Icy wind howled through the cement awning where Brian sat on the bench outside the hospital. Pulling a drag off his cigarette, he slowly exhaled a long stream of smoke and breath. The sight of his father laying in the bed three floors above were mixed up with memories of the search and rescue of the Sparrow's crew amid her flotsam. Freshly overlapping those memories was his crew's own brush with death. His eyes burned with smoke and unshed tears; swallowing hard, he rubbed at his eyes with grimy fingers.

"You'll get an eye infection if you keep that up." Brian jumped as the surgeon appeared by his side and then gazed down at his hands as if noticing the grime crusting them for the first time. Under the surgeon's stare, the teen took one last pull off the half smoked cigarette. He snuffed it out and tucked it in his jacket pocket. Turning his head, he blew out the smoke and covered a cough.

"How is he?" Voice tight with fear and worry, Brian forced himself to meet the doctor's eyes. The surgeon sighed heavily and sat beside Brian.

"He'll survive. That may have been his last trip though…" Tears slid past Brian's tightly shut eyes as the surgeon explained the extent of Edgar's injuries, the drops making indents on the slush at Brian's feet; choking back sobs while an uncomfortable silence settled, Brian missed Matt's approach. Heavy footsteps brought the teen's head up and a sob escaped him when he saw the look on his mentor's face.

Matt grabbed the front of Brian's coat and pulled his godson into a hug. The surgeon excused himself while Brian sobbed freely and tears ran down Matt's cheeks. A few moments passed before they swallowed back the tears and, stepping back, wiped the tears from their cheeks. They slowly returned to the lobby, Brian's steps deliberate in their placement. When voices called them from behind, Brian took a deep breath to steel himself and turned to greet Ashton, Kelly and Christopher. He noticed Nolan beside Kelly as Christopher paused his pacing and nodded his greeting.

Ashton wrapped Brian in a tight bear hug, but instantly let go at his grunt of pain. She brushed his coat aside and reached to lift his layered shirts.

"No Mom, please don't. Not now, not here." He whispered, and grimaced as Ashton slowly released the shirts with a distrusting look. He hid the grimace behind another cough which earned him a dark glare. Wrapping his arm around his mother's shoulders, he murmured, "Please, let's just go back and see Dad. We can talk about it in his room."

Soft, rhythmic beeps and low whispers slowly penetrated the thick blackness surrounding him. Breathing deep, he tried to open his eyes and sighed when his eyelids refused to obey. A familiar hand gripped his bandaged one and a woman's voice reached him. I know that voice…where do I know her from? Why can't I wake up? What happened? Where am I…? Slipping back into the darkness, his thoughts remained unanswered.


Flinching, Edgar groaned as consciousness slowly returned again. Cracking his eyes open, he blinked to clear the watery haze from his vision. A hand slid into his, comforting and familiar while another stroked back his hair. He turned his head and studied the woman next to him. Her red hair was fading to strawberry blonde, but the green eyes were bright and the expression on her face was felt like déjà vu.

"Ashton?" His voice was a hoarse breath, uncertain and confused. Ashton sobbed and covered her mouth with her free hand. Edgar's hand weakly gripped hers, his thumb lightly rubbing the back of hers. A hand on his left shoulder caught his attention, and he turned to see a tall young man seated beside him; a shorter teen stood hovering over his shoulder.

"Brian, Chris…Kelly? Where's Kelly?" Struggling to rise, Edgar stopped as Kelly appeared in the doorway with two boxes in her hands. Nolan wheeled in behind her, three more boxes in his lap. As Nolan gave a box to Ashton, Kelly held the boxes out to her brothers and greeted Edgar.

"Hi Daddy." Edgar's arm shook as he lifted it towards his daughter with a hoarse murmur. Christopher retreated to the chair behind Brian as Kelly sat on the edge of the bed. Kelly's barely contained the flinch as Edgar's fingers lightly brushed over her cheek. He let his hand drop down to her knee, pain glinting in his eyes.

"That bastard." Kelly stared down at Edgar's hand on her knee and took a deep breath. She glanced over at Brian and Christopher for support. Her lips twitched into a smile as she watched her twin inhale his cheeseburger and fries. Brian's take-out box remained untouched in his lap. Edgar followed Kelly's gaze and his brows knotted together at the look on Brian's face.

"You look like you've just seen death…" Brian's eyes suddenly focused and the box crumpled in his tightened grip. Edgar's raspy words struck a tender chord inside the teen and he swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.

"You really don't remember what happened, do you? Yes, Dad, I've just seen death. I've seen it five times in two different days. Look around you. Who is missing from this picture?" Brian's voice was hard and weary, his last tears shed hours ago.

"Brian, please don't." Ashton's voice was soft but weary, as if she'd heard this rant before. "Of course he's not going to remember, he just woke up." Brian ignored her and watched Edgar's reaction as the confused man did as bidden.

"Sig, Norman. Where are my brothers?" Edgar looked back at Brian, pulse rising as faint memories tickled the back of his brain. "Brian, where are your uncles?" He felt tears burning his eyes and panic filling his chest as his eldest son met his stare. The exhaustion and grief held in the hazel eyes hinted at the answers he didn't want to accept.

"God damn you! Where are my brothers? Fuck…Matt, Jake. What about them? Answer me you God damned bastard!" The door swung open and a doctor rushed in, followed closely by a nurse.

"I need you all to leave now and let him rest," the doctor ordered. Everyone but Brian moved to obey; he moved his gaze to the ceiling, window, walls, anywhere but his father. The doctor placed a hand on his shoulder, but Brian shrugged it off with dark glare. Taking several deep breaths, he managed to meet his father's eyes.

"Matt's fine but…" Brian stood to leave, suddenly feeling ancient and tired. Edgar grabbed his wrist in a surprisingly tight grip.

"Please…what about my brothers? Jake?" Edgar's voice wavered and tears slid down his cheeks as Brian sank back into his chair.

"I'm sorry, Dad. They're gone." Brian's chest was tight as he broke the news to his horrified father, giving just the bare facts of how they died. He was still by Edgar's side when the doctor stepped inside twenty minutes later. She silently began the oddly comforting routine of checking vitals when Brian spoke softly.

"He cried himself to sleep. But he had to know. It would have eaten him alive, not knowing what happened to his brothers." The nurse nodded at his questioning look, putting on what she hoped was a comforting smile and stood by Brian.

"I can't say that I know what you, your dad and your friend are going through, because I don't. What I do know is, you did the right thing by telling him. You're a good man, Brian. Remember that." She gave Brian's shoulder a gentle squeeze and started away.

"I told him the truth…about seeing death. But I hoped we got rid of the bad juju when we tried saving the Sparrow's crew…"

"Brian, listen to me. You did your best with those guys and you did your best with your uncles and friend. But keep going on like this and I'll give you an antidepressant to go along with those antibiotics and vitamins. Besides, I don't think they would want you to mope around like this for too long."

Brian flinched as if smacked by the exasperated sharpness in the doctor's voice. A faint smile brightened his face as he nodded his agreement. Rubbing a hand across his face, he bit back a yawn and resumed his silent vigil. He missed the doctor's sad smile as she left to talk with the waiting Hansen's before continuing her rounds. An hour later, she returned to find Brian sleeping with long legs splayed before him and chin resting on his chest. He jumped upright as the doctor's hand gently shook his shoulder.

"You should go home, get some sleep. When was the last time you got more than an hour of sleep?" Brian shook his head at her concern.

"It's gotta be over a week since I really slept. And it's not because I'm not tired…God knows I want to sleep. It's all the fucking nightmares that keep me awake."

"Your brother offered to stay and keep an eye on him while you go home. Your sister and her boyfriend stayed behind to take you. Why not go and just lay down, watch a movie or something? Just spend time with your family, you know?"

Brian nodded slowly. Forcing himself to rise, he swayed a little before steadying. The doctor hovered at his elbow a moment then stepped away. She followed him out into the hallway and pulled the door partway shut behind her.

"We'll call you if anything changes. Try and get some rest; your dad'll be home before you know it." She shook Brian's hand as Christopher, Kelly and Nolan approached. She smiled to herself as Brian gingerly draped an arm around Kelly's shoulders and kissed her temple before the headed for the exit. Christopher's softly spoken musings caused her to flinch.

"I think they're gonna be alright."


Edgar gingerly pulled himself into the wheelhouse and staggered to the co captain's chair, where he sank down with a small sigh of relief. He listened as Brian busied himself with getting ready to cast off. The boat was freshly repaired and painted, and if he hadn't survived the near sinking himself he would have never known anything had happened to her.

The boat slowly started forward, running smoothly under Brian's careful hand. Edgar's eyes opened to study the boy that guided the boat. He's a man now, isn't he? Edgar thought.

They slipped through the breakwaters and nausea hit Edgar full force. He grumbled something dark about seasickness and absently touched the tiny patch underneath his ear. Brian's mouth twitched into a smile at his father's grumbling.

"Yeah, laugh it up Runt. Just be glad you don't have to live with this every fucking time you go out on a boat." Edgar shared Brian's smile as they made the run out to sea. Secured in a box on the floor by Edgar's feet were three small urns, the ashes inside waiting to be spread over the watery expanse. For an hour they were silent, watching the calm waves pass beneath the bow as they steamed to their destination. Before long, Matt joined them and sat on the bench. No words were spoken; no words were needed. Four hours and an eternity later, Brian eased the throttle back into neutral and he turned to face Edgar.

"Ready?" Edgar managed a nod while Matt picked up the box and they followed Brian through the galley to the starboard rail. Nick joined them at the rail, but stood off to the side; with them, yet somehow outside their depth of loss. Brian handed each opened urn to Edgar, who carefully poured the ashes into the ocean below; first Sig's, then Norman's, and finally Jake's ashes drifted slightly in the breeze before hitting the water.

Edgar looked down at the urn in his hand, a picture of Jake grinning taped to the side. Tears dripped onto the picture as he squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed hard. Suddenly he lobbed the urn as far as his tender body would allow and listened to the heavy plunk as the ceramic jar splashed into the water. He did the same with the remaining two urns: gaze at Sig and Norman's pictures a moment before lobbing each urn into the ocean. Wiping his eyes, Edgar patted Brian and Matt's shoulders and sniffled. Looking over, he motioned Nick over and squeezed his friend's shoulder.

"We've done what we came here to do. Now let's go back and get some tendering done. Brian, when we get a chance, lets talk about Kings…I'm gonna need some help around here." Brian nodded, following his mentors back inside and reclaiming the captain's chair for their first tendering transfer. Matt sat across the wheelhouse from him, while Edgar rested below. Nick remained in the galley to prepare their first real meal in days.

Seagulls, terns, and other seabirds surrounded the boat expectantly as they approached the rest of the fleet, three gulls resting on the bow to eye the wheelhouse windows above. Raising his cell phone, Brian snapped a picture of the birds before they spread their wings and joined the flock.

"So…did you tell Edgar about Evelynn?" Matt's random question didn't make sense at first, but then Brian nodded.

"Yeah. I told him a couple days after I told him about Sig, Norm, and Jake."

"And? How'd he take it?" Brian shrugged at Matt's prompting tone.

"Surprisingly well. Wanted me to name the baby after one of them…I'm thinking Sam for the first one. If we decide to have more kids, I'll talk to Evelynn about an en and a jay name for the next two." They fell silent again for a while, then Matt spoke quietly.

"You're going to be a good dad."

"Thanks." Brian let the conversation drop and when Nick approached, he was relieved when the deckhand simply handed him a plate before sitting on the bench in silence. The youngest deckhand inhaled his food and his friends grinned. Brian caught their grins when Nick got back up to take it.

"I'm glad to see your appetite's back." He ruffled Brian's shaggy hair and gently pushed it to the side.

"Yeah. I stop thinking about everything that happened, and then I don't hurt so bad. It's a learning curve...one hell of a learning curve. Being with Evelynn and the others helped, but..."Lifting a shoulder in a shrugg, he shook his head.

"You think you've healed, there'll always be something to knock you flat on your ass. Family and friends do help, but I know what you mean. We know what you mean. We just have to learn how to live again. It's almost as if we're living for them. Sometimes thinking about it that way helps too."

Half an hour later, they arrived at the first boat and Nick and Matt left to go wake Edgar and begin working.


Pressing his lips to his sleeping month old son's pale blond hair, Brian gave him a gentle hug before passing the infant back to Evelynn. He cupped her cheek with his right hand and kissed her on the lips. He stepped back smiling; soaking in the sight of his fiancé holding his son in the early morning light, he spoke softly.

"I'll see you guys in a couple months. I love you."

"I love you too. Now go, before I change my mind and keep you home." Brian laughed and climbed over the starboard rail. Edgar's voice came over the loudhailer as his son made his way to the bow.

"Finally ready to go, Runt? Get these lines cast already, I wanna go fishing."

Evelynn stood with the remaining Hansens, Dusty and Nolan and watched as Brian hauled in the bowline. As Edgar pulled away from the dock, he stuck his head out the window and lifted his arm towards Ashton and his twins. Brian straightened from securing the line and returned his family and friends' waves. He watched them disappear from view before returning to work. His thoughts shifted from them to the season ahead of him. There were two new men aboard: a greenhorn fresh off the docks and a full share deckhand Sig had known as a kid.

Shrugging back the unbidden memories, Brian turned and watched as they entered into the Puget Sound. He took comfort in the movements and sounds of his family boat moving through the water. As the left the San Juan Islands behind and entered into the open ocean, he moved to the bow and watched the dolphins racing the boat. A few swam on their sides, looking up at him with their innocently grinning faces and he smiled to himself.


A/N: This is the end of Seaworthy Sons. If anyone thinks I screwed up the ending, please let me know! I'm also open to thoughts on how to improve and make better this story, or any of the others I've written! Constructive criticisms help me make better stories that you all love and enjoy. :D

When I first wrote this, I cried because I am a Norman fan and killing him was excruciating. Months later, I still can't believe I killed him. But hopefully I can make it up to my fellow Norman fangirls/guys in another story down the road. My next story is a sequal to Honor's Truth because I belatedly realized that was the story that was supposed to recieve a sequal. But if anyone has any special requests for a story, just ask! The story's title is inspired by the Garth Brook's song "Learning To Live Again". That song and title are copyrighted to the singer/songwriters.


Copyright Alissa Franko 2010-2011