TPFans Deleted Scenes Contest

Sickness-
Characters: Jim Hawkins, Arrow, Amelia, John Silver, Delbert Doppler, and Morph
Description: This is my entry for the Deleted Scenes Contest on Treasure Planet Fans.

Jim coughed hard, his chest vibrating painfully.

Yesterday, he had been mopping the main deck and washing grime from the sails. The day had been bitterly cold, but despite the temperature, Jim had done his work without a shirt or boots because of how sweat-inducing the work got. And by the time he was done, he had a little sniffle--nothing major--so he shrugged it off and had went to the galley for lunch and to listen to an amusing story that Silver was telling the crew. He remembered he had been sitting on the stairs as a wind gusted throughout the ship, drinking a cup of steaming Cradestrom Tea, a specialty of Silver's, while he listened to the cook's story.

But now, Jim regretted not having worn his shirt and boots during his chores yesterday. Today would be no doubt more laborious, and he wasn't feeling up to par. He stifled another cough and walked up the stairs from the berth deck and onto the waist deck.

"3-4-3-0, Mr. Turnbuckle!" The Captain shouted to the navigator from her perch among the sails.

"Aye, Cap'n!" The squid-like creature saluted, making the adjustments to his steering.

Jim walked over to the galley to get his orders for the day. He walked past Dr. Doppler on his way to the stairs.

"Morning, Jim! How are you doing today?" Asked the excitable doctor, as he was making his way over to the conn.

"Okay, I guess..." He replied with a noticeable, congested wheeze. "You?"

"Boy, Jim. You don't look so good." Doppler said with concern.

"I don't feel great either. My head feels like it's stuffed with oakum-" He gave in to a sudden fit of violent coughing.

"You should go back to bed."

Jim shook his head. "I can't skip out on chores, Doc. The Captain would probably skin me alive for doing so."

"What's with this standing around here, then?" Asked Mr. Arrow sternly, making his way over to the two. "You have your duties, Mr. Hawkins. Why aren't you doing them?"

"Sorry. Right away, sir-" He said with a sneeze.

"Mr. Arrow, sir, Jim here is sick. I don't think he should be working today." Doppler said, holding Jim in place with a hand on his shoulder. "He could give the rest of the crew the virus."

"Hmmm..." Mr. Arrow looked over the obviously sick human. "I'll leave that at the discretion of the Captain and Mr. Silver." He lumbered off to find the Captain.

Just at that moment, Silver came up the steps of the galley, Morph following in his wake. "Jimbo. What are ya doin' up here, lad?"

"He's sick, Mr. Silver. I don't think he can work today." Doppler said before Jim had time to respond. Morph zoomed over to Jim and morphed into a magnifying glass, looking him over.

Captain Amelia and Mr. Arrow walked over. Jim could feel his face flush with embarrassment. Why did everyone make a fuss out of a little cold such as this?

"So, it seems you caught a cold. Is that right, Mr. Hawkins?" Amelia looked him over, noting his congested sniffles, the dark bags under his eyes, and pallid skin.

"Aye, ma'am." Jim shook, freezing all over. Immediately, Morph became a blanket and wrapped around him. Jim hugged the sentient blanket, thankful for the sudden warmth.

"Well, I say yer in no condition to be workin' wit' me today, Jimbo. Not to mention, yous be gettin' the crew sick if ya did." The cyborg shook his head, worried. "What say you, Cap'n?" He turned his cybernetic eye to her.

"Indeed. I am of the same opinion, Mr. Silver." She turned to Jim. "Mr. Hawkins, I charge you to stay in the berthing deck until you can defeat this sickness of yours. And I want you, at no time until you're better, to come up for anything. Understood?"

"Aye, Captain."

With that, the Captain and her First Mate wandered off to other parts of the ship.

"Well, Jim, let's get you below-deck." Doppler put an arm over his shoulders and helped Jim back to the sleeping quarters. Silver followed them down.

As soon as his boots were taken off and his jacket laid on the floor underneath his hammock, Jim laid back, coughing up a storm. "Thanks, guys." He managed to say.

"Don'cha worry, lad," Silver said, pulling the Morph-blanket higher up around the brunette's shoulders. "I'm goin' to make my famous Bonzabeast stew fer ya. You'll feel better'n no time at all." The cyborg walked back upstairs, heading towards the kitchen.

"Mr. Silver will see you get better, Jim. And I'll be around if you need me." The canine smiled.

"I hate being sick..." Jim wheezed, closing his eyes.

"Well, it happens." Doppler shrugged. "Now you just take it easy and rest. I'll be in to check on you later. Sarah would have me made into a rug if anything happened to you."

The youth laughed, eventually coughing up some phlegm.

"At least you can still laugh." Doppler got up from his kneeling in front of the hammock and left.

A couple of hours later, the cyborg made his way back to the berthing deck with a warm bowl of stew in hand. His expression grew soft at the sight of Jim sleeping with one leg sticking out from underneath the blanket, harsh snuffling punctuating his somewhat steady breathing. What was more, Morph's eyes were also closed, as the blanket quietly snored in deep sleep. Silver gazed upon the two with a look akin to a father's pride.

"You'll get better, James." Silver muttered. "I'll see to it that'cha do; so help me if my name ain't John Silver."

As he stumbled back up the stairs, thinking to rouse the boy later, he didn't even notice the smile that Jim had on his face.

"I love you too, Dad." He mumbled.

Silver looked back over his shoulder just as Jim turned over in his sleep. Silver made it up on deck, tears in his eye.  

That kid truly was his son in spirit.

-End.