Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing this story! The plot is beginning to form in my mind a little more clearly so things should be moving along a bit faster now. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone aside from my OC Jack Harper
Operation Brother Rehabilitation
"Launch the damn pot!" shouted Sig over the loud hailer.
Jack and the rest of the crew flinched at Sig's angry tone. It had been like this for a few days now but things were beginning to grow worse. Edgar was more tense and angry than any of them had ever remembered seeing him and Sig was growing more impatient with his little brother. Edgar's little acts of rebellion were starting to fray the last nerve Sig was hanging on.
"I'll launch it when I'm ready!" roared back Edgar as he through an old codfish at the wheelhouse door.
Suddenly the door opened and Sig stormed out onto the small, second-story deck space.
"Launch it NOW!" he roared in absolute fury.
Edgar turned around and looked up at his older brother, a look of disgust and disbelief on his face.
"Get back in your wheelhouse and drive the damn boat and let me and my crew do what we gotta do down here!" shouted Edgar.
Jack and Jake exchanged petrified looks as they busied themselves with preparing the bait for the next few pots.
"This is bad…this is very, very bad," muttered Jake over and over.
"I know," whispered Jack, "It's actually scary…really scary. I've never seen them this angry at each other before."
"Don't tell me what to do!" shouted Sig, "I'm the captain of this boat and what I say goes!"
"Not when it comes to MY deck! That's your damn wheelhouse and this is MY deck! You run the boat, mess with numbers and I move the steel down here!"
"Damn it, Edgar if you don't do what I say you're getting off this boat when we offload!"
"No, you know what?" shouted Edgar as he through the buoys overboard, "Forget it…I'm not doing this anymore. For twenty-two freaking years I've slaved away on this boat, and for what? Out of obligation? Because daddy did it? No, I'm done it's not worth this. I quit!"
Jack froze in horror as she looked over at Edgar, her mouth gaping in shock. Jake let out a little squeak of surprise as he too froze in the middle of filling a bait bag. The entire crew seemed to be frozen in place as they waited for Sig's response.
"Good riddance!" snarled Sig as he stormed back into the wheelhouse and slammed the door shut.
"Edgar…" said Matt after a moment.
"Don't," said Edgar, his voice tight with emotion, "Just…don't."
For the first time ever…Edgar walked off the deck…
…
After the crew finished setting the pots, minus their deck boss, they filed into the galley to grab a bite to eat.
"So what happens now?" mumbled Matt, looking dejected.
"I dunno," muttered Norman as he ran a hand through his messy brown hair.
"I can't believe this!" shouted Jake, angry and hurt, "How can he just quit like that?"
Jack didn't say anything. She stood at the sink and watched the rest of the crew eat in silence. After a few moments she walked out of the galley and down the hall to the stateroom she and Edgar shared. She opened the door slowly and peeked inside.
"Ed?" she asked quietly.
Edgar glanced up from where he was laying on the bed. He sat up slowly and looked up at his fiancé, misery and anger burning in his eyes. Jack frowned slightly as she sank down on her knees in front of him.
"Are…are you really leaving?" she asked, not meeting his troubled gaze.
"Yeah," replied Edgar, his voice low and ragged, "I'm sorry Jack…I just can't deal with it anymore. My heart isn't in it…not like it used to be."
"Is there anything I could do to change your mind?" asked Jack, her voice barely above a whisper as she gazed hopefully up at Edgar.
Edgar winced slightly at the pain in her voice, "No, sweetheart…I'm sorry. I…I just have to leave."
Jack looked down quickly as she felt the moisture in her eyes begin to turn into tears. Edgar leaned down and kissed the top of her head, breathing in her scent as he wrapped his arms around her.
"What'll we do without you?" asked Jack, her voice trembling, "What will I do without you here?"
"Sig will restructure the crew…probably make you or Norm deck boss. And I'm still here. I'm not leaving you, just the boat. I'll always be here for you, Jack. I love you."
"It won't be the same without you," muttered Jack as she looked up at Edgar, "The crew is already depressed and moping."
Edgar smirked a little, "Nah they don't like me that much."
"You'd be surprised," muttered Jack as she stood up to leave, "I better help clean up and head back out…I'll see you later."
Edgar nodded and watched Jack as she left their stateroom…his heart breaking slightly as he realized what his decision would mean for the two of them. Jack would be out to sea about 9 months out of the year…while he stayed back on land…
…
A few hours later, Sig called the crew off the deck and gave them a six hour reprieve while they steamed in-between strings.
Jack sat down at the galley table and sipped on a cup of coffee. Jake and Norman joined her a few minutes later. Nick and Matt joined the crew about half an hour after that. They sat in silence for a little while before Jake spoke up.
"We can't let it happen."
"It already has, kid," said Matt as he took a swig of coffee.
"No it hasn't," argued Jake, "We can stop this from happening."
"How?" asked Jack, giving Jake a doubtful look, "Edgar's pretty dead-set on his decision."
"We'll remind them of the way things used to be," said Norman as he and Jake exchanged knowing looks.
Jack narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "You two have been conspiring together?"
Norman smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "A little…while we were on deck. Things used to be a lot of fun around here. Ever since we were kids, Edgar, Sig and I always had a blast out here. The work was never easy but we were all pretty close and everyone loved what they did. But it's kind of lost the luster over the years. Sig and Edgar were never really close when they were young but they bonded while fishing out here. I've got several home-videos we took over the years with all of us fishing together and goofing off. Maybe we could get them to watch the videos and it'll remind them of the way things used to be?"
"Videos aren't going to change anything," muttered Nick, "I mean I think it's a good idea…but those two are so stubborn. It's going to take a lot for this to work."
"Well the videos would just be the beginning," urged Jake, "If we could get them to both join us for dinner one night, watch the videos, then talk to them about how much we appreciate them and how much we want Edgar to stay…I don't know, but we have to try something! We can't just let things end this way without at least trying to make things better."
Jack sighed and ran a hand through her tangled hair, "Okay…fine, we'll try it."
Jake and Norman exchanged excited looks and high-fived each other.
"But don't get too excited," warned Jack, "This might not work. We might have to just accept the fact that this is how things are going to be. But…I'm willing to give it a go."
Nick sighed, "Alright fine, I'm in…but no one blames me for anything if this goes wrong."
"Same here," grunted Matt.
"Alright," said Jake, practically bouncing in his seat, "Then it's settled…Operation Brother Rehabilitation is underway!"
Jack rolled her eyes, "Operation Brother Rehabilitation? Really?"
Jake glared at Jack playfully, "Yes…I came up with it."
"I couldn't tell," said Matt as he moved to avoid Jake's punch.
"Okay, whatever," laughed Jack, "Operation Brother Rehabilitation it is…let's just pray it works."
…
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