Onboard Deception

by Liz Turner

  “If I was pregnant?”

  “Are you?”

  “No!”

  “Then why are we having this discussion?”

  “Because what if I am?”

  “Then we deal with it when you are.”

  Gabriella stormed out of the bathroom and poured herself some water.

  “You’re angry with me?” Nick asked, quietly stalking after her.

  “Can you blame me?”

  Nick carefully contemplated his next words. “Can we talk about this?” he asked, cautiously leading Gabriella by the hand to a comfortable leather armchair.

  “I’d like that,” she said, her voice softening as she took a seat beside him. “But don’t play stupid throughout the discussion. You know exactly how the ‘baby’ thing works.”

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “Would it be so wrong if we became pregnant?” Gabriella asked timidly, hiding her face behind her hair.

  Nick scratched at his chin and shifted uncomfortably, thinking before formulating his answer. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I love you and I love our life together as it is now. I’m not sure I’d want to change anything.”

  “But what if we wake up one day realizing it’s too late to have kids? I’m not getting any younger, and we’re running out of time fast if this is something we still want. What if we’re missing out on an incredible opportunity?” The words tumbled quickly out of her mouth, like she was realizing her thoughts for the first time.

  “You’ve been talking to Nancy, haven’t you?” Nick asked with a knowing smirk.

  “Yeah.” Gabriella sighed. “But she got me thinking—what if we’re making a mistake?”

  “In my opinion, we have an opportunity to do something most couples can’t, and that’s run our own cruise line. We’re living the dream!” He leaned back and rested his head on the armchair, a content smiled fixed on his lips.

  “But who are we going to pass the dream on to?”

  The muscles stiffened in Nick’s neck at the question. His head shot upright, and he gave a quizzical look. “I hadn’t thought that far,” he admitted. “What if we just stay young forever?”

  Gabriella rolled her eyes. “This is nothing to joke about.”

  “I know, my love. And I’m not trying to make light of the matter. It’s just a lot to take in.”

  “Well, I’m bringing it up so you can think about it.”

  “All right,” he agreed. “I’ll think about the possibility of a baby Fischer bouncing around here.”

  “Well, that’s the thing,” Gabriella pointed out, realizing she would have to spell it out for him. “You can’t exactly raise a kid onboard a cruise ship…”

  “Why not?”

  “It isn’t the most ideal place to have a colicky baby screaming through the night while half the ship is trying to sleep, and the other half is trying to party. Or how well do you think its first steps will go when it stumbles off the edge of a cruise ship and gets eaten by sharks? Not to mention the danger of being surrounded by three hundred strangers grabbing at its cute cheeks and squeezing it to death!” Gabriella felt like she was running out of air and a slight pain was throbbing in her chest. “It would be easy for you,” she accused. “You’d just go off to your shift. I would be the one who’d have to change my life and deal with a hungry, pooping, squealing blob of human demanding everything I have every second of the day!”

  “Gabi,” her husband soothed, his heavy hand resting on her arm, “calm down, love. You’re right. It’s a lot to consider. I didn’t realize our entire lives would change and we would have to leave the cruise line behind.”

  “I don’t see another way,” she mumbled. “We can’t have both worlds.”

  “I love being a captain,” he said, a sadness entering his eyes.

  “And I love being a captain’s wife.” Gabriella pecked her husband on the cheek. “But I think I might also enjoy being a mother…”

  “Hmm,” her husband conceded, sinking into deep thought.

  “I better start getting ready for the day,” Gabriella said after checking her watch. “And before you tell me to take the day off, I’m fine.”

  “All right,” Nick said. “But maybe stop by Nancy and take the test...”

  ***

  A rattled Gabriella stepped out into the corridor, not entirely ready to face the day. She still felt queasy, but had been too scared to eat, so her vacant belly burned with hunger.

  Sarah bobbed into view, and one look at her expression told Gabriella all she needed to know about the state of the ship.

  “It’s chaos out there!” Sarah squealed. She smoothed her hair down three times and checked her digital schedule with trembling fingers.

  “What’s going on?” Gabriella asked, steeling herself.

  “More food poisoning!”

  “Are you serious?”

  “You’ll see for yourself,” Sarah replied anxiously. “Doctor Nancy is asking to see you.”

  Gabriella nodded, taking a deep breath. Part of her wanted to crawl back into her warm bed and ignore the day—ignore the sick passengers and just dream her day away, thinking about baby clothes and adorable toddlers.

  A passenger wobbled by, bumping Gabriella into the wall and interrupting her thoughts.

  The passenger looked up apologetically, and Gabriella noticed the familiar green tinge on her face. “Restrooms are that way!” she yelled at the passenger who was now covering her mouth with both hands.

  “I’ve shifted twenty of the usual staff to assist with cleaning, but at this rate, we’re going to run out of disinfectant before the cruise is over.”

  Another passenger stumbled out of the restroom, weak-kneed and pale-skinned. A shiny film of sweat lined her brow.

  “Are you okay?” Gabriella asked gently, though keeping a foot between them.

  “The oysters,” the woman moaned, her eyes dazed. “It must have been the oysters! They were so good. I had too many.” The woman halted, her eyes filling with panic as she quickly turned on her heel and bolted back into the restroom.

  “That’s the fifteenth complaint I’ve had about the oysters,” a bemused Sarah commented.

  “But I checked the oysters last night and so did the chef,” Gabriella said. “They were fine. Chef even tasted one.”

  Sarah gave Gabriella a look of utter panic.

  “What’s wrong?” Gabriella asked, her heart sinking at the possibility of more bad news.

  “The chef called in sick today. He complained about a sick stomach.”

  Gabriella’s eyes widened in horror as she realized how many oysters were served and just how many passengers were likely affected. “This is a nightmare!” she hissed under her breath as a group of harried cleaning staff hurried to another liquid massacre, shooting wild glances at their boss as if she should do more to solve the problem.

  ***

  There was an endless queue outside of the doctor’s rooms, with all the nurses and Nancy working overtime to attend to patients. Gabriella dropped her head in shame as she hurried past the groaning, wavering line of sick people leaning against the wall. Tired of the wait, some had collapsed on the floor with buckets clutched between their knees.

  “Sarah,” Gabriella ordered, “put about five chairs out for patients. Then give the remaining ones numbers and send them back to their respective cabins. Tell them a nurse will call when it’s their turn to see the doctor. It doesn’t do to have this wing blocked by people hurling all over each other.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Sarah clicked into action.

  “Melissa?” Gabriella blurted in horror when she saw the pale, makeup-less blonde at the front of the queue.

  “This is your fault!” Melissa accused in a husky voice.

  “But you didn’t have any oysters,” Gabriella pointed out. “How can you be sick?”

  “I had the soup, as you recommended,” Melissa intoned, sounding as if it took all her remaining energy to talk. “And I was up all night, as sick
as a dog.”

  “I am so sorry,” Gabriella apologized. “I’ll make sure you all receive the medical attention you require. Just please be patient while we improve our system to meet the high demand.”

  “I will end you and your stupid cruise line,” Melissa spat.

  Nancy stuck her head outside of her door. “I thought I heard your voice,” she said to Gabriella. “I need to see you inside immediately.”

  Gabriella hurriedly scooted inside and locked the door behind her. “Nancy, what the heck is going on?”

  “I was hoping you could tell me. Did you see anything suspicious in the kitchen?”

  “No. We checked the oysters, and they were fine.”

  “It’s not just the oysters,” Nancy said, her expression grave. “It’s almost everyone who ate in that dining area.”

  “No, it can’t be. I was there and everything was fine…”

  “There’s a possibility there might be vermin or roaches onboard that somehow got into the food stored there. It would explain why people are sick from a wide range of foods.”

  Gabriella shook her head. “The staff keeps the kitchen spotless. You know Chef Ben—he’s neurotic with hygiene in his kitchen.”

  “Well, the other possibility is that we have an outbreak of something contagious onboard.”

  “We need to get on top of this,” Gabriella said, more for her own reassurance than for Nancy’s. “Are you keeping a record of every patient you’ve seen and what they’ve eaten?”

  “I am now.”

  Gabriella was half afraid to articulate her last question. “Have there been any fatalities?”

  “No. The symptoms aren’t fatal. Most patients are just severely dehydrated and in need of electrolytes and rest. We must do an urgent supply restock by the time we reach our next port though, because I doubt we’ll last the rest of the cruise with what we have if this persists.”

  “It won’t persist. I’ll inspect our kitchens to see what might be the cause. If that turns up nothing, then I’m afraid we have to face the more challenging possibilities.”

  “How are you ?” Nancy asked, examining Gabriella closely.

  “I woke up sick again this morning, but I didn’t eat much last night, so it might have just been the remnants of food poisoning from earlier that day.”

  Nancy raised her eyebrows. “If you say so. Just know my door is always open for you.”

  Chapter 5

  Uprising

  The main kitchen and dining area were immediately cornered off. Gabriella, leading her team of determined crew members, overturned every box, crate, and cupboard, and went through each pantry in attempts to discover a single rat dropping or roach limb.

  Once it was all over, Gabriella proudly ruled vermin off the list.

  Next, she checked all the expiration dates and conducted a full stock take of every edible and perishable item onboard. The search took hours, but was rewarded with the recovery of some expired tomatoes used in the soup the day before. Afterwards, the kitchen staff received a scathing lecture about using expired goods. They tried to assure Gabriella it was unlikely for outdated tomatoes to kill anyone, but this only sparked an additional fifteen-minute sermon, to which no one dared disagree or respond.

  Gabriella didn’t end her search for the truth there, though. She proceeded to check every air-conditioning vent for vermin debris or markings before concluding all was in perfect order.

  But still she didn’t stop. She moved on to examining the electronics on every refrigerator and freezer, checking that the temperatures and cooling systems were in perfect working order and set to the proper degree.

  “Aha!” she yelled triumphantly, kicking at an older fridge and ignoring the resulting pain in her big toe.

  “Did you find something?” a weary crew member asked.

  “This fridge sounds like it’s running efficiently, but,” she paused for dramatic effect, “if you stick your hand inside, you’ll notice there’s no cold air!”

  “Maybe it’s not supposed to be a cold fridge,” the crew member suggested. Fatigue impairing his judgement.

  Gabriella gave him a scathing stare that sent him scuttling away. “Where’s someone from the kitchen staff?” she muttered. “Max, come here!”

  “Yes, ma’am,” a breathless Max answered, running to her side.

  “Was this the fridge they stored the oysters in before service?”

  He eyed the fridge carefully. “As far as I know, we stored some oysters in here.”

  “Excellent!” She snapped her fingers enthusiastically. “I think we’ve found our problem. Who knew that a broken refrigerator and a box of expired canned tomatoes could cause so much havoc on a ship?”

  “Does this mean the search is over?” the crew member from earlier asked with a hopeful glint in his eye.

  “Of course not,” Gabriella replied. “We have to clean this space until it’s spotless. Then we have to get this place sorted out before service tonight.”

  The exhausted crew groaned, resolving among themselves never to complain about how Chef Ben ran his kitchen again, so long as Gabriella Fischer never took over.

  Gabriella trotted happily along towards the bridge control room so she could deliver the news to her husband. She flapped away her own exhaustion and instead focused on the rewards of her labor. Their crisis had been solved, and the fear of a pandemic onboard had been successfully averted. Proud of herself for figuring out the problem so quickly, Gabriella fancied herself quite the amateur sleuth.

  Rounding a corner, she suddenly overheard voices from one of the private offices used to assist passengers. The door was slightly ajar, and Gabriella made out Sebastian’s face. Sarah’s voice trailed out, her tone suggesting they were mid-argument.

  “I just want to know where this necklace came from?” Sarah hissed.

  “It was a gift!” an exasperated Sebastian answered. “Do you always go around asking where your gifts come from?”

  “I just don’t get it. Where would you have been able to buy it? We’d already been sailing a few days before you gave it to me. So where did it suddenly come from?”

  “Well, in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s not exactly new. It’s a family heirloom passed down over generations. It was my great grandmother’s, okay! So I kept it for until finding the right time to give it to you!”

  Gabriella could hear Sarah quietly pacing the deck. “So you didn’t happen across it in someone’s luggage?”

  “Where is this coming from?” Sebastian demanded, his voice rising.

  “Melissa Riley accused me of stealing her necklace, and you were the one in charge of cleaning her room! So how did it get from her bag to around my neck?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sebastian turned away from her.

  Gabriella hopped out of the way so that Sebastian wouldn’t catch her eavesdropping if he stormed out of the room.

  Hysteria entered Sarah’s voice. “If this is such a unique family heirloom, why would another woman so easily mistake it as her own?”

  “Do you really think I’m some kind of common thief?” Sebastian asked, hurt. “That necklace was rightfully mine to give!”

  “That doesn’t mean you didn’t take it from her!”

  Gabriella heard an audible sigh and then silence; Sebastian had given up the fight.

  Gabriella hustled away, and moments later, an angry Sebastian stormed out of the office behind her. Pretending to be unaware of the conversation she’d listen in on, she tried thinking of something to say. But Sebastian strode past her without a word.

  Billy Harlow stepped up behind her. “Hi, Gabriella. How are things going? I hear the problems in the kitchen have finally been sorted out.”

  “Yes, they have.” Gabriella eyed him. “You’ve been missing in action lately, though. I noticed your vice was on duty the last two days. Is everything okay?”

  “No,” Billy said grimly. “I booked the time off to plan a secret island getaway with
Nancy, but she ended up working double shifts. And then, I too made the mistake of scoffing too many oysters last night.”

  Gabriella nodded. “Ah, so it rendered you out-of-action. Don’t worry. I’ll have your day of vacation leave returned to you in exchange for one of your sick days.”

  “Thank you, Gabi.”

  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some good news to deliver to our passengers and staff.”

  “I look forward to hearing it.” Billy grinned weakly, still recovering from the oysters.

  ***

  “Good afternoon to everybody abroad Fischer Cruise Line. This is your captain, Nicolas Fischer, and I would like to speak on behalf of the entire crew. We would like to extend our humblest apologies to all who have been negatively affected by food poisoning on the ship. Please know that we have taken every measure to ensure your speedy recovery so you can once again enjoy the splendors of our cruise ship and island stops.

  It is with great joy that the crew would like to announce the resolution of the problem causing everyone’s illness. We encourage you to take time to rehydrate, rest, and recover with the certainty that your health is in excellent hands. By way of apology, please accept the gift vouchers available to all who were affected. Kindest regards and bon voyage—your captain.”

  Chapter 6

  Lockdown

  Gabriella skipped out of her cabin with a smile. It was a good day, in her opinion, because they had finally resolved the food poisoning issue. To make things even better, that morning she’d been able to enjoy a cup of java without being overwhelmed with nausea. After a miserable few days tarnished by the illness, the passengers could at last enjoy the rest of their cruise.

  Gabriella stepped onto the brow of the ship, one of her favorite places to be in the morning. The air was always crisp and tasted of the ocean. Sunlight radiated the warmth of the new day, and Gabriella grinned, delighted as the sun kissed her cheeks and nose. She opened her eyes, expecting to see passengers bustling about with breakfast smoothies and bagels, chatting about the upcoming island stop.

  But the deck was nearly empty.

  A few crew members walked around aimlessly and the odd passenger floated around nervously.