Thanks to the readers even all the anonymous ones, but feedback might make me post faster.

EwaB

Chapter 27

Travis is sitting still too terrified to move, holding his left wrist clamped to his chest, looking as white as a sheet, sweat beading on his forehead clenching his jaws in pain and fear.

"Okay Travis, let me see what is going on." Travis is so worried he's forgotten Will's earlier treatment, so he lets Will do his thing. But Will isn't repeating his earlier pitiless medicine way's this time. No this time Will carefully peels Travis his right hand from his left wrist and even slower he takes Travis his left hand and puts it on the table, making sure to support the bungling fingers, and with a pair of scissors from the first aid kit he cuts away the duck tape first and then ever so carefully cuts open up the glove. Starting at the back of Travis his hand and without touching Travis his skin Will manages to cut open every finger separately, not pulling on the glove in anyway. Blood is everywhere, so it is hard to see what the damage is, and Tinkle Tina, who was trying to film how the Princess treats Travis goes down with a thud and the sound of breaking glass. After a glance in his direction Will decides that Tinkle Tina is in nobody's way and in no immediate danger of dying, that Dough is going to kill him for destroying a camera isn't Will's problem.

Ignoring the unlucky camera man Will starts to peel the glove away from Travis his fingers, slowly the pinky finger comes in sight and although it is covered in blood it is just fine. Ring finger, just fine. Middle finger auch, the tip is crushed and the nail is hanging lose from the finger for the most part there is even some bone showing. It is also bleeding freely. But Will doesn't stop yet to treat it. He has two more fingers to assess. Pointer finger, just fine. Thumb, just fine as well. So the middle finger is the only one damaged, to Travis utter surprise, he was sure he felt the pot hit him in the middle of his hand, the pain had been terrible and he didn't feel any of his fingers until just a minute ago. It hadn't been just his finger tip. Only he is seeing it himself, just the one finger tip nothing else.

Will grabs some sterile gauzes and Betadine ( sting free iodine) from the first aid kit and puts a generous drop of Betadine on the finger and then wraps the gauzes around the finger making sure the nail is in the place where is should be. Dough has already unwrapped a roll of the narrowest bandages and offers to bandage the finger so Will can take a look at Monte who is moving and getting angry about being tied down.

And indeed Monte is about to fight his way out of his restrictions, no matter what Keith is saying. So the Princess takes on his best 'I am the medic here' stance before kneeling down to talk to Monte. Putting his hand on Monte his forehead to get his attention Will starts speaking.

"Mouse, you can fight all you want, you're staying tied to this thing until a real doctor has taken a look at your neck and back. There might be a spinal injury, because you've taken a nasty hit. It's actually a miracle that your able to breathe."

This little speech works its magic on Monte and he calms down enough to order a doctor immediately. And since getting doctors on sight is Keith's job Keith tells his brother to just take it easy. The boat is already heading in the direction of Dutch. After that Keith goes up to his own save place and pushes to boat to its limits to get to the hospital as fast as possible. The coastguard where unable to come because a big storm was blowing at Dutch and st. Pauls. Weird actually how much the weather can differ on such a relatively short distance. The others manage somehow to get Monte with his body board settled in a bunk and with the use of some more duck tape Monte is as secure as can be.

Now Will can finally assess the damage Monte might have.

"Mouse, what day is it today? What's my name, and where are you and what happened to you? Can you answer these questions for me? And follow my finger with your eyes."

Trying his very best to follow the fast moving finger Monte answer's.

"Don't have a clue what day it is, third day out fishing, you are the Princess your our cook, and I am not in my bunk, don't know who's bunk this is. And a bleep pot fell on my head and I died. That is what happened."

"Okay, now please look at this light. And count back from ten too one."

Staring at the bright light and following it with his eyes Monte starts counting. "ten nine eight seven six five four three two one. Happy now. My neck hurts and I need to pee."

Will is relatively happy that Monte doesn't have a brain injury, his sunny disposition is the biggest give away for that.

"Okay, I'll get you some painkillers and a bottle you can pee in. Just stay put." That last bit with a heavy dose of sarcasm because Monte isn't going anywhere.

Once in the galley Will has a epiphany.

"Lynn, why don't you bring Monte these painkillers and this bottle."

And eager to please Lynn takes the two painkillers, the glass of water and the empty water bottle, not even thinking about why or what he is supposed to do with it.

When Lynn enters the galley again about five minutes later and carrying a bottle with yellow fluid he goes straight for Will, getting right in his face.

"You, you, you, bastard, you knew he had too…. I hate you." The last bit so heartfelt that Art and Crosby are impressed.

"I know, love you too." And with that Will plants a big kiss on Lynn's cheek leaving the poor guy wide eyes and speechless. And Art slightly flustered in the background.

"And I just promoted you to Monte's official caretaker because you did so well with Crosby. So have fun. And you might want to throw that away." Pointing at the bottle of yuck.

And with that Will turns his attention to his dinner, the two chickens he has in the oven are slightly beyond the perfect golden brown with a nice crisp skin but not burned enough to have to get rid of. Combined with the sticky rice in coconut milk and curry stir fried vegetables it makes a nice fast meal. Just the thing after a near death experience, it is a good thing he already had these birds in the oven and the rice in the slow cooker before the trouble began, the veggies take less than ten minutes to prepare so while Will finishes dinner Art and Crosby are setting the table. Art pretty much throwing the knives and forks onto the table with an evil growl on his face. Crosby is keeping his distance and making sure to handle the breakable things. And Lynn is mollified enough to forgive Will and take on his new task of caretaker without too much complaints or further death threats.