Redemption

Recovery (Old Version)

We had been sailing now for at least half an hour and in that time, two things had happened.

Washington had released her rigging and took the lead of our small convoy, upon deciding that she would be the best fit as leader of the pack in case another attack happened as unlikely as that was.

Some tow lines were tied between her ship and the woman's since hers had stopped moving after she passed out during the battle, and since the chances of us going back inside to check on the engines to see if we could start them were nil, it seemed obvious that this was our only choice.

We were worried for a bit that the lines would cause her to come apart because of the stress but thankfully the worst that happened was a loud groan and a bollard coming loose, which promptly slipped through the bow and plunged into the water below.

It could have been a lot worse all things considered.

The other thing was that Vestal had finished wrapping up the woman's wounds which had proved to be more extensive then we first had seen, as evidence by the injury on her ligament line which had a large infected gash in it, worn red and raw from too much pressure and no rest to heal, it also seemed that she had tried to tend to it herself using bits of old clothing and alcohol as evident by the half empty bottle stashed in her jacket pocket.

She had quickly tended to it, cleaning the wound properly and wrapping it in fresh bandages before tending the other injuries on her person.

I, of course, was by her side during all this, helping her out where I could by holding bandages in place and keeping the bracers on her arm still while she made sure that they would stay and hold the limp securely, before she joined Washington on her bridge upon seeing that her job was done.

My ship was sailing next to theirs with planes positioned on deck ready to launch in case anything else happened, but from the way that battle had ended, it was clear that there wasn't going to be.

Which of course left me all alone in my bridge, alone with the person we came to protect who ended up protecting us in some... weird way.

I was sitting down next to her and watched over her carefully, observing her more thoroughly now that we weren't under tense conditions.

She really was petite in a way, but also looked to carry more strength than could be expected of one such as her, most of her clothing had been removed to allow access to her injuries and her chest had been wrapped in bandages, both to give her decency and to cover a large gash going across her torso, the same bandages appearing scattered across her person covering similar wounds.

Her head rested heavily on my jacket which I had removed so she could use it as a headrest and she breathed slowly and quietly, the expression on her face surprisingly portraying one of peace despite all that happened and her dirty nature and matted hair which still stuck to her face with sweat and the scar that crossed over her right eye.

Almost as if she knew she was safe and in good hands and was finally able to rest in ease, even if it was in an unconscious state.

"You're going to be someone to watch, aren't you?" I whispered to her.

Though it was a comment made off handedly, it seemed to perfectly sum up the things to come involving her specifically.

She is an unknown, a ship girl belonging to a vessel that literally fit every definition of a ghost ship, corpses and all with an apparent power to make her enemies see things that aren't there, forcing them into fear and submission all while being only a cargo ship, not a battleship or even something as simple as a torpedo boat, a Victory class cargo ship.