Mayda was awoken by a knock on her door.
Mumbling to herself and being very careful so that she would not disturb Harold she climbed out of bed and went to the door.
"Who is it?" She asked in a low voice.
"You're needed in suite thirteen-A," the voice on the other side said.
"But that's Abigail Grint's job."
"She's come down with a tooth ache."
That never stopped her before, Mayda thought.
"Right, I'll be right out."
Giving Harold one last glance Mayda put on her apron and cap. She carried her shoes with her deciding to put them on once she was outside her cabin.
She was half way done putting on her shoes when she muttered, "Wait, we don't have a suite thirteen-A…"
Before Mayda could get any more words out something firm grabbed her from behind. A firm hand clamped over her mouth to keep her from screaming for help.
Mayda thrashed as she found her self being half dragged to another room. She was bounced off the wall in the room and found herself face-to-face with her attacker.
"What the hell do you want?" Mayda snapped.
Boxhall was surprised that Mayda knew such words let alone even dreamed of using them.
"Shut up and listen to me," Boxhall snapped once he regained his composure. "Listen to me you pretty little lass. I know that you know about Moody and Petronsky and I even have my suspicions about you. I want you to--"
Any words Boxhall had were cut short by Mayda driving her knee into his stomach. She punched him in the shoulder and made her escape screaming the entire time. She could hear Boxhall's yell after her though she didn't dare look back.
She raced into her room, slamming and locking the door behind her.
Mayda screamed again when she felt strong hands take her shoulders and turn her around.
"My goodness, what happened?!" To her relief, it was Harold. "Boxhall! He knows about Kristen and James! He's suspicious of us! If word gets out!" Mayda fretted, hugging him. "That's why it won't. Where is Kristen anyways?" "On the bridge I'm assuming." "Oh no. She's alone!" Harry exclaimed, desperately looking to Mayda. "Oh, just the woman I wanted to see." Kristen heard a familiar voice sing. She turned around to see Boxhall, with a bit of a limp to him, come over. "I'm sure you'd die than see me." she replied smartly, walking away, or at least trying to. She was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Don't think you're going anywhere, Petronsky." "You have no right, Mr. Boxhall. Do you want me to report you?" "Aw, I don't think you could. That mark on your neck must hurt so much." Boxhall said in a mocking tone. At that point, Kristen had enough. Losing all control, she whipped around and punched him. After that, she tried to walk away. "Just a good thing that your last moments aboard this ship were so pleasant." "Wha-?" Kristen questioned, before he picked her up and ran her off the bridge. "Help! Someone!" she screamed. Fleet and Lee heard, and they tried their best to pelt him with water bombs, and they failed miserably. On the deck, Charles heard a woman scream, and had just realized that there was no one on the bridge with Kristen. He left his work and sped to where the sound was coming from. James heard as well, and also ran. Meanwhile, Harry and Mayda just got up to the bridge when they heard her shouts. They looked at each other, and ran desperately. "It's really a pity to see a pretty one like you go down. I was honestly looking forward to when you got fired." Boxhall hissed, before dangling her over the railing. She screamed once more as she fell briefly, yet grabbed hold of the rails. "Pleasure knowing you…..Pet-" he was stopped in mid sentence. "BOXHALL!" he heard Lights shout. Boxhall turned around not only to see Lights, but James, Harry, Mayda, Fleet, and Lee. "One more step, and I'll knock her hand off." Boxhall warned, as he put a little pressure on it.
"Boxhall, you--" James began.
"James, don't!" Charles shouted. "Boxhall, it isn't worth your life. They'll hang you for this!"
"You don't mind being beaten by a woman?" Boxhall began. "Oh, and by the way, your little Irish wench kicked me a good one. Is she going to be punished as well?"
It took everything Charles had to keep from going off the deep end. He felt as if he were hanging on the edge of a gaping cavern by only his fingernails.
"Boxhall, deep down you don't want to do this," Charles continued.
"And who are you to know what I do and don't want to do?"
"You're not a killer."
Boxhall only glared at Charles with cold eyes. Eyes that Charles could not see much humanity in.
"James, get someone to lower a lifeboat," Harold whispered.
"What are you talking about?" Boxhall demanded.
"Never mind them, come on. Let Kristen back on deck and we'll discuss this. We'll get you a transfer so you never have to serve under her again. You don't want to do this."
"Actually, I do."
"Come on, let Kristen back on the deck and we'll do something about this," Charles said as he approached.
"And what about her?" Boxhall jerked his head towards Mayda. "After what she did."
"What'd she do?"
"She kicked me in the gut."
"Why?"
"Dammit, I'm NOT going to be lorded over by the fairer sex!"
James wanted to rush forward though Harold seized his shoulders to stop him, "James, don't. He'll drop her."
As Harold tried to restrain James he didn't see Mayda starting to creep forward to where Charles was.
"I am sorry for kickin' ye," Mayda began. "If ye hadn't of grabbed me it wouldn't have happened."
Boxhall looked as if he were about ready to punch Kristen's fingers in an effort to get her to let go.
"Boxhall, talk to me man-to-man," Charles said. "We can discuss this like men, no women around. We can talk to the Captain."
Mayda crept towards the railing and began to undo her apron. She "accidentally" let one of the long apron ties fall near Kristen's hand while tying the other around her waist. She hoped that Kristen would get the idea that Mayda was about ready to use herself as a human anchor to keep her friend from falling into the sea but it would only work if Kristen grabbed on.
"We don't mean any harm," Mayda said. "We don't want anyone to be hurt."
"Why don't you just shut up?"
James almost rushed Boxhall again. It took all Harold had to keep his companion back. They were near the same size and weight, which made it near impossible for the Welshman.
Fleet and Lee watched in terror from the crow's nest.
"What do we do?" Fleet asked.
"Warn the Captain and Mister Andrews! You go down and I'll keep an eye up here!" Lee said.
"Right!"
Reaching over Mayda's long fingers began to wrap around Kristen's wrist. It was a risky maneuver but Mayda couldn't see any other way.
As long as Charles and Boxhall kept talking there was a chance they could get away with it.
Boxhall's dark eyes flicked to Mayda.
"Stupid woman!" Boxhall exclaimed. He punched her hard across the face sending her head hitting the railing. The blow left her heavily dazed though not unconscious.
Kristen's terrified scream brought the stewardess back to reality.
Though she was pushing her body through the railing she was able to grasp Kristen's wrists.
"I got ye!" Mayda shrieked. "Don't struggle! I got ye!"
Wasting no time Charles promptly planted his fist in Boxhall's stomach and then face.
"Lads! Get them before they fall overboard!" Charles screamed.
For once during the events Harold released James. The pair sprinted towards the railing and Harold seized Mayda around the waist.
"James, lean over me and grab Kristen! I can't pull them both safely through the railing! You'll have to get Kristen!"
Looming over Harold James bent over at the waist and also grabbed Kristen's wrists.
"I got her!" James announced. "Mayda, I'm going to need you to let go!"
"No!" Kristen screamed in fear as she had not fully heard James' words.
"Trust me you two! Kristen, take hold of the railing and I'll pull you up!"
A third hand seized Kristen by the back of her uniform.
"I've got you too!" Charles shouted. "We're not going to let you fall! Ready, James?"
"I am!"
"Pull!"
Kristen shrieked a few times more as the two men struggled to pull her onto the deck. It was not her weight, not by far, that gave them difficulty, but the awkward angle they were pulling her from.
The three of them collapsed on deck once Kristen was pulled to safely.
Harold wasted no time in pulling Mayda back from the railing. He did so with such force that she hit her head against the bar and once again landed against his body.
Mayda's ribs ached as did her head.
She took one look at the group around her and promptly burst into tears.
The sound of running footsteps was heard as three men came running up.
The first to reach them was Captain Smith followed by Thomas Andrews and Lee.
"What in the name of God is going on here?" Captain Smith demanded.
He glanced at the two women, on the floor, along with the three officers onthe ground.
"Boxhall, almost threw me overboard, sir." Kristen panted, stillterrified at what had happened.
"What?!" Smith demanded. "Boxhall! Is this true?!"
"Yes, sir." he admitted. Everyone gasped in shock as he actually admittedwhat he'd done.
"Miss Petronsky, I give you the night off. Lights or James, one of you takecare of her please. Whoever it is has the night off. Mr. Boxhall, come withme." the captain said, turning on a heel, and walking away.
"My God! My God!" Kristen shouted, letting her head fall into her was quick to pull her tight against him.
"I didn't think he was serious! If it was up to me I would have neverleft your side!"
"It wasn't your fault, James. It wasn't your fault."
"Are you alright?" Harold asked, coming over to her.
"I'm fine! Tend to Mayda! Her head hit the railing!" Kristen ordered,sending him away.
James helped her up, and after a minute, she was able to stand withoutassistance.
"Lee, thank you. Without the Captain, we would have had some serioustrouble!" Charles told him. "Now, go back to the Crow's Nest!"
Lee walked off, and Charles took the shaking woman from James.
"It's alright. Boxhall will be severely punished this time. I will leaveyour care in James' hands this evening. Please, come to me if you needanything."
"Thanks Lights." Kristen stifled a smile.
"James, I'm going to take Mayda back to her cabin. I'll be with hertonight. Kristen, feel better."
"See you later, Harold," he responded. Pretty soon, they were the onlyones left on the bow of the ship. James scooped her up in his arms, andcarried her back to her cabin, where he put her down on her bed. He pulled upa chair, and sat down next to her.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me to," James said. "I'll stay here all night if you ask me to."
Sitting up Kristen threw her arms around James' neck as she trembled.
James wrapped his arms around her shaking body as he held her close. "It's all over now," he said softly and kissed the top of her head. "He can't hurt you anymore."
"I was so scared," Kristen said.
"I know, I was too. I was struggling as hard as I could but Harry kept holding me back. He must've been as frightened as I was."
Reaching around Kristen James tugged at the blankets until he was able to wrap them around her to keep her warm. Once he was satisfied with his job he moved his arms around her once again.
"I don't know how I'll sleep tonight," Kristen remarked.
"Then don't," James said. "I can't imagine how frightening and traumatizing something like that must've been for you. It'll never happen again, I promise. I'll never let it happen. Cling to me all you need Kristen. If you need me to be your source of strength right now let me know. I'll never leave you."
Mayda was still weeping as she sat down on the edge of her bed. Weeping out of fear, out of pain, or just letting the feelings out.
Harold didn't know, nor did he care. Sitting down on the edge of the bed with her he pulled her into a hug where she could cry into his chest. His hand gently rubbed her back.
"I never wan—wanted any of this—this to h—happen," Mayda sobbed.
"None of us ever do," Harold said softly.
"If this is all there is to being on a ship then I don't want to be a part of it!"
"Is this the first ship you've ever served on?"
Mayda nodded, "It's also the farthest I've ever been away from home."
"Not all ships are like this, not by far. I'm sorry your first experience had to be such a traumatic one but they're not all like this. Some of them are actually rather pleasant. ...It also brought us together."
Looking up at Harold Mayda managed a weak smile that Harold returned kindly.
"How's your head?"
"It hurts."
"Do you want to get some rest?"
Mayda slowly nodded.
Pulling aside the blankets Harold waited until Mayda had stretched herself out onto the bed. Gently placing the blankets over her he waited until she closed her eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere," Harold promised. "I'll be right here when you wake up in the morning."
Reaching out he gently took her hand in his and gave it a small squeeze.
"I can't believe this, Boxhall! This is an outrage!" Smith yelled,shutting the door to his office.