"Bryan, Charles, stop this!" Josephine shouted at us. "Bryan, let him go!"
No, pull the rest of me back over the railing so I can't fall overboard and then let me go, I thought.
Turner looked over at her as I considered my options of getting away from him. We were roughly the same height but he had quite a bit of muscle weight on me. I was as lanky as he was muscular.
My head snapped back as I was jerked away from the railing and crudely tossed away as if I were a broken rag doll. Pain shot up my hip and elbows as I rather ungracefully landed on the wooden deck.
I was clearly getting too old for this.
"Charles!" I heard Josie cry out. The next thing I knew she was at my side sliding one of her arms around my shoulders.
"Get away from him Josie," Turner growled.
"You could've hurt him!" Josephine snapped.
Not wanting to admit to the pain my elbow was in I sat up and glared at my nemesis.
"I'm fine, Josie," I lied.
"Keep out of this Josie," Turner said. "This is between me and him."
"Both of you need to stop this!" Josie ordered. "Enough of the violence!"
Turner looked me over again as I hobbled to my feet. I sensed if he could get away with it I would be locked in a battle for my very life at this moment.
"Josie, come with me. We're leaving!" Turner announced in an authoritative tone of voice.
"No."
He looked her, "Sorry?"
"I'm not goin' with you."
"You'd rather be with him?"
"I know him."
Should I be relieved or worried about retribution? Either way I decided to stay quiet as this argument played out.
Turner questioned my existence and my abilities and Josie defended me. This banter went back and forth for what felt like several minutes and it reminded me of something out of a novel. Finally Turner gave up with a remark that Josie could have me and the insanity that went along with me.
Once out of hearing range Josie looked to me, "Do you still hurt?"
Reluctantly I nodded, "I don't think anything is broken but I'll be sore for a few days. Oh my, what a few days we've had."
Giving me a small smile Josie pulled my cap off my head. With her other hand she brushed some of my dark blonde hair away from my forehead.
"Why do you continue to stay with me after what I put you through?" I asked.
"Because I still love you."
Before I could answer I heard a piercing cry.
James Moody was running past us at top speed all the while shrieking "Run for your lives! Welshman on the loose!"
"Moody! Get back here and face me like a man!" Harold Lowe shouted after him.
James, it had appeared, had gotten a head start in the running and showed no signs of slowing down.
Harold left wet footprints and water droplets on the deck as he raced past us.
"You coward!" Harold shouted at James.
"Is he...soakin' wet?" Josie slowly asked.
"This is going to be an interesting explanation. I can tell already," I said.
