A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. They were my encouragement to work hard on getting out this next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
The Northwestern had anchored up on the way side of Amak island. There were plenty of other boats sharing the safety of the land mass. Samantha was on watch, which really wasn't much of anything but sitting in the chair and staring out the windows. Sig had told her to watch out for any changes then went off to bed. Samantha was listening to her ipod and reading a rather racy romance novel on her kindle. She had another 2 hours of watch left and was determined to finish the book before her watch was over. Samantha was a voracious reader and this was the first opportunity she'd had to actually read anything since she got on the boat. The weather outside was brutal, the waves pushed against the bow of the boat. The rain was going sideways and the sounds of howling winds were barely drowned out by the Foo Fighters on her ipod. Happily involved in her novel and music she almost missed the weird snapping sound coming from outside.
"What the hell was that" said Samantha to herself.
She pulled the earplugs out of her ears and put down the e-reader. She stared out the window looking for what made the noise. At first nothing became apparent, however on closer study she realized that something was sticking out of the bow of the boat. She looked closer at the anchor line and realized that part of it had broken. She watched it for a few more minutes and heard the snapping sound again and realized that another part of the cable had broken. Reaching over she pulled the phone off the wall and pressed the first button she could reach.
"What" answered a very tired voice.
"Who is this?" asked Samantha.
"You called me" replied the voice.
"I know, but who is this?" asked Samantha again.
"Your prank is failing miserably" said the voice.
"It's not a prank, something is breaking off the anchor" said Samantha.
"What are you talking about?" asked the voice.
"The cable that's going over the front of the boat is coming apart. There are two pieces sticking out of it right now" explained Samantha.
"I'll be right up. If this is some sort of joke I will throw you overboard" said the voice.
Samantha sat stoically in the chair staring out the window to verify that there actually were two pieces sticking out of the cable. The last thing she wanted to do was piss someone off. Her head swiveled towards the door as Norman walked into the wheelhouse looking very tired and very annoyed.
"Alright Antha, lets see this breaking anchor" said Norman.
"It's right there" said Samantha pointing out the window.
Norman stepped up to the glass for a moment then walked over to the plotter.
"Go wake up Sig" said Norman.
"Ok" said Samantha.
Samantha stepped into Sig's stateroom leaving the door open slightly so a sliver of light illuminated part of the floor. She walked quickly to the bedside and shook Sig's shoulder. He didn't move an inch. Samantha took a deep breath and rolled him over so he was laying on his back.
"Sig, Norman asked me to wake you. There is something coming off of the anchor" said Samantha.
Before Samantha could say another word Sig had pulled her under him pining her with his body.
"Very funny. Which one of them made you do this? Whoever it is, I'm going to kill them" murmured Sig, not bothering to open his eyes.
Samantha shook her head wondering what the deal was with practical jokes on this boat.
"It's not a joke, two pieces of cable have broken off" said Samantha.
"Is the boat dragging the anchor?" asked Sig his eyes cracking open slightly.
"I don't know" replied Samantha.
"Go find out" said Sig rolling off of her.
"Fine" said Samantha slightly annoyed.
She struggled to right herself and moved off the bed. She walked back to the wheelhouse and asked Norman the question. Tromping back to Sig's room opening the door completely so the room was bathed with light. Forgetting all concept of decorum she jumped on top of Sig attempting to pin him down, her body bouncing slightly with the force.
"Well?" asked Sig.
"The boat isn't dragging it, however Norman confirmed there are two pieces of anchor line that have broken" answered Samantha.
"Are you just going to sit up there or are you going to let me up to see what's going on?" said Sig.
"I don't know. I rather like having you under my power" replied Samantha.
Sig moved a little trying to free his arms from inside the sleeping bag but Samantha had his arms pinned to his sides with her legs. He bucked against her dislodging her just enough to free his arms and grab her around the waist.
"Hmm, not so brave now are you?" taunted Sig.
"Don't you have a boat to check on?" asked Samantha with a smile.
"Consider yourself very very lucky" said Sig.
Samantha scrambled off Sig's lap and all but ran back up to the wheelhouse.
Norman had already woken up Edgar who was sleepily standing at the window staring at the anchor line. They both turned to watch Samantha run into the wheelhouse like the hounds of hell were chasing her. She skidded to a halt next to Norman and paused for a moment to catch her breath.
"Who are you running from?" asked Edgar.
Samantha didn't even have time to answer before Sig walked into the wheelhouse. Edgar looked between Sig and Samantha a confused look gracing his sleepy features.
"Alright, what's going on?" asked Sig.
"See for yourself" replied Edgar pointing out the window.
Sig walked to the window and assessed the damage as best he could through the falling rain.
"We need to go outside to see what the damage really is" said Edgar.
"Get the guys up here. If you have to pull up the anchor you are going to need all their help" said Sig thoughtfully.
"Roger" said Norman.
"I'll help" volunteered Samantha.
"No, you stay here. I want you to tell me exactly what it sounded like when it broke" said Sig.
"It sounded like a boing and then a snap" said Samantha. "Then I listened a little closer and the second one popped."
"What was the boat doing?" asked Sig.
"Rocking. The waves were hitting the bow and rocking it up and down. I don't think there was particular wave that made it pop. It just seemed like it just kind of happened" explained Samantha.
"We'll take a look at it and let you know if it needs to be pulled in" said Edgar.
"That's a new chain, we had it replaced over the summer" said Sig to himself.
The others walked sleepily up into the wheelhouse. They all found a place to sit and quickly turned their attention to Sig and Edgar. Sig explained the issue briefly and Edgar went into the specifics about what the crew was going to do. After the plan was mapped out they quickly headed downstairs to suit up. Samantha turned to follow and was once again grabbed by Sig and stopped.
"It's nasty out. Just stay inside. If you are anxious about something to do you can make something for the guys to snack on when they come in. Or if me suggesting that you cook something is chauvinistic then you can go keep my bed warm for me or do anything else except go outside" explained Sig.
"I'm not offended by your suggestion to cook something" said Samantha. "The other suggestion I will take with a grain of salt."
"Well one can only dream" said Sig.
Samantha watched the guys progress on deck but her nerves eventually got the best of her and she excused herself downstairs.
In the comforting familiarity of the kitchen she prepared an american feast, cheeseburgers, french fries, onion rings, apple pie and milkshakes. The whole galley smelled like a drive in restaurant from the 50's, the only thing missing was Samantha on roller skates. Matt and Jake were the first ones into the house and the smell that hit them when the door opened made their mouths water.
"Oh my god, something smells so fucking good" said Matt hurriedly stripping out of his gear.
The table was set with every possible condiment imaginable, bacon, lettuce, tomato, fried onions and much more. Sig ambled into the galley and was surprised by the sheer amount of food that was being set out. He grabbed a french fry out of a passing bowl and popped it into his mouth.
"What's the occasion Antha?" asked Nick.
"Just thought you'd like something kind of comforting after you finished working" explained Samantha.
"This is awesome" said Jake as he inhaled a cheeseburger.
"Thanks, I'm glad you like it" said Samantha. "I made milkshakes too."
She poured everyone a shake and everyone sat down and began to eat.
"So Antha, what do you do?" asked Matt.
"Um, I" began Samantha.
"We know what she does" said Edgar with a smile.
Samantha's eyes widened and she wondered how in the world Edgar knew where she worked. She'd been ridiculously careful about keeping a low profile and mentioning nothing about her working for Discovery.
"So what does she do?" asked Matt.
"She's an aerobic instructor" said Edgar with a smile.
"Really?" said Matt with a smile.
"How did you know I did that? asked a very shocked Samantha.
"We saw your submission video" answered Norman.
"What exactly was I doing in this video?" asked Samantha.
"You were teaching some sort of dance to a group of women with some cool latin music" said Edgar.
"Zumba? You saw me teaching a zumba class?" said Samantha her voice surprised.
"You submitted the video. Don't you remember what you sent?" asked Sig.
"No" said Samantha.
She plastered a smile on her face, but internally she was mortified that the guys had seen her teaching aerobics and angry that John had taped her without her knowledge.
"Antha, could you teach us how to Zumba?" asked Matt.
"I could. It would certainly make a great segment for the show" said Samantha with a smile.
"You should have seen her in this video" began Edgar. "She's wearing this little tank top and her pants have tassels on them. And this whole herd of women just follow her every command. It was so bizarre."
"I'm glad it provided you with plenty of entertainment" said Samantha.
"You can't possibly be mad, you are the one that sent it in" said Edgar.
Samantha didn't say anything she just smiled and shrugged. The rest of the meal passed with friendly conversation and banter all around. After everything was cleaned up everyone with the exception of Norman, who had the first watch, settled into their bunks for some much deserved rest.
The heart of the storm was passing over Amak island churning the ocean and blowing the boats anchored behind the island. Waves were pouring over the side of the Northwestern and one particularly large wave pushed the boat over at a 45 degree angle and everyone in a bunk was suddenly out of it. Piled in a heap on the floor were Nick, Matt, and Jake. Lucky for Samantha she was in the bathroom at the time, the worst she got was a nasty bruise from being slammed against the towel bar. Samantha picked herself off the floor and opened the door into the hallway. Everything was dark and for a moment she was confused as to which direction the stateroom was. Rubbing her head she wandered down the hallway and ended up in Edgar's room. Edgar was laying on the floor in the dark searching for a flashlight. Samantha made it two steps into the room before she tripped over his feet and fell on top of him.
"Ouch" said Samantha.
"It couldn't possibly have hurt you more than it hurt me" said Edgar.
"True. Sorry about falling on you. Are you ok, other than nearly being crushed to death by an aerobics instructor?" asked Samantha.
"Honestly Antha, you are the only person on this boat I'd want to fall on top of me" said Edgar. "Bingo!"
Edgar spun around dislodging Samantha from his back and flicked on the flashlight. He turned the beam onto her prone form and then reached over to give her a hand.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"Yes, I hit the towel bar in the bathroom but other than that I'm fine" replied Samantha.
"Lets go check on the others" suggested Edgar.
They walked down the hallway and met up with Matt, Nick and Jake who were just coming out of the stateroom. Matt's lip was slightly bloody and Jake was holding his head.
"Is everyone ok?" asked Edgar.
"Yeah, busted lip, bumped head and being crushed by two guys but other than that we are all ok" said Nick.
The group walked into the galley and realized that everything had been thrown from the cabinets. There were DVD's littering the floor and all the food in the pantry had been thrown everywhere. The fridge stood open, containers of food littering the floor of the kitchen.
"What a mess" commented Samantha.
"Yeah, that's going to take a while to clean up" said Matt.
"Lets leave it for now and see how Sig and Norman are" said Edgar.
The group walked towards Sig's room, his door was still shut and when Edgar tried to open it he found it blocked.
"Sig! Are you alright?" called Edgar.
There was no reply. Edgar pushed harder on the door and was able to open it a crack. Samantha stepped forward and told Edgar to push again a little harder, he did and she slipped through the tiny opening into the room.
Once inside she realized the reason the door wouldn't open all the way, Sig's body was laying on the floor in front of it. Samantha knelt down next to him and tried to determine if there were any serious injuries.
"Sig. Sig, can you hear me?" asked Samantha quietly.
There was no response.
"Antha, move whatever is blocking the door" said Edgar.
"Sig's blocking the door and he's unresponsive" replied Samantha. "Give me your flashlight so I can see him."
Edgar passed her the flashlight and she fumbled for a moment before turning it on. The light revealed a stateroom in complete disarray, clothes and books were thrown from their shelving. Taking a deep breath Samantha turned the light on Sig, for a moment her deepest fears were realized when she saw his dull eyes staring back at her. Then he blinked.
"God, move the light, you're blinding me" he said softly.
"Oh thank God you're ok" said Samantha kneeling at his side.
"I'm not ok, everything hurts" said Sig.
"Do you think anything is broken?" asked Samantha.
Sig took a minute to gingerly wiggle his appendages.
"No, I don't think anything is broken" replied Sig.
"Then let me pull you away from the door so Edgar can get in here and check you" said Samantha.
"Really I'm fine" said Sig.
"Really? Because you are currently laying on the floor of your stateroom after being completely unconscious. I seriously doubt that you are fine" said Samantha bossily.
"Who died and made you head nurse?" asked Sig.
"Do you know what nurses do to naughty patients?" asked Samantha.
"No, what?" asked Sig his voice amused.
Samantha leaned down and whispered something so lewd and disgusting into Sig's ear that he blushed furiously.
"Now, if you are sure you don't have a spinal injury I'm going to pull you away from the door" announced Samantha.
Planting her feet she gently pulled Sig away from the door. He was a little heavy for her but she was able to move him enough so Edgar could get through the door.
"Wow, this place is a disaster" said Edgar surveying the room.
"Check on your brother. He was out cold when I came in but woke up as surly as ever a moment or two later" said Samantha.
"Ok, hold the light for me so I can see him" said Edgar.
"Don't talk about me like I'm not in the room" said Sig annoyed.
"Naughty patient" said Samantha causing Sig to blush.
Edgar inspected Sig's legs and arms for breaks then helped pull his brother into a sitting position. Sig's tousled hair stuck out in all directions, he reached up a hand to run a hand through it and winced.
"I think you hurt your shoulder" said Edgar.
"Yeah, it feels that way" said Sig.
"But everything else seems fine" said Edgar.
"Thank God for small favors" said Sig.
"Antha help me get him back in bed" said Edgar. "Then maybe a little ice for the injury."
Samantha and Edgar helped Sig to his feet taking care not to jostle his shoulder. Once he was lying down and somewhat comfortable Edgar made a path to the door.
"Alright Sig, we are going to check on Norman. Antha is going to get you some ice and sit with you. No sleeping because you bumped your head" said Edgar.
"Who died and made you doctor?" asked Sig contemptuously.
"Well it's nice to know the knock on the head didn't knock any sense into you" said Edgar.
Norman was fine, he'd seen the wave coming at the last minute and had managed to hold on while the boat rolled. The same good news didn't hold true for maps, charts and various brick a brack that were now strewn all over the wheelhouse. The crew split up and started the massive clean up process. Antha got a large bag of ice and a towel before she returned to Sig's room. Her job was to keep him from falling asleep.
Back with Sig she arranged the ice on his shoulder completely ignoring his wince of pain and the loud complaint that the ice was too cold. She spent the next hour or so picking up Sig's stateroom and having him direct her where to put everything. Once everything was cleaned up she returned to the bed and sat down. She'd barely stifled a yawn when Sig's eyes began to drift close.
"Please don't go to sleep" said Samantha.
"I'm tired, I haven't gotten a goodnight sleep since we left port" complained Sig.
"I know, but you hit your head and you aren't suppose to sleep" said Samantha.
"You're tired too, why don't you just lay down and sleep with me" said Sig.
"Because I'm suppose to keep you awake" said Samantha.
"You aren't doing a very good job" quipped Sig.
"You're right" said Samantha.
She reached over and plucked an ice cube out of the bag of ice on Sig's shoulder then with a little maneuvering dropped the cube down the neck of Sig's shirt.
"HOLY SHIT" yelled Sig.
"Don't move, you'll hurt your shoulder" said Samantha haughtily.
"OH YOU ARE DEAD" said Sig.
"A price I'm willing to pay to keep you awake" said Samantha.
"Well I'm damn well awake now" said Sig fishing out the ice cube.
"Excellent" said Samantha.
"Come closer" said Sig.
"No thanks, I'm fine here" said Samantha.
"Come over here, I'm not going to hurt you" said Sig.
"Liar liar pants on fire" said Samantha in a sing song voice.
"You are the most irritating person in this room" said Sig.
"I would beg to differ" said Samantha.
"Beg all you want, it's not going to change my mind" said Sig.
"Whatever" said Samantha dismissively.
Sig reached up to his shoulder and pulled a piece of ice out of the plastic bag tossing it in Samantha's general direction.
"Was that aimed at me? Because if so that was pathetic" said Samantha.
"Come closer and say that" said Sig.
Samantha refused to take the bait and stayed where she was.
After a few minutes of silence Sig began to get restless.
"Call Edgar and ask him how long I have to stay awake" said Sig.
"Where is the phone?" asked Samantha.
"Right here" said Sig pointing to the side of bunk.
"You're closer, you do it" said Samantha.
"I can't sit up to see which button to push" said Sig.
"Fine" said Samantha.
She climbed over Sig carefully trying to avoid putting any weight on him. Pushing the button on the consol she waited for Edgar to answer the phone.
"What" answered Edgar.
"How long is Sig suppose to stay awake?" asked Samantha.
"Is he still awake?" asked Edgar.
"Yes, but it hasn't been easy" said Samantha.
"Antha, I'm impressed I thought he'd be asleep already. If you think he's fine then let him sleep" said Edgar. "But stay there for a little while once he falls asleep just to keep an eye on him."
"Fine" said Samantha and hung up the phone. "He said.."
The words died on her lips because Sig was already fast asleep. Samantha leaned over and turned off the light. Sig's good arm caught her around the waist and settled her into his side. Not wanting to fight with him anymore she settled herself into the crook of his neck and closed her eyes.