The Red Rose

Chapter 7

The storm punished The Hound for what looked like hours... days, maybe? I couldn't know. Sylas had come in and out of the crew's quarters a few times, as they literally needed all hands on deck. I couldn't believe the one man that would be able to return my brother back to me was... he was... I couldn't even form the words, or think them. He was my one and only hope, and now... now he was...!

"Hey, carino" Sylas called, as he came to kneel beside me, while I tried not to cry in a dark corner "It's over. Wanna come outside?"

I shook my head no, and he sighed.

"C'mon, some men are hurt and they need to have their rest, and to recover." He grabbed one of my hands to pull me up "We need to help, alright?"

I just nodded my head, yes, but all I wanted was to run back to the Captain's quarters and cry. The Captain... Dear Lord, the way his eyes looked haunted as he disappeared beneath that massive wave. Was it guilt that I saw? Was it... sadness over his lost fortune? God only knows... All I knew, as I followed Sylas back to the main deck, was that he was gone, same as probably many of the other men... and Simon and I were screwed.

"We need some water." Mr. Dorsey said as he quickly joined us "Hot water to clean the wounds, and drink... we'll need the drink to clean it, there are some nasty wounds here."

"I'll have Tuck and the men get all the barrels they can" Sylas nodded, disappearing downstairs again.

"How are you, my dove?" Mr. Dorsey asked me, patting my trembling back "Dear Mary, you look like you're in shock! C'mon, now, come help!"

I wanted to deny, but maybe getting myself busy wasn't such a bad idea after all. I helped to identify the men, all the ones that they had been able to fish out of the ocean, that is. My heart broke for the souls I could see were missing - six of them... well, seven, with the Captain. My chest tightened at the memory of his eyes, his erratic breathing and thumping heart against my cheek. He had, undoubtedly, saved me from drowning - or had it been pure luck? Either way, I still owed him my life, and he owed Simon, and neither of us would be able to pay for our debts - and wasn't that just sad?

I helped stop some bleedings, bind some wounds, easy and simplest jobs - I had no training but I could do a few simple things. I worked alongside the healthy men for hours, we all barely ate or drink, all the energy and effort was going to the injured.

"Come along, now." Mr. Dorsey smiled at me, as he saw me standing there in shock at another injured man; I was so tired... "Let's get you to the Captain's quarters. You just might be more useful there, actually, and you might be able to sleep."

I let him take me in, trying not to think about the damaged sail, the dead men and everything else that could and would go wrong after the death of the Captain.

"Alright, you change into something warm - oh, and don't mind him, he's just asleep. Banged his heard hard and was tossed about in the ocean so he's quite sore."

I frowned and my heart skipped a beat as I saw him lying on his bed, dark bruises all over his face, naked chest, and arms. He seemed fast asleep and dead tired, wrapped around the massive blankets and comfortable pillows. I stopped listening to Dorsey as I rushed to sit on the bed, next to him. I put a hand on his strong neck and was with relief that I realised he was definitely alive.

"So, if you could keep an eye on him while we try to get this ship back together, ey?" Dorsey chuckled, as he went for the door "If you need anything, just holler, alright?"

"As he eaten anything?" I asked, my eyes not leaving his relaxed face.

"No. He has barely said two words as well, one of them being 'beer'" Dorsey gurgled into laughter as he left.