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The moment Nemo had told him the plan Lavrock knew that it was a suicide mission. Nemo had left him in charge of Matoka for a reason even though Lavrock did not like it. Still, it was the only way to deter the Russians from finding the island (thanks to that good-for-nothing Cyril). Lavrock accepted the position since it seemed he had no other choice.
Still, he wondered how life on the island would be after Nemo and his crew departed. Lavrock had learned a little bit about the inhabitants of the island here and there but still felt that they would always be closer to their captain.
What am I supposed to do now? Lavrock wondered to himself after he saw the Nautilus for the last time. He was put in charge after Nemo finally convinced him to burn his naval uniform for what he called “the good of Matoka”. Lavrock promised Nemo that he would look after the people of Matoka, but to what end?
Life on Matoka felt strange at first after that day. The islanders all seemed to understand what had happened. Or that’s what Lavrock assumed. Many of the islanders went about their daily lives without questioning anything about the crew, Leticia, or their leader. It was as if nothing had changed. This probably disturbed Lavrock the most. The only one amongst them who appeared to have changed at all was Cyril who often looked lost and confused as he followed the young Lithuanian girl, Veronica, around.
It was not until one day when Lavrock went for a stroll along the shores of the island that he noticed some of the islanders looking out at the ocean. When Lavrock approached they greeted him politely, pretending to be busying themselves with gathering firewood or something of the sort. He pretended not to notice their tear-stained cheeks and moved on. He knew then that while the islanders had made it seem like nothing had changed they were still waiting. Waiting for their beloved captain to return.
It physically pained Lavrock to tell them the truth…that Nemo was gone and he would not be coming back. As the days went by Lavrock noticed on his walks that there were fewer people looking out at the ocean. After a week he found himself the only one on the beach. Without him having to say a word the islanders too had stopped looking for Captain Nemo.