The medic gave a syringe to Ellia. "Put that in here," she said, tapping a spot in Jade's back with her fingernail. She made a couple small cuts around the dagger in order to have it exit with more ease, and then she began to pull out the dagger, little by little, making stitches as she went. Occasionally, she would ask for more pressure from Cobiah, or another injection from Ellia, but she mostly worked in silence. The dagger finally was taken out, and the medic worked quickly, stitching up the wound with small, meticulous stitches. The wound was closed, and she cleaned it with one final wipe over. "We need to get her into her room," the medic said.
"I'll stand guard." Cobiah said, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Whoever did this still might be on board, and they'll likely come back for more if they suspect she's still alive."
The medic nodded in agreement. She had the drunken sailor lift Jade, and place her in her room. Her face had a smear of blood on it, and her eyes did not open, but she was breathing.
Cobiah leaned against wall opposite of Jade's bed, with his head lowered and his eyes closed. But he wasn't catching up on rest, contrary to what his stature would lead one to believe, but instead he was focusing very intently on the sounds of the ship. He could hear the creak of floorboards above him, the gentle waves below, and footsteps in the hallways. Everything seemed normal, but that didn't make Cobiah lower his guard.
Jade's room was very neat. Various posters of triads and figures bass lined the walls, and her fiddle was tucked neatly away in its case. Her armor lay on the floor next to the cot, and there was a small red mat in the middle of the room. A squeaking noise attracted Cobiah's attention. A small brown mouse scurried over Jade, and moved to her hair. It sniffed the air for a moment, and then curled up in her neck, its beady eyes watching Cobiah's every move.
(I'm angry for not replying sooner.) Any drunken stupor that Avice had just previously had was gone. Her eyes, though looking dizzy from the alcohol, were now as quick and alert as her brain had allowed. A look and feel of worry washed over her. She was fearful for Jade, and for the rest of the crew. At this point she was standing, she knew she could do nothing helpful, but she also did not want to feel useless.
Ellia stood up uncertainly, and her gaze landed on Jade for a moment. "Has anyone told Natalia yet?" she asked eventually.
Cobiah gently walked over to Jade's bedside, and inspected the mouse. At first he thought it was a rodent, but it seemed much to friendly towards Jade to be any ordinary pest. Must have been a pet. He reached into his satchel, and pulled out some bread from the feast. He tore off a few crumbs, and left it in front of the mouse.
When her question was met with silence, Ellia nodded to herself, and turned to go inform the captain. The mouse sniffed the bread cautiously, and sniffed up at Cobiah. He stared at him for a moment, and then lowered his head to eat the crumbs, never keeping his eyes off of the unfamiliar person in front of him. Jade stirred slightly, and her previously tranquil face suddenly changed. Her brow furrowed, and her nose wrinkled, as if she smelt something bad in the room, and she was confused about the source of it. Suddenly, her eyebrows lifted and her eyes flew open. She looked around the room in a sudden panic, and tried to sit up.
Jared went to investigate the commotion and stood outside on the deck. He watched Ellia approach. "What... what's going on?" He asked, unknown to the situation. "What's with the commotion?"
Ellia looked over to Jared. She didn't know him well, and she sighed slightly, feeling anxious. "Jade, you know, the sailor girl? She was stabbed in the back."
Jared's eyes widened. "Stabbed?... Is she okay?" He asked, worried for her and also himself. If there was a stabber on the loose on the ship, who else was next?
Cobiah kept her down on the bed. "Easy there! It's me, Cobiah. You got stabbed in the back. Don't move too much or you might reopen the wound." He urged Jade. He then gestured to the mouse. "You're little friend seemed worried."
Jade stared at Cobiah for a moment, her green eyes questioning. She noticed the mouse, and lifted a hand to him. He crawled up, and she looked at him. "Mo," she said after a minute. "I thought he was in the hallway." "I think she's okay," said Ellia. "You can go see her, if you'd like. I think she's still unconscious. I'm going to tell Natalia what happened."
"When you were attacked? That's strange. Speaking of which, do you remember anything from before you blacked out?"
She thought for a moment, rubbing the mouse's head with one finger. "They approached me from behind," she said thoughtfully. "I didn't turn around in time, and they got me." She lifted her arm, and inspected it. "They.." She hesitated. "They looked at my arm, and cursed. I think they ran after that, although I'm not quite sure."
"Perhaps they were checking for a pulse? No, that couldn't be right, they would have stayed to finish you off then." Cobiah pondered to himself for a moment, then returned to focus. "You get some rest. I'll stay on guard until the morning."
Jade's brow furrowed yet again. She cocked her head slightly, and turned her head to peer at him. Her eyes were a bright, spring green, and they seemed to search Cobiah for a moment. "You think they're going to come back." It wasn't a question. She turned, and stared up at the ceiling. "I suppose it would be silly to expect otherwise." A half smile crossed her lips, but it quickly disappeared. "So, we have a stabber on the loose on our ship." * * * Ellia paused, and waited for Jared to say something. When he didn't, she shrugged, and headed up the stairs to Natalia's room. She knocked three times on the door and waited. "Come in," Natalia called. Ellia entered to find Natalia writing on the walls in chalk. She was muttering to herself, and she drew a straight line across a board. She turned to Ellia. Chalk dusted her forehead, and her hair was tucked back in a messy bun. She was lost in thought, and biting her lip, but she focused on Ellia, and noticed her expression. "I apologize for the mess, Ms. Mercury," she said smoothly, smiling sheepishly. "I ran out of parchment. What's going on?" Ellia took a deep breath.
Cobiah returned to his original position, leaning against the wall of the cabin. Who was criminal on board? Surely I was the only one with an ulterior motive, he thought to himself. "No, that's ridiculous. Of course others might be keeping the treasure to themselves, it's only natural. But where they seek it in vain, I need it out of neccesity."
Jade sighed. The drugs that Ellia had administered previously were beginning to kick in once again, and her eyelids fluttered. "It's a pity, isn't it?" Her words were slightly slurred, and her breathing slowing. She shook her head sluggishly, as if to dismiss the fog creeping into her mind. She raised hand and pointed to her chest. "There's a foldable chair tucked behind my chest," she said, her eyes completely closed now. "No need for you to stand there the whole time.." Her hand dropped, and she opened one eye sleepily. "Thank you." * * * Natalia was angry, to say the least. Ellia broke the news to her, and she went very quiet. She fixed her gaze on a floorboard, apparently deep in though. Finally, she looked up, and nodded curtly at Ellia. She didn't trust herself to speak, and she was not one to shoot the messenger, so instead, she strode past Ellia, and went out to the deck, where Jared still stood. "I have to go check on a member of my crew, Mr. Rayne," she said, her voice clear, but deadly quiet. "When I am finished, you and I will be having a small talk." She turned, and walked towards the cabins.
