Here's the 2nd chapter!! Thanks for all the reviews! Enjoy!

Completely loaded and ready for another opilio crab season, the Cornelia Marie departed from St

Completely loaded and ready for another opilio crab season, the Cornelia Marie departed from St. Paul and headed for open water. Captain Phil was once again in high spirits after the brief spat with his youngest son Jake who was starting the season with a nasty cold, but had convinced his father that he could handle his work-load. Now, Phil once again examined his charted route in the wheelhouse, while his crew below were slowly and intermittently setting-up bait. Due to raucous good moods there was an abundance of horseplay involved in the process and an infinite amount of cod particles were not making it into the bait-cans but instead were flying through the air at helpless victims.

Jake who had been feeling increasingly nauseas during the loading process was now experiencing a pleasently quieted stomach and partook in the fish fight with much of his normal exuberance.

"Haha, missed me," he taunted as he ducked impressively to elude a nicely aimed throw by Dave. As Jake threw his head back to miss another onslaught this time thrown by his brother Josh, he felt a shock of pain shoot up his neck and had to choke down the cry that wanted to escape from his mouth. Instead he managed to regain his balance and straightened up grimacing with his hands on either side of his neck.

"Okay there Jake?" chided Freddy from his own battle position behind the coiler.

"Yeah," muttered Jake clearly in pain. "Just tweaked my neck, but I'm fine," he continued while managing to profuse the confident air he was known for. Last thing he needed was to be both sick and injured. But needling in the back of his mind was a voice he couldn't ignore trying to convince him that his sore neck and flu-like symptoms were connected in a far more sinister fashion than he wanted to accept. Instead Jake shook-off the pain and the dark thoughts and returned to the battle with as much gusto as he could muster.

Phil who was watching the ruckus from above, although amused, was growing slightly impatient with his seemingly immature crew and decided to let them know.

"Guys, can we grow up please and maybe get some work done?"

Josh turned laughingly to the wheelhouse a mischievious grin still plastered on his face and answered his dad; "Awww, you're no fun!"

The rest of the crew still laughing, turned to their work and managed to finish the setup quickly. Now left with only waiting until they reached their first location to offload the pots, they tramped inside and removed their fish-soaked rain gear. Still in a goofy mood, Jake reached to shove Dave playfully while he was removing his pants so as to trip him up. Dave maintained his balance however and once stepping quickly out of his pants, lunged at Jake to exact revenge. Jake letting out a gleeful laugh ducked away and made to run up the hall away from Dave's assault.

"C'mon Dave! I was just having a little fun!" Jake called jokingly over his shoulder as he pushed past Freddy and towards the state room and possible safety.

"Well so am I!" laughed Dave menacingly as he managed to reach a long arm out and grab Jake by the back of his shirt.

What happened next was both surprising and painful to Jake as he felt his feet leave the ground as if he were being clothes-lined. As his head jerked back he felt the same painful shock shoot up his spinal cord as earlier, but this time it was a million times worse. Jake's body went limp with pain and he fell heavily to the floor as an agonized cry was ripped from his very insides.

"Holy shit, Jake are you okay?" Dave frantically yelped as he kneeled quickly at his side.

Jake lay unmoving with his eyes tightly shut as intense pain dissipated up his neck and into his head. He could hear Dave's worried calls soon echoed by Josh's who sounded infinitely scared.

"Did he hit his head?" Murray questioned sounding unusually frazzled. "Should I call Phil?"

Hearing the mention of calling his Dad produced a rush of adrenaline and fear that dragged Jake unwillingly into the present and he opened his eyes blinking in the glaringly bright light. "Fuck..." he groaned as the brightness of the light caused his head to throb.

"Jake!" Josh practically yelled. "Are you all right?"

Jake slowly looked into his brother's eyes and seeing his own fear mirrored there felt the need to reassure both of them.

"I'm terrific," he grunted, making a feeble attempt at humor. "My neck's just sore from earlier... it's nothing really."

"Nothing? Jake you were practically unconscious!" retorted Josh not buying his nonchalance.

"Yeah Jake. You took a pretty hard hit. I'm really sorry," Dave added looking exceedingly so.

"No biggie," Jake replied as he struggled to a sitting position with the aid of the entire crew who looked daunted by his sudden movement. "Just remember," he continued, "payback's a bitch."

"Hah," Dave managed to laugh. "I can't wait."

"I think you should probably sit down Jake," Murray ordered as Jake rose to his feet and tottered briefly back and forth.

"Yeah I think that's a good call," Josh added as he reached to grab the arm of his swaying brother.

"Look guys, I'm fine," Jake responded and started walking slowly to the table. "But could someone get me some aspirin?" he grunted as he sat down slowly as if he were an 80-year-old man. He held both hands up to his neck and rubbed as if to massage the pain away, noting to himself that he felt as if he'd been hit by a bus.

"Here," Josh reached out a hand of aspirin and a glass of water.

"Thanks dude," Jake managed as he quickly swallowed down the painkillers.

The rest of the crew slowly went back to their own affairs after milling around Jake anxiously for several minutes as if to see if he would pass out. Once they were alone at the table Josh began his stern interrogation of his younger brother.

"Jake is there something you need to tell me? Are you really okay? Don't go pulling the same shit Dad did last year man, you need to talk to me if there is something wrong."

Jake looked down at his hands. The truth was he didn't know if there was something seriously wrong with him. All he could think about was how worried he had been last year when his Dad had gotten sick and how worried he still was over his father's health. He didn't want to cause his father or his brother anymore stress. "And plus," he throught, "it really probably is just a bad cold."

"Josh I admit I'm sick, but it's just the flu. And I really don't want Dad thinking I can't pull my weight so if we could hold back on the details that would be great." Jake answered.

Josh stared unblinkingly at his brother, trying to determine if what he had just said was the truth or straight bullshit. He couldn't decide.

"Okay man, but if I see any sign that you're getting worse, I'm telling Dad and we're taking you back to St. Paul."

Jake nodded slightly at his brother's serious words. He detected once again the look of fear in Josh's eyes and tried to smile reasurringly but instead he just sighed.

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