Chapter Seven

I gritted my teeth, waiting for the next blow to be dealt to me. There was no way I would let myself cry out, though. I'd rather pass out first before I ever let him have that satisfaction. Knowing that arrogant ass, if I went under now, it'd be the worst thing I could do to him. Or at least to his pride.

"You impress me, Mr. Cameron." I tried not to laugh at that, but as soon as he heard the bitter chuckle that rose up from my throat, I felt the leather cut into me once again. I stopped... but he still couldn't see the damn smirk on my face. This? This was nothing. "A man like you... Tell me. Can a man like you feel pain?"

"I can feel it," I assured him. "I just donae like yeh to know it."

"Well, that makes things a lot more..." I braced myself for him to strike me again, but while I heard a sharp crack, I didn't feel a damn thing. That came soon enough, though... just when I let down my guard. That time I had to bite my tongue. "Interesting. Does it not?"

"Glad yeh think so," I muttered, my hands still on the wall and my back turned to the man. I didn't have to see him to know he was wearing that sick grin of his, but I didn't expect much else out of him. After all, I knew exactly what kind of man he was just as well as he did. "But I ought to be headin' back to my post... if yeh be done playin' wit' meh, that is."

I waited for him to strike me again for being such an ass towards him, a man of honor and discipline- in his mind at least, but instead there was only an unnerving silence. After a time, I could hear was the sound of his heavy soles making their way across the hardwood floor, slowly closing the distance between us with each deliberate step. I tensed. I knew he wasn't the type to take kindly to a sharp word, and yet what worried me was the fact that I still had no way of knowing what he might do. It wasn't as if he was ever spoken to in such a way by any of his men...

Especially not ones who risked having a noose tied around their necks.

It was all I could do not to flinch as his hand fell on my shoulder, but at the time, I could only think was how damn small and even gentle it was. His voice, too, seemed to be the same way as he spoke to me then, and while his words were anything but threatening, the tone which he used still sent a haunting chill through my tattered body.

"Mr. Cameron... you are dismissed."

--

My mind was numb as I staggered out the door, but whether it was because of the man himself or what he had done... I couldn't really say. All I knew was that I couldn't think and my back was throbbing with a dull ache. Not to mention I could feel the blood dripping down along my spine and soaking into my shirt. Worse had happened in my life, making it a wonder that I had lived so long in the first place.

"No son of a bitch is gonna hear me beg..." I muttered to myself as I slumped against the wall. Closing my eyes, I leaned heavily on my shoulder for support and spat on the ground. It didn't matter to me if it was on the floor of the man I had served for so damn long.

"Gray, is that you?" I felt my body tense again, but when I did, the pain that shot through my back was too much, too soon. I only flinched, barely even a twitch, but my face warmed all the same. I didn't have a chance to say a word, though, before I found myself being spun on my heel and looking back to where I'd only just come, and all it took was a gasp from behind me to know I'd been found out. "My god... what on earth happened to you?"

"What the hell does it look like, womon?" I hadn't meant to snap at her being as I knew she hadn't meant any harm in saying it... but I still felt it was one of her less sensible moments. After all, when a person of her wit saw an injury like that, I had to think they would still remember what the hell it looked like. "Miss Hurst, I-"

"I accept your apology, and now you will allow me to tend to those wounds." While she didn't hesitate to take my arm and sweep me along with her, I had to wonder as to why she was looking about so frantically. Her bright eyes danced from side to side as we jogged down the hall at a frenzied pace, but she was unusually quiet. It was only after I found myself being led into her room that she finally spoke, and even then I couldn't make sense of what she was saying to me.

"Thank heavens I happened to find you when I did," she began as she fanned herself with her hand. "The Lord only knows if anyone happened to see us... I may never have been able to see you again." She was quiet then as she studied me, and then, without warning, she threw her arms around me and buried her face into my chest.

"Oh, how I missed you, Gray!" she sobbed, her voice shaking. "I never knew how lonely it is here without you, and the Vice Admiral, he... Oh God, just look what that horrible man has done to you now!" Yet again, the small woman wretched me in another direction. This time, though, she also forced me to turn my head back to see myself in her mirror. "Look at what he's done!"

I did look, and when I did... all I could see was red. The blood that I'd felt soaking through the back of my shirt had now stained it, leaving long blurry lines in the starch white fabric. The worst of it was across my shoulders, though, where the cuts were so close together that they flooded into one another. At first, the room seemed to fade around the edges and lose its color, and then...

I saw only black.

--

"Will that be all, Miss Hurst?"

"I believe so... but if I have further need of you, I will be sure to send you my summons."

"Very well, Miss. I shall be going now."

"Be sure not to speak of this, Gina. Not to anyone." I lay still until I was certain that I had heard the door softly close behind whoever had decided to come into the room, but although I hadn't so much as tried to move a single finger, it seemed that my companion was more than aware that I'd finally come to. "You may speak to me if you wish, Gray... or perhaps I should ask if you are even able."

"Dammit, womon, I ainae a cripple yet..." I paused. "And if I were, donae yeh think I could still talk to yehs?" I had tried not to sound bitter towards her, but it was hard doing given my irritable nature. After all, she only said as much because she cared, and while I wasn't accustomed to it, I was somewhat thankful for what she'd done for me. "An' I donae wont any of those pityin' looks of yers fer this, either."

"Fair enough," she agreed. "That is, of course, if you explain to me what you possible could have done to deserve such a punishment."

"It ainae that bad," I insisted, lifting myself up just to prove it to her. It was then that I opened my eyes, and I first realized that I had been laying in the woman's bed. Being as I was less than my usual myself, I leapt back. However, I didn't even have a chance to snap at her for putting me there before she gave out a shriek of surprise.

"Gray, please cover yourself!"

I glanced down to find she'd somehow managed to undress me, and though my face was hot as I snatched up my trousers, I still forced out a chuckle to see her hiding behind her hands. "Were it that much of a bother the first time yeh seen meh?"

"I saw nothing," she assured me. "Gina was the one to see to disrobing you, not I." While she sounded sure enough of herself at first, her voice soon became nothing more than a whisper as she turned to look away altogether. "I did not know a man look as such before..."

"Ainae that a cryin' shame."

"You are so terrible at times, Mr. Cameron." She sounded annoyed at first, but soon enough I heard her laugh, her embarrassment suddenly nothing more than a memory. Once again, her tone was quick to change to one that was much more serious. "We would not have undressed you as such if I had not seen the blood had run down your legs." She paused. "May I ask again what you had done for such a severe punishment? After all, I have never known anyone who would strike a man in such a way."

"I donae really know," I sighed with a shrug. "He sure as hell didnae tell me."

She was quite for a while then, her eyes becoming distant, and when she continued to stare off into the far corner of the room without a word, I decided it was time for me to leave. I hadn't forgotten the order that I was given not to see her, and while I might not have liked it any more than she did, I knew all too well what kind of risk we were taking, what with me being alone with her in such a place. What I didn't know was how fast Gina could talk, and that was more than enough of a reason for me to go.

Like always, though, the woman wasn't about to let me leave her on my own terms.

"Gray, is it possible for a single man to operate a vessel?"

"Depends on the ship, I guess." She nodded slowly at first, and then, lifting her gaze to meet mine, she smiled. All I could do was sigh and wonder just what was on her mind. Knowing her as well as I did, I knew it was nothing good, at least not for me, but there was no stopping her from sharing her thoughts. "What were yeh thinkin' of doin' if yeh donae mind me askin'?"

"I plan to escape from this place," she replied, her eyes shining up at me. I hesitated as she took a step towards me, but just before she brought her hand to my cheek, I caught it in my own. My hand easily swallowed hers, but she didn't try to pull away. She only stepped closer. "And I want to have you with me when I do."

"There ainae no way."

"But there is a way," she insisted, her steady gaze never wavering. "I know for a fact that you are the finest seaman in the entire crew- far better than even my brother, the Admiral. All the men know it as well as I... which I believe is why you were chosen to be my charge." She took a deep breath then as she finally pulled away, but she remained firm. "You are a threat to them. Not because of your heritage, but because-"

"A man canae take a ship like that by himself."

"What of Blue then?" I just stared. "I know you never speak to him, at least not directly, but we saw him the other day... when we were at the docks. Do you remember?" I nodded that I did, but I had a good reason to.

Even if I didn't want to admit to it.

"How do you know him?" she pressed, taking a gentle hold of my arm. "I do not believe you ever mentioned him to me..."

"Miss Hurst, I only knew 'im cause he was on the same ship as me," I explained, my voice solemn. I didn't have to say anything more for her to understand, and with that, I let the matter go. It was then that her eyes faded and she withdrew from me, for it seemed that even she realized just how hopeless our situation was.

"So it really is impossible then..." She sighed as she sat down on her bed, but she still forced herself to smile which was painful in itself. At least for me. "You may go now... if you wish." Though she had tried to sincere in saying so, I could tell it was the last thing she wanted me to do. Even if she wanted to escape, she was more afraid to let me go. "Mr. Cameron... Gray, I... I really did miss you, you know."

Glancing back at her, I saw in her gentle features how deeply she meant it. She continued to smile, but her eyes were glossed over with tears. Ones that I could tell she was doing her best to hold back. And so... while I wasn't sure it would mean anything for her to hear it, I said it all the same.

"I know."

--

Author's Note: Alright, I'll admit it, I do not like this chapter. At all. I thought that after a week of trying to rework it (hence the lack of an update last week), I might have been able to make it somewhat worthy of being posted, but it still doesn't work. The only part I do like is the first, and even that only seems like half of what it should be. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and even though it was over two weeks ago, I hope you all had a fun Talk Like a Pirate day!