Manon and Belle, Pt. 05

Manon and Belle, part 5

Manon realised she had something of a dilemma now, making her unusually indecisive. She wanted to play with her Belle, quite badly. She really wanted to get Susan out of the paralysing fear that her previous owners had beaten into her. Susan's delightful curves would be much easier to enjoy if she was a more willing participant.

And then there was Poppy, who Manon had become quite taken with. The question was how to combine all these objectives, in a way that would satisfy her, and in such a limited space.

Belle was inspecting Poppy's rope cuffs, asking her about how they were tied, while Susan seemed to be off in her own little world. They had sat on the mattress on the floor and Poppy was using the end of the ropes attached to her wrists to show Belle some of the knots.

Susan was still sitting on the bunk, trailing the chains hanging from her neck and wrists through her hands and tugging on them.

Manon was just beginning to feel quite cross. Patience was never her strong suit, and she was rapidly running out of it with Susan. Really she just wanted to tie the girl to something and fuck her into submission, but this didn't seem like the time and place for such a simple and attractive move. A few good orgasms mixed with a flogging or spanking or two would soon bring Susan to heel.

Running through the check list of the drugs and ingredients that she'd packed, Manon was annoyed to find that she had very little that would help her deal with Susan.

She did have one option, but the effects of the powder she could mix was very strong, and somewhat unpredictable. It would certainly disinhibit Susan, and make her compliant, but more than a few of the girls Manon and Belle had tried it on had never fully recovered from that state.

As a problem it wasn't insoluble, the girls had fetched good prices as slaves or just being sold illegally to brothels. If Susan didn't recover that wasn't an option that Manon had while they were at sea. Also Manon rather doubted that the Captain would look kindly on another drug related incident on her ship after what had happened to the Gardners.

Manon had to grab on to the bunk suddenly when the ship rolled, and then again as with a booming noise reverberating through it, the ship pitched in the other direction, tipping forward and then back.

Poppy looked up, seeming concerned. Seeing Manon's look at her, she said "miss, that didn't feel right, I think we've changed course." Before Manon could enquire as to what that meant, there was shouting from on deck, summoning all hands.

Poppy scrambled up, looking at Manon, "miss, I really should go?" looking at her ropes a bit helplessly. The cabin door slid open with a bang, revealing Travers hastily pulling a jumper on over a shirt.

"Sorry, we need Poppy back on duty. Storm's coming up and mate's told me we are going to have to run in front of it, it's a bad 'un. Bloody Biscay bay."

"Poppy, get Jen down, these folk will help and get her out of those ropes, show them how. I'd be obliged," she said looking at Manon, "If you didn't let Jen leave until you are sure she's steady." Manon just nodded at her and Travers left.

"Susan!" Manon said sharply, grabbing the girl's attention. "Quickly now, help get those ropes off Poppy, then back in the bunk, it sounds like it's going to get rough."

"Belle, as soon as Poppy can free herself from anything left come and help me with Jen. If she's still trussed up like we saw I doubt I can get her down without help."

Manon started to turn away, but stopped when Poppy held out a hand to her, which she took. Poppy squeezed it, "sorry miss, I hope you'll want me later?" she said.

Manon smiled at her, "I still want you now young Poppy, so no danger that I won't later as well." Manon went to turn away but got thrown about as the ship rolled and shuddered, its motion quickly getting more extreme. Susan had knelt down behind Poppy and appeared to be undoing the rope collar at the back, while Belle had already released one of the rope wrist cuffs.

Manon went out to the crew quarters, to find that Jen was still attached by her collar to the cabin roof, but she'd been let down a lot so that she was now sitting on the floor. Her hands had been detached from there though, and were now in front of her, and she was trying without success to release her neck.

It didn't help that despite her obvious alarm and desire to be free to help her crewmates, she was still clearly half out of it, looking dazedly at Manon. "Please?" she said, holding her bound wrists out.

As the ship lurched again, Jen was almost lifted from the floor, and bounced from side to side painfully before she was able to stop herself. Manon got her own back to one of the bunks, and pulled Jen over to her, hoping that this way at least she'd be able to stop the girl from being thrown about when she couldn't protect herself.

"Miss, if you can pull on that rope on the underside of my wrists? No, the one that goes under that please? It will loosen," she said. Try as she might Manon didn't have the strength in her fingers to pull the strand loose, and then had to grab Jen around the waist with one hand and the bunk with another as the ship rolled again.

Belle lurched in then, closely followed by Poppy, who had her trousers on now, and was pulling her sleeveless shirt over her head. Belle held on to Jen, having both longer arms and greater strength made it easier for her, and Poppy got to work on Jen's ropes.

She undid the knot attaching Jen's collar to the ceiling rope first, and then started on Jen's wrists, using a short blunt metal spike that she pulled from her belt to prise the ropes apart.

As the ropes came off her wrists, Manon saw colour coming back to Jen's hands, which had been quite pale, and the angry red grooves on her wrists showed that the ropes had tightened and bitten into her painfully.

"Alright?" Poppy said to Jen, who nodded at her.

"Belle, that water flask, give Jen a drink," Manon said, as Poppy ran out of the cabin. Jen had loosened the ropes on her legs and ankles, pulling them off, and went to get up.

"Oh no young lady, you stay put. Travers told me not to let you go until you were fit, and you most certainly aren't yet," Manon said. Reluctantly Jen nodded, wincing as Belle was rubbing at her ankles and calf muscles.

After a few minutes, during which the ship continued to try and bounce them off the cabin walls, Manon passed Jen her clothes, and told her she could go. Scrambling into her trousers and shirt, Jen quickly kissed Manon on the cheek, and ran out.

"Back to our cabin I think Belle dear, this doesn't feel like it is getting any better." Manon returned to her cabin, to find Susan curled up in the bunk, shivering, frightened by the sound of the storm and the pitching of the ship.

Belle pushed Manon into the bunk alongside Susan, before pushing in alongside her, forcing Susan onto her side and against the cabin wall. They lay like that for a long time, Belle holding both Susan and Manon tightly to stop them being thrown out the bunk.

Manon and Belle must have both slept for a while, as they came awake when Jen poked her head into the cabin. She was soaking wet, and blue with cold but smiled at them anyway. "Captain's compliments, but the worst is over. So if you'd like some fresh air on deck now would be a good time."

Belle was already undoing Susan's restraints, and Manon threw her dress to her, which she quickly pulled on as she followed them out of the cabin.

Emerging into broad daylight, with a strong wind blowing across them was quite a shock after the dim and stuffy cabin but was nevertheless most welcome. Manon took a deep breath in, looking up at various crew members scrambling about up in the rigging above her head.

Travers came up to Manon, looking very tired, "my thanks for looking after Jen last night. It meant we could get more hands to work more quickly than otherwise we would have managed."

"Is everything alright now?" Manon asked. Travers dragged her hands down over her face wearily. "Yes and no. We took some damage to the main mast and sails, we are repairing it as best we can now. We had to run before that storm though, so we are way off course into the bay of Biscay. Won't know where until Cap'n can get some bearings at midday."

Manon didn't entirely understand the implications of all of that, but nodded as its immediate meaning was clear enough.

There was a sudden burst of shouting from above Manon, who looked up, only to find herself being thrown violently across the deck, along with Travers. Belle had charged into her and knocked them both flying.

Manon was still trying to work out why when a sudden crashing and banging made her look behind her, as a tangle of rigging, ropes, sailcloth and wood smashed into the deck where she and Travers had been standing.

"Clear away there, clear away" she heard the Mate shouting as crew appeared from all over, pulling frantically at the tangle of ropes and wreckage on the deck. Two women appeared with axes, and hacked through some of it, and as others pulled the sailcloth aside, Manon saw why they were so frantic.

Poppy lay under a tangle of wreckage, laying still, either dead or unconscious. The mate, Carter was there, organising freeing the girl, while the captain stood back grim faced looking on.

Manon turned to Belle, and gently kissed her on the cheek. "Ma Belle," she said softly, squeezing her hand, "saved me again."

Belle blushed, quietly murmuring "always Manon."

Travers, sporting a bruised cheek where she'd hit her face on something as Belle shoved them out of harm's way, held a hand out to Belle, and silently shook forearms with her, before she quickly went to help free Poppy.

"Tess, how is she?" the captain asked. Tess looked at her and shrugged, "can't tell yet, but it isn't good." Manon approaching the captain said, "Captain? I really do have medical training, let me look at her please?"

She and the mate exchanged looks and at Tess's nod, the captain said, "please, do what you can?"

"Belle," Manon said, wincing slightly as she'd used her real name, "fetch the medical things? Captain, if you have a medicine chest now would be a good time to bring it to me." Belle left, followed by Travers who was heading in the direction of the captain's cabin.

As Manon impatiently waited for the last of the wreckage to be lifted off Poppy, she saw several of the crew were sporting injuries as well. Some nasty looking cuts, one woman with a large splinter of wood clean through her hand and another with what Manon was fairly sure was a broken wrist, from the unnatural angle of the bones.

"Don't move her, at all," Manon said sharply as two crew members went to lift Poppy. The crew stopped but looked at Tess, "Do as she says, she's more medical knowledge than the rest of us."

Manon knelt by Poppy's side. She was too pale, and breathing shallowly. She was lying on her left hand side, her left arm and leg both tucked under her, but she didn't appear to be bleeding anywhere.

Manon sucked a deep breath in and slowly let it out as she ran her hands over Poppy, barely touching her, from the top of her head all the way down each leg in turn.

"There's no obvious internal injuries, and her skull isn't fractured," Manon said out loud. She was having to tune out the muttering from the crew, who clearly knew that Manon had just used magic to assess Poppy.

"Jen, are you there?" Manon called out, not looking up from Poppy. "Here ma'am," came the reply. "When I tell you to, help Belle turn Poppy onto her back please, very slowly and very gently. If I tell you to stop, you must hold her in whatever pose that it is, clear?"

"Yes miss," Belle said, and Manon saw Jen nodding as she and Belle knelt down by Poppy. "Travers, hold Poppy's head please? Try to keep her neck straight and don't let her head flop. I don't think she's hurt her spine, but I can't be absolutely sure."

"I'm going to need a board or a plank to move her with in a moment," Manon called out, and she saw Carter send two crew off towards crew quarters.

Manon did another scan, just over Poppy's chest towards her left shoulder and down as much of her arm as she could reach. "She's dislocated her shoulder, and I think broken her collarbone. I warn you now people, moving her is going to hurt like the very devil, but it has to be done."

The two quick scans were very draining, and Manon could feel fatigue pulling at her. She simply didn't have the stamina that a full healer would have. "Turn her, now!"

Manon slid Poppy's left arm out as she was slowly rolled on to her back. Poppy jerked and groaned deeply, before her eyes shot open and she screamed. "Miss, by your hand, the opiate is on the top open," Belle said.

"Hold her still, do not let her move," Manon said, and turning found the small brown bottle where Belle had said it would be. "Good girl Belle, thank you," Manon told her. The top was a dropper and ordinarily Manon would have mixed the opiate liquid with some water, but there was no time for that.

She grabbed Poppy's face, and squeezed two drops straight into the girl's open mouth. "I need a sharp knife or scissors," Manon called out. Several hands appeared holding out wicked looking knives. As she took one, Manon noticed that Poppy's left foot was moving oddly.

"Shit," she said. "Hold her leg still." Manon lifted the bottom of Poppy's trouser leg, to see that her ankle was badly swollen and already showing signs of bruising. She didn't bother explaining that, everyone could see it was injured, and at this point she didn't know how badly. "Going to need two short splints, the length of Poppy's calf," she said loudly.

The opiate was taking effect, Manon could feel Poppy relaxing a bit, so picking up the knife she cut open Poppy's shirt from the hem to the neck, peeling it back from her naked torso. Looking up as she heard what turned out to be Belle ripping cloth into long strips.

"Belle, get those under her as gently as you can, and bind her arm to her chest. Keep her hand up high, bent at the elbow towards the opposite shoulder." A wave breaking over Manon and everyone else around Poppy reminded her that she really needed to get Poppy out of the weather as soon as she could.

"I can't treat her out here captain, we need to get her below decks and out of the weather." The captain nodded at the two crew, who were holding one of the cabin doors between them, that they'd taken off its hinges.

Poppy was half awake, looking very young and very frightened. "Poppy, you are going to be alright, I'll take care of you alright?" Manon said, leaning close to her. Poppy nodded, but groaned, any movement of her neck or chest was going to rile her injured shoulder.

"This is going to hurt while we move you Poppy, I'm sorry, but we will be quick. Please, it is important that you move as little as possible, understand?" A very slight nod from Poppy this time. "Good girl."

Carter handed Manon two pieces of wood for splints that had come from somewhere. Manon picked the knife up again and cut Poppy's trouser leg open, exposing her injured ankle. She positioned the two splints, but before she could ask for help, Tess Carter had bent down and was holding them in place. With a nod of thanks, Manon quickly wound several of the makeshift bandages around the leg and the splints, immobilising the ankle.

"Right get her on the board, quickly as you please and as gently as if she's your baby," Manon said. She stood up out of the way, there were stronger women here to do this.

Checking that Belle had got Poppy's arm secured, which she had, Manon said, "Roll her on to her right side, now!" The two crew with the door slid it under Poppy as far as they could and Poppy was gently rolled back onto it.

"Where to?" the captain asked Manon. "My cabin, she's going to need a lot of care for a while." Carter organised several crew to pick the makeshift stretcher up and they carried it carefully to the cabin, even managing the steps down without tipping Poppy off.

Manon grabbed Belle and whispered to her, "I'm going to ask the captain to have you and Susan move to the other cabin. I'm going to need space to look after Poppy."

"Miss, may I ask a favour?" Belle said, with a sly smile. "Ask for us to be moved to crew quarters and for Susan to be put to work? They need a ship's girl for a bit, and with the other crew injured, Jen may be too busy."

Manon smiled at her, "and perhaps Belle, you would be prepared to help out with the ship's girl's duties?" Belle nodded happily.

"You saved me from serious injury or worse up there Belle, I owe you more than that treat. Miss Butler did promise Astley wasn't finished with her, perhaps we shall have to make sure that happens?" Belle nodded even more happily.

"Will Susan be alright with it? If she throws a fit?" Manon asked.

"Miss, you've been more than patient with her. Dose her with something for the first night, she'll be fine after that, I'll see to that," Belle said.

"Very well, give Poppy one more drop of the opiate if you think she needs it, but no more. I will be back shortly." Manon approached the mate, who was watching Poppy being set down on the floor on her makeshift stretcher.

"I realise this isn't ideal timing, but might I have a quick word with you and the captain?" Tess Carter nodded at her, and led her to the quarterdeck, where the captain was standing looking unhappily at the crew working on clearing the deck still.

Manon outlined her plan, and the reason for it. "It's simply too crowded captain, and while we could use the Gardners' cabin with your permission, it seems ill omened."

"And you are sure that your Belle," she said using the right name pointedly, "will be happy with this, and that Susan will too?"

"I can assure you that Susan will be compliant, and she needs to be put to work captain. She's not got in her to start a crew member's proper duties, but she was a domestic, so can serve the crew that way. In all respects."

"As for Belle captain, frankly, your crew should be careful what they wish for. She is more than eager to help," Manon said. Both the captain and her wife the mate laughed at that.

"If I might suggest captain," the mate asked, grinning at her wife. "Perhaps Susan could serve you and me the first night. It will be less rough on her than the crew might be?"

"Oh, so feeling soft are you then Tess? That will be a first," the captain said. "Let's do it then, it can't make this voyage any more unusual than it already has been."

"Captain, by your leave, I should get back to Poppy. I'm going to have to reset her shoulder and given her collarbone injury, that is going to be difficult."

"Of course. One thing, will she recover fully?" the mate asked. "With luck yes, but that arm will be weak for quite some time, months certainly. And her shoulder may be liable to dislocating again in the future," Manon said.

"A proper hospital will be able to fix her up better than I can, if you can get her to one," Manon added.

"Captain?" Carter said. "The Mercy hospital at Bordeaux? They are well used to healing sailor's injuries."

"And we are already so far off course, and damaged, so we have good reason to put in there before resuming for Biarritz," the captain said thoughtfully. "Well, let's see where we are, but I like that idea. I've not have Poppy maimed for lack of care from us."

Manon left them discussing their navigation problems, and returned to the cabin. Travers was chasing crew away, who were hovering. Two of them were putting the door back on to the crew quarters, as it was where Poppy's makeshift stretcher had come from.

The endless practicality of the crew continued to impress Manon, a lot of the time they didn't need any instruction. Like with the door they just got on with what needed doing.