Feel awful for the lack of updates. Been a crazy time for myself. Getting myself prepped for a move across country, so my updates will be very spaced out. Apologize ahead of time.

Again, thank you SOOOO much for the reviews! They are awesome! Keep them coming!

Oh, and the Edgar thing will be answered in the next couple chapters, I haven't forgotten about that. :)

Crosby finished sorting the crab on the sorting table, grateful that the end of their first leg of their trip was coming to a close. He wanted nothing more than to climb in bed and sleep for hours on end until they were back in Dutch Harbor for the offload.

"I have dreams of a whisky in my hand, and a lady by my side when we get back." Travis said, smiling as another full pot came on board.

"Who ya' gonna' pay to do that for you?" Gary joked.

"Shit, I don't know if a chick would want to be seen with you, whether you are paying her or not." Monty laughed.

"That's not what your wife said." Travis joked, laughing as Monty threw a crab at him.

"I would just be happy if we pull into the harbor, and see the Northwestern docked as well." Crosby said, sorting through the load of crab in front of him.

"I think you should not be allowed to see her. We can't see our women, so why should you be able too?" Lynn asked.

"What women Lynn? You have struck out every time I have seen you go for a chick. You and Travis are high and dry in the women department." Gary commented with a smile.

"I have women. I just don't bring them around you assholes." Lynn said, laughing.

"Quit chatting and keep working." Keith bellowed over the hailer.

"I wonder what crawled up his ass and died." Monty said, rolling his eyes.

Keith had heard the comment, but chose to ignore it. He wasn't in the mood. He had just gotten off the phone with Sig, and the news he was hoping he wouldn't hear was worse than he had anticipated. The secret he was keeping was eating at him, and as much as he didn't want to tell Crosby, he was grateful that the trip was almost over, because the waiting was wearing him down.

"Last pot, and we're heading in." Keith announced, and he could hear the crew cheer at the news. He sat in the wheelhouse and watched Crosby, debating on if he should tell him then, or wait until they get into Dutch to tell him.

"Crosby, can you head up to the wheelhouse when the deck is secure?" He made up his mind, and almost immediately, he wished he could change it.

"Roger!" Crosby said in response.

He watched as the crew finished securing the deck, and they all headed inside. After what seemed like an eternity, Crosby finally emerged in the wheelhouse with Travis.

"What's up?" Crosby asked.

"Travis, can you give us a moment?" Keith asked.

"Everything okay?" Travis asked as soon as he saw the look on Keith's face.

"Just please." He said, standing up.

Crosby immediately felt uncomfortable at that moment, watching Travis walk back down to the galley.

"Do I even want to know what you are about to talk to me about?" Crosby asked.

"Just sit." Keith said.

"I don't want to know. Whatever it is, it can wait until we dock. I just do not want to know."

"That is completely up to you. But it is not going to change what I'm going to tell you at all."

"Let me ask this. Is it going to make me want to jump off this boat and swim to shore right now?"

Keith didn't respond.

"Then don't tell me." He said, standing up. "I don't think I can handle any kind of news right now in the middle of nowhere."

"When you are ready then, come on up." Keith said.

Crosby walked out of the wheelhouse and got halfway down the stairs to the galley, but then turned around and walked back up to where Keith was.

"Is it about my family? Is my family okay?"

"They are fine." Keith said.

Crosby nodded, heading back down the stairs, but then turned around again.

"I'm not fired, am I?" He asked, walking back into the wheelhouse.

"No, you're not fired." Keith responded, sitting down in his chair, facing Crosby.

He nodded, then headed back down the stairs, but then stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't want to walk back up in the wheelhouse, but the only thing the news could be about was Joelle, and he had to know.

"What happened to her?" He asked, as he stood quietly in the wheelhouse.

Keith had tears in his eyes at that point. Crosby knew at that point that his suspicions were correct.

"Please tell me she is not at the bottom of the sea." He said, closing his eyes, making fists with his hands.

"No, she's not."

"Did the boat sink? Are the others alright?"

"No, the boat is docked in Dutch Harbor right now."

"Then whatever is wrong must be pretty serious. Sig doesn't stop fishing for just anything. Please tell me she isn't dead."

Keith was quiet.

"Keith! I will not believe it until you say it!" He angrily yelled, his emotions getting the better of him.

"She's technically not dead." He said.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Crosby asked, his heart breaking in a million pieces.

Keith went into the story, and what Sig had told him just an hour prior to that moment. As he went on, he could see Crosby falling apart in front of him.

"They agreed to do nothing until you arrived. That way you can decide at that time what to do."

"What? To pull the plug on my life? She is my world. She is everything to me. I will never be ready to give her up. The thought is just absurd." He sobbed. He couldn't believe what Keith was just telling him. It was as if it was a horrible dream that he couldn't wake up from.

"Nobody is saying that…" Keith chimed in.

"Yet. Nobody is saying that yet. I'm not stupid." Crosby angrily responded. "Is there any way I can call?"

"Yes, go ahead and use the phone. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

Keith walked out of the wheelhouse, ensuring first that the boat was on the right track back to Dutch, and Crosby took his spot and picked up the SAT phone, then stared at it. He was frozen, everything sinking in, and he broke down. He then slowly dialed Sig's number, taking a deep breath, as he wanted for him to answer the phone.

"Keith, what's going on?" Sig answered.

"Sig?" Crosby choked out.

There was silence on the other end, and it was almost too much for Crosby to handle.

"Sig!" Crosby yelled, as he gripped the phone tightly with his hand.

"Crosby, I'm so sorry." Sig finally said.

"Please tell me what Keith said is this horrible prank that you guys think is funny in some sort of awkward dimension."

"I wish I could say that it wasn't real. I am numb from it all myself."

"Has there been any improvement since she has been there?"

"There is little improvement as time goes on, but the doctors aren't hopeful."

Crosby bit his lip angrily, dropping the phone to his lap as he shook his head, trying to fight back the tears. He put the phone back to his ear.

"Are the doctors pushing to pull the plug?" He asked, getting right to the point.

"I refuse to let them. As long as there is improvement, then we keep fighting. She's a fighter Crosby, you know this. I have faith that she will get through this."

"What are Edgar and Norman saying?"

"They are wanting to fight as well. Everyone is ready to fight to save her."

"And June?"

"She wants to fight, but she is also listening to what the doctors are saying."

"Don't do anything until I'm there." He said, shaking his head as he wiped a tear that had fallen down his cheek away.

"We wouldn't even think about it."

"Can you hold the phone to her ear? I want to say something to her."

"Of course." Sig said.

Crosby heard silence on the other end of the line, and he took a deep breath.

"Joelle, please wake up. I cannot imagine my life without you in it. I need you to fight right now. Fight like you have never fought before. Come back to me, please."

Crosby hung up the phone at that point, not wanting to speak to Sig, or anyone, at that point. The only person he wanted to speak too was the one person he couldn't.

There you have it! keep the reviews coming! LOVE them! :)