He questioned his own logic: "What if an Italian or German plane or ship were to see the signal?" With Anna's injured leg, it would be difficult for them to escape.
Waking up, Anna interrupted his thoughts by telling him, "Let's see if the boat's medical kit survived the blast."
Nikolas went searching, but could not find it. He returned with some towels. Anna looked at him resignedly. They both knew what had to be done.
"Let's do it while there is good light," said Nikolas.
The red setting sun in the western sky was as lovely as the day before, unaware of today's desperate situation. The birds bade farewell to the end of the day with a last noisy chirping before seeking refuge in the warm spots among the rocks.
"Get ready, Nikolas," Anna instructed. She guided him step by step on how to remove the shard of metal. Nikolas used what few resources were available. He lit a small fire with dry kindling, minimizing the smoke, and took an empty can to boil seawater. He then carefully sterilized his knife and brought to a boil the tiny fishing hook he had found in the sand. He opened the bottle of brandy and handed it to Anna.
"No, I'll be okay, Niko," she protested.
"If it were me, I'd drink some. I've never performed surgery before."
"All right, Niko, all right," she replied, taking the bottle and holding it to her lips.
He removed the blood-soaked sheet they had used as a bandage and rinsed the wound with brandy. The golden-colored liquor washed away the dry blood and dirt. The only anesthetic he could offer was the brandy and a towel for her to bite. Nikolas placed Anna's leg between his own and held it tightly. He tightened his grip to stop the blood circulation, believing it would hurt her less.
"Now, think of something pleasant, Anna," Nikolas gritted between his teeth.
"Something more pleasant than cruising the Nile as the queen of Egypt?"
"What queen? What are you talking about, Anna?"
Nikolas took the knife in his hand, and tested in on his palm, to make sure it was sharp. "I'll try my best not to hurt you, Anna."
"I know you will, Niko."
He sterilized the area around the wound with more brandy. "Here we go," he muttered as he quickly slit her flesh. Blood spurted out as Anna bit down hard on the towel. Nikolas stopped and looked up at Anna with pleading eyes. Anna nodded that she was all right. With a quick jolt, Nikolas pulled out the shard of iron the size of a long kitchen knife.