The tension on the boat was thick enough to be cut with one of the bait knives. Everyone was on edge with everything that was going on with Phil. Phil Harris had a reputation as being a tough guy. He was fair to his crew, and rewarded them well for a job well done, but he didn't take any shit. He was as hard-nosed as anyone, and seeing him like this really screwed everyone up. But they still had jobs to do. And although they were worried as hell, they took their spots on deck and kept up their routine, just as Phil ordered them to do from his spot in the wheelhouse.
But Kris knew what they were thinking and feeling, because she was feeling and thinking it, too. She saw it in their faces when they came in to eat and top up their coffees. Especially Jake and Josh. Jake's fear made him look younger than his years, and Josh was just a mess, although he tried to hide it. Kris wondered how he did it - working on the deck hauling pot after pot, and coming in at every chance to check on and tend to his Dad. She was sure Josh hadn't slept a wink in the past few days, his free time spent talking with Phil. It was no good to try and convince Phil to head into a hospital - Josh had given up on that when it got him nowhere but in the doghouse and yelled at - so instead he was content to just be with his father, just in case.....
As Kris pulled ingredients from the fridge for supper, she thought she heard her name being called. She pulled her head out and listened.....nothing. Then, just as she was reaching back inside, she heard it again. This time it was distinct, and it was Phil. She quickly closed the door and sprinted up the wheelhouse steps, her heart in her throat the whole time....
"Phil? What is it?" she asked a little too frantically arriving in the wheelhouse.
Phil looked at her, amused, and chuckled. "Slow down, princess, you'll kill yourself if you trip!"
Kris caught her breath and relaxed a bit, seeing that he was obviously ok. Well....as ok as he was.....
"Could you please bring me a glass of water?" he asked.
"Sure..." Kris answered. She turned to head back down the steps, when Phil began coughing again. She stopped, and turned back towards him, watching as he hacked and coughed, and reached for a tissue. He brought it to his mouth and spat into it, looking down and checking it for blood.
"I think you should go into St. Paul" Kris said quietly, startling Phil who thought she had left. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kris cut him off. "I'm worried about you. We're all worried about you..."
"Kris..." Phil interrupted, but Kris wasn't having it.
"No Phil, listen to me!" she said, her voice getting louder. "Something's going on....more than just a few cracked ribs. If you punctured your lung it could get a lot worse...."
"Kris...." Phil tried again. He didn't need to hear this. Not now, not from her.
"Damn it Phil, why are you being so stubborn???" Kris yelled. "I don't want you to choke to death or something.......look at that tissue! That's a lot of fucking blood!!"
"KRIS!!!" Phil yelled, finally getting her attention and making her stop talking. He stared at her a moment to make sure she would let him speak. "Please go down and get me a glass of water" he said, voice low so as to not start him coughing again. Kris opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand, stopping her again. "Please. I don't want to argue. Not right now. I'm fine. If it gets worse, I'll go in. Ok?"
Kris didn't react, her jaw clenched. Josh had told her it was no use arguing with him, but she figured that she may actually get through to him seeing as how she was going to be his wife!! Had he forgotten that??? She turned and all but ran down the steps. God, he was so damn hard-headed!!
When she returned to the wheelhouse with the water, Phil was jabbering at the guys over the loud hailer. Whatever it was, it apparently required some instruction, so after a while of waiting around to possibly nag him once more, Kris got tired and left. She figured that if he could yell at the guys, he was ok. At least for now.....
Supper came and went without any drama. Phil joined the guys at the table and although he didn't eat much, he still ate, which is always a good sign. Right? No one spoke about his health, although everyone was thinking about it, and each one knew that everyone else had the same thing on their minds. When they were done, Phil headed back up to the wheelhouse while the guys went out on deck, and Kris cleaned up the galley. For the moment, everything seemed to be going fine, and things were almost back to normal, but it was all too soon going to change............