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Chapter 2

Of Seasickness, Plugs, and Long Stories

Jessica wakes to find herself in a small wooden room, lying in a uncomfortable hammock. Everything is swaying back and forth, back and forth... She shuts her eyes and wonders why Tank hadn't given her a download for dealing with seasickness.

"Miss Barton?"

She opens an eye slowly, and recognizes the second man from the captain's cabin. Stephen! She has a hard time not giving him a bear hug and telling him that Diana was the meanest and cruelest thing ever to him and...

"I see you're awake. Are you well enough to come sit over here?" The Doctor gestures toward a chair set against the wall.

Our heroine nods, and somehow manages to stumble over to the chair, gripping the seat for dear life. Didn't they have motion sickness pills back then? Duh. Of course they didn't. Why oh why didn't I take the blue pill? None of this would've happened... Oh shut up. Stevie's talking.

"Don't worry about the seasickness, Miss Barton. I assure you that it will pass soon, but I am curious as to one thing..." He busies himself with checking her pulse, and doing other "Doctor-y" stuff, when he rolls up her sleeve before she can stop him.

"Good God!!" He stares in utter and complete shock at one of the plugs in her arm.

Quickly she shoves down the sleeve, and giggles nervously.

"Oh, yeah, umm... that. Heh."

"What in heaven's name is it?!"

"Yeah... well, um... looooong story..."

He pushes the sleeve back up, despite our heroine's squawking, and looks at the offensive plug more closely.

"It's metal... Miss Barton, you really must tell me what a round piece of metal buried in your arm is doing there!"

Jessica draws a long breath and lets it out again with a heave. Talk about being in a pickle! Where did that phrase come from, anyway? Was some kid trapped in an enormous pickle that was going to be boiled up or something?

She mentally crashes her head repeatedly against the wall. Think...

"Umm... well... see, I said that my da- father was captain of a merchant ship called the Research, right? Well, see, that's a really strange name if you think about it, but my father, you see, was this... scientist... Well, long story short, when I was born, he had this crazy idea about making holes in your skin, over blood vessels, that were covered by these metal cap-like things. So, he could easily block off harmful things in your system, like a poisonous bite, and even put medicines in these, to make it quicker and more effective!"

Whoa. She said that?

Stephen stares at her, amazed. Well, it was a better explanation than her saying that she was from almost 400 years in the future and that she'd been born and raised in this pod thingy as a battery for the machines... right?

"I see..." Stephen is obviously still chewing on this hefty whopper of an alibi. "Well, then, I have one more question for you, if you're not too tired."

"Shoot."

Stephen blinks. "Excuse me?"

Idiot. Talk like some prissy 19th century girl...

"I mean, yes, continue, sir."

"Yes, well, um... I am curious as to how you are still so... seasick, if you will excuse the expression, since you must have been sailing for so long with your father."

How was he to know she had 'been sailing so long,' she'd like to know. Our heroine desperately tries to come up with an answer.

Hoping that they were close to land, she blurts out: "Well, see, it doesn't take much time on land for me to lose all my abilities to... survive well on a ship, if you get my meaning, and we've only been out again within the last few days."

Oh, thank heaven. They must be near land. Stephen buys her second fib. He stands up, and heads toward the door.

"Well, Miss Barton, thank you for your answers. Are you well enough to speak with the captain? I am sure he would appreciate any information you can give him."

Jessica's eyes bulge. Not again...

Suddenly, the rapid sound of a drum begins. Shouts and calls erupt, and Stephen looks alarmed.

"Miss Barton, you will have to excuse me, but you cannot stay here."

"What?" Images of being tossed overboard for lying to the ship's surgeon dance through her head...

Just then, the door bursts open.

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A/N: Dun-Dun-Dun! Cliffhanger!!! Yaay! I love cliffhangers! By the way, I'm very proud of the name of Jessica's supposed father's ship. I was blundering around, trying to find some random name, when lo and behold! I saw a booklet titled: "Writing a Research Paper". Instant inspiration.

And many thanks to my three lovely reviewers:

RandirienIthilienMaiden: (shakes hand back) Thank you for the first review! (gives you Strawberry Ice-cream) I actually think that the sea has a sense of humor... (thinks of that strange trip to the CA coast last spring...)

Starlighter-Dagger: lol, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I've always wanted to confuse these poor guys... and this is my best way to do it. ;)

Miaso, Demon Master: Meep! Okay, okay, Orli's yours! (backs away slowly) I get Tom. (evil maniacal laughter)