FROM DOVER TO PLYMOUTH, AND BACK
Chapter 3
By Kiddo
~*~ In Loving Memory Of Jonathan Brandis ~*~
~**Don't fix a broken heart. Who really wants to forget? (Joseph
Fiennes)**~
Disclaimer:
I don't have any rights to "seaQuest DSV" or "seaQuest 2032" and I am not making any money with this story.
A big Thank You goes to my wonderfull beta-reader Jackie and KatKnits00, Joxer, Sam, sara ans Kas7 for their wonderful Reviews.
@Joxer and sara: I hope you wont be dissapointed. Ben hasn't a big part in this chapter, only a very spezial one.
Feedback and reviews are still the only thing I get for writing. So please review.
***************************************************************************
The seaQuest was sailing from Dover to America. She was a good and splendid merchant vessel. The ship was in the service of the royal family and brought things from one side of the ocean to the other.
The seaQuest had a very small crew of just 8 sailors. Normally it took more people to sail a ship like this, but the crew of the seaQuest was such a good team, that they were able to do it just with 8 people.
The captain of the seaQuest was Nathan Hale Bridger. He was a fair and kind man. His crew trusted him blindly and unconditionally.
The whole crew had a great knowledge about sailing and was working hard on the ship. Everyone had to be able to do the things that were normal on a ship, but everyone also had their special skills to use.
The first Officer was Jonathan Ford.
Manilow Crocker was the man for security. In the past, he had worked as the head of security for the royal family until he had become too old for the job. King Jakob I, of the House of Stuart, had always liked Crocker's work a lot. When the seaQuest started her first tour, the King had thought of Crocker and gave him a job as Security Officer on the ship. Manilow Crocker had to keep the seaQuest and the things she carried safe.
Benjamin Krieg was the cook.
Miguel Ortiz was sitting in the crow's nest at the top of the mast. He was often sitting or standing in the nest, looking over the water with a spyglass.
Tim O'Neill was the helmsman. He also spoke a few different languages, which had often been helpful in the past.
Katherine Hitchcock shared the job of the helmsman, or helmswoman, with O'Neill. She was one of two women on board.
The other woman was Kristin Westphalen. Kristin knew a lot about medicinal plants; her mother had tought her which plants helped with which illnesses. If someone on the seaQuest got ill, she was the one who would treat and care for the person. But she also spoke a few other languages and helped Benjamin Krieg out if he had too much to do.
**********
Miguel Ortiz was sitting in the nest and was watching staring through his spyglass in just one direction for quite some time. Finally he took the glass down, put it into his waist-band, and climbed down the mast. When he arrived on the deck, he walked to his captain and gave him the glass. "Captain, could you please take a look out toward the west?"
Bridger took the glass and looked west. "What do you mean? The only thing I can see is a dolphin."
Ortiz nodded. "That's exactly what I mean. I've been watching the dolphin for some time, and it looks like he is heading in our direction. It's like he wants to swim to our ship. I think he is dragging or carrying something."
Captain Bridger looked through the spyglass again, then, he nodded. "I think you are right." He turned around to his helmsman. "Slow the ship down O'Neill." Then Nathan turned in the direction of the dolphin once more. "It looks like he is carrying a person!"
Meanwhile the crew, except O'Neill and Krieg, were standing next to the captain and Ortiz at the rail and were looking out on the water. When the dolphin had nearly reached the seaQuest, they could all see that the captain was right. The dolphin was carrying a human.
The crew dropped the anchor. After that, Jonathan Ford and Miguel Ortiz jumped, without the slightest hesitation, into the water.
They carefully and slowly swam to the animal, and when they reached it, they stopped next to him. The dolphin stopped also and looked at the two people in the water, then, he nodded his head. It was like he was trying to give the humans a sign that he understood what was happening.
Miguel and Jonathan gently took the person off the doplphin. After that, the dolphin swam a few feets away, but still watched everything. It was like he wanted to make sure that the person he had carried for so long was in good hands.
Now the two men in the water could take a good look at the person the dolphin had been dragging. Jonathan Ford lifted the person's head out of the water, and then he looked up at the crew who had stayed on the ship. "It's a boy!"
Together, the crew brought the teenager on board. They laid him on the wooden boards of the deck. The wet blond hair was falling in the boy's face.
Kristin Westphalen knelt immediately down and felt for a pulse. She looked at the others, relieved. "He's alive!" Then the red-haired woman turned again to the unknown teenager and tried to wake him up. But it didn't work. "We have to get him out of his the wet clothes and try to get him warmed up. Otherwise he'll freeze to death! It's a wonder that he is alive at all after being in the cold water for so long."
Nathan Bridger thought about it; there was no cabin free at the moment. They had put cargo in all the ones they didn't need at the moment. It would take some time to get one free, and on the other hand, where would they put the cargo? The crew cabins were also full; there were no spare bunks where the boy could sleep. The best place would be his own cabin, and that would also be the warmest room, after the galley.
Bridger didn't have a problem giving his own bed up for a few days and sleeping in a hammock. The other people of the seaQuest were also sharing cabins with one or two other people. If his crew could do that, he could do it too.
Nathan knelt down next to the boy and lifted him up. "We'll bring him in my cabin!"
Manilow Crocker looked for a moment surprised at the Captain. It was not normal for a captain to share his cabin. The blond teenager was a stranger and Bridger had almost immediately acted parentally toward him. But on the other hand, this action suited Bridger; he wasn't like the others.
Crocker shook his head. This wasn't a time for thinking, this was a time for doing. He walked in front of Bridger and opened all the doors for him. When they arrived in Nathan's cabin, Bridger layed the boy on the floor; he didn't want to get the bed wet.
Crocker looked at Bridger. "Can I help with something?"
The captain smiled and shook his head. "No thank you. You can go back to work."
At the same time Manilow was walking out the door, Kristin Westphalen was coming in. She had a few things in her hands, which she put down on the big desk made out of dark wood. She lifted an old blanket, one shirt, and a pair of trousers. "We have to get him out of the wet clothes and dry him off." She showed Bridger the shirt and the trousers. "Katherine was kind enough to give me some of her clothes. She mentioned that it was more likely that her clothes would fit the teenager, because she is the smallest and thinnest of us."
Nathan smiled; yes this was his crew and how well he knew them.
The two adults took the shirt that the boy wore off. Both looked in shock at the upper part of the teenager's body. It was covered with bruises. Some looked new, others looked older.
Bridger and Westphalen looked at each other for a moment. It was clear what each was thinking. Then they took the other clothes off, dried the boy and dressed him in Hitchcock's clothing.
When they were done, they laid the blond teenager on Nathan's bed. The red- haired woman walked to the desk and took a little box and a linen cloth. Kristen tore the cloth into a few strips. After that, she sat down on the edge of the bed. Westphalen took the boy's right hand and opened the little box. Then she put a self-made paste on the scratches on the hand. Because of the dirt and salt water that gotten into the cuts, they had become inflamed. The knee hadn't been infected, luckily. When Kristin was finished putting the paste on the hand, she wrapped a linen cloth around it. Then she did the same with the left hand. The teenager didn't notice anything of what was going on; he stayed unconscious.
**********
To Be Continued...
Written 2003 / Translated March 2004
I think the job of the cook is so perfect for Ben. I couldn't give someone
else this part :-). I hope you agree with me.
Chapter 3
By Kiddo
~*~ In Loving Memory Of Jonathan Brandis ~*~
~**Don't fix a broken heart. Who really wants to forget? (Joseph
Fiennes)**~
Disclaimer:
I don't have any rights to "seaQuest DSV" or "seaQuest 2032" and I am not making any money with this story.
A big Thank You goes to my wonderfull beta-reader Jackie and KatKnits00, Joxer, Sam, sara ans Kas7 for their wonderful Reviews.
@Joxer and sara: I hope you wont be dissapointed. Ben hasn't a big part in this chapter, only a very spezial one.
Feedback and reviews are still the only thing I get for writing. So please review.
***************************************************************************
The seaQuest was sailing from Dover to America. She was a good and splendid merchant vessel. The ship was in the service of the royal family and brought things from one side of the ocean to the other.
The seaQuest had a very small crew of just 8 sailors. Normally it took more people to sail a ship like this, but the crew of the seaQuest was such a good team, that they were able to do it just with 8 people.
The captain of the seaQuest was Nathan Hale Bridger. He was a fair and kind man. His crew trusted him blindly and unconditionally.
The whole crew had a great knowledge about sailing and was working hard on the ship. Everyone had to be able to do the things that were normal on a ship, but everyone also had their special skills to use.
The first Officer was Jonathan Ford.
Manilow Crocker was the man for security. In the past, he had worked as the head of security for the royal family until he had become too old for the job. King Jakob I, of the House of Stuart, had always liked Crocker's work a lot. When the seaQuest started her first tour, the King had thought of Crocker and gave him a job as Security Officer on the ship. Manilow Crocker had to keep the seaQuest and the things she carried safe.
Benjamin Krieg was the cook.
Miguel Ortiz was sitting in the crow's nest at the top of the mast. He was often sitting or standing in the nest, looking over the water with a spyglass.
Tim O'Neill was the helmsman. He also spoke a few different languages, which had often been helpful in the past.
Katherine Hitchcock shared the job of the helmsman, or helmswoman, with O'Neill. She was one of two women on board.
The other woman was Kristin Westphalen. Kristin knew a lot about medicinal plants; her mother had tought her which plants helped with which illnesses. If someone on the seaQuest got ill, she was the one who would treat and care for the person. But she also spoke a few other languages and helped Benjamin Krieg out if he had too much to do.
**********
Miguel Ortiz was sitting in the nest and was watching staring through his spyglass in just one direction for quite some time. Finally he took the glass down, put it into his waist-band, and climbed down the mast. When he arrived on the deck, he walked to his captain and gave him the glass. "Captain, could you please take a look out toward the west?"
Bridger took the glass and looked west. "What do you mean? The only thing I can see is a dolphin."
Ortiz nodded. "That's exactly what I mean. I've been watching the dolphin for some time, and it looks like he is heading in our direction. It's like he wants to swim to our ship. I think he is dragging or carrying something."
Captain Bridger looked through the spyglass again, then, he nodded. "I think you are right." He turned around to his helmsman. "Slow the ship down O'Neill." Then Nathan turned in the direction of the dolphin once more. "It looks like he is carrying a person!"
Meanwhile the crew, except O'Neill and Krieg, were standing next to the captain and Ortiz at the rail and were looking out on the water. When the dolphin had nearly reached the seaQuest, they could all see that the captain was right. The dolphin was carrying a human.
The crew dropped the anchor. After that, Jonathan Ford and Miguel Ortiz jumped, without the slightest hesitation, into the water.
They carefully and slowly swam to the animal, and when they reached it, they stopped next to him. The dolphin stopped also and looked at the two people in the water, then, he nodded his head. It was like he was trying to give the humans a sign that he understood what was happening.
Miguel and Jonathan gently took the person off the doplphin. After that, the dolphin swam a few feets away, but still watched everything. It was like he wanted to make sure that the person he had carried for so long was in good hands.
Now the two men in the water could take a good look at the person the dolphin had been dragging. Jonathan Ford lifted the person's head out of the water, and then he looked up at the crew who had stayed on the ship. "It's a boy!"
Together, the crew brought the teenager on board. They laid him on the wooden boards of the deck. The wet blond hair was falling in the boy's face.
Kristin Westphalen knelt immediately down and felt for a pulse. She looked at the others, relieved. "He's alive!" Then the red-haired woman turned again to the unknown teenager and tried to wake him up. But it didn't work. "We have to get him out of his the wet clothes and try to get him warmed up. Otherwise he'll freeze to death! It's a wonder that he is alive at all after being in the cold water for so long."
Nathan Bridger thought about it; there was no cabin free at the moment. They had put cargo in all the ones they didn't need at the moment. It would take some time to get one free, and on the other hand, where would they put the cargo? The crew cabins were also full; there were no spare bunks where the boy could sleep. The best place would be his own cabin, and that would also be the warmest room, after the galley.
Bridger didn't have a problem giving his own bed up for a few days and sleeping in a hammock. The other people of the seaQuest were also sharing cabins with one or two other people. If his crew could do that, he could do it too.
Nathan knelt down next to the boy and lifted him up. "We'll bring him in my cabin!"
Manilow Crocker looked for a moment surprised at the Captain. It was not normal for a captain to share his cabin. The blond teenager was a stranger and Bridger had almost immediately acted parentally toward him. But on the other hand, this action suited Bridger; he wasn't like the others.
Crocker shook his head. This wasn't a time for thinking, this was a time for doing. He walked in front of Bridger and opened all the doors for him. When they arrived in Nathan's cabin, Bridger layed the boy on the floor; he didn't want to get the bed wet.
Crocker looked at Bridger. "Can I help with something?"
The captain smiled and shook his head. "No thank you. You can go back to work."
At the same time Manilow was walking out the door, Kristin Westphalen was coming in. She had a few things in her hands, which she put down on the big desk made out of dark wood. She lifted an old blanket, one shirt, and a pair of trousers. "We have to get him out of the wet clothes and dry him off." She showed Bridger the shirt and the trousers. "Katherine was kind enough to give me some of her clothes. She mentioned that it was more likely that her clothes would fit the teenager, because she is the smallest and thinnest of us."
Nathan smiled; yes this was his crew and how well he knew them.
The two adults took the shirt that the boy wore off. Both looked in shock at the upper part of the teenager's body. It was covered with bruises. Some looked new, others looked older.
Bridger and Westphalen looked at each other for a moment. It was clear what each was thinking. Then they took the other clothes off, dried the boy and dressed him in Hitchcock's clothing.
When they were done, they laid the blond teenager on Nathan's bed. The red- haired woman walked to the desk and took a little box and a linen cloth. Kristen tore the cloth into a few strips. After that, she sat down on the edge of the bed. Westphalen took the boy's right hand and opened the little box. Then she put a self-made paste on the scratches on the hand. Because of the dirt and salt water that gotten into the cuts, they had become inflamed. The knee hadn't been infected, luckily. When Kristin was finished putting the paste on the hand, she wrapped a linen cloth around it. Then she did the same with the left hand. The teenager didn't notice anything of what was going on; he stayed unconscious.
**********
To Be Continued...
Written 2003 / Translated March 2004
I think the job of the cook is so perfect for Ben. I couldn't give someone
else this part :-). I hope you agree with me.