It took three weeks for Elle's back to heal. She had been confined to her cabin for two weeks. The captain avoided her. Some of the crew sought her out. Nathan, Jr, Zed, Harv, were the ones she saw regularly after the first few days. Paul brought her a meal on her ninth day confined in her cabin.

She opened the door surprised to see him standing on the other side of it. He held out the plate. She didn't reach for it. She pointed to the dresser as she moved aside. She tried not to whince as the skin on her back pulled and the scabs cracked.

He walked past her and placed the plate on the dresser. "Care for a bit of company?" He asked as he turned to her.

"Sure." She said and carefully lowered to the bed.

"Hurts like hell, hu?" He asked as she sucked in a breath.

"Yeah. It does." She said with a nod. She crossed her arms over her covered but unbound chest. The healing marks on her back prevented her from using the bindings.

"We didn't think he'd do it. If we had we'd have said something."

"Why? He was right. I constantly challenged his. I disobeyed an order." Elle looked up at Paul. "It should have been three lashes, and you know it. I got one."

"And you're banned to the ship the whole time we're in port." He leaned his back against the wall. He folded his arms over his chest.

"The captain tried to stop it, ya know. Markham had already started to swing so it was to late."

"I didn't know. No ones talking. The people on deck said you didn't scream." He searched her face.

"Yeah, well, I wanted to." She told him. She didn't tell him the only reason she hadn't screamed was because she had no oxygen in her lungs to scream with.

"I screamed." He told her. He straightened, pulled off his jacket, turned his back to her. Elle held back her gasp.

His muscular back was crisscrossed with pale scars. She wondered in horror how many there were.

"Twenty-five." He dropped the shirt and turned. "By the sixth strick I screamed. It was a lifetime ago." He pulled on his jacket. "I just wanted to see how you were." He left before she could respond.

That was not the only time he visited her. A few times he played cards with her and Jr. For a few days Nathan would ask her tons of questions about him but Elle didn't have answer's.

Cook talked her into helping rearrange the galley after her two week cabin confinement ended. Jr, Nathan, and Paul helped with the four day task.

"Why ask me to help of you won't actually let me do any thing?" Elle demanded as she stacked wooden bowls and plates on a table.

"You are doing something." Paul said with a grunt. He held a shelf in place as Jr secured it in its new place. Nathan held the door open so it didn't swing closed.

"When we get the shelves in place you can help put things away." Cook said watching Jr and Paul move a second shelf.

"Great." Elle muttered.

They finished the galley hours later.

The next day Zed removed the six scattered stitches from her back.

"It looks good, Elle. It didn't damage the muscles except some bruising but don't lift more then you have been for now. But by the time we sail to Sri Lanka you should be back to normal." He hesitated before adding, "Except for the scar."

"Thanks, Zed." Elle said and turned her head to look at him. He was already turning away. She took the opportunity to slip the shirt on.
Before she could leave he called her name. She turned back to him.

"I'm sorry, Elle."

"You know I'm actually sick of hearing it. You were doing your job. It's done. I'm almost healed." She stood and strode out of the infirmary.

Zed watched her leave. He heard what she said. A part of him agreed but another part remained angry. He never expected it to go as far as it had. Talbot should have taken one look at the girl and said to hell with it. But he hadn't.

Zed understood the captain's view. He did. Elle constantly mouthed off, she rolled her eyes at him, she even laughed at him. She never cared if other members of the crew were witnesses. The captain saw it as a threat to his authority and he expected the crew to see it that way. They didn't. They saw and felt the undercurrent between Talbot and Elle.

Markham had been the one to wield the whip but any of them could have protested at anytime. But Zed hadn't expected it to happen. He saw Markham look repeatedly at the captain, expected the captain to call a halt.

Elle made her way to the mostly empty hold. She needed something to do, her thoughts had been scattered the past few weeks. Her emotional state refused to remain consistent. She wanted to hate the captain but usually she didn't. She'd be thankful one minute then angry the next because he had avoided her for two weeks. When she did manage to see him pain fluttered in her chest at the look in his eyes.

Her last look at him had been just hours after finishing the galley.

He had been leaving his office. She hadn't been aware he was on the ship.

He looked over as if he felt her eyes on him. She sucked in a breath. His eyes went from thoughtful to haunted in seconds. His face pinched in pain.

Elle moved forward but he turned and made his way to the dock. His reaction hurt her. She didn't know what to think.

She checked the lines that tied down the cargo and let her thoughts wonder.

She refused to let this avoidance continue. She intended to tell him how things had changed. But she would do so in private. Mind made up she had to wait a week before she got her chance.  She watched as he boarded the ship and went to his office. She followed.

She knocked on the door and waited.

"Come in."

He already sat at his desk when she entered. She noticed how he looked at her. He didn't want her in here.

Now that she was here she didn't know what to say. They just looked at each other awkwardly, neither speaking.

"What do you want, Elle?" He asked finally breaking the silence.

"Im-" Elle hesitated but straightened her spine and continued. "I'm not angry at any of you. I understand. I will - I'll not be so - so obstinate in front of the crew."

He looked shocked. But shock turned quickly to anger. She didn't understand that. He should be pleased.

"Honest. But you all have to stop treating me like glass." She rushed to say. "Markham and you avoid me, I hate it. No one else does."

Talbot put his hands on the desk and used it to stand.

"Glass? You think I treat you like glass?" He laughed. The sound making her flinch. He turned and ran his fingers through his hair. Sobering he turned back to her. "Does your back feel like its been treated as fragile?" He asked coldly. "Well?" He demanded when she didn't answer.

"No." She admitted. Her eyes flicking over his angry face.  "But the punishment should have been three lashes." Slipped out before she knew the words were on her tongue.

"What the hell?" He roared at her.

Elle stepped back. This is not how she had envisioned this conversation.

"I damn near had a mutiny with one!" He screamed at her. He forced himself to calm down. "I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I was damned either way." He admitted.

"Mutiny?"

"The crew was not happy with the punishment you received, Elle." He dropped into the chair behind the desk. "They felt I was too harsh. Mind you, not one of them spoke up until after." He paused, thoughtful. "No. Harv, Markham, and Zed all suggested that I choose another punishment. Jr wanted me to pretend nothing happened. Yet if I had done nothing or worse continued to do the same thing with the same results that wouldn't have gone well either. As I said... Damned either way."

He scrubbed his fingers through his hair. Elle noted the long strands were tied loosely at the nape of his neck. His eyes looked more sad now then angry.

"I'm sorry. Ill change." She said looking down at the desk. Her eyes burned but she fought the tears.

"Elle, I don't want you to change - exactly."  He leaned his head back and gave a heavy sigh. "You can't show disrespect to the captain. I give orders. The crew follows. The crew have to see me as the leader or I they won't follow."  He wiped his face roughly with his hand, then pinched the bridge of his nose. After a long moment he released his nose and looked at her. "If you feel the need to challenge me do so in private, out of sight and sound of the crew."

She nodded. Looking down at the desk she apologized again.

"Elle, you'll never understand fully how I feel about - this. I wanted to stop it. I argued with myself. But in the end my own stupidity lasted too long, until it was too late. Parents tell their children 'this hurts me more then it hurts you' but I know now that they truly mean it."

The pain in her chest felt like it would crush her. His words released the tears she had fought to contain. "I - I'm not your child." She whispered but not softly enough. He heard her.

"Yes, Elle, I'm fully aware of that." He said a harsh edge in his voice.

"Excuse me." She mumbled and fled. Tears flowed, blurring her vision but she made it to her cabin without embarrassing herself further.