Sea (Love)Sick (on hold ish)

Chapter 18

"Good morning, baby. Feeling okay?"
Those were the first words Red heard when she woke, back on the ship in her quarters. The light was dim, but she still squinted and took a while to get used to the light.
"Red?" Barry asked again, taking a seat on the bed and handing her a glass of water. "You feeling alright?"
Red took a sip and nodded. "I'm sorry.." She began. Barry stopped her with a gentle kiss on her lips. "It's okay. I just wish you told me where you were going," he said.
Red nodded and finished her water, crawling back under the covers as fatigue consumed her. "I assume you took me home?"
Barry nodded. "You were stumbling down the sidewalk and I happened to walk into you when I went to go find you. I carried you home and put you to bed. Speaking of which, the crew will be quite happy to see you up."
Red nodded with a smile and slowly but surely made her way out of bed and put on her coat, which was luckily still on its rightful hanger. She walked out the door, holding Barrys hand for support if she needed it, and was surprised to see the crew playing cards outside her cabin. They all got up and hugged her gently, but with the impact it felt like a giant, tight tug nonetheless. She smiled as they began to tell her their worries, and she sat down with them and reassured them that everything was fine.
At least until an idea began to grow in her mind.

~

"I'll be back in a bit, I swear on my beauty," Red lied confidently. She said she would be back in "a bit," but Barry didn't know how long "a bit" was. She said she was headed to the store to pick up a tub of ice cream, but she also planned to head back to the bar to see if this captain really was top dog.
Barry gave her a look. "If you're not back in a bit, and I come looking for you, you better have a good excuse." He said, his eyes bright and stern.
"Yes, bear, sure thing," she called out as she walked down the boardwalk and into town. Barry may be strict sometimes, but Red was glad he was stern, and she was also glad that she chose him for a first mate.

~

The sun was just about to crawl under the blanket of the ocean when Red reached the bar. When she walked in, the man in that talked to her yesterday gave her a look. He tried to hold back a smirk and squinted at her as she took her seat from the other day.
"I told you not to come here," he said, taking a sip of his drink. Red shrugged and called over the bartender, asking for another scotch. He smiled and nodded, then went off and quickly came back with the drink. Red was about to take a sip, but decided to hesitate and cover the open end of the glass with her hand.
"He'll be here any minute. He won't be happy when he sees you," the man warned. Red nodded and took a cautious sip of her drink, waiting for her fate to take her. Though it wasn't long before there were footsteps behind her and a wave of silence falling over the entire bar as a gun was cocked behind her head.
"You," a voice behind her said. "With me. Link, you're coming too."
Red took a deep breath and got off of her stool, carefully turning to face the lovely Captain Linebeck, an old friend. Or at least she thought. He had little facial hair and dark bags under his eyes, with his hair tied back. "Turn, and walk. Link will escort you," he sneered.
Red did as she was told and walked out of the bar, feeling the occasional end of the gun on her back. The man, who was supposedly Link, led her down dark alleys and sidewalks, twists and turns she had never seen before, until they reached a small house in a dim-lit dead end. Link opened he door and led her into a small room in the house, with a desk and two chairs.
Linebeck closed the door behind him and sat behind the desk, giving the gun to Link. "Sit." The captain commanded. Red look a cautious seat in one of the chairs, and was surprised not to feel the end of the gun at her head. "Now," he began, "I would like to apologize."
Red raised an eyebrow. "Apologize, sir?" She asked.
"Yes, apologize. The gun, the scene, everything. I have nothing against you, don't take it personally. It helps with my reputation, though, so I keep it." He wrote something on a piece of paper, then looked back at the girl. "What can I help you with? You had to come to the bar for something," he asked, squinting slightly.
Red cleared her throat. "No, sir, just getting a drink." Linebeck gave her a look. "Are you sure? There's nothing you need?" He asked.
Red was about to decline when she stopped herself and thought. She could ask about the rumors, and if they were true. People say Linebeck has sailed every nook and cranny of the sea, surely he would know.
"Actually, captain," she said. "I do have a query for you."

~

"Captain? Coming here?" Linebeck asked, confused. "When?"
"I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me who he was," Red replied. The man wrote another thing down rather quickly, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Red, I don't know anything about him. All I know is that I should be going as soon as possible," he said. Red hadn't talked to Linebeck in ages, but his cowardliness and ability to run away didn't seem to fade over time.
"You're leaving?" Red asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why so soon?"
Linebeck appeared to be writing a list, as he continuously wrote down items and various numbers. "There's been talk of treasure on a nearby island. If this captain is coming, I can't have him getting it before me!"
Red had to refrain from rolling her eyes at his greed. Instead, she clenched her hand into a fist and let out a breath. She was lucky he didn't hear it, for he was too busy whistling. A pigeon flew into the room from a window moments later, landing on Linebecks finger and cooing an oddly familiar tune. The man smiled and folded the piece of paper, then gave it to the pigeon, who held it with one foot.
"Give this to the clerk at the market, tell him I'll pay him as soon as I'm back," he said. The pigeon cooed in confirmation and flew off again, singing the familiar time once more. Red thought for a bit, then remembered the tune as a theme song that Linebeck made for himself when they were kids. He's strong, he's bold, and on a quest for gold, Red thought to herself. She had to hold back a smile as she remembered the extra line she added in: the best captain around, or so I'm told..
"I best be going, crew is probably looking for me," Red began. Linebeck nodded and held out his hand, shaking hers. "It's been a pleasure, Red. Come back any time," he said with a smile.
"I will," Red replied, smiling back and walking out. It was nice to see him again, even if he hadn't changed.
Red was eager to get back to the ship, worried that Barry would get anxious and go looking for her. She started for the port, but quickly remembered her plan. She wanted to get back, but not without a tub of ice cream.