If They Had Known

Where am I?

Tickling.

That was the sensation she felt, brows furrowing with a slight twitch. It was unexpected and...strange. Where had Nothing gone?

Her eyes opened slowly, widening as she took in the colors of the dawning sky. There were clouds here and there scattered across the sky, but the towering tempestuous monsters she'd faced in the night were nowhere in sight.

Even stranger, she could feel the hard, worn wood of a ship deck against her cheek.

Tickling...

Her body jerked, bruised limps screaming in pain as she got to her feet, pulling -stumbling- away from the tickling sensation against her side.

"Woah! Hey, you're awake now. Captain!" The man who'd been poking at her with a pen stood, a wide grin filling an impressive amount of space on his face.

She looked around shakily, still confused, trying to get her bearings and failing miserably as her head throbbed. Everything hurt more than it ever had. It felt like she'd died; she was pretty sure she had. "Where am I?" The woman croaked out, voice rough from swallowing -and later throwing up- a rather concerning amount of sea water.

"My ship."

Looking up the deck, she watched a tall, rather stocky man make his way down the stairs. His peg leg thunked against the wood louder that what was tolerable. Each 'clunk' made her eye twitch somewhat, though she was otherwise still.

He gave a warm smile, one arm gesturing widely rolled the rest of the ship. "Welcome aboard The Relentless," the Captain boomed with a hearty laugh, joy and...something else...shining in his eyes. "I'm Captain Tonk."

There was a small silence. This was where she was supposed to introduce herself she supposed.

"Captain," she gave an acknowledging bow of her head. "My- my name is Mary." She had been interrupted by a rough cough, voice strained as she leaned heavily against the ship's railing.

It wasn't her real name of course. She knew better than that.

In fact, her real name, was Clover.

"Where are we?" Clover managed with another cough, turning to look around with tired eyes squinting as they struggled to focus.

Tonk stepped up next to her, the inevitable 'clunk' ringing painfully loud in her ears. "We're on course for Sandy Island. Alabasta," he said with a firm nod, setting the destination in stone. There would be no negotiations to take her anywhere else.

"Alabasta," Clover repeated softly, looking out to the sea with a soft sigh. It'd been some time since she'd been back there. After a moment of silence, she looked up to the captain. "How am I here?"

He chuckled at that, eyebrows raising as he inhaled through enlarged nostrils. "A miracle, I'd say. We found you drifting. We were sure you were dead, our doctor even confirmed it. Then you heaved up so much water I was sure we would capsize!" Tonk laughed again, his belly bouncing along with his shoulders.

"We tried moving you to a bed, but you sort of...hit anyone who touched you. So we thought we'd just leave you be until you woke up," the man who'd been poking her added with a cheerful grin. Acting completely as if he hadn't been poking her at all.

Clover nodded, eyes closed as she put her face into her hands, rubbing her cheeks firmly. "How long was I out?"

"A few days. I'm sure you're starving, thirsty, probably still tired even," Tonk hummed, looking to her with a small smile. "There's a cabin prepared for you. Cook's preparing a meal for you now."