By the time they reached shore, the light had turned soft and golden. The villagers were waiting, drawn by the sound of the motor and the sight of three figures slumped in the boat. Elias and Edwin hauled the older man onto the dock, where the nurse rushed forward with blankets and water. The crowd stayed back, hushed.
“He’s weak,” the nurse said after checking his pulse, “but he’ll recover well enough to start complaining again soon.” Relief spread quietly through the dock. Edwin let out a shaky breath, Elias rubbed his face, and the nearby fishermen began hauling their nets as though the day had finally returned to normal.