The Medic and The Scout, having made it off the island together, did their best to live a normal life. Of course, the world is not so kind, especially nowadays. Returning to one's clinic is all well and good, but the sudden appearance of a cult of faith-based healers whose abilities actually work somewhat reduced the demand for traditional medical services.

He really should have seen that one coming. I did say I would leave the island if the others did, and, well, I have to do something with my time. Any implication that my actions were driven by bitterness are entirely fictitious, of course.

Still, the two were able to live a somewhat normal life for a time. They were married not long after their return, while the world still held at least a slight semblance of what they think of as normalcy. The whole event was rather lovely, really, and I must admit it warmed the heart to see two I had invested so much in. A small number of years later, their union bore them two children, a son and daughter.

As I said before, all very nice, if a little too… convenient. So, along with my new partner in storytelling, I decided to remind the pair just what kind of story they were living…

You really should have realised this would happen, Medic.

“Is that you? After all this time, you're back? Why now, why when…”

I never left. Given everything I told you, did you really expect me to go away when you left the island? No, I'm afraid not. As to why… you've rather lost your way, and I thought I'd set you back on the right path.

“You did this? You killed…”

Me? No, no I did not. But I'm not the only one here, after all. There are so many of us now. You all saw to that. Still, fear not. Once again, I come bearing gifts.

“What could you possibly have to offer?”

You've tried to revive her, haven't you. But she truly is dead this time. No sacrifice is big enough for this. The cost of a life is another life. A life just as important to you, or near enough. So here is my proposal: I will grant you the ability to revive your wife, but doing so will cost you your own life. Can you do that? For your children, if not yourself?

Suffice it to say, he took the deal, albeit reluctantly. And I had much the same conversation with The Scout once she awoke to find her dead husband. And so the cycles began. Their life could certainly never again be called normal, not when only one could live at a time. My new partner was rather impressed with the set-up, I think, the only time they could see each other being the scant seconds between one's revival and the life leaving the other's eyes, along with the letters they always left for each other.

Ordinarily, it would have been a difficult situation to explain away, but these were far from ordinary times.

It was The Scout who heard of The Forgotten's demise. A less generous person might have allowed the funeral to pass, but her good nature won out, and she revived her husband, leaving a note explaining the situation.

The funeral itself was a quiet affair, with close friends of the deceased turning up to pay their respects. The Medic himself said a few words to the congregation, telling of their time together on the island, although some things still went unsaid.

Still, even after that, life went on for The Medic, The Scout and their family…

In its own odd way, of course.