Sea (Love)Sick (on hold ish)

Chapter 16

"So, have you heard the news?" Casey asked, walking around, trying to find some new strings for Barrys ukulele.
"What news?" Barry asked, leaning against the counter and watching the man walk around his shop. Casey gave him a look of disbelief.
"What news? The Captain from main land is coming!" He pulled four strings from a drawer and eyed them over, making sure they were exact. "Right, of course," the sailor replied. Barry didn't want to know more, since he thought rumors were silly, but Red was slowly becoming more intrigued. "Why would he be coming?" She asked.
Casey sat on a old wooden stool across from a table that Barrys ukulele lay upon. He lined up the new strings along with Barrys old ones and began to replace them. "I believe he's coming for volunteers," he said plainly, though his leg began to bounce anxiously.  "Volunteers?" Red replied. She chuckled. "Isn't his crew big enough?"
Casey shook his head, his smile lost. "Volunteers for battle. The main land has been under siege by pirates for months now." He paused, taking a deep breath. "There's been too many casualties."
Red let out a slow breath she didn't know she was holding, beginning to regret diving into such things. The uncomfortable silence was interrupted by a few plucks of strings, notes humming through the air. "Here you go, good sir," Casey said with a teethed smile. "Try it out."
Barry took the instrument and held it in his hands, strumming his fingers against the newly tuned strings. A few were off, but with a few turns of the pegs, it sounded just as it had before. "It's perfect, thank you," Barry said with a smile.
"How much do we owe you?" Red asked, reaching into her pocket, but Casey stopped her. "Nothing, nothing at all. It's the least I can do." He said, smiling encouragingly.
Red wanted to protest, but she smiled back, taking her hand out of her pocket and shaking his hand once more. "If you insist. Thank you, Casey, so much."
"No problem. It was so nice to see you again," he replied, waving goodbye as they headed out the door. He went to his counter, squinted, and looked out the window, then back at the two gold coins Red had left on the desk.

~

The town hadn't seemed to get any better. It was even more dim, despite the sizzling heat. People spoke quietly at times, looking cautiously at the pair every so often. Barry would always give a hard glance back at them, squeezing Red's hand when they directed their gaze elsewhere.
It was long past noon when they reached the ship, with everyone bustling and walking around in a fuss. All except for Shannon, who was drinking what appeared to be pink lemonade, her heat-induced daze still hanging over her.
"You alright?" Barry asked her, sitting by her side. She nodded, taking another sip from her cup. "Fine, thank you. Just needed some fresh air I guess." Barry nodded. "What is everyone doing? And why aren't you?"
"They're trying to make the boat look pretty for the Captain that's docking in a few days. And I tried to help, but I was told I looked pale and should sit. So I did."
Barry ruffled her hair and told her to feel better, then got up and looked around in disbelief. Dan was carrying empty cups and other things out of his room and tossing it into a giant black garbage bag. Gabi was sweeping starboard, and Ross was mopping port. It baffled him that they believed such rumors.
"Why are you guys cleaning now?" Red asked, tossing her hat and coat in her cabin. "Wouldn't it be smarter to do it the day he or she arrives? If he or she ever does?"
The crew thought for a moment, then began to put everything away slowly. Red and Barry couldn't help but laugh, watching their faces grow a shade of red in embarrassment. They walked into Red's room and sat on her bed, clothes being thrown off from the boiling heat. And then they smiled, realizing they had came back to Reds cabin the same way they had left it.