An Extra Passenger

The last ferry was already leaving when the harbour clerk waved a red coat. A passenger had missed the departure with a crate of replacement batteries for the island clinic. Captain Ren returned to the dock. The passenger, a retired electrician named Noor, apologised all the way up the ramp. Halfway across, the island lights went out. Ren radioed the clinic. Its generator had failed. He checked the weather, informed the harbour, and asked Noor whether she still remembered how to mend one.