asleep.

Imani joins us at the fire, and keeps her voice low. “I’m no expert, but her pulse seems weak. She needs to be in a hospital.”

“Two choices.” Mia sounds fierce and determined. “Stay here, take care of her as best we can, and hope to be rescued. Or bring her with us.”

“How can we move her without making it worse? She hurts so bad.”

“Good point. Maybe staying is the best way to help her.”

“No. No. No.” It takes enormous effort for Cindi to make herself heard. She strains to lift her head, pleading with us. “Bring me with you. Please. If we stay here, I’ll die.”