Chapter Twenty-four:

The little Riverboat

*Ellie*

I stood up and stretched, a pain spreading through me as I felt my stitches pull. I noticed a warm wetness soaking into my shirt and across my stomach.

"Great", I muttered, knowing I must have pulled something and opened one of my wounds. Glancing around, I laid eyes on Coach and Rochelle. Both were sitting on the ground, their eyes closed as they leaned against each other just breathing, no doubt both a little out of breath after our sprint to the boat.

Turning my head to look at Nick, I saw he was taking out a cigarette with shaky hands as he leaned his head back against the railing and closed his eyes, relief and tension evident in his every action. I thought about going over to him but decided against it; more than likely he would just turn away from me if I did.

"Well howdy fellas", said a very southern sounding voice.

We all looked up into the kind and concerned face of an older man, probably around sixty years of age. He had white curly hair and a white beard and mustache that framed his face perfectly making him look younger. He had a captain's sailing hat on his head and then a black naval jacket with a red t-shirt beneath it with a pair of black naval dress pants and black combat boots. In his mouth was a pipe and a red handkerchief hung around his neck. A scar stretched from the top of his left eye to the bottom of his chin on the right side and his eyes were a deep green filled with what I could only deem as excitement upon seeing us.

"I have not seen another fella in ages", he said with a smile.

"Thanks for the rescue Captain", said Coach shaking hands with him.

"Yes thank you, we would have died had we stayed there much longer", said Rochelle.

He nodded his head, happy for the compliments as he looked over each of us.

"So who might you fellas be?" he asked.

"I'm called Coach", started the big man with an even bigger smile, "this here is Rochelle, Ellie, and Nick."

The man nodded to each of us in turn and then he laid his eyes on me and frowned.

"You look a might injured there girlie", he said with concern as he eyed my shirt where the blood was seeping through.

I noticed Nick had looked up quickly when he had said this.

Rochelle stepped forward and grimaced, "We need to take a look at that, possibly even re-stitch it."

I nodded, not looking forward to the pain I would no doubt feel from a re-stitching.

"You can use the downstairs bedroom", the captain said as he watched us, "You need any help?"

"Not unless you're a doctor", Rochelle said with the shake of her head, but with a smile.

The man laughed but shook his head.

"No not a doctor, just an old man. Let me know if you need me though."

"Thank you sir", I said and he nodded, giving me a kind smile in return for my own.

*Nick*

As I watched Rochelle help Ellie downstairs, I felt my stomach cramp up. I noticed the small puddle of blood on the deck that had been slowly forming from where she had been standing.

I hadn't even noticed until the captain had said something about it. Irritated with myself for being so un-perceptive, I stood up and stretched out my tense muscles when I noticed coach watching me, a dull look on his face as though watching a boring play of some kind. "What?"

"Nothing Nick", he finally said, "but don't regret this."

He walked away before I could say anything, so I just scowled and kicked the side of the boat as I looked out over the water.

What was there to regret?

*Ellie*

As Rochelle finished patching me up, Coach and the captain came downstairs and smiled upon seeing I was cleaned up and looking probably better than I had before.

"You're looking better girlie", said the Captain with a chuckle, his statement mimicking my thoughts.

"Thanks, I feel better", I said glancing at Rochelle who sent me a wink and a soft "your welcome" under her breath as she moved towards Coach.

"How about you all come up to the front of the ship and share a drink with me as you tell me a little about how you came to be at that there plantation."

We followed him up, Nick joining us, as the Captain poured us all a drink from the bottle of whiskey he had kept stored in his cabin.

"Well?" he asked, waiting for us to begin.

"I was reporter for Channel 14 news broadcasting station", started Rochelle, "My cameraman turned and attacked me and I had to kill him before he killed me. After that I went to the hotel evacuation site and met Coach who was talking to some teenage boys in the waiting line. A horde attacked, he and I teamed up and we worked together to get to the roof of that building where we met Ellie and Nick. After that, we have been looking for a way to get to a safe zone."

"Yeah, that's pretty much all of our stories, except the reporter thing", said Coach with a nod, "I was a high school football coach."

"I see, what about you two?" he asked me and Nick.

Nick glanced around at all of us and then sighed.

"I was a gambler having a private tournament on a grand riverboat casino owned by my boss who was also a friend of mine. We were attacked and then I took off and met up with these guys."

Nick didn't like being the center of attention, so he quickly stood up and went to the railing as he lit up a cigarette and turned away from us so that he wouldn't have to talk anymore.

"What about you girlie?" he asked, "You seem like you might be from around these parts."

I shook my head.

"I am from Savannah", I said with a smile, "but I have traveled up this way before when I was younger with my mama and papa."

He nodded, waiting for me to continue.

"Well, I was with my boyfriend Keith", I said glancing at Nick who was facing us again, his gaze darkening when I called Keith my boyfriend. "He got bit by an infected and then he died in the hospital shortly after. Then I met up with these guys at the hotel roof."

The captain nodded; a deep sadness in his eyes.

"I know that feeling young'un" he said. "My wife and I were always taking people around this area on riverboat rides or deep sea fishing. I had gotten up to get the boat ready a few days ago and when I went to wake her, she was infected like most people around here now. Seems she had gotten bit by one of them fellas in the woods that had been snooping around our house, but she hadn't told me. She started to attack me so I took off to the boat and set out, not going back."

We listened, completely sympathizing with his story and deep grief.

"Well anyways" he said with a small smile, "You can call me Virgil."

"Thanks again Virgil", I said and meant it.

That night I listened as the waves rushed past the boat, the feeling of being on the water rocking me was really soothing, but because of the unfamiliar motion, I couldn't sleep.

Sitting up, I looked around and saw the others were out cold. Being as quiet as I could be, I stepped out of the lower cabin and onto the back of the boat where I leaned against the railing and closed my eyes. Letting my hair down, I allowed the wind to toss it around, just enjoying the feeling.

"Couldn't sleep?" asked a voice.

I turned around to see Virgil watching me.

I shook my head and he walked up beside me, leaning on the railing just enjoying the breeze with me before he finally spoke.

"I noticed you and that young man in there never looked at one another for very long. You guys not pals?"

I didn't say anything, except to shrug. I didn't feel like talking about this again, but I knew he was waiting on me to give him a real answer.

"He doesn't want to be", I finally said.

The man nodded and then took out his pipe and began to puff on it before turning to me.

"You know, I bet you he cares more than he is letting on."

"Why does he act the way he does then?" I asked, anger coming through my words faster than I could stop it.

"Probably because he is scared", Virgil said and I was surprised.

"Nick doesn't get scared", I muttered, but even I knew how stupid that sounded.

Virgil just laughed.

"Don't give up on him Hun, he will come around."

I just shrugged, not wanting to talk about Nick anymore. As if being able to tell this, Virgil quickly changed the topic.

"So you come from Savannah eh?"

I nodded.

"I went there once when Betsy and I were younger. We had just gotten married and decided to do some traveling for our honey moon. We stayed in the Savannah Hotel and even went to that old fancy Casino your friend was taking about. Place was real nice, but not my type of boat."

I smiled as I listened to him, he sounded so happy.

"Betsy and I would stay up late watching the stars on the patio of our hotel room, just enjoying the peace and quiet and just being together. I don't think", he stopped as he removed his pipe and stared at it, deep in thought, "that I have watched the stars since then."

"Well do you want to?" I asked.

He glanced at me and then up at the stars and he smiled.

"I would like that."

We both laid down on the deck, our arms behind our heads as we gazed up at the night sky. Virgil pointed out which stars were which to me and I just listened, happy to just be talking to someone just to talk. It had been a long time since I had, had a decent conversation with anyone.

Virgil and I must have lain out there for several hours, because by the time we had sat back up, the stars were nearly gone and light was dawning.