It was at about one month hence in their abandonment by the US Navy, that they came to the definitive realization that rescue wasn't coming and that most likely they would be spending the rest of their lives on that island no matter how long or short that time may be. And they realized that they would have to figure out how they were going to make this island their home...and that they and their descendants would survive on this desolate island for years to come. Until then they had looked on to the horizon with the hope that they would see a US Navy destroyer or an aircraft carrier in the distance or even better an amphibious unit in dinghies heading straight for their island. But each passing month diminished that hope and now...they were resigned if not inspired to make a life for themselves.
...and in any case...it was going to be hard to go back to being squadron commander and subordinate in any sense of the word, considering how much they knew of each other. In fact, it could be said that they were closer to each other now than they ever were as an F-14 Tomcat crew. And they also didn't want to be the subject of a JAGMan investigation considering their actions would be considered as "conduct unbecoming".
There were plenty of things to do at any rate to make survival possible. Daily milking of the cows, feeding the chickens and collecting the milk and eggs. And of course, there were baby chicks to cuddle and take care of so that the chickens would continue to pass on their generational task of laying eggs for consumption as well as continued proliferation of their kind. Penning the bull up in the same pen as the dairy cattle proved to be a rather eye-opening experience. However...the bull was probably just as petrified of the circumstances as the rest of the cows after nearly drowning and being dragged on land to dry out, so he pretty much behaved himself. And well, if a couple of cows got pregnant, well, that would just mean more milk in the end.
Animal, having a green thumb, spent time in the garden, which was relaxing and tended the crops, picking out the weeds and making sure that the garden was watered. Then after that task was finished, he'd head down to the beach, pull out the ol' rod and reel and fish for their dinner.
There was a distinct lack of seating in the place that they had constructed...and that was a situation that needed to be rectified, so Animal went ahead and constructed an adhoc table and chairs from jetsam.
And since it appeared as though they were permanently marooned on this island, it was in their best interests to increase their knowledge of survival skills. Tosh decided to, once the books that were in the crate had dried out and to his relief, the print was still legible, he went ahead and started reading up on cooking.
...and to Leah's ever-lasting pleasure, he also constructed a nice little easel out of the rest of the jetsam that had accumulated on the beach so that she could try her hand at painting. Where she got the paint colors was by crushing berries and fruits as well as leaves and flowers. It was a long and arduous process, but it killed time...and time was what they had plenty of.
"You know...this isn't so bad..." Animal said at breakfast. "We've kind of made ourselves a cozy little place which allows us to have shelter from the elements and we have some what of a bed, kitchen table and chairs...and fortune gave us a fridge and stove."
Leah looked at him, "I think I'm starting to get used to the fact now that we're going to be here for the rest of our lives. And having this easel really makes the time go by." She continued eating her goopy carbonara which they had made by grinding the coffee beans into flour and using that to make the pasta noodles. Of course it kept them wired as hell and that meant that they would end up awake all night; but of course, there were other ways to pass the time during a bout of coffee-pasta induced insomnia.
