“It wasn’t my fault. The mechanic told me the repairs were solid. He lied. We’re gonna sue him.”
“Regardless of what actions you take, Siren of the Seas will accommodate you until we return to Miami,” Patterson said.
A woman timidly raised her hand. “Today?”
“When we complete our voyage.”
“Which is?”
“Saturday.”
The mouthy man let loose a string of expletives, stopping short of calling Patterson and Siren of the Seas’ crew members names.
Patterson, having heard enough, cut him off. “We can return you to what’s left of the yacht, if it hasn’t sank, and let the next ship passing by pick you up.”
“You will not,” he haughtily replied. “It’s your legal duty to render assistance if you locate anyone at sea and in danger.”
“Lawyer legal-ese.” The words slipped from Millie’s lips before she could stop them.
All eyes turned to her.
She shrank back. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
A woman, blonde and on the thin side, snorted loudly. “Where will we stay?”
“We have cabins available.”
She promptly perked up. “A suite?”
“Unoccupied crew cabins,” Oscar replied.
Her hand flew to her chest. “We’ll be staying in crew cabins? I…uh…am claustrophobic and prone to panic attacks.”
“However did you survive on a yacht,” Patterson sarcastically replied.
It appeared the mockery went right over her head. “The yacht was gorgeous with spacious suites and large windows.” Blondie described it in great detail, gushing over the amenities. “Tohan and the other crew members did an excellent job of caring for us.”
“If only the yacht hadn’t gone down,” Mouthy snarled. “What about the items you took from us?”
“They’ll be returned when you disembark.”
“I have epilepsy. I need my CBD.”
“It’s not allowed on board.” Patterson began scribbling. “You can visit the medical center and request a substitute to replace your…medicine of choice.”
Furious, he let loose another string of cuss words.
Patterson interrupted. “We’ll need you to give us your names, addresses, and cell phone numbers, along with an emergency contact to inform them of the rescue.”
The three people Millie suspected were crew members quickly wrote down their information.
“We…uh…have our phones.” The other woman, a brunette who had so far remained silent, held up her phone.
“You’ve informed your families of your rescue?” Oscar asked.
“Not yet,” Mouthy said. “We figured we should probably break it to my father first, seeing how the yacht is his.”
A brief discussion ensued with Patterson explaining the incident had already been reported to the Coast Guard and Miami port authorities.
