"Your ankle joint is dislocated. I'll need to reset it. It might hurt a bit, but you'll have to bear with me," Ethan said seriously, looking at the strikingly beautiful woman in front of him.
Back in his days with the special forces, he had trained under a renowned military medic to learn bone-setting techniques. He wasn't bluffing.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you then," Olivia said with a slight nod, her tone carrying a hint of resignation.
She knew full well that if her ankle wasn't treated, there was no way she could keep moving forward.
"I'll count to three. On three, I'll reset it," Ethan continued, his voice calm, trying to help her relax.
"Okay." Olivia took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself.
"One, two—"
CRACK!
Before he even finished counting, Ethan suddenly applied force, precisely resetting her dislocated joint.
A sharp, crisp sound echoed, followed by Olivia's pained scream.
"Ahhh—!"
"How does it feel now? Any better?" Ethan asked, looking up at her with a hint of concern in his voice.
Olivia froze for a moment, then tentatively pressed on her injured ankle. A look of surprise crossed her face. "Huh, it actually doesn't hurt as much anymore."
She had initially thought Ethan was just some unreliable wannabe doctor, maybe even using this as an excuse to get handsy. But to her surprise, he actually knew what he was doing.
"Next, I'll massage it a bit to improve circulation. You should be able to walk again in a little while," Ethan said, his tone carrying a quiet confidence.
After getting her consent, Ethan began massaging her ankle using the techniques he had learned from the military medic years ago.
He couldn't help but notice how delicate and elegant her ankle was, her skin soft to the touch. His fingers moved gently yet skillfully over her skin, his movements precise and practiced.
A few minutes later, Ethan reluctantly let go and stood up.
"All done. Now try standing up and taking a few steps," he said, his voice tinged with anticipation.
Olivia hesitated for a moment before slowly standing up. She cautiously took a step, then another. Her face lit up with disbelief.
"Oh my God, it doesn't hurt at all anymore!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with joy.
"Ethan, I didn't think you actually had it in you," Sophia, who had been standing nearby, said with a tone of surprised admiration.
Ethan grinned smugly but tried to play it cool. "Hey, this is a special skill I picked up in the special forces. Not just anyone can learn it. But don't push yourself too hard just yet. Rest for another couple of days before doing anything strenuous."
"Thank you, handsome! I don't know what I would've done without you," Olivia said gratefully.
She knew that on this deserted island, trying to survive with an injured foot was as good as a death sentence. Without Ethan's help, her situation would've been far more dangerous.
"No need to thank me. It was nothing," Ethan said casually, waving it off like it wasn't a big deal.
"Oh, by the way, let's properly introduce ourselves. I'm Olivia," she said, extending her hand with a charming smile. "And you are?"
At this moment, Olivia's attitude was completely different from how she had been back on the spaceship. The disdain in her eyes was gone, replaced by a mix of respect and warmth.
"I'm Ethan," he replied, shaking her hand firmly but briefly.
Sophia quickly stepped forward, flashing a friendly smile. "Hi Olivia, I'm Sophia. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Olivia said with a warm smile, her tone soft and sincere.
After a few simple introductions, Olivia and Sophia quickly hit it off, chatting like old friends.
The two women seemed to have a natural rapport, and given that they were the only two females on this island so far, it was no surprise they gravitated toward each other.
Even though Ethan had proven himself to be trustworthy and capable, in an environment like this, the two women instinctively felt safer sticking together.
Ethan glanced at the setting sun, its golden light slowly fading into the horizon, and broke into the conversation between Sophia and Olivia. "It's getting dark. We need to head back to camp."
"Alright," Sophia and Olivia agreed without hesitation, following Ethan back to their makeshift campsite.
Once there, Ethan checked the matches they had left out to dry earlier under the sun.
They were barely usable, but it was better than nothing.
He handed Sophia and Olivia the task of gathering dry firewood while he focused on starting a fire.
After a few tries, the fire finally roared to life, and Ethan began roasting the clams and fish they had scavenged from the shoreline.
This time, Ethan didn't hold back. He divided the cooked food evenly into three portions, making sure everyone got their share. He even handed each of them a coconut as an extra treat.
The roasted seafood didn't look particularly appetizing, and the taste wasn't much better. But in their current situation, having anything to eat at all was a blessing. None of them were in a position to complain.
Sophia and Olivia didn't eat much. A few bites of seafood and some coconut were enough to satisfy them. Ethan, on the other hand, only managed to take the edge off his hunger after finishing his portion and downing two coconuts.
After the meal, Sophia couldn't help but scratch at her tangled hair, a look of frustration crossing her face. "Ugh, Olivia, I feel so gross. I need to take a bath. Want to come with me?" she asked, her tone hopeful.
As a pampered heiress, Sophia could barely tolerate the grime and stickiness clinging to her body.
"Perfect timing. I was thinking the same thing," Olivia replied with a nod. She, too, felt uncomfortable in her current state. The two women quickly agreed and decided to head to the beach together to clean up.
Sophia turned to Ethan, her tone carrying a playful but firm warning. "Ethan, we're going to take a bath. Don't even think about peeking!"
Ethan put on his best gentlemanly expression, his voice steady and sincere. "Relax. I'm not the kind of guy who'd do something like that."
But in his mind, a cheeky thought slipped through: Not now, but there's always later.
"Stay here, don't wander off, and definitely don't peek!" Olivia added, giving him a pointed look before she and Sophia headed off toward the distant beach.
Left alone by the fire, Ethan stared at the flickering flames, his mind wandering.
It didn't take long before unbidden images began to form in his head. He imagined Sophia and Olivia, two stunningly beautiful women, laughing and splashing in the moonlit water. Their silhouettes shimmered in the soft glow of the moon, water droplets sliding down their smooth skin, their laughter ringing out like music in the night. The vividness of the scene made his pulse quicken, and he felt a rush of heat rise to his face.
"Should I… go take a look?" The thought crept into his mind, tempting him.
But he quickly shook his head, trying to banish the idea. "No, no, I'm a gentleman. I can't do something like that."
Still, the mental image of the two women bathing lingered, teasing him. The allure of such a rare and tantalizing sight was almost too much to resist. He knew that if he let this opportunity slip by, it might haunt him as one of those "what if" moments for the rest of his life.
But the other side of him—the side that prided itself on being honorable and trustworthy—fought back. If he gave in, he'd feel like a complete scumbag, betraying the image he'd worked so hard to maintain.
Ethan sat there, caught in a fierce internal battle, torn between temptation and his sense of morality.