Chereads / The waters that was upon my home / Chapter 4 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Chapter 4

As night gave way to dawn and the golden suns casted the ocean in a fiery glow, Ova awoke on a cot in the captain's quarters. Her head throbbed as she opened her eyes, the room was only lit up by the window on the wall. She sat up slowly, groaning as her back protested at the movement along as a sharp throb in her shoulder. Right..she had looted the ship and took ownership of it.

Now holding the title of captain she slowly stood to take in the state of the cabin she was in. Confused on why she couldn't move her right arm she looked down, to come face to face with white bandages holding her arm tightly in a sling and blood seeping through the bandages on her shoulder. Ova blinked, who had treated her wounds? She turned towards the door, catching the sound of orders being shouted to her crew and waves lapping at the boat gently.

With a slight stumble to her steps she dragged herself to the door, leaning against the framing as she opened the door to look at the crew on the deck, tying up the rigging, setting sail and a blonde hair woman standing in the middle of them all, overseeing the work. Ova did not remember having her aboard the ship when they took it over.

The Blonde haired woman turned around, spotting the captain. She smiled a brilliant bright smile before racing up to Ova. "Hey there captain! I'm glad your awake, i was starting to worry that the gunshot would put you out of commission"

"A gunshot can't put me out that quickly…" Ova said a scowl forming on her face as she tried to put a name to the woman's face

"Oh! You're probably wondering who I am….um..I'm Coraline, I was on this ship before you killed most of the crew, I was the one to stop you from bleeding out by the way." Coraline said the smile stayed on her face as she poked at ovas shoulder some. "We'll need to put new bandages on your shoulder, it seems like you tore open the stitches some."

Ova was very confused as the girl talked too quickly for her groggy brain to fully process. This seemed to translate onto her face as Coraline just gave a soft giggle

"It's okay captain, I haven't stolen your place, the girls just needed some form of leadership while you recovered."

The captain grunted her understanding,which wasn't very much, she was still very confused.

"Okay, Coraline was it? I don't exactly trust ya matey. Until I do, don't try and take over my responsibilities. That's the quickest way to find ya'self taking a visit to the salty grave."

Coraline didn't even flinch as she nodded, "yes captain. I wouldn't even think of taking over your duties!"

Ova rolled her eyes at the formalities that Coraline spoke. She pushed the blonde woman out of the way with her good arm before walking on to the deck of the ship to actually take in the condition of the boat and crew. She walked around the various girl's rigging up ropes and sails, saying hellos and good mornings to everyone who was working. Ova was tailed closely to the self appointed first mate who was watching to make sure ova didn't just drop dead. Coraline was also the only one other than Ova to be decently dressed since she had already been on the ship.

About a half hour into checking the boat had led to Finding out that they would need to restock on clothes and weapons. Thankfully the previous captain had stopped at port and had stocked up on food and goods that were supposed to be delivered to a different city further south.

Ova walked up to the stern of the ship after taking stock of everything, helping the girl who had a hold of the wheel of the ship chart their course towards the emerald sea to stop along the chain of islands that made up the Boissard Harbor.

After charting course Coraline dragged ova back into the captains quarters and brought out the few bandages they had left.

"Don't use those bandages on me, I'll be fine with the few I have on." Ova ordered as Coraline reached out and gently started taking off the old bloody ones on her shoulder.

"With all due respect captain, you can't risk an infection right now, otherwise i would say sure. We are too far from either harbor to actually go and restock on medicine. So therefore, you are gonna sit still while I restitch that bullet hole in your shoulder."

Ova scowled as Coraline's deft and gentle fingers took off and threw away the dirty bandages and gauze before gently cleaning the dried flaky blood from the skin around the wound. She got particularly close and Ova jerked away with a hiss of pain.

"Sorry, sorry… it should be clean enough now, but you did indeed rip the stitches, so I'm gonna have to stitch it again.." Coraline's voice was light as she quickly apologized and went to pull out the needle and thread to stitch the wound. She used a small match to sterilize the needle as best as she could.

Ova immediately tried to protest. She moved as far away from coraline as she possibly could in the small room. "You aren't comin' any farther lass. That needle ain't comin' anywhere near me, you understand?" Ova's eyes were wide, her pupil on the larger side as she stared at the curved needle in Coraline's hand.

"Captain… I have to stitch the wound close or it's going to get infe-"

"Fuck no! It'll close on its own. Set the fuckin' needle down and just wrap the bandages over it!" Ova shouted, her voice dipping into her 'captain's voice' that she used when shouting orders from across the ship.

Coraline gently set down the needle with a nod of her head. Her blonde curls bounced with her head, staying out of her face only because of a red headband. "No needle then..but if it isn't closed by the time we reach the first island then I'm dragging your ass down to the nearest doctor." She crossed her arms, and eyebrows raised, waiting for ova to argue again.

"We can't afford a doctor." Ova snorted in remark not letting coraline be right.

"Who said anything about paying? We are pirates after all, ova. Or has the bullet wound gone to your head, Captain Silvereye" Coraline said, a smirk on her face as she spoke, watching shock flash in ova's eye before it filled with cold anger. The captain stalked forward, her boots clacking on the wood harshly.

"What did you just call me?" Her hand flew out and caught coraline's shirt by the collar pulling her closer

"Captain silvereye. You've made quite a reputation for yourself these last few months in the glass city, Ova. You're a tale on the wind, a tale made to keep children in line. Did you know that? Or have you just been stuck in our own little world trying to get a ship again?" Coraline stated, her voice never wavering as she stared Ova down.

Ova responded with a fist to Coraline's face. Coraline's nose crunched with the impact and her head whipped to the side as it started to bleed. Ova let go of Coraline's shirt with a shove to the door. "Get out." She growled to her self appointed first mate.

"Fine. But only because you're too stubborn to actually accept anything that goes on outside of this ship." Coraline spat before walking out and slamming the door closed.

Ova growled, grabbing a bottle of liquor off the shelf it had been stored in. she broke the top off and poured the liquid into her mouth, taking a large swig. She slammed the bottle down onto the table, watching it crack and the glass shred the skin on her palm. Her jaw clenched as did her hand.

The ship hit a rough wave that sent ova crashing into the wall. Her tripoint hat fell off her head as she slid down to the ground, knees pulled to her chest as she let out a soft sob. Ova held her bleeding hand close to her chest as she sat in the puddle of spilled liquor and glass. This was not her best look…