Chapter 1
Silver still didn't remember anything since before Treasure Planet. Sometimes he'd have a brief glimmer of memory and he'd run to Jim and hug him and say how glad he was that Jim was ok. But then, he'd forget again and ask who Jim was and he as smiling like a goof ball, at which point, Jim would frown, shake his head and walk away.
He was thinking in particular now about the accident that took his eye, arm and leg and about how much he wanted to find Treasure Planet even after all these years. Jim for the most part just ignored him, since he couldn't do anything about Silver's condition and it was painful for Jim to see Silver the way that he was and wonder if he'd ever remember. Occasionally, Jim would try to talk Silver back to the memories. But it never really worked. He'd say, for instance, that Treasure Planet had already been found and Silver would ask by whom. Jim would say that he and Silver had found it, and that Silver had once lead the pirates that tried to take it. Silver would shake his head saying that if he'd really seen the legendary loot of a thousand worlds, he'd have remembered it, no matter the damage to his brain. Jim would walk away dejected and Silver would be left to wonder why that boy was so attached to him, and he to the boy.
Mr. Hawkins sometimes talked with Jim so they could do some catching up on years missed while Mr. Hawkins was away. Like tonight for instance. Jim and his father were sitting at the table after dinner playing cards. Silver could be seen through the window, sitting by the docks. He'd done that everyday since the battle with Scroop three weeks ago. Mr. Hawkins had watched Jim look out the window and hope that one day, Silver would come dashing in saying that he remembered everything and wouldn't forget again. Finally, Mr. Hawkins told Jim that Silver may or may not remember. Just leave him be to think things over. Well Jim had been doing just that for a week and he was getting more and more worried that Silver might not remember. The more he tried to push the thought away, the more it taunted him. Mr. Hawkins was saying about one of his adventures tonight. He had indeed left for the wrong reasons. He wanted more money than the inn could make. So he left to find more, more for his greed, not for the family. He had argued that day with Sarah. He walked right out of it. He flew off and after eventually becoming more and more like a pirate, found a job for one with pay. He'd found Scroop. He hadn't become an official pirate and he'd never killed or permanently injured someone.
"So how did you stop them from killing the crew Dad?" Jim called him Dad more out of respect for his biological connection with the man. But he never felt the same connection with him that he did for Silver. Mr. Hawkins knew this. He felt awful for leaving Jim and tried everyday to make it up to the boy. But in his heart, he knew he might never have his son's full admiration again. And it was his own fault. "Well Jim, I realized that if we worked to booby trap the ship and then slowly transport a few of the loyal crew at a time from the one longboat left, we'd stand a better chance than we would have fighting our way out. So I ordered some of the men to create the traps and ordered some of my officers to go to the longboat first. It was in the one place where it could launch without being seen."
Mr. Hawkins seemed to end the story there. "Well, what happened?" Jim asked, as excited as a child hearing a fairy tale. "More on that tomorrow night. Now, have we already gone over everything on your end?" Jim nodded. He got up and ran out to tell Silver that they need to go to bed. Unless he wanted to walk through the dark. Of course it still took a little urging, and sometimes a small argument before Silver agreed to come inside for the night. In the end though, he always would.
Silver was sitting out on the docks, puzzling over everything that he did remember and trying to understand the things that he didn't. Tears were slipping down his cheeks tonight as he stare into nothing. He remembered the way that the boy had looked at him, so happy and then so utterly heartbroken that Silver didn't know him. Then suddenly, just as the boy walked up, Silver remembered that he'd called the lad Jimbo. He muttered it to himself to memorize it for further reference.
"Yep, that's what you called me. At first, I hated it. You meant it to be condecending. But then, it turned into a term of affection at some point while we were still looking for Treasure Planet. I don't really know for sure when. Maybe one day, when you remember, you can tell me." "Maybe lad. Maybe." Silver didn't argue that night about going to bed. He had finally remembered something about the boy who had seemed to love him so much, so for now, he was content to rest and not think too hard.