Breath of Life
Author: LoNnI
Rating: T
Warnings: Some swearing and use of bad words and some violence.
Summary: In the movie Jimmy just vanishes into thin air when they finally leaves Skull Island. This is what happened from that point where King Kong comes after them, to they arrive at New York and a little more!
Characters: Jimmy, Jack, Ann, Preston, Carl, Englehorn, Kong
Disclaimer: I don't own King Kong or Jimmy or any other characters!
Note: There is some small changer from the movie, but no major.
Part 1/3
1 - Leaving
"Row!" Jack Driscoll yell to the men in the same rescue boat as himself. "What does it look like we do!" Jack don't bother to look who yelled back at him. He is way more busy watching the giant gorilla charging at them. "Hurry!" Carl Denham yell to the remaining of the crew on the land from where he stand, still on the rocky ground beside the two little rescue boats. One of the crew stopped up and pressed himself up against the black stone wall of the tunnel.
Jack turns around to see that the other boat behind them had come further out on the sea. Ann screams after Kong while tears run down her pale face. "No!" she cries and tries yet again to get out of Bruce Baxters' grasp. Jack turns back again to see the young lad in front of him aiming at Kong with his gun. "Jimmy! No!" Jack threw himself to grab the gun, but the shots was released and hit the huge beast. But to no use. Some few little shots like that was not enough to put down a beast on that size.
"Jimmy, don't be crazy now!" Jack tries to push the boat from the shore as Kong roars even more furious. "He killed him!" Jimmy cries through clenched teethes, Jack know perfectly who he mean. Jimmy lifts the gun again. This time Jack manages to stop him, but a shot from another gun scratches through the foggy air. Every eye on the boats turns to see a crewman with a gun in his hand, directed at Kong. Before anyone could blink their eyes, Kong leaps forward and grabbed him. Jimmy closes his eyes for he knows what happens.
"ROW!" Jack yelled one last time, but he knew it was to late as Kong took hold of the little rescue boat and threw it up against the cave walls. The last thing Jack hear before he fall into the water is more of Anns screaming, followed by a raging roar. Everything was scarily quiet when he got his head above the water again. He took in the scene and saw a spear stick out of Kongs leg. "Nooo" Ann was still sobbing, but had given up the fight to get loose.
"Jimmy…" Jack breathed and splashed around to see if he could see anything to the boy. "Yes!" Carl stepped towards the huge beast who was finally beginning to calm down. Jack finally saw the boy and swam over to Jimmy, who was splashing around in the water, trying hard to keep his head above the water. He grabbed him around the collar and swam towards the shore where Carl stood while watching Kong as he was reaching out a hand for Ann.
"Well…" Carl walked over to the giant ape and started on a little speech Jack didn't care listening to. "Jimmy?" Jack suddenly noticed that the boy had stopped moving and a wave of panic rolled in over him as he tried to find any signs of life. A breath of relief escaped his lips when he felt Jimmys' chest move under his hand. Jack pulled the boy closer so he could rest his head on Jacks' shoulder above water. Everyone was silent as they looked around themselves. The huge, sleeping Kong, all the unmoving men in the water, Jack, and Jimmy who had finally woke. Much to Jacks pleasant.
"You're okay?" Jack helped the coughing Jimmy up on land. Jimmy only nodded as Preston helped him down in that boat, still coughing. "Okay, listen everybody! Everyone who is still capable for work helps me with this… monster!" Carl clapped his hands to make them move, but everyone still sat still. "What are you going to do with him?" Ann sniffles and looks at the sleeping beast. "We're taking him back to New York of course! He ruined my camera!" the revenge-lust glowed in his eyes. "Are you mad?" Jack walked over to the filmmaker so they could speak alone. "We are talking about a giant ape who do anything to get to Ann! It's madness to take him with us to New York!" the only thing Jack wanted now was to get out of here and Carl made it all just worse. "It world be madness to leave him here!" Carl nodded, agreeing to himself. "Carl! Please just think for a second! Bringing a creature like that to a big city will only cause chaos!" Jack turns and walks back to the last rescue-boat. "Exactly, Jack. Chaos! Attention! Have we come all this way for nothing? I've lost my camera, so we have nothing! We'll come back to New York with nothing…" Carl smiled satisfied to himself and soon he had come as close as possible to get Jack somewhat convinced.
"How can you agree with something like this!" Preston and Jimmy held Ann back from jumping into the sea to Jack, as the other surviving crew members tried to get Kong onboard the Venture with help from some ropes, strong men and a still working ship-equipment! "Ann, please come in" Jimmy pulled Ann with him into the boat, through some corridors and to a little room with a table and some chairs. The two guys and the one girl finally sat down without a word, while listening to the noise from the working men.
"How did it come to this?" Preston rested his head in his hands while Ann sat right up and down, dirtied from top to bottom. Her blond hair dirty, her clothes torn and her eyes broken. Just as Jimmys. He sat, staring out through a window at the dark sea with an empty look in his eyes. There were too many thoughts at the same time swirling around in his head. And the splitting headache wasn't really much of a help either. "Are you hurt?" Preston asks and looks at Jimmy who has a pretty lost look on his face. "Huh? Oh… Sure" Jimmy didn't pay attention to what he was asked.
They all sat in silence for countless minutes. Now and then, The Venture would suddenly tip over to one side, followed by yell from the other men before the ship tipped back over. "How are they going to keep a gorilla in sleep for over a month?" Jimmy stands up from his chair and walks over to a corner and bows down to pick up something. Preston smiles a little when Jimmy comes back to them with his dark blue hat right where it belongs. "Suppose they got loads of chloroform on this boat" Ann suddenly answers Jimmys question.
"What?" Ann looks from Preston to Jimmy, who both stares at her. Jimmy and Preston look at each other before Jimmy ask, "What did… Kong do to you?" Jimmys' voice was hard to hear, but she heard it. "Well… It's a long story" Ann leaned back in her chair with a thoughtful look on her face. "We got lots of time" smiled Jimmy tiredly.
Ann smiled back at the two lads, leaned forward and took Prestons one hand with one of hers and one of Jimmys with her other. "I will tell you, but maybe not tonight? I don't think I'm the only one who needs rest" she mumbled. The boys nodded in agreement and again they sat for some minutes, with their hands in each others without a word.
At dawn
The sun rose and the Venture had finally gotten out of the fog around Skull Island and was once again surrounded by open ocean. At least two days had passed and most of the time Jimmy had been alone. Once in a while he would share some words with Preston. Jimmy had placed himself at the bow of the ship, resting with his back against the railing. In his hands he held his "borrowed" book Heart of Darkness. He jumped up when he heard a splash down beside the boat and looked over the railing. "Dolphins" he mumble as he saw the small creatures swim and jump by the front of the boat.
"Jimmy?" the young boy lifts his eyes when Englehorn calls for him from the bridge. Jimmy put the book in his pocket and finds his way to the bridge where the captain is waiting for him. "Captain?" Jimmy stops at the open door and put both his hands in the pockets of his pants and looks at the floor. "You're okay?" Englehorn asks without taking his eyes from the golden horizon, patting on a cigarette. Jimmy looks up from the floor and at Englehorn before he also look at the same horizon. "Well?" the older man turn to look at the young lad. "I'm okay, sir" Jimmy mumble. Englehorn knew he was lying, but didn't care to bother the boy more with that.
"Jimmy, we will come to New York in maybe five weeks if everything goes as it does now…" Englehorn called a name and another man of the crew came running taking the rooter from Englehorn. "Come here" he laid a hand on the young boys' shoulder and led him out. "Okay" he didn't know what else to say so he waited for Englehorn to continue. "The Venture will stay at the harbour in New York for a good while then. We have to fix the damage the ship has gotten, get new crew members and… other necessary stuff…"…" Englehorn leaned against the railing outside the bridge.
"Okay, sir…" Jimmy was about to leave when Englehorn stopped him with a hand move. "Jimmy, you are welcome to stay as a crew member on this ship if you wish that. But I want you to think about it. You are still young and the best for you would maybe be to get an education. But… just think about it, okay?" Englehorn gave Jimmy a rare smile and went back into the bridge. "Okay sir" Jimmy whispered. "Thank you…".
"Hi Jimmy. Want something to eat?" Ann asked as he entered the kitchen, where it usually was Lumpy who was the boss. But not anymore. Jimmy looked around himself and saw Preston and Carl having a chat at the table and Ann standing by a dish with something weird looking stuff on a plate. "What is it?" Jimmy asked and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Uhm, well. I'm not completely sure, but… It's not the worst I've tasted…"…" Ann said unsure and wrinkled her nose too. "Oh, no thanks" Jimmy backed away a little. "You have to eat, Jimmy" Jack said as he entered the room and looked at the young lad. "I belive I can decide that myself" Jimmy spat and left the room. Ann, Jack, Preston and Carl sat in silence for a while before Jack broke it. "What did you do, Ann?" he gave a tiny smile, but didn't receive one back so he went out to look for Jimmy.
Jimmy sat down at the opening of an animal cage in one of the many rooms on The Venture. "Jimmy?" he looked up when heard Jacks voice, soon followed by the man himself entering the room. "Ah. I thought I could find you here" he made his way over and sat down beside the mysterious, young guy. "I like to be here. Alone" Jimmy said, watching Jack by the corner of his eyes. Jack knew he wanted him to leave, but had no plan to.
"How are you?" Jack ask and place a hand on Jimmys shoulder as he is about to jump up. "Why do everyone have to ask that?" his voice comes through as angry, sad and hurt at the same time and the look in his eyes shows… fear. "Well, you haven't thought that theres maybe other people who also do care about you?" Jack didn't know this kid very well, but he knew enough that he wasn't like other kids on his age. He had most likely seen stuff few people have, survived through the hardest conditions and now lost someone who may have been the only person he had ever trusted. Jimmy open his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Instead he just looked at Jack with clear eyes and somewhat teary. "I know Hayes was very important to you. Like… your mentor. It's always hard to lose somebody close to you" Jack saw how hard Jimmy fought with the tears now. "I'm fine" the words comes out like a whisper while Jimmy dries a tear with his lightblue sleeve.
"It's nothing wrong in crying, Jimmy" Jack said, leaning forward to try to get eye contact. "It's just…" Jimmy finally let the tears run, "…I don't know what to do…" his voice breaks and Jack embraces him and lets him cry on his shoulder. Jack sat there for a good while, holding Jimmy in a protective embrace before he had thought long enough on what he was going to say. "Jimmy. I have an… offer" he pulled a little away to look at the lad, who turned away a little. Shameful. "Englehorn told me that the ship will be lying at the harbour of New York a while when we get there" Jack says and looks up at him from where he sit with his elbows resting on his knees. "I know" Jimmy mutters. "Yeah, well I thought maybe you would stay at my house… until the Venture is leaving again or until you maybe find a job perhaps?" the black haired man knows it may not be the most clever choice, to take in a boy who suffer to trust and get along with new people in a normal way.
"I can't do that, Mr. Driscoll" the answer from Jimmy comes quicker then expected and his voice shakes. "Why not?" Jack stands up as Jimmy does to and follows the young man with his eyes. "I just can't…" Jimmy suddenly seem like a restless animal. He stands about two meters away from Jack and he can see how Jimmy crosses his arms across his chest and clutches his arms while he looks around himself with huge, scared eyes. "Jimmy I'm just trying to help you" Jack steps forward and lay his hands on the boy's shoulders. Jimmy don't answer and hides his face in his hands. "Jimmy, look at me. Look" Jack takes hold of his hands and remove them from his face. "I have no idea what have happened in your life and I will not force you to tell either. All I want to do is to help you" with that Jack leaves with a pat on his shoulder.
