The touch surprised Tom and it showed. He wasn't used to being touched, here, and the Island was less than a day away but sense memory was a powerful thing. He tensed at first, but relaxed after a moment, fingers lacing through Neil's over his heart.

He squeezed the flesh between Neil's thumb and pointer, letting out a slow breath. He looked back over his shoulder, eyes meeting Neil's. Thank-you.

"He's gonna want five shells a night," Tom said, closing his eyes. "Three to forget we're there, and two to not ask question about Neil. Think we got that much?"