Pirates On The High Seas

[Foxee]

"Easy," Joss put her hand behind the girl's back to steady her as she struggled to sit up, "you passed out. We're on a ship."

Joss's sharp dark eyes studied the hollowed cheeks and the slump to the girl's shoulders. How had she come to such a pass?

"There'll be some food directly," Joss told Hattie, slipping a rolled blanket behind her shoulders "you'll feel the better for it."

[jessimyre]

"Thank you." Hattie answered, recognising the woman as one of her fellow escapees. "I'm Hattie, Hattie Morgan." she introduced herself as she rested her weary body on the narrow cot.

[twilightblade]

Alois slipped back into the room, carefully balancing a bowl on one hand, shoving the door open with a foot. Her other hand held half a loaf of bread and she was dragging someone else along with her with their arm trapped in the crook of her elbow.

"Doc'a wh'n ye nee'a cum, th'n ye nee'a cum! W'y ye allus makin' me drag ye a'roun'?"

Doc, when you need to come, then you need to come! Why you always making me drag you around?

[Foxee]

Joss looked at Hattie a second before replying, the niceties of introduction escaping her after years serving in the tavern. Then she remembered her manners.

“Joss.” She replied, “I’m Joss Smifitt.” Her voice took on a defensive tone when she used her surname. Her father’s name. The man who may or may not have been a privateer.

She realized that she had dropped her gaze and that made her angry. She straightened her spine and made the effort to smile.

“Nice to meet you, Hattie.”

The door swung open and the pirate boy appeared, gingerly carrying a bowl and towing someone else with him.

"Doc'a wh'n ye nee'a cum, th'n ye nee'a cum! W'y ye allus makin' me drag ye a'roun'?"

Joss couldn’t understand all of what the boy’s complaint was but she heard ‘doc’ and realized that the doctor must have been fetched. She moved away from the cot a little.

[blossom]

"So," Belle rounded on her brother as soon as he led her out of the room into a relatively private room. "You're the Captain?"

"Yes, Bells -"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Belle cut across him, anger mixed with hurt in her voice. Robert, having once again donned a cool veneer of composure, showed no reaction.

"I was trying to protect you."

"From knowing the truth?" Belle snorted contemptuously, "Robert, because of your damned lies I ended up in that Governor's ran infested prison! If it wasn't for that pirate boy of yours me and the others would still be rotting in there, awaiting God knows what fate!"

For a instant emotion flickered in Robert's eyes, but was soon gone again. "I'm sorry Bells, but I didn't think they'd sink so low as to arrest you for my crimes."

"They arrested me for helping you escape."

"You regret doing it?"

"No!" Belle sank down to the floor, suddenly exhausted. "Of course I don't."

"I'm sorry you got messed up in all this," Robert knelt down beside her, "I was trying to save you from this. But you're here now, and maybe that's a good thing."

[twilightblade]

Alois set the soup and bread down, then shoved the doctor over to the bed.

"'S simple, Doc. She needs yer 'elp. An' she ain' 'ad much tae eat."

It's simple, Doc. She needs your help. And she (ain't) hasn't had much to eat.

She nodded firmly, and bestowed a shy smile on Hattie. "'E's na so bad. 'E jus' don' allus wan'ta show 'e cares."

He's not so bad. He just don't always want to show he cares.

[Kage Chaos]

Leaning against the wall in the cabin, Noros nodded off to sleep as he thought about the days past and the days to come.

lol Just wanted to keep him in the story. Don't have much time to update, but I'll make a longer post later at some point.

[Foxee]

((The doc is an NPC, right? So it’s ok if I describe him?))

Joss lifted the bread, tearing off tiny chunks and adding them to the soup while she inspected the doctor with misgiving.

He was tall and birdlike with a hunched shoulders, a high forehead and a hooked nose. Wrinkles around his faded expressionless blue eyes competed with a lacing of broken veins and he swayed gently as though always in a tossing wind. He looked a lot less than enthusiastic as he surveyed Hattie.

She wondered what manner of doctor he was to have to be coaxed to approach a patient.

Alois nodded firmly, and bestowed a shy smile on Hattie. "'E's na so bad. 'E jus' don' allus wan'ta show 'e cares."

And I bet he thinks a woman aboard ship is bad luck, too. Joss thought, giving the doctor a dark look.

Joss scooped up some soup and offered a bite to Hattie.

"Eat," she commanded, "I'll hold the food for now."

[twilightblade]

((Yep! ;D))

Alois gave the doctor another light push, and he sighed, but gave her a mournful smile. "Right, right. Don't ye worry naow, Alois. I be doin' me best."

[jessimyre]

Hattie accepted the mouthful of soup eagerly and drank it in. Her stomach still felt empty however she knew she shouldn't eat to fast or risk being ill. She sat patiently as the doctor approached her. He checked her pulse, his grip strong as he counted under his breath. He felt her forehead and gave her a thermometer to put in her mouth. He checked her fingernails, and her eyes and then removed the thermometer to check her temperature.

He asked her how she felt and she answered truthfully. After a few minutes, he stood again. "Nothin more wrong with ye than hunger, missy." he proclaimed. "Get the soup down ye, slowly mind, lest you make yourself sick. Be best if ye stay 'ere for a day or two, till you're steady on ye feet again."

He turned to leave and glowered at Alois, "Don't ye be draggin' me back in 'ere unless she's dyin'." he informed the young pirate and with that, he wandered out of the cabin and closed the door behind him.

Hattie looked up at Joss, "How long 'ave I been here then?"

[Foxee]

"Can't be more than an hour now, maybe two," Joss replied, feeding Hattie another bite of soup, "there you go. Lean back now, you're pretty weak."

[jessimyre]

Hattie accepted the soup and slowly, spoon by spoon she got it all down. At last she felt full and content. And tired. Joss was right, she felt weak. Slowly, Hattie moved around until she was comfortable and then she fell asleep.

[Foxee]

Joss watched Hattie for a moment. The soup had disappeared in record time for all that she tried to feed the girl slowly. Now the thin ribs moved gently with her deeper breathing and eyes twitched behind almost translucent lids. Joss thought she looked a little better. Sleep was the best cure for her now.

Getting up, Joss looked around helplessly for a place to put the bowl. The man from the prison leaned against the wall, dozing, and muffled voices issued from a nearby closed door.

She caught the pirate boy’s eye, the thought occurring to her that he was very finely built. Something seemed ever so slightly off about him but she didn't give it much thought as she lifted the bowl, raising her eyebrows enquiringly.

[Kage Chaos]

As soon as the ship leaves port, would anyone be opposed to a storm of some sort. That's kinda how I pictured Noros finally waking up. Any other suggestions would be nice, if you want.

[jessimyre]

One storm coming up!

Hattie awoke to voices and feet running on deck. The ship appeared to be heaving and there was a flash of light. Just as comprehension dawned, a low rumble of thunder, still a little distance away echoed around the sky. She couldn't see much.

Suddenly the ship lurched and Hattie was thrown from her bunk. Something broke her fall. Hastily uttering appologies Hattie climbed off the man from the prison, only to be flown flat on top of him again and the ship lurched the other way. Another flash of lighning illuminated her terrified face through the tiny cabin windows.

[twilightblade]

Alois nodded to Joss and went and accquired more soup for the lot of them, wheedling more bread out of the cook as well.

*****

The storm was bad enough that Alois felt she was trying to work in three places at once, nevermind checking up on their newest passengers. Nonetheless, she tugged open the cabin door, rolling lightly with the tossing of the ship and peered inside, holding a lantern up.

"Y'all raigh--" She broke off as she spotted Noros and Hattie, apparently thrown to the floor by the heaving of the ship and tossed on each other. With a muttered curse on all landlubbers, not meant unkindly for all of its venom, she hung the lantern securely on a hook and set about sorting them out.

Lifting Hattie to her feet, Alois held her there as she used her free hand to pull loose the closest hammock. Steadying its rocking, she nodded to Hattie.

"Clim' in. It'll do ye better'n tha' bunk."

Climb in. It will do you better than that bunk.

She looked over at Noros, half-expecting him to be making a futile attempt to reach his feet on the pitching floor.

[Kage Chaos]

Noros awoke to thunder and to Hattie rolling on top of him as the ship shook about, obviously from a storm.

The pirate who'd freed them from prison took hold of Hattie and pulled her to her feet, allowing Noros to try and regain his balance.

He managed to get onto his knees before the ship tossed him onto his side again, barely managing to protect his head from the floor using this right arm to stop himself and steady his stumbling a bit.

[twilightblade]

Swearing again at landlubbers, Alois took the quick route and simply picked Hattie up and plunked her in the hammock, then reached out a hand to Noros.

"Com'on. Ah'll ge' ye tae a bunk."

Come on. I'll get you to a bunk.

[Kage Chaos]

Noros nodded, grabbing the pirates hand and getting onto his feet.

[twilightblade]

Using her own weight to carefully counterbalance Noros', Alois steadied the man until they reached the nearest bunk, and then waited until he was seated firmly.

Stepping back to look at both of them she spoke over the next rumble of thunder.

"Ya need 'nythin'? Cap'n want's tae know."

You need anything? Captain wants to know.

[Kage Chaos]

"I'm fine for now, thanks," Noros answered.

He looked to Hattie, "Do you need anything?"

[jessimyre]

Hattie's hammock swung and she gripped its sides for dear life.

"No, I don't need anything, thank you." she answered, face tight as she increased her grip. She was determined not to be a burden to her saviours and at once decided to stay here in the hammock, out of the way. She would be no help in her current state. And she'd never been to sea in a storm before.

[Foxee]

Joss had fallen asleep in a corner after Hattie had eaten. The wild pitching of the ship woke her to people falling on each other and stumbling around. Alois and the man from the prison looked as though they were dancing drunkenly as the boy put him in the bunk. Hattie was all huge eyes and white knuckles from a hammock. Joss hoped that what little she'd eaten wouldn't come back up.

Joss wedged herself into her corner, sliding out periodically. She eyed a hammock and wondered if she could get to it and into it without falling on her behind or worse.

[twilightblade]

Alois looked over at Joss. "An' d'ye wan'a hammock?"

And do you want a hammock?

[Kage Chaos]

Noros steadied himself in the hammock and laid back, then grabbed a handful of the hammock to steady it as the ship began to shake once more.