A Pirate's Life For Me

Chapter 24 - Fall

ROBIN

My first instinct is to jump over the side. Luckily, I don't do that.

Instead, I grab for her -- but it's too late. She slips out of my grip, hurtling down.

Time seems to stand still just before she hits the water. I throw myself at the rope, kicking over the side to go after her.

She hits the surface, the terrible crack of thunder in the sky following behind her. The sound draws a sharp howl from my throat, my brain kicking into overdrive. She's dead, I think. Her neck is broken.

I'm going too slow, I need to get down there now. I take my feet off the wall and slide the rest of the way down.

My hands scream in pain as the rope tears through them. The blood on my palms slicks up the rope, making me slide even quicker and before I know it, my feet are dangling just above the water. I clamp my hands around the rope and stop short.

But what now? Jumping in after her could be the death of us both. The water remains icy cold, even in the summer. In the rain, we could both end up with pneumonia or even hypothermia. And with this storm, we could both be dragged to our deaths beneath the waves.

Luckily, Livia is stronger than I give her credit for.

I see her hand rise up first, then the golden crown of her head bobs to the surface. Her face never lifts above the water, but she propels herself toward me.

The moment she's within reach, I grab her arm and yank it out of the water with my bloody hand, keeping my other palm clamped around the rope. My grasp is slipping, but it holds firm enough that I can pull her above the surface. Livi's face appears, flushed from the lack of oxygen. Her lips are turning blue.

"My god, Livi--" 

She cuts me off with a sputtering cough, already starting to sink again. A panicked expression covers her face. I pull again, and with a grunt of effort and a big push from her, I'm able to pull her to my side.

The ship lurches, causing me to nearly lose hold of the rope again. I feel another hand just above mine and realize that Livi is holding herself up. She looks drained and a little scared as the rain pummels us down, but she stays upright which is a big help to me. I'm doing my best not to freak out. How can I get both of us all the way up the wall with Livia barely functional and my palms slick with blood?

"Robin?" Her voice is weak and strained. I look over to find an terrified expression on her face. "I'm bleeding."

And that she is. Blood trickles down her neck, mingling with the seawater soaking her skin.

"Oh hell," I mutter. The last thing we need is a head injury. She looks on the verge of passing out, her head lolling down onto my shoulder. I give her a rough shake, my heart beating out of my chest. "C'mon Livia, stay with me!" 

She swallows hard, squinting against the rain. We look grimly up the side of the ship, knowing the climb is near impossible. How will we get out of this?

"Wait," I mutter. "Livi, can you hold on for just one minute by yourself?" 

She shakes her head, clutching my arm harder. I start to pry her fingers off my wrist, feeling guilty for leaving her alone. What if she slips to her death while I'm gone? Then how will I justify my actions?

Either way, I pull away from her, beginning to hoist myself up. The moment I let go of her, I feel cold to the core. I instantly miss the feeling of her warm skin on mine. I promise myself that once we're out of this little fix I'll give her a hug and remind her that I love her.

For now though, I need to focus on the task at hand.

It's like taking three steps forward and two steps back. Every time I make a considerable dent in the climb, I slide at least halfway back down.

I'm making some headway, though. I'm about a third of the way there.

My knuckles are white and my breath comes harder with every hand I lift. Normally, the climb wouldn't faze me, but the circumstances are battering me down.

I hear a whimper below. "Robin!" I don't have time to look down, and I know that if I do I won't be able to complete the ascent. Everything hurts, and I'm afraid of what will happen between now and the time that I'm able to execute my plan. Is she still holding on? Will she fall?

Finally, the deck is in sight. I pull my right hand over the left, not allowing myself to slip down by wedging my feet into the wall. So close, just two more hands and I should be there. Just one more...

At last, I'm able to swing my leg over the side on hoist myself up. Being on the solid deck again is such a relief. Before my legs have time to adjust again, I practically throw myself at the ropes.

"Livi!" I'm not sure she can hear me, but I'm hoping with all my might. "Hold on tight!" I clench my teeth and hold on to the rope -- I can do this.

I have to.