Bill awoke to the feel of the warm sun on his face. He could hear the waves gently splashing on the rocks and feel a slight breeze carrying the smell of the salt air to him.
He opened his eyes slowly.
"Finally," he whispered.
It had taken a full day and night, but once again his sight was as it should be. And Matty had not left his side, until the early hours of morning, when Bill had told her to go home.
Bill rolled over on his back and closed his eyes again, soaking in the beautiful attack on his senses.
"This is heaven," he sighed.
Suddenly a sound like some wounded animal, echoed through the bedroom. Bill bolted up in bed, opened his eyes and turned, immediately, toward the window.
He could see nothing.
"What the fuck was that," Bill wondered, as he quickly got out of bed, walking toward the window.
"Ise believes Ise talked to youse 'bout bein' naked in me 'ouse, 'asn't Ise?"
Bill rolled his eyes. He did have his underwear on.
"I believe it is my house, now," he whispered.
"What's be youse sayin' dere, Willam. Speaks up, me son."
Bill had to smile. He was quickly realizing that Nanny Dove would never change, just as Matty had warned him.
"Sorry Nanny Dove."
He picked up a pair of sleep pants, from the foot of the bed and put them on. He turned to Nanny Dove.
"Better?"
"Ise s'pose fer now. But I don'ts knows why youse wants to be shown' off that chest. Youse can't 'ave more den a dozen 'airs dere. Not really a man's chest. But Ise guess when youse gits past puberty, dey will sprout out," she added laughing.
The image of a condo in Jamaica flashed in Bill's head, but quickly disappeared as a loud screech from outside caught his attention.
"What is that?"
Bill went to the window and was attempting to look outside, but the screen on the window stopped him.
He stepped back slowly, more than a little embarrassed.
"Willam, me son. Youse 'aves screens on dem windows now," Nanny Dove laughed.
"youse best not bes tryin' to stick yer 'ead thru."
"Thank you Nanny Dove."
Another screech echoed through the room.
"Dat be soundin' like a gull."
Bill looked through the screen, as best he could. Now and then he could see a wing come into his line of sight.
"Looks like there is a gull out there.
That must have been what I heard. Maybe it hit the screen window, trying to fly in?"
Bill looked out again.
"Probably the same one that attacked me the other day. Ha. Serves him right."
Nanny Dove looked through the window.
"'es be 'urts, me son."
"Serves him right for trying to attack me again."
Bill could hear the sound of more gulls, as they appeared in the sky above the lighthouse. He looked up at them.
"Are they going to attack me?"
Bill stepped back from the window.
"No, me son. Deys will 'tack dat poor gull out dere."
Bill looked out again. The gull was now in full sight. One of his wings was hanging limply by his side.
"Looks like his wing might be broken."
Nanny Dove nodded.
"Dat be da truth, me son. Dat poor gull 'as no ways to protect itself now."
Bill looked up at the growing flock of gulls.
"From them?"
"Yes, Willam. Dey will attack dat poor bird out dere and tear 'e to pieces."
Bill looked at the gull. It was squawking softly and staring up at the sky. It looked briefly at Bill, but then turned its attention back to the sky.
"'e knows it be not long now. Dem gulls be real scavengers. Dey will eats anyting, even dere own."
Bill continued to stare at the gull. He wasn't a real animal lover, but then at the same time he did not like the thought of an animal in distress.
"What can we do?"
"Wese? Willam, me son. Ise a spirit, remember. But ifin youse wants to 'elp dat poor bird, youse best be doin' someting quick, or its will bes too late."
"What should I do?"
"Youse best be goin' out dere and git dat poor old gull. Bring 'e in da 'ouse and wese sees ifin wese can do anyting fer it."
Bill pointed at himself.
"Me? Out there? With that big fucking bird?"
"Well, me son, ifin youse be feared, youse can always goes and gits Matty. She will knows what to do."
Bill took a deep breath and walked away from the window, chest puffed out.
"I don't need no woman to do things for me."
"What's dat youse be sayin', Willam?"
Nanny Dove did her best to hide her smile.
"Just going out to get the gull."
Bill put on a pair of running shoes and hurried out of the house and around the corner. It was then he saw the wounded gull.
"Fuck, you're big," he gasped.
Bill thought it was as big as a turkey. But then he had also thought a small field mouse was a mutant rat.
Bill slowly walked toward the gull.
"Okay buddy. I am not here to hurt you. I am here to help you."
Bill put his right hand out. He thought if he could get close enough, he could grab the gull by the back of the neck.
He thought wrong.
The gull lunged forward and grabbed two of Bill's fingers in its powerful beak.
"FUUUUCCCCKKKKK," Bill screamed. He felt like his fingers were caught in a vive, that kept closing.
"Ows tings goin' out dere, me son?"
"Just fine Nanny Dove," Bill fought through the tears.
The gull let go of his fingers.
Bill looked at them. No blood, but they hurt like someone had hit them with a hammer.
He looked back at the gull.
"I should let your buddies up there eat you alive."
Bill rubbed his fingers.
The gull lunged forward again, screeching at Bill.
He jumped back.
"Willam, me son. Youse got dat gull yet?"
Bill looked to the window. He could see Nanny Dove looking out, a huge mocking smile on her face.
"Does it look like I have the gull?"
"No, me son it doesn't. But Willam?"
"What?" I sighed.
"Ifin Ise were youse, Ise wouldn't be takin' me eyes off dat bird."
"And why is that?"
Bill turned to the window.
He no sooner had the words out of my mouth, than the gull lunged again and grabbed his left nipple.
Bill's scream echoed across the North Atlantic Ocean.
"Ise told youse dat youse should be puttin' on a shirt."
Bill screamed again, trying to get free of the gull's beak.
"I wouldn't bes pulling' away, Willam, lessen youse wants to be losing' dat nipple of yours."
"Then what the fuck am I supposed to do?" Bill yelled.
"You are not helping, old lady."
Nanny Dove laughed.
"Jest be stayin' still, me son. 'e will git bored once 'e realizes it ain't food."
She laughed louder.
"Or 'e realizes dere ain't be no milk dere."
At that moment Bill caught a movement to his right. What looked like a bedsheet came around the side of him and over the gull.
Immediately the gull let go of Bill's nipple, as the sheet covered it.
Bill fell to his knees, gently holding his sore, bleeding nipple. Tears were quickly filling his eyes.
Matty was at his side in a second.
"Are you okay?" she asked, as she masterfully wrapped the sheet around the gull, so that only its head was showing.
"I think it ate my nipple." Bill's hand, that was covering his nipple, was quickly being covered in blood.
Matty pulled his hand away.
"Its still there, although it is bleeding, pretty bad. We better get you to Deer Lake. Looks like you might need a stitch or two."
She jumped to her feet, lifting the seagull as she did.
"Come on. Lets get something on that and get you to the hospital. And get this gull to the vet."
Bill stared at the gull.
"We should just put you in a roasting pan."
The gull lunged at Bill again, but he jumped out of the way.
"Fuck you, gull."
Bill turned away from the gull and started around the corner of the house, where he proceeded to trip over a small wooded barrel. He fell flat on his face and screamed in pain.
"Fuckin' barrels,"he cried out.
The gull seemed to laugh at Bill, as Matty helped him to his feet.