The last day of Jillian's part of the Cornelia Marie's repairs had arrived. With bittersweet excitement she walked onto the deck of the boat with Phil following in her wake. Jillian made her way down to the engine room and went through her last checklist before firing up the two engines to see how they sounded. As she walked through the engine room for what she hoped for the last time she smiled at the beauty of the twin engines, still open so she could inspect the parts. Slipping on a pair of gloves she went through each of the engines with careful precision. She emerged from the engine room and asked Phil if he would do the honors and fire up the engines. Phil happily complied and everyone on deck grinned at the beautiful sound of two perfectly tuned engines firing on all cylinders. Jillian walked back into the engine room to watch the actual machinery run for a bit, when she was satisfied the engine was perfect she called Phil and told him he could turn off the engines. She was surprised to hear the engines still running as she walked up to the wheelhouse.
"Why are the engines still on?" asked Jillian.
"I'm just enjoying hearing the sound of a perfectly working engine" said Phil.
"Well turn it off. Save the perfectly working engine for when it's actually propelling the boat through the water" said Jillian.
"Fine" said Phil killing the engine.
Jillian signed off some paperwork regarding the engine and once it was completed she handed it to Phil.
"What's this?" asked Phil.
"It's a guarantee" said Jillian.
"A guarantee of what?" asked Phil.
"It's a guarantee of the engine repair. It says where all the parts were purchased from and if anything breaks I'll personally come and fix it" said Jillian.
"Wow, I don't think I've ever had a mechanic do this for me" said Phil.
"Well I'm completely confident that you will have no major engine issues this year" said Jillian.
"Don't jinx me" said Phil.
"I can't because I know every single piece of these engines and they are perfect" said Jillian.
"Fine, I hope you're right" said Phil.
"I am" said Jillian.
Phil just smiled and happily kissed Jillian on the lips.
"So I'm done here" said Jillian.
"Ok, what are you going to do now?" asked Phil.
"I'm going to head home and make the love of my life a very special celebratory dinner" said Jillian.
"Oh, who's the lucky guy?" asked Phil jokingly.
"He's really sexy and a little dominant yet loving and tender. He's the total package" said Jillian.
"Sounds like a catch. I hope you keep him happy" said Phil.
"I plan to" said Jillian. "I'll see you later."
"Ok" said Phil.
Jillian stopped at the market and picked up the makings of a delicious and romantic dinner. When she returned to Phil's house she happily prepped the meal. She set the table with a beautiful tablecloth, candles and some china she found in one of Phil's kitchen cabinets. When Phil finally got home and walked into the house his sense of smell was accosted by the scent of cooking meat. As he walked into the kitchen he saw Jillian bent over the oven wearing an apron and very little else. He walked up behind her and grabbed her waist pulling her flush to his body.
"Phil, please don't push me into the oven" said Jillian.
"Sorry" said Phil removing his hands and allowing her to stand up.
"Thank you" said Jillian as she removed her head from the oven.
"It smells good, what's cooking?" asked Phil.
"Lamb shanks" said Jillian.
"Wow, I don't think I've ever had that at home before" said Phil.
"It's going to be delicious" said Jillian.
Phil walked upstairs to shower and change before dinner. He came back into the kitchen and Jillian handed him a glass of crown and soda.
"If this is what I can expect every time I get home from work then you absolutely have to stay here with me" said Phil.
"I'd love too" said Jillian.
"But" said Phil knowingly.
"But, I need to go back to work" said Jillian. "You are busy with the rest of the boat refurbishing. We should get together once the boat repairs are finished."
"I don't know if I can wait that long" said Phil.
"I'm sure you will be able to, the boat still needs a lot more work" said Jillian.
A timer sounded and Jillian turned her attention to the oven. She pulled out the lamb shanks and vegetables. She moved them into a serving dish before moving a large bowl of couscous to the table.
"Ok Phil, will you please open the wine" said Jillian.
Phil poured the wine into the glasses and Jillian set the last of the meal on the table.
"It looks delicious" said Phil as he pulled out the chair for Jillian.
"Thank you, I wanted to make something very special to celebrate the finished engines" said Jillian.
"After you left I turned them on to listen to them again" admitted Phil.
"Why?" asked Jillian.
"Honestly, I've never heard them purr like that, it's the best they've ever sounded and it's all thanks to you" said Phil.
"I really liked working on the engine without being out on the water" said Jillian.
"You did a great job fixing the engine when we were on the boat" said Phil.
"Yes, but there is an element of danger in making repairs like that. On land I was able to completely concentrate on the engine I didn't have to worry about the ocean trying to make a point or something it's distracting" explained Jillian.
"You really don't like being out on the ocean, do you?" asked Phil.
"No, not really. It's too uncertain, too out of my control" said Jillian.
Jillian served Phil a plate with a little of everything before serving herself.
"What's this?" asked Phil.
"It's a cinnamon stick, don't eat it" said Jillian.
"I don't know if I've ever had meat with cinnamon but it's really delicious" said Phil.
"It's very middle eastern and it goes really well with the couscous" said Jillian.
"Yeah, I don't know if I've had that either" said Phil.
"I'm glad you are willing to be a little adventurous" said Jillian.
"I'm always up for a little adventure" said Phil with a smile.
Later that night found Jillian tied to Phil's bed loving the attention he was bestowing on her body. He played her body like an instrument, bringing out her pleasure and passion like no one else ever had. Phil smiled at Jillian's beautiful body spread out before him. Her willingness to let him completely dominate her was a heady experience. The amount of trust she placed in his hands made him want to give her the world.
"Jillian I wish you could see how beautiful you look right now" said Phil.
"I feel wonderful" said Jillian.
Phil reached down and carefully untied Jillian's wrist, he gathered her into his arms and held her until she drifted off to sleep. Phil didn't sleep he spent the next few hours studying Jillian while she slept, committing every curve and dimple to memory. She would leave in the next few days and he would be alone again. He didn't know how long he could stay separated from her. She was the only thing he wanted. Jillian stirred in her sleep her brow furrowed, Phil reached down and stroked his finger on her creased brow and watched as her face relaxed. A flood of happiness coursed through his body as he saw that he soothed her with just a touch of his hand. Phil finally allowed the exhaustion of the day pull him into sleep. Jillian shifted during the night resting her head on his chest. Phil's arms moved as if on strings to encapsulate Jillian in his arms. They woke the next morning in the same position. Phil's hands ran along Jillian's back waking her up with his ministrations. They made love slowly spending most of the morning in bed.
Jillian flew back to Dutch the following day and walked into her cold lonely apartment. She missed Phil already, her heart already breaking because they were so far away from each other. Before she knew it she'd dug out her cell and dialed Phil's number.
"Jillian, did you make it home safely?" asked Phil.
"Yes, but I already miss you" said Jillian.
Phil smiled broadly at this realization but chose not to say how happy it made him.
"Jillian, we will see each other soon. You will go back to work tomorrow and forget all about me" said Phil.
"I will go back to work tomorrow but I don't think any amount of work in the world could make me forget about you" said Jillian.
The conversation continued for a few more minutes before Phil had to go. Jillian held the phone in her hand, cradling it to her cheek hoping to pull a few more minutes of comfort from the conversation.
Jillian went back to work and although Magone's was as busy as ever she still found herself with more than enough time to pine after Phil. She managed to make it 2 weeks before she abruptly bought herself a plane ticket back to Seattle for the weekend. Phil followed suit and came up to visit Jillian for a week 3 weeks later. October finally arrived and Phil and the rest of the crew arrived in Dutch to start prepping the boat for King Crab season. Jillian was over the moon at being able to see Phil everyday. He spent most nights at her place. Jake and Josh had taken to coming over for dinner or the odd lunch when they had time. As the season began Jillian stood on the dock holding back tears as Phil and the Cornelia Marie drifted off into the distance. She managed to make it all the way back home before she broke down into gut wrenching sobs. Phil had told her it was important to leave everything at the dock, that all loose ends needed to be sewn up. He'd said goodbye to her as if he wasn't coming back and it took all Jillian's strength to let him go. She threw herself into work a Magone's volunteering to stay late or come in early. Work distracted her from how much she missed Phil, she knew that he wasn't going to be able to call while he was fishing.
The morning dawned the same as every other and Jillian hauled herself out of bed and into the bathroom for her morning ablutions. She dressed in her work coveralls and headed out to work. When she arrived she saw that the shop was a buzz with excitement. A ship had been evacuated just outside of the harbor and was listing on it's side. The shop had been chosen to salvage the ship. The boat was fairly small however the salvage on the vessel would be significant. Tony was going to go out on the salvage and he was going to take 2 people from the shop to get the boat prepped to pull in. Tony selected Jillian and Marco for the job.
"Jillian, take care of yourself out there" said Walt giving her a little kiss on the cheek.
"I will uncle Walt" said Jillian with a smile.
Jillian and Marco suited up and followed Tony onto the small tug boat. Jillian took out her tool kit and pulled out a few tools she would need to get the engine room prepped for towing. As the tug pulled up to the listing ship Jillian was surprised at the state of the boat. The weather had been fairly mild although according to Tony the boat had issues prior to their last trip. Issues that should have been taken care of to make the boat safer. It was a relief that everyone was able to get off the boat safely and that the boat was still able to be salvaged. At least that way the owner would be able to get some money back on his boat. Jillian and Marco slipped on their lifejackets before jumping onto the listing boats deck. They were both is rain gear and heavy duty deck boots.
"Ok Jillian, I'm going to the wheelhouse. Let's test the radios" said Marco.
"Marco, I'm going to the engine room" said Jillian over the small hand held radio.
"Roger" said Marco.
Jillian made her way down the stairs into the flooded engine room. She tried to keep herself as dry as possible but the moment her feet actually touched the engine room floor she was almost up to her waist in the water. She waded over to the main engine and radioed Marco.
"Marco, I've made it to the engine, over" said Jillian.
"Roger, how is it?" asked Marco.
"It's basically underwater" said Jillian.
"Shit, really? I'm going to try to fire up the main are you safe down there?" asked Marco.
"Yeah, give me a second to step back incase this thing blows up or something" said Jillian.
"Ok, I'll give you 5" said Marco.
Jillian stepped back from the engine and waited to see if it would actually fire up. She heard it start to sputter slightly and then die. Stepping forward she checked the engine and was able to see that part of engine was fried.
"Marco, I'm going to try to see what the problem is ok" said Jillian.
"Roger, do you want me to kill the engine?" asked Marco.
"No it's already dead, I think I'll be fine" said Jillian.
She started her work, removing some of the burnt wiring and eventually found that the problem was mainly superficial however the saltwater that had spilled into the engine had ruined almost all the wiring and there was no grease left on the majority of the parts. Once Jillian had made her deduction she radioed Marco to tell him she was done and heading up. He said he'd meet her on deck once he secured the wheel. Jillian began to walk through the engine room, she made it just a few steps when she heard the terrible sound of breaking steal. The next thing Jillian knew she was being pushed across the engine room by a torrent of water. A pipe had broken and was currently filling the engine room with water direct from one of the circulation pipes that's fed directly from the ocean. Marco realized that something was terribly wrong the second he got out on deck. The boat shifted violently to the side knocking Marco off his feet and slamming him into the coiler. The door of the engine room was now almost submerged.
"Jillian! Jillian are you ok?" Marco called desperately into the radio.
He received no response. He attempted to drag himself towards the engine room but the impact with the coiler had seriously hurt his leg. Inside the engine room Jillian was desperately trying to get her head above water. Her arm was throbbing painfully and she wondered why she couldn't seem to get her body to obey her commands. Deciding that the rain gear was holding her down she began to take off the jacket, her head dipped below the water and she struggled with the snaps. With the jacket off she was able to pull the suspenders off and slip out of the pants and boots. Her body immediately bobbed to the surface. Taking a huge breath, her lungs burned. The engine room was dark and Jillian couldn't tell which way was out. The boat shifted again causing more water to pour into the engine room. Jillian struggled to find something to stand on so she could keep her head above water. She was so cold and suddenly so very tired. She hoped Marco would hurry and find her so she could get out of the water.
Tony frantically waited for Jillian and Marco to appear on deck. It became clear that something catastrophic was happening on the boat. He picked up the radio and called for the coast guard.
"Coast guard this is the Tug boat Magone. I'm currently just outside Dutch Harbor attempting a salvage, I have two crew members on the Carry Ann and I think the boat is going down. Please I need help" said Tony.
Sig was sitting in the wheelhouse of the Northwestern when he heard the call. He waited to hear the Coasties response to the call. Saying a prayer that Jillian was not one of the crew members.
"Tug Boat Magone this is Coast Guard one we are dispatching a JayHawk Helicopter to your location. Please advise on the status of the vessel, over."
"The boat is listing over on it's side. It's dropped another 15 degrees since they got on board. One crew member would have headed to the wheelhouse the other to the engine room, neither has reappeared. I'm right next to the boat, if they appear on deck I can render aid" explained Tony.
"Roger, are the crew members in survival suits, over."
"No, they are wearing lifejackets, but not survival suits" said Tony sadly.
"The helicopter will be there soon."
"Roger" said Tony.
Sig sighed in the wheelhouse of the Northwestern, he had a gut feeling that Jillian was on the boat and in serious danger. He wanted to find out for sure but part of him felt he already knew.
"Tug Boat Magone, this is Jayhawk 1 we are over your position. We see a crew member on the deck of the salvage boat, he seems to be able to wave however not stand. Basket out the door."
The jayhawk dropped the basket onto the deck of the boat and Marco attempted to pull himself into the basket, after a few failed attempts he finally made it in. The basket was pulled up into the helicopter.
"You have to get Jillian. She's in the engine room" said Marco the moment the basket breached the doorway.
"Are you sure she's there?" asked one of the coasties.
"Yes, please you have to save her" pleaded Marco.
The pilot of the Jayhawk continued to give a play by play to Tony on the dock. He told him that Marco had been rescued and that they were sending a rescue swimmer down to the deck. Tony watched the basket drop back on the deck. The rescue swimmer quickly found the door to the engine room and pried it open. The room was completely dark and even with the illumination from his head lamp it was hard to see. The water had almost completely filled the room and the swimmer wasn't sure anyone would be able to find a pocket of air to breath. He called out to the empty room and got no response. He scanned the room and was shocked to see an orange rain jacket floating in the water. Determined to find the owner of the jacket he dove into the water filled engine room. It took him three separate dives to find Jillian, she was submerged under water. The swimmer hooked his arms under hers and pulled her out on deck. He easily got her into the basket and it was immediately hauled into the copter. The medic immediately started to work on her cutting her out of the shirt she was wearing and starting CPR, she wasn't breathing and her heart beat was non existent. The helicopter pilot radioed the news to Tony who broke down into to tears on the radio. The helicopter took Jillian to Cold Bay, by the time she arrived the medic had managed to get a thready pulse. She was loaded onto a C130 and medivaced to Anchorage. Marco went with her, he wouldn't even let the medic look at his broken leg on the copter, he wanted everyones attention on Jillian. He held her hand trying not to cry at the coldness of her skin.
Sig couldn't wait any longer to find out if Jillian was the other deck hand pulled off the sinking salvaged ship. He called Magone's asking to talk to Walt. His suspicions were confirmed and he and Walt both said a prayer together for Jillian's health and safety.
"Sig, will you please tell Phil. I don't think I can right now. But I know he'd want to know" said Walt quietly.
"Yes, I'll call him right now" said Sig.
Sig called the Cornelia Marie on the radio hoping Phil already knew what was going on.
"Cornelia this is Freddie."
"Freddie, I need to talk to Phil. It's Sig."
"He's sleeping right now, is it an emergency?" asked Freddie.
"Yes, get him now" said Sig.
"Roger" said Freddie.
Sig heard him set down the radio and then just waited in the silence until Phil sleepily picked up the radio.
"Sig, what's up" answered Phil.
"Phil, Jillian was out on a salvage this morning and something happened she got evac'd by the coasties" said Sig in a rush.
"Where? Is she ok?" asked Phil.
"It's not looking good. The coasties told Tony she wasn't doing well" said Sig.
"Oh my God" said Phil.
"I'm sorry Phil. We're going to say a prayer over here for her. Let me know if you hear anything" said Sig.
"Thanks Sig" said Phil distractedly.
The radio chatter continued as all those who'd met or knew Jillian were informed of her accident. Walt called the Cornelia Marie to tell Phil Jillian had made it to Anchorage General and was in the ICU. The prognosis was unknown right now and she was listed in serious condition. Sig called June telling her what was going on and asking her to fly up to Anchorage to be with Jillian. June agreed immediately. Phil turned the boat back towards Dutch determined to get to Jillian's side as soon as possible.
A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, please don't get too upset. Thank you for the reviews from the last chapter and the next chapter is already in the works.