Jackie was yoinked up just in time. Her ribs screamed from the sharp jolt, but relief overwhelmed her dizzy pain. The underbelly of her ship came into sharper focus and Jackie already began to plan what would need to be done once she reached the deck.

A piercing screech below cut into Jackie’s planning. She looked down just in time to see the dragon clamp its mouth around Valencia’s long braid.

“Pribbling weather-bitten sow!” Valencia bellowed, swinging at the dragon.

The dragon tugged at the braid, jerking Jackie and Valencia backward. Jackie gripped onto Valencia’s boot tighter, her ribs and wrists popping from the stress.

Valencia roared again, and Jackie looked down just in time to see Valencia punch the dragon on its snout.

The dragon reared back from the attack, its eyes going wide as it shook its head like a dog flicked on the nose. Jackie braced herself to be either eaten or torched.

“Try it again gorbellied clot pole!” Valencia shouted, swinging herself towards the dragon.

“Are you stupid?” Jackie hollered down to Valencia.

“It fucking stole my hair!” Valencia shouted back, her fists punching the open space between her and the still stunned dragon.

“It will fry you!”

Except it didn’t. Amazingly enough, the dragon retreated, Valencia's long red braid trailing from its jaw like a trophy.

“Frothy coward!” Valencia shouted at the dragon’s retreat.

Before Jackie could give into temptation and drop Valencia, they were both pulled onto the safety of the deck. From a hazy distance, Jackie could hear Valencia fighting the crew. Closer to home, Jackie’s pain nearly overwhelmed her. Each breath was a fresh wave of electric stabbing in her ribs, and her wrists throbbed with every heartbeat. She tried leaning over the railing to ease the shock, but that only made it worse.

“Oh Jackie, darling,” Morrows’ long warm fingers cupped Jackie’s face and his soft lips pressed carefully against hers. “Darling, are you hurt? Might I examine?”

Jackie nodded and forced herself to speak. “I think I have cracked my ribs, and my wrists are sore.”

When she opened her eyes her vision was filled with Morrows’s sapphire orbs and pale features. He had snapped back his thick-rimmed goggles and was tearing from the chill and strength of the air he had never gotten used to.

“Do I have your permission to remove your corset?” He asked, a light smile lighting his countenance.

“Yes,” Jackie said, gasping from the shock of trying to laugh. “But do not get too restless, my stallion.

“Darling,” Morrows said, looking back at the crew. “Not in front of the others.”

Jackie almost laughed again from the husk in Morrows' normally light tone. But the tremor it inspired quickly took her breath away.

“Oh, oh darling, I’m an absolute clodpole,” Morrows stammered, going quickly to his work. “Here, let me have a look.”

He untied the rope from around Jackie's waist and removed her outer corset with the familiarity of a lover and the care of a doctor.

Jackie bit down when Morrows touched at the injured ribs and tried to focus on what was happening around her.

She found Valencia first, flat-assed against the railings of the ship just a few feet away from Jackie. The dragon had taken a good chunk of Valencia's hair, and what now remained was a close crop of red exclamations flailing in the wind.

“I said do not touch me, heathens!” Valencia’s roar had a ragged edge to it. “I’ve already beaten back a poxy dragon, and I can do the same for a bunch of errant fool-born varlets.”

Jackie’s crew stood back from Valencia, more amused than scared. Jackie didn't doubt they were quick to notice Valencia's injury;  her right leg was splayed out in front of her, and one hand was wrapped protectively just above her ankle.

“She needs to be moved to the brig,” A honeyed voice said from behind Jackie.

“Qadir,” Jackie wheezed.

A tall, turbaned man with a white beard stepped beside Jackie, discreetly avoiding her exposed side.

Dressed in a plain white kafta, Qadir was the ship’s second-in-command and had been with Jackie since the day she stole the ship.

“It will be better for her to go to the med bay,” Jackie said. “She has been injured too, look at the way she holds her ankle.”

Qadir considered this, his dusky brown hand soothing through his beard. “It would have been better to let her go, Jackie. We do not keep captives.”

“I have my reasons, Qadir,” Jackie said flicking her eyes to his face.

Qadir stared, but then nodded. “We will have a meeting once the doctor is done with your treatment and the Englander is placed somewhere.”

“Toot-suite, Qadir!” Morrows responded cheerily, slathering Jackie’s ribs with a cooling salve before pulling her shirt back down. “I’ve done all I can, you understand! You were right, darling, your ribs are at least cracked. As for your wrists, well, nothing but a bit of too much pulling. All shall be well with time, you understand. You may return to your duties if you so wish, my captain!”

Jackie pressed her hand against her side and took a moment to catch her breath. With Morrows’ cooling salve it was at least easier to take full breaths, if not entirely pain-free.

“Are you ready to resume as Captain?” Qadir asked, holding his hand towards Valencia. “Or shall I?”

Valencia, otherwise helpless, had managed to find a splinter on the deck and was now using it against the crew. "Back, worthless heathens!"

Jackie straightened her spine as much as she could and strode towards her crew, faking the steps of a confident leader.