Come Alive Ch. 13

German children were not so different from American kids, Taggart noticed - if that pouting lower lip was any kind of measure at all.

Taggart shut down most of the ship's systems overnight, then he went topsides and checked Bandits' lines. He took a quick shower and slipped under the covers, and then Clyde came up and assumed the position: snuggled in close with his chin on Taggart's incision. Within seconds both were snoring - and when he woke the next morning he realized the dream hadn't returned for the first time in weeks.

When he came in from his walk with Clyde that morning he had texts from Rolf waiting.

'Get in touch with Dina!' they advised, and just then he heard a knocking on the side of Bandit's hull. He went up the companionway to see who it was and found Rosa and Erika standing there.

"Good morning," Rosa said - but from the look in her eyes, it had been anything but...

"And to you. What's going on?" he replied.

"I need to talk to you. May we come aboard?"

"Of course. Please," he said, going to the rail and taking Erika's hand and helping her up, then Rosa. "Here, or should we go below?"

"It is a private matter," Rosa sighed.

He led them below and put on a movie for Erika, then led Rosa to the aft cabin.

"Alright, I'm all ears." Rosa seemed hesitant, yet he saw she was on the verge of a massive breakdown - so he went to her and hugged her.

"I am very afraid this morning," she began. "I found a lump in my breast when I showered before work, so I went to one of the internists at the hospital, then I had a mammogram."

"And the news is not so good, I take it?"

She shook her head. "I am afraid not."

"May I show you something?" he asked.

"Of course?"

He pulled up his polo shirt and revealed his incision and her eyes went wide. "We found my breast cancer in May."

"And this is why you are so pale?"

He nodded. "Stage four. I may make it to the New Year, or..."

"I understand. I should not be placing this burden on your shoulders..."

"On the contrary. There is probably no one here in a better place emotionally to help you than I am. Now, what do you need?"

"They are going to do a biopsy first thing in the morning, and if the pathology warrants I have asked that they perform a full radical mastectomy."

"Okay."

"I would like you to watch Erika for me while I am in the hospital. Is this okay with you?"

"Of course. Is there anything else I can do?"

"I cannot think of anything."

"What about your family?"

She shook her head. "No, we are alone now."

He smiled. "No, you're not. I'm here now, and everything is going to be just fine. Don't worry about anything now but getting ready for the fight of your life, but just remember, Erika will be here with you, and if you need me I will be too." He kissed her forehead and held her close for a long while, then he leaned back a little. "What have you two had to eat today?"

"Not much, I'm afraid."

"Well, 'not much' is not the best way to take care of yourself, so let's see what we can do about that..."

He whipped up a spaghetti carbonara and a small salad while Rosa and Erika watched Doctor Strange - again - then he and Clyde walked them back to her apartment.

"I'll walk Erika by in the morning. Thank you for everything," she said.

He nodded and waved goodbye to Erika, then he took Clyde for a short walk - both reveling in the sun and sea breeze before heading back to the boat.

He didn't like the idea of using a VPN but logged in and texted Rolf: "What's up?"

"She needs to talk to you. Very important."

"On it."

He opened Messages and shot off a quick "How are you?" text. Her reply was instantaneous.

"I feel terrible for misleading you. Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

"You are forgiven."

"Just like that?"

"No time to waste with nonsense."

"Okay."

"Rolf needs to come back to you. I need to know if I am welcome."

"You are my wife. How could you not be welcome?"

"When may we come?"

"After the 21st. I will be busy until then."

"Busy?"

"Yes. Busy."

"Where should we come to?"

"Not sure yet. Depends on the state of the world, I think."

"If it depends on that we may never see you again."

"I live on a magic carpet, remember? It is not so far to Bergen. Two, maybe three days."

"So, I am not to worry?"

"Other more important things to worry about now. Just be safe and take care of our family."

"Our family. You have never said that before."

"A simple truth best remembered always, Dina."

"I love you."

"Thanks. I needed to hear that from you. I love you too."

"When will I hear from you next?"

"Just keep your phone with you. I may have to move quickly, depending on possible outcomes."

He signed off then gathered all the ship's laundry and got to work. "I feel like a hotel maid," he snarled as he remade both bunks in the two forward staterooms...then he heard the knock-knock on the hull again. It was Rosa and Erika again and he smiled at them as he helped them aboard - with their suitcases.

"I am almost ready for you," he said.

"What? Ready for what?" Rosa said.

"I just changed the sheets in your staterooms."

"You knew...?"

"Of course. It makes perfect sense to have Erika stay here, and you too after you are discharged. We both know I can take better care of you both from here."

"I was so worried that we would be imposing..."

"Please, welcome aboard. Now, you should rest."

He helped the girls figure out how to use the head, then let them have the forward berth - for now; after Rosa closed her eyes Erika came looking for Clyde and they settled in with one of the Thor movies. Henry returned to writing code at the chart table, smiling all the while.

Because every now and then he'd look back at all the fantastic events of the last year. First, finding the original Time Bandit, then sailing up and down the east coast. The friends he'd made in the Florida Keys, and in Maine - before his Atlantic crossing. And everything since arriving in Bergen...where he had gone from a life alone to a life full of love and friendship...and when at times like this he bathed in the cool waters of his new life he finally felt the fullness of life.

And maybe that was what his father really wanted for him. What his father had wanted to show him if only they had...

...then, another knock on the hull...

He went up the companionway and there was Mike, sitting in the cockpit, with a pistol barely concealed in his hand.

© 2020 adrian leverkühn | abw | this is a work of fiction, pure and simple; the next chapter will drop in a week or so.