"He's still so vile. He's going to die tomorrow and he still acts like that!" Elle said anger and sorrow churning in her belly. "You would think that the prospect of meeting his maker would fill him with remorse. How can anyone be that unaffected by... by... everything?"

"Some people have blackened souls, Elle. I seen it before. They laugh in the face of morality, spit in eye of justice and mourn for nothing." Cook said as stepped down the corridor behind her.

"How can someone get like that? I know evil is real but he really doesn't seem to care that he's going to die tomorrow. How can a soul get so black?" She whispered.

"I fear the only one that knows the answer won't be willing to answer. I don't believe anyone is born evil but I don't know what turns them to it."

Elle pushed open the hatch door. Light and the smell of open ocean flooded her scences.

***

The ship drifted in the open water, the crew were above deck watching or helping as the mast was prepared for Bartard's hanging. She sat at the end of Jr's cot.

"Are you going?" Jr asked as he laid a card on the blanket.

Elle shook her head. "You?"

Jr lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know. I don't want to but..." he shook his head.

Elle drew a card from the deck of facedown cards and discarded a one from her hand.

"You don't have to go Jr. There'll be plenty of witnesses, you don't have to be one of them."

"He's hanging because of me." He said placing a card on the bed. His eyes aimed at the deck.

Elle dropped her cards on the bed. "Jr." She demanded. He reluctantly looked up. Their eyes met. "He hangs because of his actions. He's evil, Jr. Yes, if you hadn't came forward he would be free and clear. But think what that would mean." Her eyes bored into his. "What he did to you was – horrendous. Would you go back and – and lie? Would you say nothing happened?"

He broke eye contact. He looked intently at a spot on the wooden floor of the deck. "I see how people look at me, Elle." He shook his head. "The crew, most don't say anything but I see. I'm dirty. They look away when I catch them looking at me. It's like they think it will infect them. They look at me like they want to break something. They pity me but think I'm," he shrugged, "not one person, except; you, Harv, Cap, and Zed, has touched me since the trial." His voice was thick and heavy. "Before... They'd elbow me in the ribs, or slap me on the back. Now they try not to touch me in the corridors. It's like they think what he did will rub off on them."

Elle reached out her hands and took his in he grip. She used her thumb to rub gently over the back of his hands.

"It's not what you think. I'm sure they look like they wanna break something. They'd break Bartard if given the chance. Maybe - I mean - they don't touch you because they're not sure if you want to be touched anymore." She felt his fingers curl around hers. He leaned forward. He seemed to fold in on himself. His head a foot from hers.

She kept rubbing the back of his hands. "You're not dirty, Jr." She whispered. She bent her head towards him. "No one blames you." Her forehead rested on the top of his head.

"I do." He whispered with a chocked voice.

Elle let go of one of his hands and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "No. Jr, why?"

"I shouldn't have let it happen, Elle." His voice was so low Elle barely heard it even though she was so close.

Elle moved. She pressed against his side, wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. She didn't release him to swipe away her tears. "There was nothing you could do." She whispered softly. "He knocked you out, Jr. He was stronger. He didn't give you a choice." She told him softly.

Jr shook his head. "When I woke up. I should have done something. I should have d-" Elle felt his shoulders tremble with silent sobs. She tightened her hold and he pressed closer. It didn't lessen his  sobs but the contact eased Elle's desire to rage.

Jr spoke but few words were legible. Elle shushed him. She reassured him. Finally be calmed down enough to speak coherently. When he admitted that he had thought about committing suicide she nearly broke.

"A few days after I couldn't stop thinking about it. I couldn't stop feeling - him. I thought that it would stop if I could just die. I decided I'd jump overboard." He paused. "I wanted to leave a letter to Brenda but I can't even read. So I put a pence in my box. I knew my uncle would give it to her. He knew I loved her.

"I was walking down the corridor from the bunks when I ran into Nathan. He was headed down to see him, to give him an apple, I think. I couldn't let him that. I told him it was best to stay away from him. Bartard's not a good man and he was dangerous. Nathan thought I was ordering him not to go around Bartard. It was easier to let him think that then tell him the truth.

"I didn't jump the rail that night. I wanted to make sure Nathan stayed away from him.

"At first, when the Captain mentioned Bartard and then Nathan I thought I failed. I thought he had gotten him too."  He bent his head.

"You protected him, Jr." Elle assured him.

"I didn't protect you, Elle." Jr said in a soft broken voice.

"Me? Jr, he didn't touch me." Elle said confused.