Black Sea

Chapter 10

That night I had the chance to finally experience the life of a pirate. The swaying of the sea was more brutal at each gulp of rum. The obnoxious laugher always in the background regardless of me not being a part of it all the time. But the drinking and the laughter had nothing to do with that feeling; the feeling of being special. I was in the center of everyone's attention; the person to whom they owned their victory. I could easily see myself spending a whole month this way.

They hit my shoulders, offered me more drinks and even gave me nicknames which were forgotten by the time I drank another glass of rum. Despite the regulations, that night the candles didn't stop burning. Their wax flowing down on the slippery deck and their flames showing little of what took place on the quarters that night. But even those little were fortuned to be forgotten by the start of dawn when the alcohol would have passed, carrying away with it every memory of the night.

One moment I was drinking, laughing, saying glibberish. The reflection of my eyes at the liquid in glass being the last thing I remember. The silence woke me. The sky was two halves. One full of fading off stars inside a dark sky and the other pink, giving space for a new sun to pull itself up. My skin was full of goosebumps, stinking with alcohol and someone's vomit. I jumbed up before the ship attacked me, throwing me on my knees. The masts ahead of me became part of last night's fun, changing figures in a blink of an eye. My stomach begun to heave in a sickly way and my head was spinning.

“s**t,” I murmed, attempting one last time to stand up.

However, my limbs betrayed me again and I collapsed down. A hand caressed my shoulder, a chuckle came soon after. I turned my head sideways, waiting a few seconds for my vision to clear. A blonde man with his aquiline features smiled down at me, before my eyes shut again in defeat. I don't know how long I stayed like that, waiting and groaning. When I managed to open my eyes, the sun was already up, enlightening the whole sky. Some sailors were already working.

You're finally awake!” Tim's smiley face appeared over me. “Can you move?”

“Only my eyebrows.”

“Been there,” he let out a genuine laugh, giving a glance in front of him. I didn't even offer a smile, my situation was at least embarrassing.

“Ugh, you're bleeding.”

My eyes widened a little. I moved my hands which felt like wet strings and caressed them over my shoulder. The wound still oozed blood, a dull sciatic pain had settled there. I lifted my head, fixing them over my body. The entire upper half wore a purple-yellow smear of bruise. My senses started working again filling me with worry over the blood trailing from open wounds. I had to take care of them as soon as possible.

“I have to see Shon,” I made an attempt to stand up, dizziness slowing down the process.

“Okay, why don't you balance on me?” he suggested, a grin on his face.

I arced an eyebrow at him, studying his eyes as they smiled at me.

“Go on, I won't throw you at sea. Now that you've proven your worth at me, can't risk loosing you.”

Having no choice but accept, I put one arm around his shoulders and pushed my body up. Something felt so wrong with me. I was weak. How could I ever allow this to happen?

“Tim, I'm okay. Why don't you lead the way instead?”

He did as I told him, but his eyes stared at me in confusion. He shook his head slowly, taking into my trembling limbs and itching eyes.

“I don't know, you don't seem that okay to me.”

Great, everyone could see I was weak. The thought made me nervous. What would sailors think if they saw their quartermaster in that mess? I took a deep breath and steadied myself on the mast.

“Do as I say Tim!”

His smile faded away as he turned around and walked. I wasn't that bothered, it felt impossible to imagine Tim without a smile. In a few seconds he would be just fine. I on the other hand, with my image destroyed and brain malfunctioning, wasn't fine at all. I clenched my fists to balls and looked down to keep my brain in it's place. I walked extremely slowly, forcing my legs to move normally, but they didn't seem to listen. Tim gave glances back at me occasionally and held the door open for me to walk inside the sleeping quarters.

Two sailors were cleaning the mess, something that made me wonder how much messier it must have been before them. Blankets and stains were all over the deck, some glasses of broken bottles scattered around and the most horrible of all, the acrid air. The smell of tobacco coated everything even my own clothes, mixed with rancid body odour and thrown up stomach fluids. My face and mouth twisted in discuss. Breathing from my mouth was the solution to keep myself standing down there.

“What took place down here and it smells like that?”

Tim barked a laugh, glancing at me over his shoulder with meaning.

“So, now you don't remember.”

I tried to bring any memory back as I took in the sight lying ahead of me. Only broken images of drinks, cheers and laughs resurfaced. In that moment, I lost trust to my damaged memories. Whatever happened down there it was horrible.

“Was I a part of it?”

“Damn right you were!” He walked ahead, his back turned to me. “Why wouldn't you be after all? The victory was your accomplishment and the night incredible!”

Someone didn't share my thoughts, a fact that I had to get used to. No one shared my thoughts and that was an advantage I hadn't considered to accomplish my plan. He pushed another door open, the mysterious black boxes the first thing I caught with my eyes. In the left corner sat Shon, chains were still keeping his wrists bonded. Blinded by the light of the next room, he shut his eyes, crawling back to the corner. That was a horrible sight.

“Release him from the chains, Tim.”

Tim took a hammer and grabbed his wrists. Shon's breathing hastened, I will never know if it was of excitement to be free, or distrust to a pirate with a hammer. With a powerful hit, the chains broke and Shon's hands were free. He stared at them for a while, lips parted and eyes widen. He then shut his eyes and he stretched his limbs, sighing in satisfaction.

He turned his eyes to me, staring at me with tensed muscles. Something grateful appeared in his eyes, hiding well beside a fake self assurance and pride.

“You are an additional mouth to feed. Unless you prove us your worth, you are useless and a waste of food and water.”

He gave a quick nod, his eyes darting to Tim relaxing on my hammock.

“Are you a surgeon?”

There was a hesitation and a slight quiver in his voice. “Of sorts.”

I rushed and picked outside the room. The two men carried the last gurbish and left us alone in the whole deck. No one said anything. I heard the screeching of ropes behind me and Tim's legs landing on deck. I let out a deep breath from my mouth, and rubbed it with my thumb.

“What do you mean ‘of sorts’? Be very careful with your answer,” I stepped forward, staring at him intensely.

Shon's eyes widened in fear. He stumbled back, eyes exchanging glances between me and his shoes.

“I'm not sure?” his head tried to hide between his shoulders, his voice suddenly lowered while mine grew louder.

“You are not sure? You are kidding me!”

Tim's hand reached out in a false attempt to stop me from pushing him to the wall. “I allowed you to live because of your skill and you are not sure you even have one?”

“No, it's not like that!”

“Prove me wrong.”

He let out a quick sigh, his fast breathing not giving him any more time. “I just haven't practiced on any human.”

“And what the hell have you practiced on?”

He gulped loudly, shutting his mouth. His eyes turned to the door and then back at me.

“On pigs.”

I heard Tim giggling behind me as I stood there with my mouth hanged open. I took this kid on a poor pirate ship with me, got in fight with Anne and made everyone think I had someone skilled with me, and he could only heal pigs.

“Zane, hey,” Tim tapped my shoulder, a slight smile still on his lips. “We can't risk killing him. Pigs...” he chuckled. “Pigs or not, he does have a skill. Let's test him with one person and see how it goes.”

“Who are you suggesting can be the test?”

“Well,” his eyes moved to my shoulder, a grimace of disgust placed on his face as blood trailed down. “The cut in your shoulder demands urgent care.”

“Care from an experienced surgeon, not a pig doctor!” I gritted my teeth together, watching Tim trying to hold back his laughing.

I shook my head, chuckling desperately. This couldn't be happening. I had to choose between getting through a torture with Shon or confess that I did a mistake to a crew of fifty. A crew from which I had to gain their trust and respect. A lie couldn't possibly be so serious to ruin that if and when it was exposed. After all, I could find time to teach thi little liar some skills before I got caught.

I felt my muscles relaxing and Shon's did too. Tim walked next to me, giving a glance down at Shon.

“Let this be our little secret. How bad can it be after all?”

Short answer: Really bad.