" – the dressing now?" Andy’s voice woke Mitchell.

"What? Shit, the leg bag." Mitchell reached for his groin, still dry. "What?"

"We’ll change the dressing," Andy said. "I have the other flashlight. There’s no filter on it. Are you ready?"

Mitchell fought the sleep out of his head. "I need the night drainage. Check our course on the compass."

"I did."

Yellow light jammed Mitchell’s sight. He raised himself with the sail tie and his knees flew up and then shot forward in spasm. Hooking his wrist behind his knee he pulled his right leg slowly toward his chest and his gluteal muscles shuddered as they were stretched. His left leg shook straight out in extensor spasms. He wondered how long he had slept.

"It looks better." Andy was perplexed, looking at Mitchell. "It’s still open but it looks better than the last time I saw it. I don’t get it."

"I was off it," Mitchell said. "Sitting on it again is forcing fluid out of the muscle tissue. The wound will start to bruise now as it hardens."

"It has." Andy examined the sore under the light again. "It isn’t like the other one."

"It’s called induration. The hardening."

"Portland is the place to quit. This’ll heal right up."

Mitchell pulled up and swung a hand for support behind his back. His leg in spasm knocked the flashlight off the berth, darkness was instant. "Do you think I like this back breaking existence? I’m a man for Christ sake. I’ll quit when I decide to, not because you think I should. You live in a different world, where you come and go as you please. Where life is pleasant. I’m here, pal, breaking my ass to find a way. Stay the fuck out of it if it’s too much for you."

Andy’s face was unrecognizable in the blackness. Who am I talking to? Mitchell wondered. The flashlight went on again. Andy was there, to dress the wound and connect Mitchell’s catheter to the jug. He threw a blanket over Mitchell then took the leg bag up to the cockpit.

Everyday and night until the end of this life, Mitchell thought. Needing someone. Jesus. Yeah, Jesus, you. You got off easy.

Andy climbed down. "Do you want your leg elevated?"

"I’ll take care of it," Mitchell said and Andy took the flashlight to the vee berth. Mitchell closed his eyes. Enough struggling. Enough aloneness he thought. Somewhere I’ll start again. I will start again. I am so goddamn tired. There must be a place.