That was the last sentence she spoke to him until what felt like a whole day later when someone else came to visit her. Jim tried to get her to tell him why she disappeared from Montressor, but by that point she'd lost the nerve to keep talking to him. The advice her mother gave her was fresh in her mind, and for a reason she couldn't explain, Vanessa was determined to follow it.
She heard another pair of footsteps thudding down the wooden stairs. They were much heavier than Jim's were. Opening her eyes, Vanessa saw a large man made of rocks at the door of her cell. His clothing told her that he was of a high position on the crew. His name had something to do with a weapon. Mr. Sword? Mr. Wand? Mr. Arrow? Yes, yes, that was it.
"The Captain wishes to see you," he announced and he unlocked her cell.
"How long have I been down here?" her voice cracked in the middle of her words due to a severely dry throat.
"One day," Mr. Arrow answered, "The Captain likes to deal with things in a timely matter,"
Vanessa slowly stood and followed him closely across the deck to the captain's quarters. Several crewmates hollered and whistled rudely at her as they passed. Hanging her head, she felt a blush creep along her freckled cheeks. So it was one of those kinds of ships.
The captain's quarters were stunning and elegant, yet simple. The floors were of polished wood and the walls a creamy white lined with gold. Sitting in a desk in the middle of the room was Captain Amelia herself, pouring over a map of the quadrant they were currently in. Also peering at the map was a dog-like man that Vanessa remembered from her hope planet. And leaning against a wall was Jim. Vanessa trained her eyes to look away from him, though she could feel his stare burning holes in the side of her head.
Captain Amelia glanced up from the map, "Ah, there you are. Thank you, Mr. Arrow,"
Mr. Arrow saluted his superior and took a place by her side. Vanessa stood by herself, still gripping her arm to put pressure on the wound. She waited with baited breath for the decision of her fate.
"Ms. Kendrick, we have decided that – dear, what is that around your neck?"
She couldn't look down, but knew what the captain was talking about. Her insides squirmed and she bit the inside of her cheek. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a raspy sound. Captain Amelia pushed a glass of water that sat at on her desk to the edge, and Vanessa took it gratefully. She gulped the entire thing before trying to speak again, and when she did it was very carefully, "A location collar, ma'am,"
"A location collar?" Delbert asked with a quirk of his dark brow.
Captain Amelia rolled her eyes at the doctor's stupidity, "How shall I explain this to you in the most simplest of ways? A location collar gives off the precise location of the wearer -"
"I know what a location collar is," Delbert interrupted, turning his attention back to Vanessa, "Why did they put a location collar on you?
"To keep an eye on her obviously,"
"It's cruel and inhumane,"
Mr. Arrow cleared his throat and he was given the floor, "Might I add, Captain, that the locator device now changes everything? Those pirate could be tracking her at this very moment and follow us to our destination,"
"You do have a point," Captain Amelia said slowly, "This is a very important mission. We can't risk any tag-a-longs,"
They were going to cast her out. Evidently this mission, whatever it was, was important. It was like her tongue swelled in her mouth, preventing her from standing up for herself. She would be left to die alone in space.
Then suddenly Jim muttered, "They won't track her,"
"And how can you be so sure?" Mr. Arrow asked harshly.
Jim stuffed his wide hands into the pockets of the black leather jacket he wore, "We destroyed their ship. Everyone's either dead or floating in space. How could they possibly track her?"
"What was the name of the captain and the ship?" Captain Amelia asked Vanessa.
She pushed the words out of her mouth, "Captain Tromis and The Twilight Horror," Jim noticed she shuddered as he said the names.
The captain nodded with recognition, "I've heard of them. Nasty pirates, they are. They won't be terrorizing anyone now that we've taken care of them," she looked at the map below her for an unfocused second, and then back up at Vanessa, "I'm going to take Mr. Hawkins's word and assume that no one will be tracking you. We will be returning to the Montrssor Spaceport in five months' time. You will be allowed to leave the ship then. Until that time, Ms. Kendrick, you will stay on this ship under my charge, and under the cook, Mr. Silver, when I have nothing for you to do. Is that understood?"
"Yes, captain," Vanessa breathed.
"Very good. Gentlemen, you are dismissed. Ms. Kendrick, stay here for a moment,"
The men left without a word, and Jim threw Vanessa a calculated look before he left. Captain Amelia locked the door behind them and came closer to her. She picked at her clothes and hair and examined the multiple wounds on her flesh with a light tsk.
"Dear, you are in need of some tender loving care," the woman informed her. Her tone was much softer than the one she used to command her crew. When she came to Vanessa's hand covering her wound, he gently removed the limb so she could see what needed to be done.
"It doesn't look too deep," she noticed, "You got this recently?"
Vanessa only nodded her head. The woman took another look at her before motioning for her to come along to another section of her quarters. This room had a luxury bed on one side and a dresser and basin of water on the other. Going straight to the golden eight-drawer dresser, she rummaged through them, pulling out several garments and dropping them on the bed.
"These should fit you just fine. Pick out an outfit to wear until we get your clothes clean. You can use the water in the basin to wash."
Captain Amelia left her to clean herself up. Vanessa picked through the clothing and found a black long sleeved shirt, a blue wool skirt, and a pair of bright yellow tights. Before she put the outfit on, she took off her own and folded it into a neat pile on the bed. Vanessa then proceeded to wash away the dirt and dried blood from her skin. Some of the tension she had vanished at the sight of clean skin, but the wounds and scars only looked uglier. They made her shudder just by looking at them. She washed her hair as best she could, and then washed her favored lavender bandana.
Vanessa stepped out of the captain's bedroom when she was dressed and clean. Captain Amelia stood at her desk again looking over the map. A spark of curiosity ignited in Vanessa. Her skin itched to step closer and peer at the atlas, but she held back. Captain Amelia looked up at the sound of Vanessa closing the door behind her.
"Much better," she nodded her approval and glanced back down, "Now about sleeping arrangements – seeing as you are the only female besides myself, and I know how men act when in the presence of a pretty face, you may sleep in my quarters or anywhere else on the ship,"
Vanessa blushed and looked at the tips of her boots, "Thank you, Captain,"
"Just let me know if you decide to sleep here. I'll have a cot pulled in for you," she marked something on the map, "I have no work for you at the moment. Go and see if Mr. Silver has work for you. He's in the galley; I assume you know where that is?"
Nodding, Vanessa went to the exit, which was now unlocked. On her way out, she heard Captain Amelia call to her, "And see if he can get that collar off,"