Shipwrecked - Chapter 141: Deliveries and Lines (MF creampie)

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Chapter 141: Deliveries and Lines

Hakee still had not given me an answer by November 15th, and on the morning of the 16th, I decided to gently ask her for her thoughts. I waited until we'd broken from breakfast and went to where she was setting up the poles to fish down the beach to the West. Quietly, I sat beside her, taking one of the poles in my hands and casting out the line after baiting it with a small piece of clam.

“I'd love to know what you are thinking, Hakee,” I said softly, “about my offer.”

The teen stared at the blue-green water which sparkled with brilliant white speckles of reflection. I waited silently while she gathered her response. Turning her head towards me, Hakee replied, “I have a concern...”

“Let's talk about it,” I suggested, slowly drawing in the line without any detectable nibbles.

“What if I make mistakes, Kal?” Hakee left the thoughtful question to hang a moment, looking past my face.

“Then you are human, I think,” I said sympathetically. “Everyone makes mistakes.”

“I'm serious,” she said, frowning, “what if I... err... what is the phrase Amy uses... 'fuck up?' If I have to take your place, people will expect more from me than they do now, and... so much depends on not fucking up...”

I pondered how to respond, casting my line out into the moderately-heavy surf. “Did I ever tell you about how I almost destroyed my company, back before all this?”

Hakee shook her head, “No... I don't believe so...”

“Kate and I owned a company together, doing software and technology for businesses. It was growing pretty well for a while because we worked our asses off, and, honestly, we got lucky. Right place, right time, all that.” I said, repositioning myself to sit cross-legged. “There was this big opportunity, a chance to work with a Fortune 50 company.” When I saw her begin to ask a question, I explained, “That means a really big company making tons of money.”

She nodded, and I continued. “In one our meetings, where we were hammering out what our partnership might look like, we came to a point where it was up to me fight for the best deal we could get. Our business had been going okay, but we'd slowed down with the economy, and we were looking at perhaps laying some people off as a result. A lot of stress. A lot of lives on the line.”

I sipped water from a flask. “This deal would give us a new chance to gather money we needed to expand into new markets and to not only retain all of our employees, but we would be able to hire more. During that important meeting, I fucked up, Hakee.”

“How?”

“By being greedy. I thought I knew better than those on the other side of the deal. I tried to get more than they'd offered, and rather than doing so moderately so as to keep things moving towards an agreement, I demanded, outright demanded, that the deal must be great for us. Not just good. Great. Better than I had a right to expect. The numbers were all wrong, and it was only later that I realized how stupid I'd been. The Fortune 50 company team were so angry by the way I'd commandeered the discussions that they recommended to their decision makers that my company was a risky partner and though we held a few more meetings afterwards, it became clear soon enough that they were no longer interested in meeting my demands..”

Hakee asked, “So what happened?”

“We didn't get the deal, and our business stagnated. We were immediately faced with firing people. I felt horrible. It was totally my fault. I could have been more reasonable in my demands, more realistic in what could or should be offered to us. I know that now, but at the time, I felt betrayed and angry at the other side.”

“And you had to fire people...” Hakee said softly.

“I didn't end up doing that.” I cast my line out again. “Kate and I had made a lot of money personally over the years and as I came to understand how much I'd fucked up, I wanted to ensure that my employees did not suffer from my mistake. Kate agreed with my idea, and so, instead of firing people, we used our own money to shore up payroll and ensured we could keep everyone on for at least eighteen months.”

I watched her face to see if she understood my point. Hakee's expression was neutral and muted.

“What I'm saying, Hakee, is that everyone fucks up. And when you're in a position where other people depend on you, those fuckups are magnified. You're right to worry about that. No good leader would overlook those concerns. But you can't let yourself be restrained by those fears. You will fuck up, whatever you decide. All you can do, all anyone can do, is take your position seriously and ensure you consider the effects your decision will have on those who depend on your choices. I didn't do that, and it was only because of my personal wealth that I was able to make up for my mistake. If I'd have thought more about the impact of my stance in those negotiations, I would never have ignored the way I risked the livelihoods of those who worked for me.

“And here... I admit I was somewhat reluctant to be the person in charge. It is a lot of weight, Hakee. A lot of weight. But... the thing that matters most, the priority in all of this, is that I care deeply for those who chose me. I care deeply for their well-being, for their prosperity and happiness. I'll fuck up, yes, but I won't forget why I agreed to be Chief. I have a daughter, wives, others whom I love and respect. Whenever I make decisions, no matter what skills I lack to do so, I'll ensure the islanders' needs come first. And, when I do make mistakes, which I will, I will take responsibility and then learn from them, as I hope I've done since that business negotiation went terribly wrong.”

Hakee turned back towards the rushing surf, saying nothing a while. A while later, three fish pulled in, she turned back and said directly, “I'll do it.”

I smiled at her, “Wonderful. Then let's get started immediately on what I know about being Chief, which, admittedly, is very little at this point.”

I talked to Hakee about seeking advice from the Council and Secretaries on all matters. If it wasn't an immediately emergency, the Chief shouldn't need to operate via fiat. There was a lot of experience and wisdom on the island, and a good leader knew how to get good advice from those around her. I also told Hakee that there were times she would need to be decisive, as well. If the situation was unclear, or there was not an agreement amongst her advisors, and a decision was needed, she must make a choice and ensure it is followed. Some situations, I told her, would not have simple or obvious solutions. Some questions didn't have easy answers. Some of the decisions she would make would turn out poorly, but on the whole, if she listened to those around her and ensured that she was firm once a decision was made, she would put herself, and all Phoenicians, in the best position possible.

Hakee warmed up to the idea quickly, asking many questions, and easily showing my ignorance on things I was expected to deal with. How do we negotiate trade fairly? What sorts of situations would lead to the Chief kicking someone off the island, or refusing a probationary visitor citizenship? How do you tell someone you love that they cannot do something? None of these questions had easy answers, and I promised her we would both be learning on the job.

I let her know I wanted her at my side whenever possible during the times I spoke with the Council or was involved in other important decision making. It should help Hakee to become more confident as she observed and listened to what was going on. I silently promised that I would do my best to be her mentor, but it did seem sort of silly knowing how little I knew about being Chief myself.

I let the Council know that Hakee had made her decision, and they embraced it fully.

- - -

That evening brought a cry from the shelter I shared with my wives and daughter that had me racing from the fire pit. Keekah had been napping and was inside clutching her stomach, the blanket beneath her wet. Manu was beside me instantly and made it clear Keekah was going into labor.

Bailey and Hakee rushed to the bath house to prepare, and Tok and I cradled Keekah and helped her slowly walk through the connected buildings as she breathed heavily and was clearly in a bit of discomfort.

Before long, Keekah was in position in the bath.

For all the hours and difficulties Amy had had during childbirth, Keekah's delivery was the opposite. No more than three hours after the first signs of her labor, her cervix had dilated and the head of her child was slowly pushed through her vagina. Keekah strained but stayed focused. The moment she'd wished for was finally occurring and the teen was doing everything she could to ensure she was holding her baby in her arms as quickly as possible.

A weak cry was followed by a cough and a stronger wail. I was holding Keekah's hand and dabbing her forehead while the last push was made. I looked down past my wife's bulging stomach to see Manu already cleaning away the amniotic fluid from the newborn's nose and mouth.

The infant seemed small, certainly compared to Azure at birth. It had a light grayish-brown skin tone with thin ribbons of matted, straight brown hair forming a crown of sorts on its head. Based on those features, along with the brilliant blue-green eyes, it seemed clear the child was mine. My heart leapt with joy.

Manu wrapped the child up in a towel and settled it against Keekah's chest.

As the young mother beamed and cried softly, holding the tiny human against her breasts, I heard Manu say, “It's a boy.”

I kissed Keekah's cheek and whispered, “I love you, Keekah. Our boy is beautiful.”

She grinned as I wiped her tears. “Love you, Kowl. Love you give me baby. I love giving you this baby.” Keekah was clearly overwhelmed, something I'd only very rarely seen from her. Even as her body had to hurt and Manu and the others cleaned her swollen, distended genitals, the joy on her face showed clear and true.

I noticed that Manu was concentrating between Keekah's legs again, her hands moving carefully as she probed past the umbilical cord still attached to mother and son. I became concerned when Keekah groaned in pain again. “Manu?”

She said evenly, “There is another...”

Keekah's tightly-drawn eyes raised. “Two?”

“Seems so,” Manu replied, working carefully in Keekah's vagina.

While Keekah gently held her son on her chest, her body tightened and relaxed in cycles. I was fairly certain that twins could be a complicated delivery. While many were delivered within an hour or so of each other, sometimes it could be a separation of days. I returned to holding Keekah's hand tight and dabbing her sweaty forehead with a cool cloth.

But again, as the first baby had come, the second was soon being pushed quickly from Keekah's body. She strained and breathed deep, following Manu's instructions on when to give all her effort. In moments, a second form emerged and soon was crying softly.

Keekah watched with amazement as Manu cleared the child's face of amniotic fluid and then proclaimed, “A girl.” Like the boy, the child had light grayish-brown skin and thin, matted-but-straight brown hair. Like her brother, she had shiny blue-green eyes.

I felt overwhelmed, but I tried not to let it show. The second child was soon cradled on Keekah's chest.

My teen wife's joy was clear and wonderful to see. Even in some measure of pain, she was thrilled to be a new mother. Of twins.

“What will you name them?” I asked her as she stared at our children's faces. I'd never even considered a name, myself, let alone two. I had always sort of thought that was a primarily important thing for the mother, and felt so even more strongly here on the island where paternity wasn't always going to be clear.

Keekah stroked their heads as they drooled onto her sweaty chest. “Boy is Harry.”

I almost laughed because, for a second, it seemed like an absurdly-ordinary name for a boy in a place and time such as ours.

But then Keekah explained, “Because of Harry Potter. That was first book I read without help. Harry is courageous and he is good friend. Good and true. This is Harry.”

She turned her face towards our daughter. “And girl is Hermione,” Keekah added, just as proudly. “Smart and clever. Our daughter will be these things.”

I grinned at her explanations. “Well met, Harry and Hermione of Phoenix,” I whispered to my newborn son and daughter.

- - -

We now had four young children on the island. Three of them were mine with Bailey and Keekah, the fourth Tok and Amy's daughter. It reinforced the importance of me becoming a good leader and ensuring that Hakee did, as well. I felt more resolved to my responsibilities after the birth of Harry and Hermione. I'm not sure why that changed things, but perhaps it was just another straw on a growing pile reasons which were pushing me to fully embrace my position. Whatever it was, I started to ignore my self-doubt and think more of myself as the person in charge. It was what I'd urged Hakee to do, should that fall upon her shoulders, so it wouldn't be good practice to start my Chiefship by being a hypocrite.

Yet, temptation to do the opposite was soon in my head.

Gale returned to camp in the late morning to report on her work as head of Resources and was thrilled to meet Harry and Hermione for the first time. After a while spent with Keekah and our new babies, Gale and I went over her plans, and I have to say, they were both thorough and convincing. No details were too small. She'd even shown projections for how our supplies would be affected if we took two or five or all ten of our allotted newcomers. Each of those projections showed we could absorb immigrants so long as they labored as expected and helped produce more crops and proteins.

Gale showed me plans for the new fields in the North. It would take a couple of months of work, she expected, before crops could be planted there, and she wanted to get started in earnest to ensure we maximized the growing season left to us. She also plotted out places for us to clear trees near the main camp to plant more crops of various types. We'd need to add irrigation as we had in the North, and that presented a challenge.

The water flowing into the main camp from the stream which ran down from the upper ridge and the lake above had a very predictable, consistent flow, so long as the rains came regularly, but after a couple of weeks of nothing but mostly-clear skies, as was the case on November 17th, the flow slowed considerably. We knew the lake level was low, and the stream held less than half the normal volume.

This was still plenty to feed into our storage system in camp, but if we diverted some of the flow to the crops, we risked shortages of fresh water elsewhere. It was a tricky issue without an immediate solution. Gale advised me that we should plant the most low-water crops we had so that we could attempt to avoid the need to irrigate. These included a variety of amaranth grains which Kunomo had brought with him. The fast-growing plants were edible and included both grains and leaves which were nutritious. We'd also try some of the very successful sweet potatoes which had flourished in the North and which Amu had suggested did not need a great deal of water to thrive.

I approved Gale's proposals for the fields and crops, as well as her schedule of rationing which was so thoroughly detailed as to include projections for thread and fishing line usage. Thankfully, most of our basic non-edible supplies were solid for the time, even with newcomers on the horizon.

“There is something I wanted to discuss which is sort of... off the record... and off the books,” Gale said hesitantly.

“Okay,” I replied as we sat on the steps of my shelter. The day's heat had us all naked and sweating, so it felt great to get out of the direct sun for a few minutes.

“The drugs,” Gale said, sipping water.

“I thought you had all that covered,” I said, uncertain. I'd seen her detailed lists of medications and use rates for our supplies of anti-histamines and painkillers and other common pills.

“No, I mean the other drugs.”

It clicked what she meant. “Oh... those. Had forgotten about those.” She meant, of course, the case of illicit drugs which had been discovered when the boat wrecked on our shore so long ago. There'd been useful items inside, painkillers, muscle relaxers, those sorts of things, and also marijuana which we treated as perfectly normal. I still enjoyed smoking grass regularly, and since we could grow more of it than we could possibly consume, we only had to plant a few seeds each season.

However, there were other drugs in the case. Cocaine. Heroin. Speed of some sort. Some of the pills we couldn't identify and no idea what they were. It wasn't clear whether any of those items were still viable. I didn't know if the various illegal powders and pills had a shelf-life which might have passed by.

We'd kept all of the non-medically useful items carefully sealed and stored in the very back of our main storage, and as far as I knew, no one had used anything there since the few times, many, many months earlier, I'd enjoyed a line or two of cocaine.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“Not sure, honestly. Definitely don't want to be putting it out there that these things are around, don't want to come up with some sort of ration schedule. That's absurd,” Gale said, frowning. “But...”

“But we own them,” I completed her thought, “communally.”

She nodded. “That's the problem. I think this is the Keg side of the Bottle-Keg Rule, but... Kal, I'm just not in favor of letting anyone go in and get high freely. I'm certain no one has gotten in there recently, but the temptation will surely be there.”

I pondered the issue a moment, then said, “The cocaine has some historical medical uses as a numbing agent, such as for dental work, I believe, so we can apply the same rules you already developed around medical supplies. That keeps it off-limits for casual use, at least in principal. I suppose heroin and the others could be similar. I could foresee someone in so much pain that a strong opiate like heroin is reasonable.”

Gale nodded again. “I like that. Still, just knowing they are around...”

The tone of her voice was not what I expected. I realized I'd missed something underlying her thoughts. “Tempted, Gale?”

She sat silently a moment. “You know my memories come back slowly from my life before I ended up here. Less often in the past year than they did the first few months you were here, but one thing I do recall is that I was a fairly young woman, maybe in my twenties, and I seem to remember enjoying doing coke. I... I've had an urge to try it again, Kal. I mean... I really would like to just try a line or two...”

“Have you—” I started to ask.

Gale shook her head immediately. “No. I have not let that temptation take form, Kal. But I admit there have been a few moments where I wondered what the harm might be, you know? We consume rum and cannabis without a second-thought, and yet, this is off-limits...”

“For good reason,” I replied, “it can be heavily abused and the damage from frequent use is severe.”

“Could you not say the same for alcohol, at least?”

I pondered that a moment, then said, “Yes, you could. It's a fine line, Gale. I'm not sure what the right decision is here. I admit... I, too, have enjoyed a line or two at times. Even on the island, as you probably remember. Just a couple of times.”

Gale nodded, “Bailey made you stop.”

“Yes. One of the very few times she's been mad at me. So I stopped and haven't really thought much about it since.”

I could see Gale thinking things through. She added, “On the positive side, occasional use is linked with increased energy, at least in small bursts, as well as mental acuity. Could you not see a case where both were needed in a crisis?”

I narrowed my eyes, “what do you mean?”

She titled her head, replying, “Say in a crisis, maybe after a big supper and a cup of rum. Something happens where you need a clear head and a quick wit. Maybe we are attacked. That sort of thing. I could see where that would come in handy to help un-befuddle ourselves.”

Not wholly convinced of her argument, I countered, “And maybe it just adds to the confusion. Maybe it makes us less able to deal with the situation.”

“Because we might not have the experience to take advantage of effects. Maybe we freak out or aren't prepared for what we feel after taking it.”

“Are you suggesting,” I asked, “that we 'practice' doing coke?”

Gale shrugged, “Maybe. Not often. Not regularly, no. But...”

“But you want a good reason to try it again, and if you thought it might help us in a scary situation, that would be such a reason,” I said.

“Perhaps. Perhaps you're right...”

We sat silently a while before I spoke up again. “I'm torn, Gale. These people depend on us to be open and honest and not let ourselves be greedy when it comes to such things. They need us to be able to function whatever the situation. I can accept, even if at the extreme, that you might have a point, that as an enhancer in a the right moment, using it could provide us an edge we wouldn't have. But what do we risk in 'practicing?' We both have to acknowledge this is little more than an excuse to get high on coke, and the others might not appreciate our reasoning here.”

Our reasoning. The moment I spoke those words, I realized I was joining Gale in looking for an excuse to snort cocaine. Fuck. I'd just become a father of twins, had a child soon approaching a first birthday, and there were many others who depended on my leadership, on my ability to make the tough decisions correctly. Why was I looking for a logical argument to get high?

“Let's discuss this with the Elders, Gale,” I suggested, fighting myself on how to proceed, “and if needed, we take it to everyone to discuss. Whatever we decide, I do not want us sneaking around like drug fiends, abusing our positions and our power to indulge in something which others are not allowed to share.”

Gale was quiet a few seconds, then slowly began to nod. “Yes. I agree.” She turned towards me and wrapped her arms around my neck, kissing my lips. “Thanks for talking me through this. I don' t know why this has been a struggle for me. It's like... knowing it is there, seeing it again while doing my inventory work, triggered something in me that I am ashamed to admit. I don't like that I cannot simply walk away from this desire.”

“You talked to me before you acted on it. That's really important, Gale,” I told her, “give yourself some credit for seeing the concern first and acting on that, instead. The right thing is to talk to the Council. It is a fine line we walk here, I know. I'm not convinced any good can come from allowing anyone to use the cocaine, and yet... it is all of ours, communally owned, and, at least in small doses and with irregular usage, I fail to see how it is any worse than our consumption of alcohol. In both cases, we risk addictions and negative health consequences. Why are we allowing one but not the other? I suppose that's not quite true. Other than you, me, Bailey, and Keekah, I doubt anyone else knows about it. I'm sure you saw the tight seal I put on that case after I stopped using.”

Gale nodded, “It was still sealed, yes.”

I let out a long breath. “So we'll have to disclose this all exists. But first...”

“We talk to the Council.”

I nodded.

Gale patted my knee, then her fingers lingered a moment, slowly stroking my inner thigh. “Been a while for us, Kal...”

“Too long...” I agreed, my flesh swelling inches from her hand.

I leaned back through the open doorway as Gale shifted her body between my legs, her fingers soon stroking my hard cock as she kissed my stomach. I moaned in pleasure as her lips parted and her warm mouth sank over my penis. I ran my hands through her salt-matted, reddish-brown hair. It had grown so long that Gale kept it in loose braids down to her waist.

I thrust up into her mouth several times, groaning with pleasure. Before I could cum, Gale climbed over me, her knees beside my hips, and pushed her hairy, sweaty vulva along my shaft. I pulsed with excitement, the heat of Gale's genitals radiating through my groin and up into my stomach. I caressed her lovely breasts, Gale's tight, dark nipples hard and firm.

Pulling her over me, I kissed her lips, then felt the heat of her vagina sliding down my length. My hands moved over her brine-coated back and went lower. I squeezed Gale's buttocks and moaned my pleasure into her mouth as she started to ride me faster, grinding herself down onto me. The hairs between her legs were soaked with sweat and her slickness was adding to the mess where our flesh joined.

Gale started to buck over me, her hands pressing onto my chest, using my body as leverage to move her hips up and down my length. She reached a steady pace quickly, her eyes closed, her vulva swollen and sticky. I felt myself pulsing stronger, electric, a tension rising from my balls and up my shaft. Gale began to orgasm, her clit rubbing against my groin each time she slammed down, her fingers clawing my chest as her body shook and her hips flexed, her vagina becoming very slick and drooling over my genitals.

I was only seconds behind. My head rolled to one side as my semen boiled out of my penis and spurted in thick, scalding globs into Gale's slippery vagina. We orgasmed in unison, her juices mixing and churning with my cum, each pulse of my cock sending another splash of seed into her body. I emptied myself in long, pleasurable spurts and throbbed inside Gale's pussy for long moments after the last of my jism had been ejaculated inside her.

Gale fell over me and we kissed passionately a moment before she pulled back and smiled, my half-hard dick still held snuggly inside her twitching vagina. “Always love fucking you, Kal.”

“The feeling is very much mutual,” I assured her, grinning.

We kissed again, then Gale looked back over her shoulder. “I hate to fuck and run, but I really should be heading back North soon, and I want to share a few minutes with Tok before I go...”

I grinned again, “of course. That man deserves a good ride more than I do.”

“Maybe,” she said, laughing, “but I'm glad I don't have to choose only one of you...”

“Ditto.”

She slowly crawled off my body and quickly stood, closing her legs tight. A thick glob of cum slowly made its way down her inner thigh. Gale ran a finger through it and brought it to her lips, purring in satisfaction. “Tok loves to fuck me after you do... I should hurry before I lose the rest of your load...”

With that, she kissed my lips quickly and darted off to where Tok was just poking his head out of the common shelter after spending a few moments holding his daughter. I smiled as Gale rushed to his arms and they embraced. I saw the man listen to her a moment, then his broad grin was pointed in my direction and he nodded at me before taking Gale's hand and leading her into one of the other shelters.

I sat a moment, glowing with post-orgasmic pleasure, reflecting on the conversation I'd had with Gale. I was troubled by what we were considering. I knew there was good reason to hide the drugs, good reason to avoid using them. But it was wrong, I believed, to keep the others from knowing about the cocaine and other items. Like Gale, I, too, would like very much to enjoy a line or two. I wasn't so much interested in the heroin or speed or whatever else we had, but the coke had a special draw for me. I loved the rush. The heady, pulsing energy it brought. Even as I'd only experienced it a few times on the island, it was a difficult thing to ignore. Even thoughts of my responsibilities, of my children, of Bailey's anger, were not enough to prevent me from wanting that experience again.

Whatever we chose to do, Gale and I had made the right call, I thought, in deciding to go to the Council first. Their input would help us make a better decision. Or so I hoped.