Captain
Chapter Thirteen
Back To Takahashi's
Truthfully I was afraid. As that man swung out at my back, I really thought he had me. But I managed a jump to dodge it not a second to late. All the while I had to listen to Nat coughing somewhere to my left. And I was afraid for him.
As long as I've been a friend with Nat I haven't seen him injured this badly. Not that I can remember anyway. Sure there was that fight when the captain sent me against him, but neither of us had been aiming to kill, we both agreed on that much.
I don't know what I would have done if that guy wouldn't have given up. There was no chance of me winning against him, I've been a sailor long enough to have known that at first glance.
"Trent?" Asks Nat.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks." He manages to say before coughing again. This times the blood spats on my ripped shirt. "You were better then ever."
"Don't waste your breath with praises. Mullins will still slaughter me once we get back to the ship." Pathetically, he chuckles a bit, reminding me of a dying man I once saw on his deathbed. How I remember that and not the dying man's name, is a mystery to me.
"We're going back to the ship?"
"Course not, Mullins sees you in this condition I won't even get the chance to run. I'm taking you to Takahashi's. After all, the guy did me a world of good." Nat nods but I can tell something is still bothering him. "What?" I mumble out of annoyance.
"Why-," he pauses.
"Damn it Nat, spit it out!"
"Why'd you hesitate back there?"
Now it's my turn to pause and think. Surely I can't tell him the truth, he'll figure it out and I'll be stuck here in China if he decides to tell the captain. And if he doesn't tell Captain right away, he'll still have something to blackmail me with.
"What do you mean?" My tone goes soft again, though I still sound like a boy.
"Never mind." He shrugs it off before coughing.
Later that day I find myself sitting in Mr. Takahashi's medicine hut again. Though this time I'm not the patient. This time I've got to stay out in the medicine hut's lobby, which I'm starting to think, is a closet. Sure seems like one to me. But no time to think about that now, Mr. Takahashi has just entered the, er, lobby. He's not smiling, which to me seems like a bad sign.
"How's Nat?" I ask as soon as he's near enough to hear me whisper.
"Nathaniel is doing all right. The wound is very close to his stomach wall." Says Mr. Takahashi, smirking a little at my amused expression. It's strange to hear a guy you've known as a best friend called Nat, to suddenly be called by his full name, Nathaniel. "How are your wounds?" Mr. Takahashi asks pointedly, with a glance at my ripped shirt I haven't thought much about.
"The scratches healed up nicely. As for the deeper cuts they're still scabs, which is a pain in the ass, specially round salt water."
"Your ribs?" Guess there's no point in beating around the bush, though now I can't seem to meet his eye.
"I think I reopened some of the old injuries." I'm looking outside the window at some man approaching. The man looks British enough, and familiar too, but I can't seem to place him anywhere in my memory. "Looks like you've got another customer." I murmur, as I take a step back as the weird paper door is pushed aside and the tall bearded man enters.
He doesn't notice me at first while Mr. Takahashi greets him.
"I've got some injured men and I've heard good things about you, Master Takahashi." Says the bearded man with a bow after Mr. Takahashi has introduced himself, also bowing.
"Your name?" Asks Mr. Takahashi.
"Struet, Captain Struet." Says the bearded man.
"Struet? I've heard that name before." I mutter more to myself then anyone else. My small outburst causes this Struet man to finally take notice of me, though I've stopped paying much attention to him as I go off into my few remembered memories.
The man gazes at me awkwardly, though I'm not very much aware of it.
"Tristen?"
And I'm painfully slammed back into reality. I gaze up at the slightly familiar man, fear clouding my eyes. Questions rush through my brain. How did he know my real name? Did Nat hear him? If Nat heard will he tell? Maybe Mr. Takahashi said something? But before I can get too ahead of myself I shake my head from the disillusions.
"You're Tristen! Peter's daughter?" I take a step back, wishing with all my might this man would just disappear. Suddenly the memory comes back, I remember who Struet is now. He was my father's best friend; I played tricks on his children, wife and servants. I remember I didn't like Struet's oldest son, the boy was always picking on me. But I got back at him; I made his life a living hell whenever I saw him. He hated bugs.
"Mr. Takahashi, take care of Nat." I don't have a choice I can't be discovered. Not here, not now. So I turn completely around and sprint out the open door.
"Wait!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well what did you people, my loyal readers and reviewers, think? I've decided on two more chapters after this one. And if you want an epilogue then there'll be three more chapters. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan. I do own any of my original characters.