Yay for another chapter! Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming! :)
Sig sat in the wheelhouse, a cigarette in his mouth, as he waited for the sound he had been longing to hear for days. He was anxious to get out and start fishing, and he was already two days behind the rest of the fleet, which made his stomach turn. He hated how he was so far behind, especially when he was normally one of the first to head out of the harbor.
"Start her up!" Edgar yelled up to him. He did as he was told, and immediately he heard the sound of the boats engine come to life.
"Yes! Let's get this boat ready to head out!" Sig yelled, coming out of the wheelhouse.
Joelle came out of the engine room and stood on deck, smiling at the sound of the engine. Finally it was running, and Sig was going to be off their ass for the time being. It was windy out, and there was an arctic storm heading their way, and Joelle wished that Sig would wait until it passed to head out, but she knew better.
"We need to leave now if we are going to beat the storm." Sig yelled. "Let's get a move on!"
It wasn't long before the crew had the boat ready for departure, and they stood on deck as Sig drove the boat out of the harbor towards the crab grounds. Joelle walked into the wheelhouse and sat down on the bench behind Sig, looking out the windows at the waves that crashed against the boat.
"If we left two days earlier, like the rest of the fleet, we wouldn't be dealing with this storm now." Sig angrily said.
"You know there was nothing more that we could have done to get that engine done faster." Joelle said to him, lighting a cigarette.
"Don't try to justify all of this. I'm not in the mood." He said, shaking his head at her.
Joelle shrugged her shoulders, and then headed down to the galley where Matt was cooking for everyone. She sat down at the table next to Norman, who smiled at her.
As the boat neared the crab grounds the next morning, the weather was worse than when they left Dutch.
"Let's get out there! We need to drop the pots! The boat is too top heavy to continue on!" Sig yelled angrily down the stairs.
Everyone got up without hesitation and got ready to head out on deck. Joelle put her raincoat on, and put the hood up. She then walked out on deck, throwing the cigarette that she had hanging out of her mouth overboard, then went straight to where the pots where at. She tied a rope around her stomach, then anchored it on the side of the boat in case she fell overboard, and then climbed on top of the pots, the boat rocking heavily as she did it.
"Everyone, keep an eye on her. It really is way too dangerous to have her up there." Sig said over the hailer. Joelle felt a little better knowing he was looking out for her safety, even with how angry he was at the moment.
"I don't want you up there." Edgar said to Joelle after two pots were brought down. She was having a hard time keeping her footing, but she kept on going with it.
"You guys always volunteer me to come up here because of how quick I am at it."
"Yes, but you are no match for this wind. I do not know how you are still up there."
"Just keep working. You are wasting time arguing with me." She said, hooking another pot to the crane.
Edgar mumbled under his breath, going back to the hydraulics to maneuver the crane. Joelle was getting tired the longer they worked, but she kept on working. A few hours into the works, she was finally off the top of the pots, and was working on deck helping bring the pots over to the launcher to get them off the boat. The boat was steadier at this point, but it was still rocking heavily in the storm.
"Joelle, why do you look so pale?" Nick asked, watching Joelle walk a pot over towards the launcher.
She just shrugged her shoulders.
"You feeling okay?"
"My stomach hurts, but I'll live." She said, making a face. She rubbed her stomach, wishing the pain that was forming in her stomach would go away, but it was no good.
Nick gave her a look as if he wasn't convinced, but went back to work. Before they knew it, all of the pots were in the water, and Sig ordered them inside to meet him in the galley to talk to them.
"Why do I have the feeling that we aren't done?" Matt asked, taking his drenched raincoat off.
"He is in the perfect mood this season, isn't he?" Edgar asked, walking out of the wet room. Joelle sighed, following her uncle into the galley. She quickly poured herself a cup of the hot coffee that had just been brewed, and then took a seat at the table.
"Alright guys, I want to bring up a couple test pots to see what kind of fishing we were forced to land on. There is a small weather opening right now, and I want to take advantage of it."
"What weather opening?" Jake asked, putting out his cigarette.
"This is nothing compared to what is coming." Sig answered, obviously not in the mood to argue.
"Fine. Let's just get this over with." Edgar said, standing up and leaving the room.
"If we're on the crab, I will let you all rest til tomorrow." Sig said.
"And if we're not?" Matt asked.
Sig just shrugged his shoulders, walking back up to the wheelhouse. Joelle sighed, taking a sip of her coffee, before throwing the rest out.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Norman said to Joelle quietly as they headed back outside.
"You and me both." She responded, putting her raingear back on. She put on her hat before putting the hood of her raincoat up and then headed back into the rainstorm.
They neared the beginning of their string, and Matt got ready to throw the hook to bring it on board. Joelle closed her eyes, her hand on the side of the boat for leverage as the boat tossed and turned, and prayed to herself quietly that there were crab in the pot.
"Joelle, you need to pay more attention on deck. What the hell is wrong with you?" Edgar yelled.
"Just praying there is crab in the pot, that's all." She said.
Edgar nodded, and turned to watch Matt throw the hook.
Joelle watched from where she was standing, her stomach starting to really hurt, and she rubbed her stomach as she waited. She thought about whether or not it was time for her monthly visitor, but remembered she had a couple weeks left until it would grace her with its presence. She sighed, and made a face, as she saw the pot come up completely empty.
"Stack it on. We're stacking on the string." Sig said over the hailer.
Joelle groaned at the sound of what he said, trying her best to let it sink in that they were nowhere close to getting a break. She knew it wouldn't be that bad if it wasn't as windy and rainy as it was, but she didn't see Sig giving in anytime soon.
They worked diligently through the storm, getting the pots back on the boat that they quickly got off the boat because of the storm. Now, Sig wanted nothing more to get them on the boat to get them to better fishing.
"Two! 0-2!" Nick yelled up to the wheelhouse. Joelle leaned forward, resting her head on the sorting table, taking a deep breath, her stomach tightening in pain.
"I really don't feel well." Joelle said, shaking her head.
"Get off the deck!" Norman and Edgar yelled at the same time.
"What?" Joelle asked, looking at them.
"You must really not be feeling well if you are complaining about it." Jake said.
"Exactly. Get off the deck."
"What the hell is the holdup down there?" Sig yelled over the hailer.
"Joelle is complaining about not feeling well, so we want her off the deck."
"Get your ass inside Joelle."
"What the hell! You guys bitch and moan all the time, but never get to go inside. Why am I any different?"
"For you to complain about something, it must mean that something is seriously wrong. Get inside and take a nap. Sleep it off. We'll see how you are feeling then."
"Seriously? Just like that? I am off the deck?"
"Don't make me come out there!" Sig yelled when he didn't see Joelle move.
"You know we're serious if Sig is even on our side." Norman said with a smile.
Joelle groaned, then stomped off the deck. As grateful as she was to get out of the wind and rain and into her bed, she hated leaving the rest of the crew to do her work.
"Come up here first!" Sig yelled down the stairs to where Joelle was. She got Sig a fresh cup of coffee, and then headed up to the wheelhouse. She set the cup in front of him before taking the seat across the room from him.
"What's wrong?" He asked, sounding concerned.
"My stomach just hurts, a lot." She said. "And I'm more tired than normal. I'm sure it's just an early period."
"You are pale white. You never get like that when our favorite friend visits. Get some sleep, and we will see how you're feeling when you wake up."
"I don't understand why I'm not out there. You wouldn't be like this for one of the guys."
"You mean more to me than those goons out there. Plus, I made a promise to myself after your mother died that I would make sure that you were safe at all times. You complaining means that your mind isn't on the job. Now get to bed."
Joelle sighed, and then headed down to her room and climbed into bed. She could feel her body immediately relax as soon as she laid down, her whole body thanking her for laying down. Before she could even think about how much her muscles hurt, she drifted off into a deep sleep, not even thinking about the storm that was brewing outside.
There you have it! Please keep the reviews coming! Gives me the encouragement to write more! :)