To Ocean's End (26 page)

I didn’t bother resisting. I sat up and frantically undid the buttons to my trench coat and shrugged out of it, then winced as I unlaced my boots. They were squeezing my feet. I kicked one off while removing the belt pinching my expanding waist, then had to use both hands to pry off the other. Lying back down, I closed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, then let my body explode to full demon size in the waking world. My feet slammed against the wall and I slid along the floor until I was done. To my relief, I didn’t bang my head, and my dorsal sail was collapsable like that of a marlin. I lay there and caught my breath.

There went another set of clothes...

My sensitive hearing picked up a soft pair of footsteps approaching the container door. There was a polite knock, followed by Rammus’s voice. “Captain?”

“I’m back.”

“Oh, thank goodness.”

“How long was I gone?”

“The sun just went down on your last night of lockdown, so eight days. Your voice sounds like you’ve transformed again.”

“I have,” I said unhappily. “How’s the crew holding up?”

“We’re all alive. Really beat up but alive. We’re tied down in Alexandria, but I can round up the crew and throw the lines if you want me to. We’re all supplied up and ready to go Dakar.”

“No. I... just take it easy for the night. No one ever complains about us being late. Just go tell them I’m back and to get some rest.”

“Are you alright, Captain? You sound pretty shaken up.”

I fell silent. My mind was cycling through my nightmare escape. I wasn’t quite back into reality yet. I considered answering the question before ignoring it. “Go rest. We’ll have a crew meeting in the morning after I see how injured you all are.”

“Alright, Captain. Try to get some rest yourself.”

“At least I’m stuck on my back this time.”

*     *     *

Once dawn arrived in Egypt’s time zone, I was free to revert back to human. It took a bit of concentration but it wasn’t hard; just left me coated in sweat and in need of at least a towel so I could walk around my ship with some dignity. I told Rammus about needing a towel when he returned to let me out. He retrieved my sandals and a towel, then opened the door long enough to deposit the objects inside. I felt around until I found them.

I winced at the sunlight peeking out over the horizon as I stepped out with coat and boots in hand, and the towel around my waist. I checked my boots for tears and frayed seams, yet saw none. I checked my coat as well, just in case, but it only needed a really good wash or three to get the blood out. A light wind kicked up and I grabbed my towel with my free hand. No way I was in the mood to tromp around in my birthday suit.

Rammus gave me a studious frown.

“How’s it look?” I held my chin up and looked at the blushing sky. Rammus stepped closer and turned my head both ways, touched the entry wound spot, then let go and stepped back.

“Not sure, Captain. You’re covered in dried blood. You’re kinda spooky to look at right now.”

“Ah. All the more reason to hurry up and shower.” The sweat on my chest and arms were tinted pink, and the sweat lines running from my neck a blood red. I could only imagine what my neck, face, and backside looked like.

“I’ll take those for you,” he said, holding out a hand for my coat and boots. “I’ll bring you some fresh clothes so you can head straight to the showers.” I handed them over. “It’d be best not to let anyone see you like this.”

“Who else is awake?” I started walking along the deck. The wind gave me goosebumps.

Rammus walked with me. “Mido might be. And if he’s up, Jessie tends to be. They’ve really taken to each other. I wonder if that’ll help your chances of lifting your curse.”

I opened the hatch and descended the steps, then lowered my voice to reduce chances of waking anyone. “Might not have any effect. I just don’t know. I’ve never had that happen with the other three avatars.”

“Well here’s hoping for the best.” He gave me a tilt of an invisible cap and headed for the cabins. I crept the other way and snuck into the showers.

Thankfully, no one was in there. Not even O’Toole. I turned a shower on then went to a sink mirror to see why my bloodied appearance was so spooky. I flinched at first sight and even turned away, but then I went back and looked again. I looked like a fresh zombie with my gaunt face and dried blood caking my upper body. My back was covered down to my towel, and I had a bald spot over the exit wound in my skull. No wonder.

I took a slow shower, making sure to thoroughly remove every last fleck of dried blood. Red water and suds ran down my legs and swirled into the drain. Just lovely. I’d need to eat and drink extra to make up for the five days my body took in zero food and water. My curse repaired my body on the first night, so it had basically been a breathing corpse for a five days. I left the water running while I wiped the mirrors and checked myself for any missed spots. My hazy reflection lacked any red; just pink skin from lots of scrubbing in hot water. I toweled off and donned the shirt and cargo pants Rammus left me, then tied my boots and headed for the galley. As much as I craved coffee, I probably needed a few days before ingesting any caffeine. I was feeling pretty woozy.

I entered the galley on silent footsteps and paused next to the fridge. Mido and Jessie had their backs to me while they stood before the coffee maker dripping a fresh pot. Jessie groaned and leaned against Mido.

“Man, I can’t believe my head is still sore.”

Mido wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her arm. “It’s a deep cut. It’s gonna take a while. I’ll pamper you a bit after breakfast to help take your mind off it.”

“Thank you.”

My heart wrenched at the sight of them. I could see bandages only on Mido, but to hear Jessie in pain hurt me as well. If only I could lend my demon healing powers. It was so unfair that I could shrug off even death while everyone else got old, bent, and broken. The only marks I kept were scars, physical and emotional.

He reached for something on the counter. “Here, I’m gonna put this away real quick.” He peeled away from her, a carton of light cream in hand, and he froze in place at the sight of me.

“What’s wro--?” Jessie covered her mouth and gasped, then slowly lowered her hands. “Are you okay?” she asked me.

“I’ll more or less be fine once I get enough food and water in me,” I said quietly. This was my first failed death with this crew. Even though they all knew I couldn’t die, witnessing me get shot in the head, then walking around a week later had to be confusing and jarring. I had a nice little circle of a scar in the crux of my chin and neck, and a slightly larger one near the top of my head. I raised my chin. “You can look if you need to. I know this has to be real strange to see me up and about, even after all you know.”

Mido put away the cream and they both came over and took a good look. Jessie said, “The scar itself is actually not that bad. No one’s gonna see it unless you look up.” She looked at my bald spot and involuntarily shuddered. “Maybe you should wear a hat until your hair grows back.”

“Eh. Just don’t look.”

“I’ll try.” She gave me some standing room.

“Do you want some coffee, Captain?”

“I better not for a few days. Do we have any electrolyte powder?” I slipped into my customary spot at the table and felt immediate relief from getting off my feet.

Mido headed for the pantry. “Be right back.”

“Just keep it out all week. And on top of that, I’m gonna need extra food.”

“Why?” Jessie said. She took a seat opposite me, unafraid.

That was new to me, but a good new. I went on to explain how my curse’s healing powers worked, then added, “And speaking of healing, you two look like you’re sporting quite a few injuries.

“Just my forehead,” Jessie said, pointing to a strip of surgical tape covering the width of her forehead. “Everyone else needed a lot more suturing and bandages.”

Mido set a tall glass of water turned red thanks to the electrolyte powder. I steadily sipped the whole thing down while my company made themselves some wonderful-smelling coffee that called to my tastebuds. The day I stopped feeling woozy, I’d happily oblige. “What happened to your elbow, Mido?” Besides a heavily wrapped elbow, he sported several nicks and cuts that had scabbed.

He gave me an embarrassed smile over his mug. “Nothing heroic. I dodged an attack and bashed my elbow into the railing. Cancer says I bruised the bone.”

I winced. “How’s he holding up?” I held out my glass with a shaky hand and my cook mixed me another round.

“Worn down but unharmed and thoroughly relieved he didn’t have to put anyone in a body bag. Rammus protected him and Scully during the fight.” He set the glass in front of me. “You think you can hold down any food? You’re really pale.”

“Go ahead and start on breakfast. I’ll take some crackers for now.”

“I’ll get them,” Jessie said, getting up. She brought me a sleeve of crackers from the pantry, peeled one end open, and set it in front of me.

Mido, who was gathering quiche ingredients, said, “Thanks, Jessie.”

I looked at the package, then at her. I knew what I was supposed to say but I rarely expressed gratitude for people doing what I told them to. Everyone’s reward for following my orders was a smoothly-run ship and big paychecks. But... I hadn’t told her to do anything just now. “Thanks.”

“Wow,” Mido said with a grin. “You got a ‘thank you’ out of Captain. That’s a rare feat.”

Jessie shrugged as she returned to her coffee sitting on the table.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said flatly. I finished my electrolyte water and got up. “I’m gonna go check on everyone and see how they’re doing.” Crackers in hand, I munched on a few along the way to the cabins, my spirits low.

I checked the left side first, using a palm lantern to illuminate their bunks. Most woke from the light intrusion, and I gently shook the others so they’d roll over and I could see their faces. All of them were thrilled to see me up and about again, and they all admitted to feeling a bit weirded-out by my recovery after seeing me shot in the head. “Just one of the perks of my curse,” I said with no enthusiasm as I worked my way to Scully’s bunk.

“Still,” Ed said, “it’s such a relief to have you back.”

“I’m glad to be back.” As much as I wanted to lift my curse, I couldn’t deny that I wouldn’t have enjoyed dying on them like that. Jacobi, Sam, and my three techies put on clothes and gathered outside Scully’s cabin. Cancer and I went in and he paused, giving me a studious look.

“It’s pretty gruesome, Captain,” he said. “He’ll live but he’ll be explaining what happened to him to everyone he meets.”

“Go ahead.”

Cancer pushed aside the curtain and carefully removed the bandages mummifying Scully’s head, then he stepped aside.

I held up my palm lantern and winced at the sight. “Ouch.” One side of his face looked like a red potato that had been gnawed on by rats, then sewn back together. He had one semicircle of sutures that went from the corner of his mouth, to eye, to ear. He had a second semicircle half the size, along with a line of sutures circling his ear. His face was moderately swollen but at least full of color.

“You did a good job patching him up, Cancer. Hopefully he’ll look badass, instead of bad, once it scars over.”

Sam said, “He’ll be gettin’ more ladies than Jacobi after he tells them his story.” The others chuckled.

“We’ll see about that,” Jacobi said in good humor.

It got a smile out of me. “Has he woken yet?”

“Yes,” Cancer said, “but I’ve been drugging him to sleep through every night. He’s gonna be in agony for another week or so.”

I sucked in air through my teeth. “Go ahead and wrap him back up.” I sidestepped out of his way and faced the others, all of them with their heads in the doorway. I ached with empathy but I hid it with a serious gaze. “Is Tethys and his entire crew dead?”

“Yes,” Sam said as the others nodded. “They got what they deserved.”

“That they did.” Even with justice meted out, it brought no joy, no grim satisfaction. Instead, I felt hollow. These men kept piling on the scars for doing honest work. At least we’d never have to deal with Tethys again. “Sam, are we fully supplied and ready to head for Dakar?”

“We are, Captain.”

“Is everyone mentally ready as well?” I made eye contact with each of them in turn. They were all bruised, cut up, and sore, but that was often part of the job description.

Ted said, “Definitely, now that you’re back.” The rest voiced their agreement.

“Good,” I said. “Go ahead and start showering. Mido’s working on breakfast. We’ll push off after we eat and get back on shipping schedule. Let’s go make some money.” My crew visibly brightened up with the morale boost and headed for the showers. Nothing like a healthy routine to bring things back to normal. We all needed it to keep us distracted from thinking about Australia. I headed to my bunk with my half-eaten package of crackers and started rummaging around my cabin for my gun and its holster. I felt incomplete without it and I couldn’t carry it on my person until my trench coat was washed, but for now I just wanted to know where it was.

Once I concluded that it hadn’t been stowed in my cabin, I headed to the weapon crate sitting against the wheelhouse. I pushed around swords and grenades in search of a wrapped-up bundle but I couldn’t find it. Panic rose in my chest. My rising heart rate wasn’t helping my wooziness.