Sails and Styles (Completed)

Chapter 4

I'm screaming. Yelling at them to stop. Shouting between sobs that I can't leave them. They have attached me to a backboard and our long lining me out of the ravine to a waiting ambulance. But I can't leave them. I struggled with the first responders and they eventually pushed me down long enough to strap me into the backboard so I couldn't fight them anymore. Everything is loud. Excruciatingly loud. The sirens. The bystanders' voices. The rescue crews speaking to each other. The flashing lights are so bright in the darkness that they feel like they have their own sound. The wailing crying is the loudest. And then I realize that sound is coming from me. I can't make it stop. It's as if it is its own entity.

I wake suddenly. Almost hitting my head when I bolt upright. It's stuffy in here. I pop the window open and immediately feel a cool ocean breeze come in. I breathe it in, and it helps to slow my jagged breathing. I climb out of bed and walk to the galley to get a glass of water. I stand at the sink drinking it slowly. I notice all the dishes are clean and put away. Harry. I smile at the gesture. I wash my cup and put it back quietly. I crawl back into bed and manage to make it to morning without any more dreams.

I wake feeling more refreshed than I have in a long time. I bring my yoga mat onto the dock and slowly move through some poses, stretching my body out. I finish with a quiet reflection with one thing I am grateful for. This has been an impossible task for me since the accident. Not even being grateful to have survived because each day I have barely been hanging on. But today is different because it comes easily. I don't have to think hard at all. I'm grateful today for not being alone on this boat. For having this person here with me that makes everything hurt a little bit less. Even if it's unbearable for me to open up at the moment it's still nice to have someone nearby, willing to listen when I'm ready.

I put my mat away and start making coffee and eat one of the leftover muffins from yesterday. The smell of coffee rouses Harry from his slumber. His door opens and he saunters out in just shorts, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He has a t-shirt in his hand that he slips over his head as he walks. I find myself disappointed that he didn't stay shirtless, but I shake the feeling.

"Good morning. Coffee?"

"Yes, please."

I pour him a cup and hand it over. Black like he likes it.

"Muffin?"

He nods in response and I hand him one as well.

"Have you been up for long? I thought I heard you this morning."

"A little while. Got some yoga in."

"Sad I missed that," I think I hear him say under his breath, but I can't be sure.

"How'd you sleep?"

"It took me a while to fall asleep. I felt really bad about last night, Maggie."

Panic fills my face and he notices.

"You don't have to talk about it, but I want you to know I'm sorry. My intention wasn't to make you uncomfortable and I apologize for that."

I nod, unable to form words in response.

"Moving on, what is our plan for today?"

I take a big breath before I begin, glad that we aren't talking about last night further.

"We're going to continue to sail up the coast. There's another outstation further up that has showers and electricity we can plug in to."

"A shower sounds amazing."

"Okay, how about we leave in about 15 minutes."

Harry runs up and uses the washroom on the little island and I complete all my checks on the boat. Since this is our second go of it, we do a much better job of leaving the dock. Harry is really starting to get the hang of this and looks much surer of himself as he walks along the deck removing our fenders.