It's a damn miracle I had the energy to post today, because I've been battling COVID all week! This is my second time getting it since 2020 (I work in healthcare so...). I'm vaccinated/boosted this time, so it's not as bad as the first time, but still scary because my first time with it left me permanently disabled.

Get vaccinated, y'all!

You Give Up A Few Things, Chasing A Dream

Chapter 4

"Was It Worth It?"

When Jim took off on the improvised surfer, he started counting down the seconds in his head. Soaring through the air, with the furious heat of the planet's molten core threatening to pull him under, he twisted his hips and maneuvered around, over and under giant hunks of metal that rose and tumbled all around him. He strained his left leg to push and pull the surfer every which way, and as he got closer to the portal, the tingling in his leg turned into numbness.

He wouldn't be able to control the surfer for much longer, and panic began to set in. He was just feet away from the portal when the front end of the sheet metal snagged the ground, and he began to lose control of the board. The force of it sent his legs over his head, and suddenly everything was upside-down. It felt like he was moving in slow motion when he soared over the hologram. It was do or die. Mere seconds away from a fiery demise, he stretched his arms, straining his wounds, fingers aiming for the tiny crescent shape at the center of the hologram.

3… 2… 1…

For one horrifying second, Jim thought he had failed to change the portal's door, but just before he and the Legacy reached the threshold the triangular gateway closed and then it opened again.

A blazing hot explosion of energy slammed into Jim's back, and he tumbled through the air, smacking his forehead on the sheet metal surfer. He instinctively grabbed it, its sharp edges cutting into his palms, and he desperately hung on as he was sent spinning forward. Pieces of flaming metal shot past him like meteors, and he felt their heat as some of them barely skimmed over his back.

Then the chaos subsided, and everything went quiet except for a persistent buzzing in Jim's ears. He floated, still hanging onto the sheet metal. Something warm slid down his forehead and over his eye. He tried to blink, and he could feel that it was more difficult to open his eyes. The air felt colder and thinner out here, and his lungs burned with each breath he took in. He thought he could hear voices in the distance yelling for him and he wanted to yell back, but he couldn't find his voice or even lift his head.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he suddenly felt a pair of massive hands carefully pry him off the sheet metal. Next thing he knew, he was being cradled in someone's arms and he could feel the deep rumble of their voice next to his ear. They sounded panicked.

"Come on, Jim! Open yer eyes!"

It took almost all his strength, but Jim cracked his eyes open and saw John Silver's face looking down at him. The man looked terrified, but he smiled when Jim blinked up at him.

"Oh, lad!" Silver had tears in his eyes. "Stay with me, we're gonna get ye help."

Jim glanced around him and saw that Silver had him in the longboat. He must have floated far enough away from the Legacy that Silver had to come out here to rescue him. Jim opened his mouth to speak, but his voice got stuck and it made him cough. Silver shushed him and started the skiff's engine. The cold air made Jim shiver, and he instinctively curled up, getting as close to Silver's body heat as he possibly could. Even though it was a struggle to keep his eyes open, he eventually found the strength to finally say something.

"I-is everyone okay?" Jim asked. Silver looked at him, wide-eyed as though the sound of Jim's voice had startled him.

"Yes, Jim," Silver replied. "The Doc, Captain Amelia, Morph, and that robot ye found. We're all okay. We're more worried about ye."

"What about your crew?" asked Jim. Silver's expression darkened.

"They…" Silver paused. "Me crew didn't make it out."

Jim's breath hitched, and Silver shushed him again, tightening his grip slightly.

"We've gotta get ye to a hospital, lad," said Silver.

A horrible realization overcame Jim and he tried to speak again, but once more his voice became trapped in his throat. Silver pulled up alongside the Legacy and climbed onto the deck with Jim limp in his arms. Jim could hear the urgency in Captain Amelia's voice when she started shouting orders.

"B.E.N., contact Montressor Spaceport! We need medics ready at the gangway as soon as we land!"

"Aye, Captain!"

Jim felt himself being laid down on a large blanket, whining at the cold air that flooded over him. Then he felt Amelia's fingers on his neck, and Jim became aware of his own pulse jamming erratically against her fingertips. He shivered violently, and Amelia started pulling one side of the blanket tightly around his shoulders.

"We need to keep his core warm," she said. Silver followed her lead and wrapped the blanket snug around Jim's upper body, pinning his arms to his sides. Jim's eyes darted back and forth between Silver and Captain Amelia, panic rising in his chest.

"Mr. Silver, as soon as B.E.N. is done calling for the medics, I will have him contact the authorities," she said. "You will be arrested immediately after Mr. Hawkins is taken to the hospital, are we clear?"

Silver used his organic hand to pet Jim's hair, then he lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"Yes, Captain."

"NO!" Jim screamed, forcing his arms out of the blanket and shoving Silver's hands away. "Silver, you need to run! They'll kill you!"

Silver grabbed Jim by his wrists and pinned him down. Jim struggled against him, writhing and kicking his good leg so hard, Amelia and Delbert both had to join Silver in holding him down.

"Settle down, Jim," said Silver. "It's gonna be alright."

"No, it's not!" Jim shouted. "Silver, please! They'll execute you!"

"I know," said Silver. "I'm afraid too, lad. But the thought of leaving ye… I-I can't. I need to see to it that ye pull through. I don't think I could stand not knowing. If I gotta face the consequences for what I did, then so be it."

"I don't want you to die!" Jim cried, tears clouding his vision.

"Let's worry about ye first, Jimbo," said Silver. Jim could hear the older man's voice shaking.

"Mr. Hawki- James- Jim," Amelia's voice softened when she used Jim's preferred name. "Please, take deep breaths and calm down."

"Listen to your captain, Jim!" Delbert's panicked voice rang out.

"Captain!" Jim looked at Amelia, his eyes full of desperation. "Please don't let them kill Silver! He's not a bad person!"

"Jim, I am afraid I do not have a choice-"

"Yes, you do!" Jim shouted, another realization entering his mind. "He passed his background check, didn't he? They don't know about him, or they would've arrested him before! He's just the cook to them! You don't have to turn him in! He's just the cook!"

Silver shushed him again. Jim had forgotten to breathe during his panicked outburst, and he gasped for air.

Amelia fell silent and looked at Jim with an unreadable expression. He searched the captain's face for any signs that she might have listened to him. She was stern and stoic as always, but Jim swore there was something else there too. He could practically see the thoughts turning like wheels behind her eyes.

"Medics arriving at the port now, Captain!" B.E.N. shouted from his position at the control desk.

Jim felt Delbert struggle with his belt buckle, cursing when he finally exposed Jim's injured leg. The canid began to do something with it. What that something was Jim couldn't tell because his leg had gone almost completely numb. He raised his head slightly and looked down to see that the limb had turned a very alarming shade of grey.

"Relax, Jimbo," said Silver, coaxing him to lay his head back down.

Jim exhaled heavily, suddenly feeling extremely dizzy. He focused his eyes on Silver's face, trying with all his might to stay awake. He became acutely aware of the rumble from the Legacy's engines, which sent soft vibrations through his chest. His eyelids felt heavier and heavier by the second, and though he could still make out Silver's features, everything else was just lines and colors and nonsense. He tried to make it all mean something, but his head was just so tired…

Jim paid attention to his ragged breaths as they came in and out, in and out. Jumbled words and thoughts cluttered his brain, and he barely even noticed when his surrounding changed. Suddenly everything looked different, smelled different. There were bright lights shooting down his vision, and someone screaming orders he couldn't understand. Something covered his mouth and nose, more voices, bright lights, then nothing, then more bright lights.

He had no sense of how much time had passed, but the commotion eventually subsided, and Jim felt a presence next to him. He cracked his eyes open slightly and saw his mother's tear-streaked face looking down at him. He tried to reach for her, but his arms were tangled in some mess of tubes and cloth. He tried to speak, but his mouth and nose were still covered, and his throat felt dry. For all his effort, the only thing he could manage was a small whimper.

"Shh… Baby, it's okay," he heard his mom say as she ran her fingers through his hair. His eyes felt heavy, and he tried to fight it. Then he heard his mother's voice again. "I'm here. We're all here. You can go back to sleep."

Jim took the invitation, and he finally stopped trying to fight his eyelids as they fell shut.

The setting sun glowed through the clouds like a gash in the brimstone-red sky. A large crowd had gathered in the courtyard, shouting and taunting when the gates were suddenly thrown open. A long line of men and women, joined together by ropes and heavy chains, were marched toward the gallows. Jim had been rendered immobile, crammed in among the spectators that stood shoulder-to-shoulder, eager to witness the gruesome display.

Captain Amelia stood to one side of the gallows, and Jim couldn't bear to look at her. He knew the sentence for piracy was death. He knew that Captain Amelia couldn't risk her reputation or her career by protecting John Silver. Still, Jim couldn't help but resent the woman. Most of all, he didn't understand why he was being forced to watch this.

Chains dragged along the ground as the first group of pirates were led to their nooses, which all hung in a row across the gallows' stage. A man in a military uniform shrilly called out the queen's orders. No right to trial, no right to legal counsel… Jim couldn't listen anymore. He turned his gaze downward as the final orders were carried out. There was a loud creak and a thunk, and when Jim finally looked up, he was greeted by the sight of six glassy-eyed pirates hanging lifeless by their necks.

Jim fought the urge to vomit when their bodies were carelessly loaded onto a cart and wheeled away like garbage. The officer shouted more orders, and the sound of rattling chains filled the courtyard once more. Jim looked down again and covered his eyes, afraid to look at the gallows for he knew what he would see if he did.

Suddenly the jeering crowd was gone, and the courtyard had gone completely silent.

"It's gonna be okay, Jimbo." Silver's voice was right next to Jim, but when he looked up, he saw Silver standing high up on the scaffold with a noose around his neck. He was the only one up there, aside from the executioner, whose fingers curled threateningly around the lever.

Jim tried to say something, but his throat had gone dry and all he could manage was some sort of strangled sob.

Suddenly, the hatch below Silver opened and he plunged with a sickening crack as the rope snapped his neck.

Jim screamed and lunged forward in an explosion of agony and grief, but then he was caught by a slim pair of arms that wrapped tightly around his frame. He tried to fight against whoever held him, but his arms felt like lead, and the person's grip only got tighter.

"It's okay, Jim," his mother's voice, soft and soothing, cut through the burning hot chaos around him. "Mama's got you, you're going to be okay."

Jim cracked his eyes open just enough to see that he was in a dimly lit room, but he couldn't make out anything else. He turned his head and buried his face into his mother's neck. The room felt like it was on fire, but Sarah's skin felt cool on his. She began to rock him back and forth, humming softly. Then Jim felt a paw-like hand on his forehead.

"He's burning up," he heard Doppler's voice say. Doppler said something else Jim couldn't understand and then, "…another injection."

Jim could hear Amelia somewhere in the room barking orders. "B.E.N. make yourself useful… water and some towels."

Another – much larger – pair of hands placed themselves on Jim's back, and a deep voice murmured, "…get him settled back."

Jim could feel the two pairs of hands laying him back on a soft surface, and his body went limp. Everything hurt. His mother's hands pulled up the sleeve of his shirt, and a few moments later he felt completely numb.

For a long time, it felt like nothing happened. Every so often, Jim could hear his mom's voice talking to him and brushing his bangs back with her fingers. At one point, he swore he heard her singing to him. Then he heard another familiar voice.

"Stop thrashing around, lad," they said. "…gonna hurt yerself."

Jim was back in the courtyard outside the prison, being forced to watch Silver die by firing squad. He tried to run forward, determined to put himself between Silver and the gunfire, but his limbs felt like they were being held down by someone. He screamed Silver's name, then he felt his body being pulled onto someone's lap. Strong arms cradled his body, pinning his limbs down so he could no longer move.

"I'm right here, pup. I'm not going anywhere." Jim could feel his body being rocked back and forth. Then the person holding him kissed his hairline and nuzzled the top of his head. They began to hum a tune, their deep voice rumbling through their chest and vibrating against Jim's head. Slowly, he drifted off again.

He felt unnaturally tired, and his head hurt. Those were Jim's first thoughts as he reluctantly drifted toward consciousness. He realized he was in a bed with the covers drawn up to his chest and tucked around his body. He was lying flat on his back, which he immediately found weird. He normally slept curled up on his side, so waking up like this warned him that something was off. He brought both hands up to rub his eyes and was somewhat startled to find what felt like a bandage over part of his right eyebrow. He shifted his body ever so slightly and groaned when a wave of soreness hit him. Something cold and squishy pressed against his cheek, and he opened his eyes slightly at the sensation. Slowly, things started to come into focus. The room was dark, but an oil lamp provided just enough light for him to take in his surroundings. He looked to his left to see rows of bookshelves against the walls, midnight blue wallpaper decorated with gold constellations, a small fireplace next to a writing desk… He recognized this to be one of the guestrooms at Doppler's estate, but what the heck was he doing there? It was pitch black outside the window, so it must have been very late at night or very early in the morning. He couldn't tell either way. There was a small noise, and Jim's attention was back on the cold squishy thing to the left of his face. There on the pillow beside his head was Morph, who was fast asleep and chirping happily as he dreamt. Jim smiled at the sight, and he closed his eyes. He almost considered going back to sleep. He was exhausted and did not feel ready to wake up quite yet.

Then his eyes flew open as the memories came flooding back. The portal, Flint's Trove, he was hurt, bleeding, fire everywhere, Silver… The last thing Jim could clearly remember was begging the captain not to turn Silver in. Begging her to see that he was a good person. He didn't deserve to die! Jim covered his face with his hands as despair overwhelmed him. There was no way the captain would risk her neck to spare the life of a pirate. The government moved quick when it came to pirates. It was very likely that Silver – the closest thing to a father that Jim had ever known – was already dead.

There was another noise to the right of Jim's bed – a deep snore – and Jim practically snapped his neck to find the source. At first, he couldn't believe his eyes, but soon the despair he'd felt before disappeared and boundless joy took over. Through the dim light, Jim could see John Silver, alive and having fallen asleep in a big armchair right beside Jim's bed. Jim struggled against the blankets to free himself. He grunted in frustration, eyes brimming with tears, until he finally managed to prop himself up in a sitting position. He meant to reach his hand up to nudge Silver awake, but he lost his balance and tipped forward until he face-planted on Silver's belly. The cyborg grunted as the air rushed out of him, and he instinctively brought his hands up to hold Jim.

"Jim!" Silver cried in disbelief. "Yer awake!"

Morph had apparently woken up too, and he flitted around Jim's head, chirping excitedly. Jim brought his hands up to grip the front of Silver's shirt so hard his knuckles turned white. He refused to let go of Silver, afraid that if he did this might all turn out to be another cruel dream his brain had cooked up for him.

"H-how long-" Jim tried to speak, but his dry throat betrayed him, and he collapsed into a coughing fit.

"Now, let's settle down eh, Jimbo? Ye can't be moving around quite yet," said Silver, propping Jim up against the pillows and readjusting the covers. "To answer yer question, ye've been out for over a week. Honestly, I lost track! We brought ye home from the hospital just the other day."

Silver held the back of Jim's head as he brought glass of water to his mouth, helping him take small sips. Jim kept his eyes on Silver the entire time, afraid that he might disappear if he looked away for even a second.

"We actually had to bring ye home a tad early," said Silver, chuckling a bit. "Long story short, the press got word of ye, and they caused a big scene outside the hospital. Needless to say, yer a bit of a celebrity now!"

The energy Jim had possessed just a moment before seemed to whoosh out of him, and he would have collapsed into his pillows if it weren't for Silver holding him up. After a while, Jim felt like he could use his voice again. He began to feel nervous, as if speaking his worst fear might make it into a reality.

"The captain…"

"Had a change of heart," Silver finished for him. The man rubbed a bit of wetness from his eye. "Lad, I don't know what ye see in me, but what ye said to the captain… Well, ye saved me life."

Jim beamed and allowed himself to relax against the pillows. Morph flew over and nuzzled against his cheek, and Jim brought his hands up to hold the creature close.

"Missed you too, bud," said Jim, scratching the little blob with his finger.

"Morph," said Silver. "Why don't ye do me a favor and get Jim's mum down here."

Morph chirped a tiny 'Aye-aye, Captain' and darted out of the room.

"Yer poor mum has been inconsolable since ye got-"

Silver paused mid-sentence when he saw where Jim's attention had gone.

Jim wasn't sure how his brain hadn't registered it before, but there was a notable absence under the covers. His hands felt almost numb when he finally worked up the courage to pull the sheets aside, and what he found underneath took the air right out of his lungs. His left leg had been amputated up to the middle of his thigh, leaving behind only a short stump. Jim fell into a stunned silence, staring at the heavily bandaged remains of his limb, unable to form thoughts as he confronted this terrifying new reality.

"I'm sorry, lad." Silver said quietly, placing his organic hand on Jim's shoulder and gently squeezing it. "It'll take some getting used to… I'm gonna help ye through it. We're all here for ye."

Jim stared in shock at what was left of his leg. A million thoughts ran through his head as he sat there, struggling to comprehend just how abruptly his entire life had completely changed. His eyes began to burn as he thought about how only a week before, he had been able to stand on his own two feet. He had taken that ability for granted. Now all of a sudden, there were things he wouldn't be able to do anymore. At least, not as easily.

Silver got up from his chair and sat down on the edge of Jim's bed, coaxing him to lean back against the pillows.

"It'll be hard at first, but it gets better as time goes on," said Silver. "In about a month, ye'll get fitted for a prosthetic, and I'll help ye relearn how to walk. Later, if ye want a mechanical leg, we can arrange for that. The tech has come a long way. It's lightyears ahead of what I've got!"

Silver grinned and tapped his own peg leg for emphasis, and Jim gave him a watery smile in return.

"So…" said Jim. "What exactly is the criteria to be considered a cyborg?"

Silver slapped his knee and laughed loudly.

"Now, let's try not to lose anymore body parts, shall we?" Silver said, then his face lit up. "Oh! I've got something here for ye."

Silver reached for something on the ground next to the bed and pulled it out, presenting it to Jim.

"What's this?" Jim asked as Silver dropped a heavy bag into his lap.

"Well, I may have grabbed a few things before we escaped Treasure Planet."

Jim opened the bag to find it filled with glistening coins and gems. His jaw dropped. It was easily worth more money than he had ever had in his whole life. He felt a lump form in his throat, and all he could do was stare back up at Silver, mouth agape.

"To help ye and yer sweet mum rebuild that inn of yers." Silver said, his flesh hand coming up to ruffle Jim's hair. "Ye kept yer promise to her, after all."

"Thank you," Jim whispered.

Once again, Jim looked at what remained of his leg. It was still shocking to see, and he knew he would likely feel that way about it for a while. Then he looked at the bag full of treasure, then back up at Silver… And suddenly he felt like the luckiest kid in the entire galaxy.

"You give up a few things, chasing a dream…" Jim said, wiping a single tear from his eye. "Right?"

Silver chuckled, but his eyes were brimming with unshed tears as well.

"Do ye think it was worth it, lad?" he asked.

A sudden gasp made Jim and Silver turn their attention to the bedroom door. Sarah stood there, in her nightgown, with her hands clasped over her mouth. She looked frazzled, her hair loose and wild, and she had bags under her eyes like she hadn't slept properly in days. She began to cry as she rushed to the other side of the bed and pulled Jim into a tight hug, being careful not to hurt him. He couldn't keep from smiling as his mother held him in her arms, gently stroking his hair and scattering kisses across his face. After a few minutes, she finally pulled back and furiously scrubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her nightgown.

"I'm never letting you out of my sight again," she said with a small laugh.

Jim laughed and shook his head, his smile growing wider. He knew she was just joking, but there was a heaviness in her voice that made him feel okay with being 'grounded' for a while.

"I thought I heard a commotion!" Delbert's voice called as he entered the room with Amelia following closely behind. They were both in their nightclothes, and Jim cocked an eyebrow at the sight. He had seen the looks between the two throughout the voyage, but it seemed apparent that they had made things more official.

Amelia marched across the room to the writing desk and picked up a large stack of letters that Jim hadn't noticed before. She beamed at Jim with pride as she presented the letters to him.

"Word's gotten out about you, Mr. Hawkins," she said. "We've been receiving letters all week from the most prestigious schools in this part of the galaxy. They all want you."

Silver laughed and ruffled Jim's hair again.

"Didn't I say ye had the makings of greatness in ye?" said Silver. "Yer something special, Jim. Gonna rattle the stars, ye are."

Jim's mouth hung open as he accepted the letters with shaky hands. He slowly went through each one, gasping as he recognized several names of schools that he had never even dreamed of being accepted to.

"I'm proud of you, Jim," said Sarah, cupping his face and kissing his forehead.

Being surrounded by the people that cared most about him, that feeling of being the luckiest kid in the galaxy came flooding back anew. Jim couldn't stop the tiny 'woah' that escaped his mouth as he stared in awe at the pile of letters in his lap. Words escaped him, his entire future sat on his lap in the form of letters and a bag of treasure. He had choices, people believed in him, and he was wanted. It felt incredible.

Jim's shoulders began to shake, and tears poured from his eyes as he started crying. Or was he laughing? It was hard to tell. All he knew was that he had never felt happier in his life than at this very moment. He threw one arm around his mom and hugged her, using his other hand to grab the front of Silver's tunic, pulling him in as well. Silver easily wrapped his arms around both Jim and Sarah, and Jim melted into the embrace. He sniffed and turned his head to lean on Silver's shoulder.

"It was worth it," said Jim.

All of this was worth everything. For what he had lost, he had gained so much more, and for the first time in years, Jim felt at home.

Alrighty, I've got two sequels in the works for this story! I think I'm just going to post them on AO3 (Username: HyperFix8), just because it's a lot of work to crosspost everything here.

Hope you enjoyed this!