WANTED: for the greater good

The one person you never feared for

"It's nearing sundown," groaned Pat when he woke up with a heavy hangover, reaching out to shake Starc and Steve. "We ought to get a move on and clear this mess. The way you all are, Becky'll be back with Albie and we'll still be lazing 'round."

"Your problem, not ours," said Starc, sleepily.

"Might I remind you she gave us permission to use her grandfather's farmhouse on the condition we'll restore it to its original state once we're done!"

"No, you might not."

Pat sighed and gave up on Mitch. It was no use; the big bully always slithered out of the donkey-work. 

His eyes fell on Marnus, who drew back. 

Pat sighed again.

He was not going to be like Mitch, he wasn't gonna bully Marnus.

"Maxi--"

"Don't look at me," said Maxi promptly. "I've done my share of work handling you drunk fools."

"Steve--"

Steve gave a loud, fake snore.

Pat got up, resigned to his fate. He'd known, inside, it was he who would have to do the work on his own--as always--but a man could hope.

"Man, what kind of a captain are you?" Starc called. "Can't give an order to save your life."

"Like you would listen to anyone's orders, Starcy."

"Not me, but the others might. Hey, Nathan, whatcha watching?"

"The news," said Lyon.

Yes, he could watch news, but he couldn't help Pat carry the dozens of beer bottles to the vat. But what could he say? Nathan always watched the news.

Starc had leaned over lazily to have a look. "Anything interesting?"

"I guess so," said Nathan. "There's been some trouble at the docks. You know that missing kid? They suspect the kidnappers are trying to get out through the ocean..."

Maxi raised an eyebrow. "Virat was asking--"

Nobody else seemed to remember the unexpected visit of their Indian counterparts the previous night, and Nathan's news was far more interesting.

"There's been shooting and stuff, it seems..."

"Shooting?" Steve sat up bolt upright. "Hey, let's go! I always wanted to watch a shooting!"

He got a dark look from Pat, now lugging the ice-bucket back, but most of his other teammates perked up.

"Yeah, let's go! Let's go!"

"No," said Pat. "We're not going anywhere till this backyard is clean."

"You miserable little bore," scoffed Starc, going and knocking the ice-bucket out of his hands. "C'mon, the cleaning can wait."

"Mitch!"

"Sea air and some shooting is going to do us good, with these hangovers, I mean," added Stoinis, wheedling.

"As captain, I command you to--" Pat began.

His team rolled around on the grass, laughing. Starc fell to his knees and banged the ground as he convulsed.

"All right," said Pat, who was just about done and saw no way out of his plight. "To the docks we go then."

***

Rohit had it decided as he pressed Jaddu's wrist to his chest.

It anything happened to Jaddu--of all people, Jaddu--he would go and jump straight into the ocean.