HUMBOLDT - Barkermouth & Bloomdell (Complete)

Chapter 17.

Young petty officer Sedgwick, attempted to help at the rear, but in his eagerness, slipped. Toppling over the edge, he fell between the lifeboat and its mother ship. Quick thinking passengers either side of the young boy, dragged him back up just as the two boats crashed together again. Desperately seeking salvation, Sedgwick clutched the edge of the boat as he was hoisted up. Almost clear, he took the full force of an impact on his left hand, crushing fingers and breaking bones. Sedgwick's screams echoed off the ship's hull and for a moment halted the mayhem on the ship's deck. Lifting up his ruined hand he could see that his two smallest fingers were missing, blood spurted freely from his torn flesh and splintered bone. Charles instinctively wrapped his arms around Sedgwick's waist, and forced the screaming and thrashing boy to sit. Grabbing his arm and the damaged hand, Charles turned to his wife, nodding down at the gruesome sight, said 'Margery, wrap his hand.'

Speaking calmly, Charles tried to soothe the young man's cries of pain and distress.

'It'll be alright. It's just a little flesh wound. My Margery will have you good as new, my lad. You're going to have a heck of a story to tell next time you're down your local. How you got injured whilst helping save hundreds of lives. A hero, that's what they'll say my lad, a hero.'

With a jolt the boat finally splashed down, settling in the calm water and with a hefty shove began to drift away from the sinking ship. Tearing a strip of silk from her evening gown, Margery arranged a sling around Sedgwick's neck to support his injured arm. Finished, she sat with the others in stunned silence listening to the cries from the other lifeboats that floated all around. The crewmen drew out the oars and began to row to a safe distance before stopping and looking back at the crippled ship. A ship that would be at rest on the ocean floor before the hour was through. Blood that had spilled from young Sedgwick's injured hand ran down the side of the boat and slowly dripped a single drop at a time into the water, leaving behind an invisible, but very faint and tangible trail in their wake. It lit up their location like the brightest flare in the night sky, if not for other seafarers, then for other sea dwellers. Margery sat silently staring down at her hands, still wet and stained red with blood. Fidgeting with the remains of the hem of her dress, also covered in blood, she attempted to wipe her fingers clean, but only made them bloodier. Her skin crawled with the sticky substance. She had the overpowering need to wash and cleanse herself. Reaching over the side, Margery splashed water up her arms and onto her face, the water around her grew redder. As she washed, she noticed a disturbance, a swirling and eddying in the water. She watched as the disturbance closed in, making the water rise up. Out of the center of the boiling sea rose a grey snub nose, followed by two black billiard ball eyes. A razor lined maw grinned up at her, and clamped down onto her arms, sinking rows of dagger like teeth deep into her flesh. Shock struck her dumb, but the pain woke her voice. Margery screamed her lungs empty before she was pulled out of the boat and deep under the water's surface. Charles felt the commotion besides him before he heard his wife's screams and turned to watch as she disappeared into the sea. Jumping up he screamed.

'MARGERY........MARGERY!'

All around the alarm was raised 'SHARK, SHARKS!'

Screaming one last time, Charles launched himself into the Ocean after her.

'MARGERY, I'M COMING!'

Before he could swim far, hands grabbed him from behind and hauled him out of the roiling mass of sharks, and back into the boat. Struggling and screaming, he begged for them to let him go, so he could save his darling wife, or if not, so he could join her. The mass of frenzied sharks, finished with their meal, swam a short way off and waited for their next chance to scavenge. The crewmen that had rescued Charles bound and tied the crazed man for his own safety and for that of the passengers. His wounds quickly bandaged, Charles laid sobbing and begging for Margery. Hanging out of his waistcoat pocket, his watch swung on its gold chain. With just enough give in the rope, Charles managed to stretch his hand and take hold of the watch. Flipping open its engraved cover, he started to chuckle to himself.