Marina suddenly felt worse than she had in her cell.
No! No no no Troy no-!
But stood still her feet stuck to the floor. frozen as though she'd plunged into arctic waters. Even as Troy strode back to the console.
"What?" Phones looked over his shoulder at him. "We ain't. You hit your head too, skipper?"
"No I haven't." Troy started making adjustments to the controls. "Hard one seven five to port."
Phones set them straight back as they were. Marina, her headache screaming, started shaking her head and signing, her hands up. But still stuck in her spot.
"I said one seven five to port." Troy said again.
Marina shook her head again at Troy's words; Feeling more inclined to shake him. Phones thankfully saw this. And better planted himself between Troy and the steering, and didn't budge.
"Captain we just got away," Phones warned looking from her, to the widow, to Troy.
"If you don't turn I will."
"We're going home."
"One seven five to port." Troy said, almost growled. "That's an order Sheridan."
(Marina blinked "Who?")
"No. You order me all you like brother; I'm not for turning back!"
Troy squared up to him then huffed.
"Okay look, I'll go alone." Troy told him. "Or better yet, you take Marina back? And I'll swim to Stingray. Call the commander."
"Troy, that's crazy talk! you could get picked off! The commander will never agree to anyway, settle down."
"Phones I mean it-!"
Troy did not get to be any more heroic than he already had done that day. Or to finish his sentence even.
Because Marina pushed him. Quick as she charged the systems and slid around between him and Phones to bodily push Troy away from the controls. And pushed him again. And thrice more to be sure, both her hands coming down across his front.
Don't you dare! Don't even joke about it! you can't! You're alive! No! Won't let you! I Won't! Don't you dare Troy! Not because of me! I won't let you go back! Phones too. No-!
"Marina?!"
It's only when Troy had to stop backing away did Marina stop. And Troy had stopped because he could go any further. Troy stood there, backed against a girder gapping at her. So was Phones. The whole crew was stunned. Marina included. Marina found she was panting from the effort too. Then ashamed realised what she'd done. She put more force then she'd meant to, struck Troy harder and more times she'd meant to. And to lash out Troy at all, her friend. Right after being rescued?! The terrainians must be rubbing off on her. Humans had such violent tendencies sometimes. To lay hands to harm was a great insult for a Pacifican, especially as a daughter of Aphony.
But it shocked Troy out of any landpig headed-ness at least. He seemed more surprised by her outburst than actually hurt, thank goodness.
"Easy, easy there." Phones one hand off the control had it raised between them. He spoke slowly as if she might go for him or attack Troy again.
"No fighting on the deck kids." He joked, then more seriously. "We're not about turning Captain. You order that again and you've a two to one mutiny on your hands. But there's no need to be breaking heads. 'Cool' ? Yeah? Everybody friends again?"
"Yeah. Yeah, ignore my last orders." Troy agreed, straightening up but still staring at her. "But I'm not happy about that bruise Marina's got. What the heck did Titan do to her!?"
"Well, I ain't happy either? And Marina doesn't seem thrilled, do you? But you can ask King Tin-pot another time." Phones argued. "I don't think we should do anything stupid on the spur of the moment. Not in this fish anyway."
"No. You're right. We don't stand a chance at a second run. Okay, okay, don't look at me like that, you two. That's me told! Sorry Phones. And, I'm sorry Marina. That wasn't my finest moment, huh?" Troy said scratch the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly. Marina nodded in agreement. But glanced down at her hands. They stung with the slaps. And the shaking was worse now. She balled them into fists to hide them.
"Can you forgive Troy for being an idiot, Marina?"
She did, nodding again, smiling at the teasing.
"atta girl." Phones grinned back, breaking the horrible atmosphere.
"Alright. You heard the lady, cap'! You have control, take us home." Phones said. Then more gently to her he spoke, and thumbed to the back of the ship. "Marina. Come on? This way. Sit down."
With one last look at Troy- (to make sure he was real? To make sure he wasn't about to about-turn anyway? Marina wasn't sure-) she followed. Marina didn't realize how much like jellyfishes her knees were until they practically gave way as she did sit down. If Phones hadn't caught her arm she may have tumbled again.
"Woah woah woah. Easy. There. Now let's take a breather, eh? You've had one hell of a day." Phone said gently as he knelt in front of her. And muttered, "And a few extra scares on the side."
If that was a dig at the captain, it was a little mean. Troy made a huff noise again but had the decency to blush.
"Ah gee, you're shaking. Everything's gonna be alright, now don't you worry." Phones continued. "But if you could remember to breathe that'd help some?"
Marina nodded and took a deep breath. And another. Phones started Pulling out boxes and bottles from the small pile of supplies and talking to her all the while. He took out a clean Headkerchief and pressed it to her cheek. Marina winched but let him. "Lemme patch that up first. Hold it there. We got stuff back at base that'll help better."
"Nothing in the first aid kit for that bruise?" Troy asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"Nah. It's emergency stuff. We had to pack real light." Phones said digging through. "Not unless one of us has been shot or jellyfish'ed. We only bought a basic kit. Big bandages and stuff. Can clean it up at least and put a plaster on it."
But Marina was distracted.
Shot. she thought.
Phones had cried out. Along the corridor as they'd run away. Marina shifted forward in the seat and ran a hand over his shoulders then each arm, searching him.
"Huh? What are you up to?" Phones asked, as she did so. And then "Ow!" when she pressed it.
There.
There across the back of his left upper was a burned rip through his jacket and undershirt, exposing a sliver of tanned skin. And a red stripe. Oh no. Humans blood was red, wasn't it?
Phone's you're hurt. Not just bruised but shot!
"Shi-I mean shoot. Huh." Phones said, inspecting it for himself. "I didn't notice that. Hey, okay let's not panic."
But Marina already reached across to the buttons on the side console that made beep beep noises. And when their helmsman turned Marina pointed at Phones. And then tried not to think about the last time she'd done that beep beep point routine on this ship.
"Marina? What's up?" Troy asked. Marina pointed again and gestured to her own arm, trying to explain to the captain.
"Er turns out I got shot?" Phones said. "but I'm fine!"
"Phones!"
"Yeah yeah I know. Don't let go of the rudder!" Phones said and twisted his arm back and forth to look at it with a Frown. "It's small. Not deep. I didn't even know it was there. Look, it's even stopped bleeding on its own."
Despite his words, Marina unravelled a length of the bandage and ripped it off. Phones took a bottle of water (one of the re re re recycled plastic ones) poured some out on the bandage she held out.
"You are sweet. You patch me up, I'll patch you up." He said. Marina's mouth twitched a little smile at the compliment. But her hands still shook as she wrapped it up over the top of his shirt and tied it. Phones then tipped a little more water on the handkerchief and dabbed her face, instructing her to hold it at her cheek.
"Drink up too. Afraid we're out of coffee though." He joked, passing her the rest of the bottle. He stood back up, his knees protesting. "There we go. Better than nothing. Sit tight Marina. It'll be slow going in this."
Marina Nodded and stayed still. She Wanted to follow but he had said sit tight. Maybe she was overcrowding them. It felt a little bit like being back in Stingray though? Back in the time before she'd trained in nothing times, when she could but keep lookout and pick out shapes in the dark for them. find words she knew. Marina latched on to that thought anchor, calming her hearts.
"You okay there Troy?" she heard Phones ask.
"A-okay. You? Proceeding to Marineville." he replied. And then in a hiss, "She pushed me!"
"Yeah? And?" Phones whispered back. "Hate to say it cap but You were bang out of order."
"Well ...yeah okay maybe. I know that. but Phones, she pushed me?"
"Did she hurt your chest? or your feelings?"
"No." Troy said. But his jaw did that squared thing it did when he was lying. Marina could see it even with his back mostly to her.
"Well then, it serves you right." Phones said unsympathetically. "If it makes you feel any better, Troy, if I'd been a dame and in Marina's shoes-?
"Marina's not wearing shoes."
"Well the situation then. If I was a lady in Marina's situation; and you went off on one like you just did in front of her? I'd have slapped you."
"What?! Why?"
"'Cos you were outta of line. Marina was darn more polite then I would have been. I'd have slapped you." Phones repeated. "Right across the face, captain or no captain. I'm sure if you apologise later- With flowers- she'll forgive you properly. But you deserved it. And I reckon Atlanta would have told you off too if she were here!"
"Oh…Was it that bad?" Troy winced. And glanced back to Marina. Marina winched back and nodded.
"End of THAT conversation." Troy said, with Phones laughing at him. Marina did too.
But it was sea-sluggish. Despite the banter, she didn't feel so good, happy as she was. Troy and Phones were talking between them. And Marina caught snippets on the radio. But she was distracted.
It was like there was something stuck in her lungs or in her throat that wouldn't shift. A hard feeling in her chest as if she'd struck herself not Troy. She wrung the hanky in her hands still trembling. She tried putting the cold bottle to her cheek, her neck. Then held her head in her hands leaning over her knees. And pressing cool hands harder to her too warm face and head.
Safe. You're safe. They're alive.
"Mechanical fish. Please report your status. How's the return?"
"Mechanical fish here. All good so far." Troy said and started rattling off their positions again. But then added, "But Atlanta, I want a medic! Soon as we arrive at base!"
Marina did not miss the slight gasp nor hitch of breath. But Atlanta remained extremely professional down the line.
"Roger. I'll get onto them." She replied. "Any casualties?"
Casualties. The word wobbled at the end. Marina Squeezed her own arms harder.
No, don't think about it. Don't think about Phones radioing the same thing on board Stingray. Phones replying, "yes man down man down". Don't think of taking over the steering. Trying to hold Troy's head up. Don't think about Troy and the poison and the aquaphibians. Don't think about home, the raids, the crack in the shell no. No casualties this time. No casualties, No casualties, stop stop stop-!
Breath in. Hold the air. Breath out. Breath in. Hold the air.
"No. No casualties. Non Emergency care needed." Troy said. "Get Fisher to have one on standby in the pen."
"Any injuries?" Atlanta asked.
"Few between us." Phones answered this time. Troy glared at him but was interpreted by Atlanta before he could interrupt the other lieutenant.
"Well, the doctor will be wanting to see you personally when you get back anyway Troy? So I wouldn't worry about that."
Was that the same Doctor? The yellow haired man? Doctor who said Troy was going to die?
"Marina?" Marina Jumped. Realised they'd been speaking to her, and she'd missed it. "Commander Shore's in Stingray? He asked are you okay?"
Marina hesitated. Too far away to tap the mic she clapped once in the code.
"Hm. You get that sir?"
"Affirmative."
"What's your eta, commander?"
"Alongside that sardine tin you're steering?" there was a grunt. Marina could picture his face quite clearly, reading at the machine dials like he did at those in the control tower. "Nearly three hours at least. Two forty or so, that's if the currents are in your favour."
Troy frowned. "Stingray should be way back before us, even with the turn around."
"All craft are escorting you back Tempest don't argue about." Commander Shore replied.
"E seven and the Seabird are flanking you, will overtake at twenty thousand yards up ahead. another two miles then returning to base ahead when they get nearer the shallows, mission accomplished." Atlanta informed them.
"Yeah. And that navy robot will bring up the rear and peel off once you reach American waters." Her father added.
(And then hummed, down the line. Something that sounded like, "Do I look like I give a -? Dilligaf."
"Fath- I mean Sir."
"It's what it's ID spells!" )
Troy and Phones looked at each other instead. "That wasn't in the briefing, sir?"
"Their choice. Stingray is staying right alongside once I catch up. Much as I hate cruising. Rather not leave on your own anyway. Just in case Titan sent another lot of fish after you."
"Well thanks sir." Phones smiled.
"Yeah. We much appreciate it, commander." Troy agreed. Marina did too.
"Yeah. Don't be. I'm glad to be of service. Nice to be back in the water. I just wish it hadn't been necessary in the first place." The commander dismissed. "I'd dock with you and bring you aboard if I could. Stingray's your ship. Where else would she be, but where your crew need her?"
Maria agreed, with another clap.
