Onboard the Artic Warrior, Epps felt at home. Dodge and Munder were playing a game of poker, Greer was looking at a furniture catalog his new wife had sent along with him, and Santos was playing his favorite song at the highest volume level while driving the tugboat. Epps looked across the table at Murphy, who was drinking the tea she had just poured him.
"Murph, do you think we should stop in Juneau before heading out again to pick up some extra supplies?" Epps asked, sipping her own mug of tea.
Murphy didn't answer right away. He slowly set his cup down and took Epps' hands in his.
"Maureen," Epps was thrown off for a second. Murphy never used her first name. "You need to stop this, all of this- right now. It's not healthy."
"W-What are you talking about Murph?" Epps forced a laugh and pulled her hands out of his.
"Maureen, please. We've been gone for several years, its time to let us go." Murphy rose to his feet, Dodge, Munder and Greer did the same. Santos walked through the doorway.
"What's going on? Who is driving the boat? Santos- you need to watch where we're going!" Epps cried frantically.
Dodge spoke next, "Maureen, you need to accept what has happened. Move on with your life."
Greer chimed in, "Please Maureen. We all love you and we know you love us. Just leave it at that."
"Stop using my first name!" Epps screamed, backing away from them. She stopped when she bumped into Murphy.
"Maureen- Epps, you are needed. Jack is back and is planning on creating another Graza. You need to stop him before he kills anymore people."
"No..." Epps began to cry, "This is real- you all are real, please don't leave me!" Even as she spoke the words, their images began to fade into nothingness.
"Wake-up call." A cheery voice called, disturbing Epps from her dream.
Groggily, everything came back to her. Her crew, Jack Ferriman, the Antonia Graza, Katie, the gold, death, and the last memory of Jack boarding another ship...
The short blond haired nurse entered the room with a tray of food.
"Breakfast! Your favorite- eggs, ham and toast!" the nurse set the tray down on a small table and went to help Epps into a robe. As Epps sat down to eat, the nurse began tidying up the small hospital room. After recovering from severe dehydration, Epps told her tale to the local authorities. The police obviously didn't believe her- ghosts? the undead? yeah right! The doctor who supervised Epps' recovery told police that she probably sustained brain damage from dehydration. Figuring that was the case, the police checked her into a nearby mental institution and here she has sat, alone and waiting for the chance to leave.
Epps silently ate the breakfast the nurse brought for her.
"How did you sleep? Well I trust?" the nurse asked good-naturedly.
"Fine." was all Epps' reply. Suddenly remembering her dream, she asked the nurse if she remembered knew of any cruise ship disasters in the past few years.
"Maureen, you're not supposed to be taking about ships remember; it's part of your program." The nurse chided, changing the bed sheets.
"Please Nancy? What if I promise to participate in group for a week?" Epps gave her best puppy-dog look.
Nancy sighed and said, "I really shouldn't be telling you this..."
"Please? I'll be forever in your debt!"
Setting down the dirty bedding, Nancy took a seat across the table from Epps, "Two years ago there was an accident with a Princess Cruise Line ship. I believe it was the same ship that picked you up...maybe that's why you weren't allowed television or newspaper privileges until the affair was settled." Nancy glanced out the window before finishing her story, "Anyway, the ship continued on with its journey to Tokyo. Before it reached Japan, it was struck by a submarine and sunk. The hit was so damaging that the ship sank within a half an hour. There were no survivors; it was a terrible accident."
Epps thought about what the nurse just told her and asked, "What happened to the submarine?"
"The sub also received fatal damage and sunk. The sub was Japanese. The U.S. didn't want to turn this into an international event so they classified it as simply an 'accident' and that was all I heard about it." Nancy got up and began putting clean sheets on the bed.
"Nancy?" Epps looked over at the young nurse.
"Hmm?"
"One more question: how many di- I mean, lost their lives in that accident?"
"Oh, it was such a long time ago. I think it was around 500- something."
Epps gasped and turned away. Nancy finished changing the sheets and left the room. Epps, determined to carry out her crew's wishes and settle a debt of her own, started formulating a plan to get out of the institution.
"Murph, do you think we should stop in Juneau before heading out again to pick up some extra supplies?" Epps asked, sipping her own mug of tea.
Murphy didn't answer right away. He slowly set his cup down and took Epps' hands in his.
"Maureen," Epps was thrown off for a second. Murphy never used her first name. "You need to stop this, all of this- right now. It's not healthy."
"W-What are you talking about Murph?" Epps forced a laugh and pulled her hands out of his.
"Maureen, please. We've been gone for several years, its time to let us go." Murphy rose to his feet, Dodge, Munder and Greer did the same. Santos walked through the doorway.
"What's going on? Who is driving the boat? Santos- you need to watch where we're going!" Epps cried frantically.
Dodge spoke next, "Maureen, you need to accept what has happened. Move on with your life."
Greer chimed in, "Please Maureen. We all love you and we know you love us. Just leave it at that."
"Stop using my first name!" Epps screamed, backing away from them. She stopped when she bumped into Murphy.
"Maureen- Epps, you are needed. Jack is back and is planning on creating another Graza. You need to stop him before he kills anymore people."
"No..." Epps began to cry, "This is real- you all are real, please don't leave me!" Even as she spoke the words, their images began to fade into nothingness.
"Wake-up call." A cheery voice called, disturbing Epps from her dream.
Groggily, everything came back to her. Her crew, Jack Ferriman, the Antonia Graza, Katie, the gold, death, and the last memory of Jack boarding another ship...
The short blond haired nurse entered the room with a tray of food.
"Breakfast! Your favorite- eggs, ham and toast!" the nurse set the tray down on a small table and went to help Epps into a robe. As Epps sat down to eat, the nurse began tidying up the small hospital room. After recovering from severe dehydration, Epps told her tale to the local authorities. The police obviously didn't believe her- ghosts? the undead? yeah right! The doctor who supervised Epps' recovery told police that she probably sustained brain damage from dehydration. Figuring that was the case, the police checked her into a nearby mental institution and here she has sat, alone and waiting for the chance to leave.
Epps silently ate the breakfast the nurse brought for her.
"How did you sleep? Well I trust?" the nurse asked good-naturedly.
"Fine." was all Epps' reply. Suddenly remembering her dream, she asked the nurse if she remembered knew of any cruise ship disasters in the past few years.
"Maureen, you're not supposed to be taking about ships remember; it's part of your program." The nurse chided, changing the bed sheets.
"Please Nancy? What if I promise to participate in group for a week?" Epps gave her best puppy-dog look.
Nancy sighed and said, "I really shouldn't be telling you this..."
"Please? I'll be forever in your debt!"
Setting down the dirty bedding, Nancy took a seat across the table from Epps, "Two years ago there was an accident with a Princess Cruise Line ship. I believe it was the same ship that picked you up...maybe that's why you weren't allowed television or newspaper privileges until the affair was settled." Nancy glanced out the window before finishing her story, "Anyway, the ship continued on with its journey to Tokyo. Before it reached Japan, it was struck by a submarine and sunk. The hit was so damaging that the ship sank within a half an hour. There were no survivors; it was a terrible accident."
Epps thought about what the nurse just told her and asked, "What happened to the submarine?"
"The sub also received fatal damage and sunk. The sub was Japanese. The U.S. didn't want to turn this into an international event so they classified it as simply an 'accident' and that was all I heard about it." Nancy got up and began putting clean sheets on the bed.
"Nancy?" Epps looked over at the young nurse.
"Hmm?"
"One more question: how many di- I mean, lost their lives in that accident?"
"Oh, it was such a long time ago. I think it was around 500- something."
Epps gasped and turned away. Nancy finished changing the sheets and left the room. Epps, determined to carry out her crew's wishes and settle a debt of her own, started formulating a plan to get out of the institution.