All for you

Chapter 9

Swain hands me a piece of paper and a pen and I begin to write down a whole heap of phone numbers, addresses and other contacts.

"Try these."

I hand the paper back to Swain and he walks out for a while.

"Robert is our communications guy. He'll call all of those numbers and try to find him for you."

I can start to feel tears forming in the backs of my eyes. I brought you in on this thinking it would be ok but it's only separated us and had you taken from me. I shut my eyes tightly and gulp.

Swain walks out for a bit. I sit up slowly and wriggle my toes. They've gone cold but they'll warm up eventually. The room is very plain and dimly lit. I see a clock on the side of the wall that reads 10:42. Being below decks I can't really tell if it's morning or night.

Swain walks back in staring at me sitting up happily.

"Wow! Are you feeling that much better already?"

"Yeah. You said the Captain wanted to see me?"

"Oh yeah. I'll go let him know that you're ready to speak. I'll take you to the ships office so the two of you can chat."

Swain delicately removes the drip out of my hand, takes the monitor off my finger and hold my hands as I slide off the bed. My legs are shaky and unstable when they take the weight of my body.

"You've been asleep and the boats moving. Don't worry, you'll get your sea legs soon enough."

He walks me slowly to the ships office, observing my every step. The corridors look much the same as the room I was in. White walls, grey floor, same white lights and the same smell; sort of clean but salty.

Swain pushes open the door and guides me to a chair.
"I'll just go and get the captain. Give me two seconds."

"One. Two." He was barely out of the room yet.

"Ok give me bit longer." He walks out with a smile on his face and closes the door.

He returns less than a minutes later opening the door and holding it open for a tall, average built man. I rise to my feet and extend my hand.
"Sir."
He grasps my hand and shakes it firmly before signaling for me to sit back down. I look back over to Swain as he shuts the door.

"I'm the Captain of the Hammersly, Mike Flynn. It's nice to finally talk to you."

I couldn't really manage many words at this point but I did manage to blurt out,"Yes Sir, ahh... thank you for rescuing me from those other men."

"I understand you aren't completely awake yet?"

"Yes sir. Ahh.. it's a pretty heavy sedative."

He lets out a small chuckle and interlocks his fingers before resting his hands on the table. His face becomes more serious.
"I'm just going to get straight to the point. We want you to join our ship."

I stare blankly at him. My mouth is slightly open and my eyebrows at weird angles.
"You...want me... to be on this navy ship?"

I take long pauses between phrases, trying to comprehend what he has just asked me. He nods.I lean back into the chair sinking into it a bit.

My brain malfunctions a bit trying to process this. It just goes empty. I don't know what to do. I don't know whether or not to accept the offer. I don't know what I'm going to do about Yvan. I just have no idea.

I keep looking back up at Mike's face waiting for him to tell me he's joking. It doesn't happen.
He stands up from his chair.
"Excuse me for a second."
He walks out returning swiftly with a folder in his hand. He places the folder onto the table and slides it toward me. It's a creamy yellow colour. It has my name printed on a sticker in big block letters.

I pick up the folder just enough to get my fingers underneath it. It's kind of heavy and feels dense with papers. I tap my finger to a steady beat for a while.

"I understand this may come as a bit of a shock."

I open my mouth to speak but all that comes out is a sigh.

"We will be back in port in 36 hours. I will allocate you a room and you will be treated as a crew member until you set foot off this boat. All you have to do in that time is decide. You won't have to work or do any duties and there will always be someone to talk to no matter the time about any concerns or questions you have. Whether or not you take this job is up to you but I think from what we have seen, you would be a wonderful addition to the crew."

What has he seen? Have the government been watching me or something? And how long and how often like have they seen me in the shower or something?

He stands up. "Come with me."

It wasn't a scary come with me. It's like a 'I have something really cool to show you' come with me.

I pick up the folder and slowly stand up wobbling around for a bit. He reaches out for my hand and takes it tenderly and guides me out the door and up some steps.

"This is the bridge. We control pretty much the whole ship from up here."

The bridge is a very light, very technical looking area. It's open with multiple terminals and each with a different person sitting at it.

Mike signals for me come toward him. I take a look around. There are at least 6 people looking curiously at me, some I already know. I walk toward Mike and look out the big windows. The ocean stretches infinitely around us.

"Woah. I've been on the ocean before but I've never seen it like this."

"Sir. Possible FFV, 9 miles ahead on a beating on two-two-five."
He looks toward the Captain. He nods once.
"Bearing two-two-five. Full ahead both engines. Revolutions two-zero-zero-zero."
He steps back toward me and points to a screen.
"That's our sonar system. An FFV is a foreign fishing vessel."
I quietly interrupt him.
"I understand bearings and the revolutions."

He looks amazed at my skill but it's stuff we learnt at school and something my dad explained to me a long time ago. Neither of which are very complicated.

"Well everyone." He turns to face the rest of the crew on the bridge. "This is Ivy."

Everyone faces toward me and shoots me a strong smile. I feel my face instantly being up. Fuck I hate blushing.