his good hand to shoo her away.
“Hold still . I’ve got to stop the bleeding.”
“I told you to stay in the cabin,” he grumbled.
“I thought you were a bit shortsighted. I wasn’t going to let someone poke holes in you after you saved my sorry ass from your perverted first mate.”
“They planned a mutiny. There may be others involved. You could be in grave danger.”
“Like you aren’t? You probably lost a pint of blood already.”
“ Where are the men who are supposed to be on watch? They could be a part of the plan.”
“I t is strange they are not at their posts.”
The doctor came running. “I knew there was trouble . The men on watch were brought down to orlop deck unconscious, without any explanation.”
“Didn’t anybody hear me scream?” she asked.
“Aye, there was some silly nonsense about a ghost being on board.” The doctor moved to take Lesley’s hand away, but she would not let go and only pressed harder.
“Hooper hit one of the captain’s arteries. If I let go, the captain will bleed out in seconds.” Actually, she no idea how long it would take, but she could not risk it. There’s something she should have studied with more diligence. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t get into med school. Tears welled up in her eyes. Now, when she really needed the knowledge, she had no way to retrieve it. She could rattle off the names of the latest pills for heartburn, cholesterol, and depression—but the ability to patch a severed artery would be a far better skill.
S he should have learned how to sew.
“ Tie those men up, Gilly. Then you can put in your blasted stitches.” The captain’s voice faded.
The doctor found several lengths of rope and went right to work tying up the unconscious men. “Aloysius has been a troublemaker from the start. I hope you’ll be leaving him in New Providence.”
“Anybody who smells that bad should never be allowed on a ship.” Lesley noted.
The captain gave a weak chuckle. “I shall have you help me choose the men for the next voyage. Perhaps you will be a better judge of character than I.”
“I don’t know anything about fighting. I hit Hooper on the head in sheer desperation. I didn’t want to poke a hole in him with the end of the pike. That would be murder.” Of course, sometimes people died from a blow to the head, too. She bit her lip and hoped that Hooper would wake up—after the ropes had been knotted tightly.
“I never thought Hooper the kind of man who would start a mutiny,” the doctor commented.
“There are a bunch of greedy, perverted bastards on this ship. You should hang out with a better crowd, take up a different profession and rub shoulders with the right people.” Lesley pleaded. “I’m sure you could find something less—less dangerous. Less bloody. Less wicked. Pirating is a criminal offense.”
The captain directed a frown at her capable of putting a lesser woman, or cabin boy, in his or her place. However, Lesley had seen the same type of furrowed brow from some physicians. Yes, some doctors tried to put her in her place. She was, after all, merely a pharmaceutical rep—not a pharmacist, or a nurse. But when it came to selling drugs, she remained undaunted—and it took more than a fierce glare fro m an arrogant doctor to discourage her. Despite her failure to get into med school, she had developed valuable skills being a pharmaceutical rep--dogged determination and sheer stubbornness.
“In fact, this pirating business has got to stop,” she insisted. “A pardon is going to be offered in a few years to all pirates to make the seas safer. The Golden Age of Pirates is almost over. Quit while you’re ahead.”
“How do you know this?” The captain hissed.
“Um ... Jim told me.” Naturally Jim had the benefit of three hundred years of history behind the statement.
The captain narrowed his eyes and she winced. Most likely, he would call her a witch again.
“All right, cap’ n, the men are
“Hold still . I’ve got to stop the bleeding.”
“I told you to stay in the cabin,” he grumbled.
“I thought you were a bit shortsighted. I wasn’t going to let someone poke holes in you after you saved my sorry ass from your perverted first mate.”
“They planned a mutiny. There may be others involved. You could be in grave danger.”
“Like you aren’t? You probably lost a pint of blood already.”
“ Where are the men who are supposed to be on watch? They could be a part of the plan.”
“I t is strange they are not at their posts.”
The doctor came running. “I knew there was trouble . The men on watch were brought down to orlop deck unconscious, without any explanation.”
“Didn’t anybody hear me scream?” she asked.
“Aye, there was some silly nonsense about a ghost being on board.” The doctor moved to take Lesley’s hand away, but she would not let go and only pressed harder.
“Hooper hit one of the captain’s arteries. If I let go, the captain will bleed out in seconds.” Actually, she no idea how long it would take, but she could not risk it. There’s something she should have studied with more diligence. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t get into med school. Tears welled up in her eyes. Now, when she really needed the knowledge, she had no way to retrieve it. She could rattle off the names of the latest pills for heartburn, cholesterol, and depression—but the ability to patch a severed artery would be a far better skill.
S he should have learned how to sew.
“ Tie those men up, Gilly. Then you can put in your blasted stitches.” The captain’s voice faded.
The doctor found several lengths of rope and went right to work tying up the unconscious men. “Aloysius has been a troublemaker from the start. I hope you’ll be leaving him in New Providence.”
“Anybody who smells that bad should never be allowed on a ship.” Lesley noted.
The captain gave a weak chuckle. “I shall have you help me choose the men for the next voyage. Perhaps you will be a better judge of character than I.”
“I don’t know anything about fighting. I hit Hooper on the head in sheer desperation. I didn’t want to poke a hole in him with the end of the pike. That would be murder.” Of course, sometimes people died from a blow to the head, too. She bit her lip and hoped that Hooper would wake up—after the ropes had been knotted tightly.
“I never thought Hooper the kind of man who would start a mutiny,” the doctor commented.
“There are a bunch of greedy, perverted bastards on this ship. You should hang out with a better crowd, take up a different profession and rub shoulders with the right people.” Lesley pleaded. “I’m sure you could find something less—less dangerous. Less bloody. Less wicked. Pirating is a criminal offense.”
The captain directed a frown at her capable of putting a lesser woman, or cabin boy, in his or her place. However, Lesley had seen the same type of furrowed brow from some physicians. Yes, some doctors tried to put her in her place. She was, after all, merely a pharmaceutical rep—not a pharmacist, or a nurse. But when it came to selling drugs, she remained undaunted—and it took more than a fierce glare fro m an arrogant doctor to discourage her. Despite her failure to get into med school, she had developed valuable skills being a pharmaceutical rep--dogged determination and sheer stubbornness.
“In fact, this pirating business has got to stop,” she insisted. “A pardon is going to be offered in a few years to all pirates to make the seas safer. The Golden Age of Pirates is almost over. Quit while you’re ahead.”
“How do you know this?” The captain hissed.
“Um ... Jim told me.” Naturally Jim had the benefit of three hundred years of history behind the statement.
The captain narrowed his eyes and she winced. Most likely, he would call her a witch again.
“All right, cap’ n, the men are
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