In My Heart // GAWSTEN

Make It Count

"Don't do it."

The man whipped around to locate the sound, and Awsten's stomach dropped. It was the prince.

"Stay back!" the prince ordered. "Don't come any closer."

"Come on," Awsten murmured, "gimme your hand. I'll pull you back."

"No," he replied firmly. "Stay where you are - I mean it. I'm going to let go."

Awsten thought quickly. He couldn't do much with a cigarette in his hand, so he took one last drag and motioned to the man that he was going to approach the edge to throw it overboard.

When the prince didn't object, Awsten did so. Then he slowly tucked his hands into his pockets and said, "No, you're not."

"What do you mean, no, I'm not?" the man asked angrily.

Carefully, Awsten pointed out, "Well, you would've done it already."

"I'm just thinking," the prince snapped. "Go away."

"I can't. I'm involved now." Awsten tugged off his coat and let it drop to the deck. "You let go and I'm gonna have to jump in there after you."

The prince snorted. "Don't be absurd. You'll be killed."

He kicked one of his shoes up onto the nearest capstan to unlace it. "I'm a good swimmer."

"The fall alone would kill you."

"It would hurt," Awsten agreed. "I'm not saying it wouldn't." He yanked the first shoe off and started to unlace the other one. "But I'm more concerned about that water being so cold."

Geoff faltered. "How cold?" he asked softly.

Awsten knew he had him then, but he kept playing along. He still had to get the prince back over to safety. "Freezing. Maybe a couple of degrees over."

The man looked out to the sky.

"You ever, uh..." Awsten muttered. "Ever been to Wisconsin?"

It took a moment for Awsten's words to catch up to the prince's mind. He squinted at Awsten in confusion. "What?"

"They have some of the coldest winters. I grew up there, near Chippewa Falls. When I was a kid, me and my father went ice fishing out on Lake Wissota. Ice fishing is where you-"

"I know what ice fishing is," the prince interrupted.

"Sorry," Awsten replied, putting his hands up. "You just seem like, you know, kind of an... indoor guy. Anyway, I, uh... I fell through some thin ice. And I'm telling you - water that cold, like right down there, it hits you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over. You can't breathe... You can't think... At least not about anything but the pain. Which is why I'm not looking forward to jumping in there after you. Like I said, I don't have a choice. So I'm hoping you'll come back over the rail and get me off the hook here."

"You're crazy," the prince muttered.

"That's what everybody says, but..." Awsten shrugged. "With all due respect, mister, I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship."

The man looked down at his feet.

"Come on," Awsten coaxed. "Come on, gimme your hand. You don't wanna do this."

Reluctantly, the prince held out his hand to Awsten, who grinned and whispered, "Whew," as their skin connected. Then he said, "I'm Awsten Knight."

"Geoffrey Donald Wigington."

"It's nice to meet you," Awsten said. "Here, come on."

Geoff stepped to the second rung, but immediately, his foot slipped, and within less than a second, he was dangling in Awsten's grasp. He gasped.