Captain
Chapter Nine: Waiting
Can Nat get any stupider? It's been one full week since I've been in Mr. Takahashi's care, and just now I'm able to walk without falling over. I think I'll kill Mullins once I'm back on the ship. Then again, it would break Nat's heart, and I'm not sure I could do that. Damn, I'm stuck in the middle again.
You'd have thunk by now Nat would've figured out I'm a girl, but nope. He comes to visit me everyday and still is calling me Trent. I'm not stupid enough to actually ask if he's noticed anything different about me, but what am I supposed to do in this situation? Sooner or later he's got to find out! Like that first day I came to be in Mr. Takahashi's care, turns out Nat had found me, because of Chihiro's screaming for someone to help, except in her language. I don't think Nat understood a letter of it, but he found me and carried me here. Good thing too, or Mr. Takahashi said I probably would have died there and then.
Just that first day, when he walked in expectantly, this is why I'm truly surprised and thanking God for his stupidity. I was on a futon on the floor under a blanket, and under the blanket I was completely nude, not including the bandages wrapping around my soon to be healed completely ribs. Mr. Takahashi was right with those herbs, I'm sure healing faster then I have ever before. Then again I've never broken anything before, I don't think. That and my nose feels a lot better, no longer paining me during the days.
Nat brings news from the captain as well every time he sees me. Says Captain is getting restless of waiting for me and if I don't finish healing up soon he'll leave me behind. Fact is, I can't blame him. The navy got word of the ship we looted a week back and are on their way here to investigate.
"Trent!" Oh look, Nat's back for his daily visit. Here he comes through the paper door you slide now. "Get up." What's he doing ordering me? I obey anyhow and stand up from my seat on the ground, near dropping the bowl of white rice I'd been eating from shock at his serious tone. "We have to get back to the ship. Captain's orders." With that he turns and begins to leave. Damn, but I wanted to thank Mr. Takahashi!
"Go on Trent. A navy ship has been sighted near the southern borders." Oh there he is! He's getting so much better with English by the day now! Finds out he learnt it from a British woman that came here to teach long ago. He said she died when he was only a young boy.
"Master Takahashi." I bow as I've learned to do from watching Chihiro. "I wanna thank you for all yer help. Without yer help I would- well ye know, died."
"Come on Trent!" Nat yells from somewhere outside. Mr. Takahashi smiles knowingly at me and I can't help but feel he's got one up on me. Calmly I walk to the sliding paper door, the entrance to the medicine hut, and peek out to see how far away Nat is. He's only a meter off so I better be silent.
"Er, my name's Tristen, by the way." I whisper before ducking out the door and jogging to catch up with Nat who's begun stalking off, tired of waiting. I can feel Mr. Takahashi beaming at my back. Such a good man he is.
"There ye two are! Come quickly!" Upon reaching the Red Baron Nat and I are greeted by Mr. Smee. He smiles widely at me as if I've been gone forever, which I guess to him it seems as the entire crew thought I'd disappeared off the face of the earth. That is they would have thunk if Nat hadn't found me unconscious a week back and taken me to the healer, Master Takahashi.
"Mr. Trent." I hear the captain's voice, but I can't define the emotions heard there.
"Aye Captain?" I turn to greet him. He's not smiling, which isn't a good sign. But how come, what could I have done this time to displease him? Did Nat actually find out my secret and tattle on me after all?
"How're you feeling?" He asks and I can't help but feel this is a trap.
"Better then when we docked, for sure. How bout you?" I smirk at him to test out my theories.
"A navy ship has been sighted. Get to yer duties." If he does know anything about my secret he's not showing any sign. I listen to his conversation with Smee as he retreats to his cabin. "We can't escape, they're coming from the south, so we'll just have to be the upright Grey Ash. Long as no one abroad that navy ship recognizes my ship, I believe we may be able to pull such mischief off." For reasons unbeknownst to me, I'm sure there's a note of panic in his otherwise tranquil tone of voice. Well at least it was nice of him to ask how I was feeling. Wonder why he did that? Not usual for him to care, especially once Nat tells me Captain's ready to leave me behind if I don't hurry up and heal already.
"You've got swapping the deck and below quarters. If I find one speck of dirt you'll be eating dirt." Just the man I wanted to see!
"Mullins me mate! How are ye? Been keeping the ship in order I see." Suddenly my volume goes low enough for only he and I to hear. "Injured any more mates without the captain's finding?" I turn around to face him as I whisper this last part. I'm greeted by a mop and a bucket of water being shoved in me face. Oh I don't think that last comment did Mullins any good, sure looks like his color has paled a touch. Better get to me mopping duties.
A/N: … thanks for reading, and reviewing … I can't think of any thing else to say… But my story isn't over yet…
Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan. I do own any of my original characters.