We're Almost Free

Chapter 10

A/N: I just realised I had the same number of unpublished parts as I do published chapters so I should probably start updating more often!! I know I say this every time but all your comments and even just seeing the read count go up by 0.01k means so much :)
And I think we can all agree that was one hot kiss on Sunday!! Ughhhhhh <3
(But it still hurts because I actually quite like Marian)
***
"Mrs. Mills? Can you hear me?"

A young male voice was sounding from above her as her eyes came back into focus. It took a while for them to adjust to the darkness but when she did the first thing she saw was Roland as he promptly threw his arms around her.
"I thought you were dead."

"Roland, look at me. Would I ever leave you?" Wrong question to ask: she saw in his eyes the memory of that day at the docks. It all seemed worlds away now.

"I wish... I wish Papa were here."

"Papa's waiting for us. We'll find him."

"Are you all right, Mrs. Mills? You hit your head pretty firmly."

"Bit of a headache but yes, I'm fine. Under the circumstances of course. How's your leg?"

"Hurting. But I think it's closing over."

"That's good."

"There's some rations here, we made Sam taste it and it's not poisoned."

***

Over the next day or so (it was hard to keep track of time in the darkness) she tried to converse with the others, but only John was willing to talk. The others seemed resigned to a fate of walking the plank.

Their fears were realised one morning when the bosun came and dragged them all out and up onto deck. A plank of wood was balanced on the gunnels, most of it sticking out above the open water and the rest weighted down.

"Untie those three," the captain ordered as he strode down the ladder from the wheel. Regina, John and Roland were unchained from the others and pushed to one side. "They're safe, for now."

Roland buried his head against her side. She covered his ears as the others were all made to walk the plank.

Back down in the brig, where they'd been dumped without any explanation of why they were spared, Regina finally spoke the wish that had been running round her head.

"I just want to get back on land."

"Me too. And I was the one who ran away to sea."

A few more moments of silence, broken only by Roland sucking on his thumb.

"Roland, please. You're a big boy now."

"How about we amscré?" John murmured into her ear, too low for the watch to hear.

"Huh? English, please. I'm not well-versed in sailor-speak."

"It's not sailor-speak, it's code for scram. Escape." She had to bend her ear right to his mouth to hear him but the word lit up some hope in her heart.

"How?"

"I've a photographic memory. I've memorised the way from here to the deck, where the boats are..."

"Really? I have paper somewhere, write it down!"

"I'll have to code it, we don't want them realising," he warned as she fumbled in the bag still round her waist and drew out paper and pencil.

They fell to their plan with gusto. Watch changeover times were noted, any lateness, names and ranks where they could catch them, mealtimes, everything they could get was noted on the crumpled scraps of paper still in Regina's hidden bag. They also worked out a code - no one listened when they started talking in numbers, thinking it was an attempt to teach Roland. And in a way it was. They didn't want him accidentally saying something, plus she didn't know how much of the three Rs Roland even knew.