A/N: Barely got the chapter in before Easter. I hope all of you fine readers enjoy your holiday. I've loved all of your reviews and I hope you love this chapter.
The paramedics quickly went through the standard check list, checking airway, breathing and vital signs. Natalie felt a sharp prick in her arm and tried desperately to move away from the pain. The jostling of the ambulance made starting the IV difficult, but it was also hard because finding a vein on Natalie's arm was almost impossible.
"Don't struggle" said the paramedic. "We need to start an IV."
Natalie tried to nod her head but all she could do was close her eyes.
"Don't worry, we'll take good care of you" said the paramedic.
The trip to the medical center was quick and once the ambulance pulled into the drive way the paramedics pulled the gurney out of the back and wheeled an unconscious Natalie into the building.
"What have we got?" asked the ER doctor.
"Approximately 25 year old female suffering from severe dehydration, she just came off the Northwestern" said the medic. "We pushed half a liter of saline en route."
"Was she conscious at all?" asked the doc.
"Yes, initially" said the medic. "Although we got no history."
"Who came with her?" asked the doc looking around.
"No one" said the medic.
"Thanks" said the doctor.
He turned and followed the patient into the treatment room, wondering who this girl was.
Sig stalked into the galley with the other crew members on his heels. Bishop hung back recording what she hoped would be a huge argument. Sig reached for a cup of coffee and then suddenly realized the pot was empty because the season was over.
"Ok, you've all got your checks. I'll get you booked on the first flight out tomorrow morning" said Sig. "Thanks for a great season."
"Sig?" began Jake hesitantly.
"What?" snapped Sig.
"Do you want me to get Bug's stuff together?" asked Jake. "You know take it to the hospital for her?"
Sig turned, his face completely stunned in the realization that they'd put Natalie into the ambulance by herself without so much as a change of clothes. Self loathing seeped into every member of the crew as they realized they'd abandoned one of their own.
"No" said Sig. "I'll do it."
"Roger" said Jake.
Sig walked briskly out of the galley leaving the rest of the crew members to dismiss themselves.
Sig flipped on the light in the stateroom and started searching for Natalie's seabag. He found it in the corner stuffed under a few pillows. Most of the clothes were inside or next to the bag which made packing it up pretty simple. Under a pile of towels Sig found a leather bound book. Picking it up he flipped through the pages and saw if was filled with neat handwritten notes. He was just about to read through some of them when the door opened. Jason and Bishop both filed into the room.
"What's up?" asked Sig.
"I just wanted to invite you to dinner" said Bishop.
"Oh yeah?" asked Sig distractedly.
"Yes" answered Jason. "We want to take you and the crew out as a thank you for all the help you gave us this season."
"Fine" said Sig. "Where and when?"
"Aleutian Hotel, 8:30" said Jason.
"We could meet a little early for drinks" said Bishop with a wink.
Jason rolled his eyes at the comment and made a beeline out of the room. Sig just shrugged noncommittally and then turned back to the task at hand.
"I could do that for you" volunteered Bishop.
"No thanks" said Sig.
"We could fool around a bit" said Bishop suggestively.
"No thanks" repeated Sig.
"Fine. See you tonight" said Bishop with a huff.
Sig just waved her off and continued to collect Natalie's things from around the room. Under a pillow he pulled out a small piece of fabric, it was incredibly soft with satin edging. It looked like a tiny baby blanket. Stuffing it into the bag he went to put the journal on top. Giving into his curiosity he opened the book to the first page. The book was separated by small tabs each color corresponding to a member of the crew. Edgar's was the first section and Natalie had detailed each symptom and treatment. She'd written about various injuries and possible therapy exercises. He flipped through the book until he reached his section. Headaches was written at the top of the page and underneath was a list of what he assumed Natalie considered possible causes. They ranged from the mundane listing of stress to the more exotic suggestion that the room needed Feng Shui. Sig smirked at the idea of rearranging the wheelhouse.
"Obviously she doesn't realize that everything is nailed down" he said to himself.
He flipped through a few more pages and stopped when he reached a section that looked more like a diary. Without hesitation he started to read.
This boat is ridiculous. While the crew does the best they can to stay safe on deck there is no way to protect against Mother Nature's wily spirit. Waves crash over the deck from every direction and the boat lists constantly, like being on a teeter totter going over Niagara Falls. It's a wonder the injuries aren't more severe. The exhaustion of the crew is terrible but a blessing it that it's just physical. They are able to fall into their bunks and recharge their batteries. I'm more concerned about Sig, even in sleep he is thinking about planning and charting. Where as the crew gets to forget about their time on deck there is no such respite from the requirements of the captain. I think Sig's headaches are born in stress and raised in an irrational expectation of perfection. The scathing and often savage comments tossed to his crew are always first pressed to himself. My plan is to do my best to keep every member of this crew physically healthy as well as give them a little mental break from this parlous job.
Sig was surprised at her flowing prose and her insight into life on the boat. He flipped ahead and stopped at a page that seemed to have been spilled on. It was only after he began to read the entry that he realized that tears marred the paper.
Chris got hurt today. I'm not sure how it happened. I feel terrible. I should have done more. I always assumed the Northwestern crew were in the most danger of getting hurt, but today I realize it's everyone on the boat. We all have the same chance of dying. I think Chris may loose his arm. I'm not sure. I sat with him all night and all he kept saying was how sorry he was for letting Sig down. He'd made Sig a promise to stay out of trouble on deck and Chris thinks he failed miserably. I feel like I failed Chris. We should have watched better, anticipated, gotten to him faster. I replay the moment in my mind and it seems like I'm always too far to help. At least I got his camera for him. The cuts and bruises almost seem like penance. Each one giving me a little more forgiveness for letting him down.
Sig sighed and flipped towards the back of the book.
I feel sick. I think it's all in my head. My dreams are torturous visions of Bishop and Sig's wedding. I hope they are merely nightmares and not a glimpse into the future. Maybe I'm just jealous and Sig really does know everything she's taped. I can't imagine he does. Why would he agree to be filmed having sex with her. He's too private for that, but then again maybe he's not. What do I really know about him? Maybe my view is just a romantic notion and the reality is the guy on screen rutting like a dog in heat.
Sig slammed the book shut. She thought of him as a dog in heat. His cheeks flamed at the thought of Natalie seeing such a personal moment. In his haze of anger he didn't even connect that Bishop must have taped them having sex. He stuffed the book into the bag and as he was about to walk out of the door he found a notebook sitting in the corner. He snatched it up stuffing it into the bag before walking out.
The clinic was cold but inviting. The doctors and nurses that rotated through the tiny hospital had a special place in their hearts for the men and women of the fleet. They saw first hand the rough conditions and body mangling work the fishermen endured. They also saw the brotherhood that existed. So it was surprising that the close knit crew of the Northwestern had sent this pixieish girl to the clinic suffering from a dehydration with not so much as a name.
"Are you sure there wasn't any ID?" asked the nurse.
"Nope, she came off the boat just like this" said the paramedic. "It was a scoop and run."
They both looked at Natalie's sleeping form. The dark circles under her eyes were still pronounced but her eyes no longer seemed sunken.
"She's quite pretty" said the nurse.
"Yeah" replied the medic.
"Who handed her over?" asked the nurse.
"Edgar" said the medic.
"But he's married" said the nurse.
The paramedic's eyes slid sideways to look at the nurse. He knew what she was suggesting but based on the state of the girls body she'd definitely worked on the boat and not just on her back. The nurse's pager rang and she excused herself from the room. Once she left, the paramedic approached the bed. He didn't feel it right for the mystery girl to wake up alone. Pulling up a chair he propped his feet on the small end table and grabbed the remote. He had just closed his eyes when an irate Sig Hansen burst into the room.
"Who the hell are you" asked Sig.
"Um, Kyle" said the startled paramedic.
Sig's eyes suddenly fell upon Natalie's still form. The tube in her arm and the small nasal cannula looked ominous.
"What's wrong with her?" asked Sig.
"She's severely dehydrated, she was probably a few hours away from the start of renal failure" answered the paramedic.
He stood up briskly and began to walk out of the room.
"Where are you going?" asked Sig.
"I was just sitting with her so she wouldn't wake up alone" said Kyle. "But you're here now, so I'm going to get back to work."
Sig just nodded, Kyle's words dissipating some of his anger. A moment later a nurse appeared.
"Ah Captain Hansen" she chirped. "We were wondering when one of your lot would get here. You must have been quite busy to fail to send someone with her."
"Yeah" said Sig distractedly.
"We need some information for the chart" said the nurse.
"Sure, what do you need" said Sig.
"For starters, her name" said the nurse.
"Natalie" said Sig.
"Last name?" asked the nurse.
"Moore" said Sig.
"Date of birth" asked the nurse.
"I don't know" said Sig.
"Known allergies?" asked the nurse.
"I don't know, probably none" said Sig.
The nurse raised her eyebrows and scanned the rest of the form. Hopefully the young lady, Natalie, would wake up soon so she could fill out the form properly.
"Thank you, that's fine for now" said the nurse curtly.
She turned to walk out the door.
"Why is she sleeping?" asked Sig.
"The doctors gave her a sedative to give her body a chance to recover" said the nurse. "She was close to death."
"Thank you" said Sig, his eyes never leaving Natalie's sleeping visage.
A few hours later Bishop paced the hotel bar at the Aleutian Hotel. She'd expected Sig almost an hour ago and had called his cell repeatedly but received no response. Huffing angrily she turned back to the bar and snapped her fingers to get the bartender's attention.
"Hey! I need a drink" she said.
"What can I get for you" said Kale.
"God, you still work here?" said Bishop snidely.
"Yep" said Kale.
"Give me a gin and tonic" said Bishop.
Kale made the drink and set it down in front of Bishop.
"Five twenty five" she said.
"Put it on Sig Hansen's tab" said Bishop.
"He doesn't have one" said Kale.
"Of course he does, every captain does" said Bishop.
"Sig doesn't have one" repeated Kale. "But I can put it on Blake Painter's tab for you or maybe Elliot Neese's."
"Blake doesn't fish out here any more" said Bishop smartly.
"The Ramblin Rose is in town, which means so is Elliot" said Kale. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind buying his girlfriend a drink."
Bishop dug into her pocket pulling out a ten dollar bill and slamming it on the bar. She grabbed her drink and stormed into the dinning room. Kale smiled smugly and collected the money.
"Hey" said Nick as he walked into the bar.
"Why Mr. Mavar, long time no see" said Kale with a smile.
"Was that Bishop?" he asked casting a glance towards the dinning room.
"Yep" said Kale.
"Why's she here so early?" wondered Nick.
"Waiting for Sig, I imagine" said Kale.
"Yeah, whatever" said Nick.
"How's Natalie?" asked Kale.
"She's in the hospital" said Nick.
"Oh my God, is she hurt?" asked Kale.
"No, sick" said Nick. "She got really sick during the last trip."
"What happened?" asked Kale.
Nick told her the whole story, including the fight on deck and Natalie being forced to stay in her room.
"Wow" was all Kale could say in response to the incredible tale.
"Yeah it's a trip I'll never forget" said Nick.
"How's she doing?" asked Kale.
"I don't know. Edgar and Jake are going to head over after dinner" said Nick.
"Is she there all by herself?" asked Kale.
"I don't know" said Nick. "Maybe."
Kale paced behind the bar for a moment before calling the manager over to count her drawer. Ten minutes later she was striding to her car, destination the Hospital.
Sig sat next to Natalie's bed flipping through the channels. Finding nothing he was interested in watching he threw the remote down in disgust. It clattered on the floor causing Natalie to stir. Sig picked up her hand cradling it in his own.
"Bug. Natalie, wake up" said Sig. "Please, I'm so sorry. Please wake up."
Natalie murmured something unintelligible before falling back to sleep.
"Fine" said Sig. "Don't wake up, but I'm going to read your notebook."
The taunting didn't work, Natalie remained deeply asleep. Sig scoffed and rummaged through her bag pulling out the innocuous red notebook. Opening it he immediately noticed the handwriting was different. Looking closer it seemed to be written in some sort of strange code. Sig loved puzzles, a fact he kept well hidden from most of his crew. But after all it shouldn't surprise anyone, catching crab was the biggest puzzle of all and he did it year after year. Pulling out a few sheets of paper from the back of the notebook he began to do his best to crack the code. It took him almost an hour before he got the first letter, but after that it began to fall into place. After two hours he managed to figure out the whole code and started to decipher what was written.
Opening Sig, naked on the bed. Getting penis would be great. Him talking about crab fishing, etc. Move on to more intimate topics. ie: what he looks for in a girl, if he's dating, etc. Tight shot on us, sex..traditional.
Then there was listed numbers, it looked to Sig like time stamps. He realized in horror that these were a complete list of all of his and Bishop's sexual liaisons. Angrily he flipped through the pages seeing listings of other encounters with other members of the crew. Reading more carefully he realized that she'd done something with each and every crew member. Some were as benign as a strip show, others were not. Sig felt sick as he read through each of the detailed notes.
"Natalie, I need to take care of something" he said grabbing her hand. "I'll be back in a while."
He looked at her for a moment, not really expecting a response. Finally he set her hand back on her chest and left the room, clutching the red folder in his arm.
Natalie's eyes fluttered open and immediately pain seared through her head. She clamped her eyes closed and prayed for the pain to stop. Counting to ten she slowly opened her eyes again, while this time it still hurt the pain seemed less intrusive. After a moment her eyes adjusted to the light and she blinked to focus. In the chair next to her was a fuzzy form.
"Sig" she called, her voice no more than a whisper.
"No honey, it's Kale."
"Hi" said Natalie sleepily.
"I'm so glad you're awake" said Kale. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired and sore" said Natalie. "It's good to see you."
"I was really really worried" said Kale. "The nurses said you almost died. What happened?"
"Well, I guess it all started when I found Bishop's tapes" began Natalie.
"Nick filled me in on the fight on deck and you being remanded to your room" said Kale. "How did you get so sick?"
"I couldn't leave the room, except to go to the bathroom" said Natalie.
"Who brought you food?" asked Kale.
"No one, they were all busy. I didn't want to bother them" said Natalie.
"Seriously, you basically starved yourself to death because you didn't want to be a bother?" said Kale in disbelief.
"I didn't think anything was wrong and by the time there was I didn't care" said Natalie forlornly. "It wasn't like I did it on purpose."
"Seriously?" said Kale. "It seems like you did, like a little f-u to the crew that abandoned you."
"Honestly, I just didn't want to see Sig or Bishop. I was wrong. Sig knew about the tapes the whole time. He said so. I threw all her hard work over the side for no reason" said Natalie.
By the time she'd finished she was out of breath and sobbing hard.
"Shh, it's ok" soothed Kale.
"I, I just want to go home" said Natalie.
"Ok, we'll get you out of here" said Kale.
She left the room to speak to the nursing staff. Less than an hour later Natalie was being loaded onto a military transport plane evacuating a sick diabetic.
The Aleutian dining room was packed with crews celebrating the end of their season. Sig walked through the tables towards Bishop. When he approached the table he saw his crew stoically eating their celebratory meal. Jason looked up to catch his eye but Sig didn't even acknowledge him.
"Hi Sig" said Bishop happily. "I missed you for drinks."
Sig slapped the notebook down on the table.
"I was just catching up on some reading" said Sig.
Bishop looked down at the notebook and then back up at Sig.
"What's that?" she asked casually.
"Don't play dumb" said Sig.
"I'm serious" said Bishop. "I think I saw Natalie writing in something like that."
"Liar" yelled Sig causing everyone in the dining room to stare.
"What are you talking about?" asked Jason.
"This notebook contains a code. It's not written by Bug because she wouldn't do something like this" said Sig.
Bishop began to interrupt but Sig immediately cut her off.
"I've seen Natalie's handwriting and this is completely different" continued Sig. "Jason, I'm sure you could verify it's Bishop's, you've seen it enough."
Jason flipped open the notebook and nodded.
"This book talks about each and every encounter she had with us, each hand job, each strip tease, each fuck. Written out in cold detail along with the times and the tapes they're on" explained Sig.
"What the hell?" said Nick.
"I know, a complete fabrication" said Bishop nervously.
"She gave me a blow job and let me fuck her in the engine room" volunteered Matt.
"I got a blow job" said Jake.
"I got a hand job" said Nick. "Although to be fair I didn't ask for one."
"Strip tease" said Edgar.
Norman stayed quiet, his face pale except for a pink hue to his cheeks.
"Well she fucked and sucked me the whole trip" said Sig. "And made me think I was the only one."
Bishop sat quietly, completely ignoring the entire conversation around her. Sig left first, followed immediately by the rest of the crew. They drove to the medical center only to find out Natalie was already gone.