The jollyboat scraped the sand as the crew pulled it on shore. BlackJack and Aerak both leapt ashore, and aided the crew in securing the skiff. That done, the crewmen moved towards the tent where the ships’ cook was preparing a large feast for everyone. BlackJack and Aerak moved in the opposite direction, to where the officer’s tents were standing. There were guards in front of two tents, one being BlackJack’s, and the other, the Ship’s Surgeon, Melina.
BlackJack led the way towards Melina’s tent, and called out, “Melina, you available ta talk, lass?” The two guards shuffled back and forth, looking worriedly at each other. BlackJack looked at them. “What is the problem here, lads? Is Melina in, and why you lookin like there’s something ye’re not wantin ta tell me?” The two men looked at each other again, both afraid of the obvious ire now spreading across their captain’s face. “If one of ye buggers doesn’a answer me NOW, I swear by the black depths of hell that I-“
“ENOUGH, JACK!” Melina’s voice called out loudly from inside the tent. “Shut up and get in here, I can’t work when you’re outside howling like a hyena!” The two guards stepped away quickly, looks of horror on their faces, as BlackJack stood there, looking as if he’d been shot through the chest. Aerak, trying to fight a laugh, nudged him with an elbow, as he walked towards the tent entrance. Brought back from his shock, BlackJack snarled at the two guards and entered the tent.
The two walked in to see a man on Melina’s table, shirtless, with Melina holding both hands against the lower right side of his belly. Before BlackJack could say anything, Melina spoke. “About time you two got here, didn’t anyone tell you I had a wounded man here, and needed your help?”
BlackJack began taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves as he answered, “No, lass, the only message I got was that you were settled, and wanted a word. What do you need?” He approached the table, noting as he did, that Aerak was moving to the far side of Melina, reaching for bags of supplies, and a small cask of water that was within reach.
She looked at both men, then turned to BlackJack. “Hold HERE, where my hands are. Fool fell out of a tree going after something, and ended up sticking himself with his knife. I need my hands to try and clean and repair the wound, which means you get to hold his insides in while I do it!”
BlackJack dunked his hands in the cask of water Aerak had brought over, and then placed his hands over Melina’s, gently applying pressure as she slid his hands out of the wound. Once her hands were clear of the wound, she also stuck her hands in the water, rubbing to get some of the blood off as she continued speaking. “Fortunately for me he’s unconscious. Unfortunately, if we can’t get this fixed soon, that condition will become permanent.” She began rummaging through the rolls of equipment that Aerak brought her. As she pulled out a strange pair of scissors, Aerak spoke.
“Those forceps are not going to hold much of anything, and you’re going to need more hands in there. I’ve knowledge of anatomy, and can help. Have you been able to locate the bleeding yet?”
Melina looked at him and nodded. “Yes, the bleed is deep, but I don’t think he hit anything major. It just looks worse than it is because I have been waiting for you two for gods knows how long, since the rest of the COWARDS,” she shouted the word at the top of her lungs, “refused to come in and help me.”
“Easy lass,” BlackJack said, calmly. “Methinks that Drake might not have heard ye, but if’n ye want to give it another try, be my guest. Now, I apologize fer me crew bein scared of ye, but I’d like to get this gunner back on his post, if possible. Are you two ready for me to remove my hands?”
Melina nodded, and said, “Yes, what I need you to do is to take a hand on each side of the wound, and pull, GENTLY. We want to try to get the wound open enough for Aerak and I to get everything sewed up inside him before closing the big hole in his side here.” BlackJack gulped, nodded, and moved his hands as required. As he moved his hands from over the wound, blood came pouring out, and both Melina and Aerak reached in, with their hands full of strange tools that BlackJack had never seen, and prayed to all that was holy would never be used on him. The smell of copper was heavy in his nose, and he fought to keep from being ill.
The two worked quickly and efficiently, saying little, and what little they did say made no sense to BlackJack. Although holding a man’s stomach open, he felt like an audience to the drama unfolding before him. After a few moments, Aerak spoke again.
“There you are, you little bugger! Damn that hurt!” He removed his right hand from the wound, bringing a small chunk of dagger with it. “Stuck myself on the damned thing. Was stickin out of the bone, must’ve broken when he landed on it. I think we get everything close up, though. What say you?”
Melina slowly removed her hands, and turned to BlackJack. “You can let go, Captain. All we have left to do is close this outside cut. Don’t know that he would have survived without Aerak’s help. I know I could have gotten it all done without him, but the time involved may well have been too long. Aerak, you are definitely a valuable person to have around, and I thank you.” She began to sew up the wound in the man’s belly as BlackJack and Aerak cleaned their hands as best they could in the water cask.
“Well, I thank you both for saving this man’s life. I don’t think I will have him flogged for stupidity, as I think he got a worse injury. I will, however find out who he was with, and what happened. IF you both will excuse me.” BlackJack stormed from the tent, seeking some hell to raise.
to be continued...
BlackJack led the way towards Melina’s tent, and called out, “Melina, you available ta talk, lass?” The two guards shuffled back and forth, looking worriedly at each other. BlackJack looked at them. “What is the problem here, lads? Is Melina in, and why you lookin like there’s something ye’re not wantin ta tell me?” The two men looked at each other again, both afraid of the obvious ire now spreading across their captain’s face. “If one of ye buggers doesn’a answer me NOW, I swear by the black depths of hell that I-“
“ENOUGH, JACK!” Melina’s voice called out loudly from inside the tent. “Shut up and get in here, I can’t work when you’re outside howling like a hyena!” The two guards stepped away quickly, looks of horror on their faces, as BlackJack stood there, looking as if he’d been shot through the chest. Aerak, trying to fight a laugh, nudged him with an elbow, as he walked towards the tent entrance. Brought back from his shock, BlackJack snarled at the two guards and entered the tent.
The two walked in to see a man on Melina’s table, shirtless, with Melina holding both hands against the lower right side of his belly. Before BlackJack could say anything, Melina spoke. “About time you two got here, didn’t anyone tell you I had a wounded man here, and needed your help?”
BlackJack began taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves as he answered, “No, lass, the only message I got was that you were settled, and wanted a word. What do you need?” He approached the table, noting as he did, that Aerak was moving to the far side of Melina, reaching for bags of supplies, and a small cask of water that was within reach.
She looked at both men, then turned to BlackJack. “Hold HERE, where my hands are. Fool fell out of a tree going after something, and ended up sticking himself with his knife. I need my hands to try and clean and repair the wound, which means you get to hold his insides in while I do it!”
BlackJack dunked his hands in the cask of water Aerak had brought over, and then placed his hands over Melina’s, gently applying pressure as she slid his hands out of the wound. Once her hands were clear of the wound, she also stuck her hands in the water, rubbing to get some of the blood off as she continued speaking. “Fortunately for me he’s unconscious. Unfortunately, if we can’t get this fixed soon, that condition will become permanent.” She began rummaging through the rolls of equipment that Aerak brought her. As she pulled out a strange pair of scissors, Aerak spoke.
“Those forceps are not going to hold much of anything, and you’re going to need more hands in there. I’ve knowledge of anatomy, and can help. Have you been able to locate the bleeding yet?”
Melina looked at him and nodded. “Yes, the bleed is deep, but I don’t think he hit anything major. It just looks worse than it is because I have been waiting for you two for gods knows how long, since the rest of the COWARDS,” she shouted the word at the top of her lungs, “refused to come in and help me.”
“Easy lass,” BlackJack said, calmly. “Methinks that Drake might not have heard ye, but if’n ye want to give it another try, be my guest. Now, I apologize fer me crew bein scared of ye, but I’d like to get this gunner back on his post, if possible. Are you two ready for me to remove my hands?”
Melina nodded, and said, “Yes, what I need you to do is to take a hand on each side of the wound, and pull, GENTLY. We want to try to get the wound open enough for Aerak and I to get everything sewed up inside him before closing the big hole in his side here.” BlackJack gulped, nodded, and moved his hands as required. As he moved his hands from over the wound, blood came pouring out, and both Melina and Aerak reached in, with their hands full of strange tools that BlackJack had never seen, and prayed to all that was holy would never be used on him. The smell of copper was heavy in his nose, and he fought to keep from being ill.
The two worked quickly and efficiently, saying little, and what little they did say made no sense to BlackJack. Although holding a man’s stomach open, he felt like an audience to the drama unfolding before him. After a few moments, Aerak spoke again.
“There you are, you little bugger! Damn that hurt!” He removed his right hand from the wound, bringing a small chunk of dagger with it. “Stuck myself on the damned thing. Was stickin out of the bone, must’ve broken when he landed on it. I think we get everything close up, though. What say you?”
Melina slowly removed her hands, and turned to BlackJack. “You can let go, Captain. All we have left to do is close this outside cut. Don’t know that he would have survived without Aerak’s help. I know I could have gotten it all done without him, but the time involved may well have been too long. Aerak, you are definitely a valuable person to have around, and I thank you.” She began to sew up the wound in the man’s belly as BlackJack and Aerak cleaned their hands as best they could in the water cask.
“Well, I thank you both for saving this man’s life. I don’t think I will have him flogged for stupidity, as I think he got a worse injury. I will, however find out who he was with, and what happened. IF you both will excuse me.” BlackJack stormed from the tent, seeking some hell to raise.
to be continued...
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