In The Arms Of My Pirate

The Pirate's Punishment

Charles gritted his teeth, staring up at the mast of Lafitte's ship. The sails flapped gently in the breeze, taunting him with their lack of worries or cares.

Dr. Green knelt over him, gauze and strips of blood-stained cloth in his hand.

"Is it going to be all right, Doc?" young David asked, standing over the doctor's shoulder.

Oliver joined them, and Charles looked up at him.

Unable to say the boy's name through his gritted teeth, he lifted his hand.

The boy hesitated and knelt beside him. "Captain?" he asked.

Charles grabbed his shirt and yanked him down.

"Where is she?" he growled in the boy's ear.

Oliver sat up a little and shook his head.

Charles released him and closed his eyes tightly in frustration.

Shouts of excitement rose from the crew standing at the balustrade.

Charles rolled his head to the side to look. "What is it?" He gasped between the waves of pain.

Dr. Green paused and stood. He stared for a moment then he dropped to his knees again beside Charles, fingers moving faster as he cleaned the wound..

"They must have found her," he said. "Lafitte's returning on the rowboat."

Anger and fear warred within Charles. What would he do if he saw her again? Would he try to help her, or would he leave her to her fate as revenge for betraying him?

The crew rushed to the side of the boat, shouting and jeering as the rowboat drew closer.

"They're going to kill her, Charles," Dr. Green whispered.

"Let them," Charles said, staring up at the mast and the pirate flag, which fluttered lazily

in the breeze. "She left me for dead. Just like William."

"Fool," Dr. Green spat. "I've treated many wounds since you forced me to play doctor for these pirates." He prepared a needle and thread to close the wound in Charles' gut. "She couldn't have placed the knife better to cause the least amount of damage. That girl knew exactly what she was doing."

Slowly Charles turned his head to look at his companion, Hesitantly, he rested his fingers against the skin just above the wound. The thread tugged at the flesh, but he hardly felt the pain as his mind spun wildly.

"She was trying to save me," he said with sudden realization. "She was trying to convince Lafitte that I hadn't betrayed him."

Dr. Green nodded. "I suspect so."

The crowd of pirates shifted as Lafitte climbed aboard the ship, dragging Octavia behind him. From where he lay on the deck, Charles could only see a flash of her hair as she was hauled over the balustrade.

"Help me up." Charles growled.

Dr. Green grabbed him under the elbow and helped him to his feet.

Charles gritted his teeth as a wave of pain rolled through him the moment he strained against the stitches.

"Rum," he demanded.

Young David nodded and held up a bottle.

Charles took several long swigs and wiped his mouth on the back of his wrist. He wished he could knock himself out with the bottle; drink until his mind was a puddle of oblivion, but he needed to keep his wits about him.

***

Lafitte threw Octavia to the deck of the ship.

She sprawled across the deck, the coarse wood scraping her chin and her molar clipped her tongue, drawing blood.