Page 120 of The Love Position

The woman shrugged, seeming too exhausted to care. ‘Give me a yell when you’ve finished these and I’ll give you something else to do.’

Sophia continued working, her heart beating faster as she watched Isaac shifting sargassum at twice the speed of everyone else.

There was a yell in the distance and he suddenly sprinted right, disappearing from view.

Standing, Sophia grabbed her crutch and went to see what was going on.

Isaac was lifting Blake’s lifeless body from the seaweed.

Xander rushed to help, and they carried him to the edge of the beach and laid him on the ground at the edge of the dining area.

‘What’s happened?’ Sophia asked as she got to them. ‘Can I do anything?’

Isaac glanced at her, sweat beading across his brow. ‘He’s fainted. Most likely from a mix of exhaustion, dehydration and the fumes from the decomposing sargassum.’

He turned to Xander. ‘Can you go to the kitchen and get them to make jugs of electrolyte solution? If they’re not sure how to do it, use half a teaspoon of salt and three tablespoons of sugar per litre.’

Xander nodded and dashed off.

Blake was breathing, but his eyes were closed and his skin was grey.

‘Isaac, this isn’t safe. They’re probably as exhausted, if not more, than we are. When on earth are they going to get a break? And anyway, can’t it just be left where it is?’

His gaze went down the beach and she turned her head to see what he was looking at.

Swami Vishnu was applauding everyone working. He then brought his hands together in a prayer position and bowed his head.

‘Please speak to him,’ she said, trying to find words that wouldn’t overtly criticise Swami Vishnu’s behaviour. ‘It’s dangerous what they’re being asked to do. These people paid thousands of pounds to do a yoga course. They didn’t spend all that money to do hours of dangerous manual labour.’

As if agreeing with her, Blake’s eyes fluttered open. ‘What happened?’ he slurred.

‘You fainted, buddy,’ Isaac said. ‘We’re getting you a rehydration drink, then I’ll take you back to your room.’

Blake’s eyes filled with tears. ‘I’m sorry, man.’ He turned his head away, a hand covering his face as if embarrassed. ‘Fuck!’

Isaac held his shoulder. ‘It’s okay. We’re all struggling a bit right now.’

Xander came running back with a jug and a glass. ‘It hasn’t all dissolved yet, but I thought you’d want it, anyway.’

Isaac nodded and Xander poured a glass, then gave it to Blake, who gulped it down.

‘Take the next one slower,’ Isaac said. ‘You don’t want to—’

Blake threw it all back up. ‘Fuck! Sorry, man.’

‘Xander, can you help me get Blake back to his room?’ Isaac asked. ‘I want you to stay with him and get him to sip the water. You also need to drink half of what you’ve got there. If he keeps it down, go and get another jug and the two of you keep going until your pee is pale yellow. Okay?’

Xander nodded, and they helped Blake to his feet.

Sophia caught Isaac’s eye, inclining her head towards the figure of Swami Vishnu, cheering everyone on.

Isaac gave her a brief nod, then helped Blake away.

Sophia continued chopping vegetables, not stopping Isaac to chat when he returned.

He carried a tray filled with jugs of electrolyte solution and glasses to the beach, called everyone to drink them, then disappeared, presumably to talk to Swami Vishnu.

It must have worked, as no-one went back to the beach. Some people went to help in the kitchen, the others lay on the ground and fell asleep. Sophia continued doing what she could to help, her stomach angrily demanding to know why she wasn’t eating what she was preparing.

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