𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄
𝟑𝟗:𝟒𝟎-𝟒𝟐:𝟒𝟎
𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙩 »𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙮

∞

JJ holds the Doctor's door open for me, allowing me to squeeze past him and into the dreaded room. After several annoying weeks, I'm finally getting my cast off. She's sat behind her desk, typing angrily on the computer while also scribbling onto a note pad beside her.

"Ava Booker-Routledge?" Her head snaps to me, taking me slightly beside surprise.

"Yeah, that's me." I hum, taking a seat opposite her.

"Okay, well, hello, Ava. . . and?" She raises an eyebrow at the tall boy beside me.

"JJ." He nods, sliding down into the chair beside me, fiddling with the rings on his fingers.

"I'm guessing you're here to get your pot taking off," She mumbles, her eyes still trained on the computer screen.

"Mhm."

She glances at me through the side of her eye, "Have you felt any pain recently?"

I shake my head, "No. None at all."

She hums while rising for her seat, leaving it to spin, "That's good. Just go sit in there while I go get the equipment ready." She points at a door at the side of her office and we trudge through it. I look around the room for some seats only to find one and just a hospital bed.

"You'll have to sit on there," JJ nods his head to the bed, a slow smirk rising, "Or you could sit on my lap."

I roll my eyes, "You wish."

He nods aggressively like a child, "Yes, yes I do."

The doctor walks in before I can retort, quickly distracting me with the multiple things she's laying out on the table beside the bed.

"Last time you were here, we found out that you smoke. Is that correct?" She tilts her head at me, rolling her sleeves up. She suddenly just got way more intimidating.

I bite my lip, "Yeah."

She hands me a box of stickers and I flick through them, my eyebrows furrowed. Stickers? Is she congratulating me for being a smoker?

"Ava, I'm pretty sure they're nicotine patches," JJ chuckles, noticing my confused face and he raises his hands to cover his lips so he doesn't laugh anymore.

The Doctor laughs, realising I wasn't following, "Yeah. They're nicotine patches. They'll help you stop smoking. Just take the whole box."

Just to be polite, I set the box down beside me, giving her a grateful look before glaring at JJ in annoyance. He smiles, gently shaking his head while looking down at his lap.

"You ready?" The doctor asks, lifting up a literal electric saw.

Swallowing thickly, my eyes widen at the machine and I fight the urge to sprint out of the room, "What the fuc- fudge is that?"

"It will break through the plaster. Don't worry, it won't cut your arm. It may tingle but it won't cause any harm," She pats my shoulder, trying to be reassuring.

"On second thoughts. . ." I scratch the back of my neck awkwardly, "I don't—"

"Ava." JJ rolls his eyes, standing up beside me, "You'll be fine. You hate the pot, right? And this," He points to the saw in the doctors hand, "will get rid of it."

I roll my jaw, looking away and holding my arm out, "Fine. Just get it over with."

❦

"Ava, you really should stop smoking." Pope grumbles as I blow out another puff, making sure to direct it away from the others. We're on the boat, sailing out to just above the Royal Merchant so that the drone get a good look at it.

I look back at him while walking to the bow of the boat, "It helps. . . so, no."

I sit on the counter beside JJ while he drives the boat, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel, "Hey, princess." He smirks, moving his fingers onto my leg, continuing to tap them.

I swat them away, giving him a fake grimace, "Hello, dick."

He moves his sunglasses down his nose, just so I can see that he's rolling his eyes, "You know you love me," He beams, his fingers stroking my thigh.

I turn my face away and he laughs, returning to his original position behind the wheel, removing his hand from my thigh and the spot on my old almost feels cold at the absence of his palm.

"How does it feel to have a free arm?" He questions, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

"Good. But it's disgusting," I motion down to my arm, noticing the dry and dead skin.

"Gives it more texture for a handjob." He says, and after a few moments he struggles to take himself seriously and bursts out laughingstock

Did I hear him right?

I tilt my head, staring at him in utter shock, "You're gross."

He smirks, eyeing me up and down, "But you know I'm right. When—"

My brothers shout cuts him off, "Alright, JJ!" Pin it here!

JJ runs his tongue over his teeth angrily before stopping the boat, "Roger that! X marks the spot!"

"Talk to you later, J." I pat his back while jumping down before trudging out to the back of the boat, wanting to watch the drones monitor.

"Alright, ladies and gentleman." John B lifts up the drone, "To going full Kook!"

He lowers it into the water and I sit beside Kie on the edge of the boat, watching it slowing sink down. She slowly helps the cable along, making sure it doesn't catch onto anything.

"You two dating yet?" She whispers.

I snort, "No."

She scoffs, "Don't say it like that. You're making it sound like you don't like him, which is a lie."

"It's not me who doesn't like him. It's just— well it's weird and confusing." I sigh quietly, squeezing my eyes shut in annoyance.

"Just tell him how you feel," She shrugs, "I'm sure he'll feel the same way. And if he doesn't, then he's stupid and can fuck off." She chuckles.

"Alright, JJ, we're right over it. Ten seconds northwest!" John B says, staring down at the iPads screen.

Kie glances down at the cord, noticing the red sticker, "One hundred feet."

Pope gasps in surprise, making John B and I rush to his side, "What? What, what, what, what?" JB rushes, adjusting his shades to see the screen better.

Pope shrugs, "It's, uh, nothing."

I throw my arms up, rolling my eyes, "Really? Are you taking the piss, Pope?"

"Sorry, sorry," He apologises as me and my brother sit down again with a groan, "And to quote The Hobbit, 'Down, done, to Goblin Town. Down, down, you go, my lad'." Pope puts on a stupid voice, mimicking the movie.

After a while of us waiting and waiting for the drone to pick up anything that could be to do with the Royal Merchant, the weather starts to change.

"Four hundred feet!" Kie shouts, marking it on the wood with a piece of chalk.

"The tide's turning," I call out, my mouth dropping open, "Shit."

"Hey, JJ?" John B says.

"Yup?"

"Ten seconds easy. South-southeast, alright?" He directs.

JJ nods while in deep concentration, "Copy that, bro."

"JJ, 20 seconds mid-speed, alright?" John rushes, "South."

"Aye, aye!"

I wobble around while walking over to stand beside JJ, watching him as he quickly turns the boat.

"Kay. 700 feet!" Kie marks.

I look up, my eyes landing on the massive black cloud coming our way, "Shit. That's not good." I grumble.

JJ peers up as well when the thunder crashes, "That's really not good."

The waves start to get more violent, nearly sending me flying into the back wall, but JJ smoothly hooks his arm around my waist, keeping me still beside him. He doesn't bother looking down at me, and keeps his eyes trained on the ocean in front of us.

"900!" Kie yells, having to raise her voice to be heard over the roaring wind.

"Crank it north by northwest! Ten seconds!" JB instructs, and JJ gently lets go of me, needing both hands to be able to rotate the bait.

"John B, there's too much current! We're going to loose it!" Kie exclaims and I turn to see her desperately holding onto the cord.

"South, southwest, JJ! Hard!"

I stumble back out beside Kie, kneeling down beside her and clutching the wire. She sends me a desperate shaky smile, "Thank you."