Snippet #1883739

Pavati held her arm steady as she tried desperately to keep her balance and move towards the cabin. Something was going on and she wasn't quite sure what it was. The captain had told John she could stay but the look on his face was almost apologetic. He also called him to account for his drunken state and this made her extremely happy. Confined to his quarters did not however as it meant that she too was stuck with him and despite the order to sober up she knew it would be morning before he stopped drinking and was anything close to right again.

They stepped into the cabin and John slammed the door behind him. He shoved her and already off balance, Pavati fell to the floor. She tried to stop the fall with her hands but as she landed her arm gave out. A yelp of pain brought John's gaze to her. “What do you have to complain about? This is your fault...”

Stumbling, he grabbed her leg and yanked her towards the desk. The chain was once again secured to her ankle. Pavati fumed.

“What are you looking at?” John growled. The sound of his open palm on her cheek bounced off the walls of the small cabin. Pavati turned her head back to look at him as he stood and moved away. She swallowed the hate that balled up in her throat, it would do her no good.

He was grumbling to himself, cursing her, the captain and every last member of blasted crew on the ship. A knock on the door made him halt in his pursuit of another bottle. “Who the fuck...” It dawned on his impaired mind. The captain would want his room searched. As quickly as he could he released her from the chain, throwing it haphazardly between the two chests. John grabbed Pavati by her hair and dragged her to sit at his feet by the bed.

Taking a seat, half lulling to the side John glared as his door was forced in. Pavati, pulled her legs up, making herself as small as she could and held her arm against her chest in an attempt to protect it and herself from whatever might happen.

The sight at the door, the small boatswain and the tall, dark skinned carpenter made then both pause. Pavati didn't smile but she wanted to when the woman said she was going to search the cabin and confiscate John's bottles. Instead she stared at them as they moved into the small room. Above her, John barely remained upright on the bed.

The woman began her search and John grew angrier and angrier. Words of hate spilled forth, no longer tempered in his rage. As Kaitsu began pulling his bottles out of the chest, John stood. Swaying slightly he moved towards the boatswain.

Pavati blinked and in that instant the man now stood between John and Kaitsu. Pavati watched him closely. There was so much expressed in his face, he didn't need to speak to make it clear to John that coming at Kaitsu would be a grave mistake. John paused and Pavati wondered if he would challenge the carpenter. Instead, John moved himself into the corner.

Pavati watched as Kaitsu went through both chests. She hoped the woman wouldn't break or damage any of the articles in her chest. Pavati had taken painstaking care to pack it. The woman appeared thorough but not clumsy. Movement drew her attention from the small woman.

Pavati stared as Shaafir knelt in front of her. He reached out for her arm, speaking quietly in a language she did not know and Pavati swallowed slowly. Just as his hands got close to her, John spoke up from the corner. Even Pavati stopped breathing at the look that was shot in his direction. There was a quiet strength to man in front of her. The anger in his eyes died as he turned to look at her again. A gentleness and compassion now lay in the face that look at her. It was not an expression she was used to seeing.

Shaafir reached for her arm again and Pavati lowered her legs to allow him access to the damaged limb. The movement caused her pant leg to ride up and Pavati immediately looked up at Shaafir. She wondered if he would say anything, she would suffer if he did. He said nothing but did take the pause at the bruises there and on her arm. Pavati noticed the gentle and practiced way he held her arm, the way the fingers moved along the skin and gently prodded for the place that hurt. Pavati gritted her teeth and kept her eyes on his face. She wanted to tell him where it hurt, he was obviously there to help her but help always came at a price.

Shaafir gave her a quick smile, a gesture that made Pavati pause. White teeth flashed on the back drop of his dark skin and even with the edge of it altered by his scar the action was disarming. Fingers pressed and found the broken bone. Pavati hissed through clenched teeth and her eyes shut for a moment.

The rattle of the chain, her chain made Pavati's eyes flash open. The woman in her searching had found it, not that John had done a good job of hiding it. She could see Shaafir's mind working out the implications in his head. He looked down at her ankle and then he looked to the desk. Pavati knew that he had figured it out. Her eyes followed all of his movements and when he glanced sideways at her, Pavati knew he was waiting for confirmation. There was no sense in hiding it.

A small, subtle nod was all she could give him. Enough for him to notice but not enough for John to be able to use against her.

Pavati jumped slightly as Shaafir took the chain and stated they were going to the captain. Her head turned quickly to look at John. He was quiet but clearly unhappy. The dark hand in front of her, held out to help her up confused her. Pavati looked up to the owner of the hand. She wasn't sure if she should dare take it. For the second time it was stated that she needed a splint.

Her mind was at war. Part of her want to stay, not to make it worse for anyone. The other part of her, the part that was in pain, the part that wanted to be away from John told her to take the hand, stand and leave the room. Her gaze flickered to the small woman and then to John.

Pavati reached out with her good hand and took the calloused hand of the carpenter. She used his strength to help her to stand. Pavati wavered on her feet and looked up at Shaafir apologetically. She was not like them, steady on the rocking of the ship. Her grip on his hand tightened as she struggled not to fall into him.

John, seeing her take the dark man's hand and stand, bolted out of his corner. “Mine! It doesn't leave this cabin!” He was spitting in his rage as he came forward at them.

Instinctively, Pavati flinched and unthinking shielded herself against Shaafir. She waited for the hand that would grab her and yank her away.