Chapter 53 (PART - B)

BAAASSSHHH! BOOOOOM!!

Their little fishing boat collided with the merchant ship, but thanks to Haddock’s quick maneuvering, it wasn’t a direct collision. Nevertheless, the fishing boat tipped over to the opposite side causing everyone to fall and tumble on the floor.
“It’s not going to be enough… this old little wooden antique can’t take a hit like that!” Haddock assessed as they were being bowled over.
Water could be heard below down the trap door seeping in. Yates looked down shining a light and had grim look on his face.

“We got BIG problems!” Yates reported.
“Ya don’t say!? Of course we do! This boat hasn’t been maintained like it should!” Haddock began gathering things of importance such as flashlights and oars. Then he doled out the other raincoats to Lucille and Ballard.
Lucille put on the raincoat but kept panic from taking hold of her. She knew it was only a matter of time by the look on Haddock’s face before they were going to sink.
“Is there a flare gun on here?!” Haddock demanded to know.
“Fl-fl-flare gun?” Ballard mumbled as Yates helped him put his coat on.
“Oh dat’s right! We got drunk one night and fired all the rounds up in da air thinking they were fireworks” Yates explained.

“Yea, we ended up in jail for a couple nights too!” Ballard remembered with a smirk.
“Um can you tell us your story later, below seems to be filling up rather fast!” Lucille reminded them as she could hear the water pouring in from a hole.
“Open the door and get the raft out on the deck and get in it!” Haddock ordered. Lucille helped Yates pull the raft out the door.
“Hold on to the raft in case ya get knocked off!” Haddock shouted.
Ballard stood up grabbing on to the rail.
“You wait until right there ya incompetent flounder!” Haddock bellowed at Ballard.

The boat was rocking even more and the waves were crashing up on the deck drenching both Yates and Lucille as they waited on the deck. Lucille was holding onto their things as well as Cocoa who was now barking. The wind and the waves were hard to shout over. Haddock grabbed the oars in one arm and grabbed Ballard by his arm dragging him outside to get on the raft.
“Take these!” Haddock shouted tossing them to Yates in the raft.

Just as they were about to get in the raft the merchant bumped against their boat tipping it on its side again causing the raft and everyone in it to go over the side into the water. Unfortunately for Haddock and Ballard, they didn’t make it in the raft.

“Captain! Ballard!” Lucille and Yates shouted once they had landed on the surface of the rough water.
Yates and Lucille lit their flashlights shining them down into the water as Haddock and Ballard’s head popped up out of the water and was dog paddling trying to stay above water with Ballard.
“Help! He--!” Ballard shouted as a gulp of sea water went in his mouth as he was vainly trying to swim.
“Stop flailing!” Haddock shouted struggling to keep them both afloat as some waves were crashing over them. Haddock didn’t have it in him to keep yelling needing all his strength to try to keep them both above water as it was cold.
“Use the oar to get us closer to them Yates!” Lucille shouted.
Cocoa hid under the bags as Lucille scanned the raft until she found a life saver. Yates was having a hard time trying to get closer to them as the waves separating them.
“Toss this to them! They need to be able to stay above water!” Lucille shouted holding onto the rope.

Yates tossed the life saver as far as he could, but it was still a yard out of their reach. A rogue wave came and crashed over their raft causing Cocoa to come out coughing up water from behind the bags.

Lucille and Yates both wiped off their faces trying to keep the light on Haddock and Ballard as Haddock was struggling to reach the life saver. The waves were carrying them up and down almost a couple of meters. Ballard was gurgling water the whole time as Haddock tried to reach out, but still was not close enough. Ballard may as well have been a lead weight. If Haddock tried to overextend himself he may lose Ballard. It was becoming increasingly difficult as the waves were crashing around them and taking them up and down in swells.

The boat was beginning to sink just as Lucille was afraid Haddock would not be able to get the life saver. A wave looked as if it was going to swallow Haddock and Ballard, but at the last moment Haddock and Ballard emerged above on a high swell six feet above holding on to the lifesaver. Yates pulled the rope finally closing the gap between them. Lucille helped Yates pull the rope as Haddock passed the unconscious Ballard’s hand to Yates. Lucille helped Yates yank Ballard onto the raft allowing Haddock to grab on to life saver with both arms almost exhausted. Lucille compressed Ballard’s chest, and after a couple compressions Yates coughed up the salty water.

Haddock was able to be pulled onto the raft shortly after. He was still spitting up sea water as Yates pulled him in with the rope and life saver. Ballard was starting to revive as Haddock and Yates were trying to get everything situated in the raft. The would-be captain sat up adjusting his dingy yellow raincoat. He looked at his boat remorsefully as Lucille tried to keep everything from being bounced out of the raft from the waves.
“There goes my living!” Ballard pouted.