Onboard Deception

by Liz Turner

  “What’s going on?” Gabriella asked Sebastian.

  “It’s been like this all morning,” he said, checking his watch. “Usually, this part of the ship is pumping.”

  “Maybe everyone is still sleeping off the last of the food poisoning,” Gabriella suggested, trying to stay optimistic.

  “Maybe…”

  Gabriella’s phone buzzed on her hip. “Yes?” she answered, nervously.

  Nancy’s voice blurted impatiently on the other end. “We have a problem.”

  “We’ve had about a hundred of the ship’s passengers call in sick throughout the night,” Nancy informed. “And that included everyone we issued free meal coupons to after the first round of sickness.”

  “What?” Gabriella gasped in horror. “How did we end up with over a hundred?”

  Nancy shook her head, still trying to comprehend it herself. Dark rings encircled her eyes.

  “I thought we had everything under control after we rooted out the cause of all the poisoning?” Gabriella said.

  “I thought so too. But I’m believing we might not just be dealing with food poisoning.”

  “Why am I only finding out about this now? Why didn’t you alert me?”

  “I alerted your husband. Since you haven’t been feeling well, maybe he chose not to inform you.”

  “Someone should have let me know. I could’ve helped organize extra beds or something,” Gabriella said helplessly. She wasn’t accustomed to being left out-of-the-loop by her fellow crew members.

  “Sorry, but that was the captain’s orders, I’m afraid.”

  “Anyway, what did you mean by it not being food poisoning?”

  “Most of the passengers who were sick claimed they’d eaten salad last night, since their stomachs were still tender. The strange thing is, I ate salad as well and I have no symptoms…”

  “That makes no sense.” Gabriella started pacing Nancy’s office. “I really thought we’d kicked this.”

  “The difference is that I ordered my food in, like most staff, whereas everyone else ate in the main gallery.” Nancy shrugged. “Too many people are sick, and our resources are running low…”

  “How are you coping with all of this?”

  “I’m exhausted, and in all honesty, I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. If this thing is contagious, we should have acted immediately to contain it.”

  “All right,” Gabriella said, stroking her chin. “I’ll organize an emergency meeting.”

  “Good morning to all on board. This is your captain, Nicolas Fischer, speaking. I have an urgent announcement to make on behalf of the entire crew. We would like to apologize once again for the inconvenience caused to our passengers. Unfortunately, we have important rules that must be set in place immediately.

  “As of twelve o’clock this afternoon, the entire ship will undergo lockdown. We will permit no passengers to leave their cabins for any reason. We will deliver food upon order by crew members to your cabin. We strictly prohibit passengers from socializing or making use of the entertainment areas on the ship.

  We have many passengers who are sick and without sufficient medical information, it forces us to take drastic measures to ensure your safety. We’re concerned the illness might be contagious and could infect the entire population onboard. While we realize this is a major inconvenience, we value your health and safety first.

  Our doctors and nurses will remain on call twenty-four hours a day to offer any medical help you need. We will make provisions available to ensure that you stay sufficiently hydrated, should you become ill. If you have questions, please contact the crew member assigned to your cabin.

  ***

  Gabriella felt numb as she strolled the empty corridors. She glanced at the empty pool, its waters moving gently with the ship’s bobbing. The bars, dance clubs, theater, galley, karaoke bar, and other entertainment areas were vacant, except for random staff members here and there, disinfecting counters or stacking trays with ordered meals.

  An experience with the Fischer’s was supposed to be happy, sunny, and filled with fun and adventure. Not this.

  Gabriella’s heart sank. She just couldn’t figure out where they’d gone wrong, or how they would stop the rest of their passengers from catching the dreaded bug, if it was, in fact, a bug going around.

  “Don’t tell me I can’t see you. It’s why I came all of this way!” a woman’s voice snapped.

  “I didn’t ask you to!” an exasperated man responded.

  Gabriella paused, unable to believe she’d stumbled upon another sensitive conversation. This time, the door was closed, and she had no idea who was involved. She decided not to interfere. Hastening her pace, she passed the door where the voices boomed.

  “But I love you, Sebastian!”

  Gabriella skidded to a halt.

  “I don’t love you anymore!” the man retorted. Gabriella now recognized the voice as Sebastian’s. “Why did you come here?”

  “To see you!” the female voice replied.

  “We are over. I’ve moved on!”

  “Oh.” The woman snorted. “I can see you’ve moved on. You’ve downgraded to that short Asian-looking girl!”

  “Don’t you dare say another word about Sarah. She’s good, kind, and she treats people with dignity. She doesn’t just use them up and spit them out like you!”

  “It’s not fair! I make one minor mistake, and you toss me aside.”

  When Sebastian didn’t respond, Gabriella crept closer, practically pressing her ear against the door.

  “We might be stuck on a cruise ship together, but I want nothing to do with you,” he eventually said, sounding as if speaking through gritted teeth. “I’ll avoid you as much as possible, and I expect the same from you.”

  “And if I refuse?”

  “Don’t push me,” Sebastian threatened, his voice menacing.

  The woman gave an unpleasant chortle. “Well, there’s something I need to tell you, darling. Something that might change your mind about me…”

  “What could change the way I feel about you?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  Sebastian’s cold laugh penetrated through the door, surprising in its harshness. “Now you just sound desperate.”

  “It’s true. I’ve missed my time for the last four months…”

  “I don’t need to know the details of your life. It’s got nothing to do with me. There’s no way I’m the father, if you’re even pregnant at all.”

  “The timing fits. We broke up about three months ago. So I would have still been with you…”

  “Yeah, but you cheated on me the whole time we were together.”

  “That’s not fair. I only cheated on you once.”

  “No. You cheated on me many times, just with the same person.”

  “Anyway, my point is, whether or not you acknowledge the truth, I will be a mother and you will be a father.”

  “Have you even taken a pregnancy test?”

  “I-I wanted to talk to you first…”

  “I knew it was all a sudden ploy you thought up on the spot to entrap me,” Sebastian retorted. “I’m so through with you!” His footsteps pounded towards the door.

  “Wait!” the woman cried. “I’ll talk to the doctor onboard about having a test done. Then, can we at least discuss this?”

  “Show me a positive test, and then I’ll give you five minutes.”

  Gabriella had just a few seconds to get out of the way before he charged out of the door. Unfortunately, there were no crowds to disappear into.

  Frantically searching around, she spotted a cleaning cupboard and made the split-second decision to cram herself inside. This wasn’t particularly wise considering half the ship had spent the last few days throwing up everywhere and the cleaning cupboards contained the mops, buckets, and disinfectants used to clean it all up.

  Gabriella gagged and fought the urge to leap back out, her stomach heaving.

  Once certain Sebastian had
left, she exited the cupboard, the mop strings entangled around her ankle and a bucket tumbling out in front of her. She hastily shoved the contents back inside before stealthily making her way back to the room where she’d overheard the conversation.

  If she could see who Sebastian had been talking to, she might make sense of at least one mystery on the ship.

  Yet, the corridor was deserted.

  Gabriella found herself wondering whether Sarah knew about all of Sebastian’s past secrets, including this latest development.

  Her thoughts were interrupted, though, by an intense spasm cramping her stomach. She clutched her mid-section in panic as the pain rippled through her.

  Perhaps she needed to go for a test, and if that led to a clue about Sebastian’s mystery woman, then that would be merely coincidental.

  Chapter 7

  False Hope

  “I’m glad you finally decided to bite the bullet and get this done,” Nancy said.

  Gabriella smiled wearily. “Is that an ‘I told you so’?”

  “Maybe.” Nancy laughed. “So, since the ‘pee on a stick’ wasn’t really very accurate with you, I recommend we do blood tests. I have other tests I need to submit when we stop in port tomorrow, so I might as well do yours too.”

  Gabriella’s senses pricked at the nugget of information, wondering if the other blood samples were also for a pregnancy test and if they were from Sebastian’s mystery woman.

  “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

  Gabriella sighed and slumped her shoulders. She was really there simply due to a stomach cramp, which could have easily been the result of a badly digested omelette. But instead, she kept considering the possibility of pregnancy. Part of her wanted to explain that she’d jumped to such a conclusion after stumbling across an intimate conversation, but she knew that wouldn’t be wise.

  Nancy continued watching her closely, almost as if trying to read Gabriella’s mind.

  Panicked, Gabriella blurted the first thing that jumped into her head. “I think I’ve been using the problems onboard as an escape from thinking about the chances of being pregnant.”

  “I’m aware of that,” Nancy said gently.

  Gabriella blinked, pondering if she ‘d unknowingly admitted a truth that even she hadn’t been fully aware of until now. “Oh, so you’re a shrink now too?”

  Nancy shrugged. “If the shoe fits.”

  “Anyway,” Gabriella continued in response to Nancy’s unrelenting stare, “I think if the test is positive and I am actually pregnant, then I really don’t know…” She imagined herself holding a small creature that she’d just given birth to. “I can see myself holding this child in my arms, rocking it to sleep… And then, it just screams and screams at me, and I have no idea what to do.”

  Nancy’s face blanked for a moment. “Well, I’ve never heard motherhood described quite like that before.” She laughed dryly.

  “I just don’t think I’m cut out to be a mother.” Gabriella words were no longer a cover up; they were the truth she’d buried in the depths of her heart. “I know I’m efficient and hard working. I know I have a reputation of being able to ensure everything’s running brilliantly onboard this ship. But this is an easy world to fix and perfect, whereas a baby is messy and unpredictable. I mean, what if I drop it?”

  Nancy laughed, but stopped once she noted Gabriella’s the wounded expression. “My friend, like with most things you attempt, you have this incredible ability to adapt to any situation you find yourself in. You’ll have a whole nine months to prepare yourself.”

  “Okay, fair enough.” Gabriella nodded slowly. “But then there’s also the possibility that I’m not pregnant…”

  “And how would you feel about that?”

  “I don’t know. There’s this little spark inside of me that’s been ignited. I didn’t even know it was there until you dropped the baby bomb on me a few days ago. I don’t think I can put it out now that a hope has been awoken inside of me.” Gabriella clutched her chest, thinking of the potential new life she could bring into the world.

  Nancy stood. “Well, with that said, perhaps we should put your mind at rest and get going with this test?”

  “Sorry.” Gabriella frowned. “You’ve been run off your feet with everyone being sick and probably have a hundred patients to see, and here I am, wasting your time rambling about my fears of motherhood.”

  Nancy smiled. “I’m exhausted, but I’m still here for you as a friend first.” She efficiently took a blood sample from Gabriella’s arm. It stung for a second and Gabriella was embarrassed to be so conscious of such a tiny amount of pain.

  How would she fare when she had an epidural needle shoved into her spine?

  She shuddered.

  Nancy suppressed a knowing smile. “You’re still not a fan of needles, I see. Fearless Gabriella Fischer runs her own cruise line, takes on any drug smugglers that dare set foot on her ship, has a showdown with a missing passenger turned ghost, yet can’t handle a little needle prick.”

  Gabriella glowered at her friend. She then decided to use the moment to sneak in the alternate reason she’d suddenly agreed to a pregnancy test. “There’s one more thing I wanted to ask before leaving… Have you had any other passengers come in for a pregnancy test today?”

  “Not yet.” Nancy folded her arms and frowned. “A passenger did call to request an appointment for one though.”

  “Did you get her name?”

  Nancy raised her eyebrows. “You know I can’t reveal that kind of information, Gabi.”

  “I thought perhaps doctor-patient confidentiality didn’t apply on cruise ships.”

  “Well, with something as sensitive as a pregnancy test, I have to be discreet.” She narrowed her eyes. “May I ask why you’re so interested in another patient?”

  “It’s best you don’t know,” Gabriella said sheepishly, averting her gaze.

  “Well, I can’t help you. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. I completely understand. I should let you get back to your rounds. Perhaps I should accompany you. It might help me better assess the needs of our passengers.”

  “Excellent idea.” Nancy smiled tiredly. “You can carry my supply bag.”

  The number of patients on Nancy’s never-ending list was horrifying. She tried to assist Nancy whenever she could, handing out rehydrate sachets or recording temperatures. All the while, she attempted soothing the passengers with comforting assurances that everything would be okay and that the cruise line would compensate them for the difficulties.

  Gabriella found herself apologizing at every door, her faith that this would ever end weakening. With every patient they met, her heart grew heavier, feeling more responsible for the suffering. She smiled sympathetically until she thought her face might crack. She ran back and forth, fetching water and more medication, her feet covering mile after mile as she trotted behind Nancy. The cases that hit her hardest were the children, looking up at her with their big eyes encircled by dark rings. Fortunately, there weren’t many of them.

  “Stop it,” Nancy scolded after another sick passenger closed their cabin door.

  “Stop what?” Gabriella asked.

  “Blaming yourself. I can see your guilt.”

  Gabriella sighed. “I can’t help it. It’s so hard to see so many suffering and sick all because they’re on my cruise ship.”

  “Focus on the positive, Gabi. There have been no deaths, no serious cases, and almost everyone seems able to recover with rest and rehydration. This is the most well-run ship on the seas. Whatever is happening must be well beyond your control.”

  Gabriella considered Nancy’s words. She had always assumed it had to be due to some lack of hygiene on the ship, or some faulty oysters. But with such a wide array of people getting sick, she suddenly contemplated whether something else was going on.

  Gabriella snapped back to reality when she recognized the luxury cabin number they approaching.

  “It’s
about time you got here,” Melissa snarled as her pale face appeared around the corner of the door.

  Nancy forced a smile. “How are you feeling today?”

  “Awful!”

  Based on her appearance, Melissa wasn’t exaggerating. She, by far, looked worse than any of the other patients, whom mostly just seemed tired and washed out, but on the mend. Melissa, on the other hand, looked like she’d visibly lost weight. Plus, her skin was pale—almost gray—and she had dark bags under her eyes.

  “I’d like to take your temperature and check your vitals,” Nancy requested.

  Melissa rolled her eyes, but was otherwise too weak to protest.

  “Have you eaten anything today?”

  “A crew member brought me some fruit this morning, but it tasted like it was off, so I didn’t have much. I feel like I’m starving, but every time I try and eat something, I just feel worse.”

  “And fluids?” Gabriella asked, surprised by the level of concern she felt for a woman who’d caused so much difficulty.

  “Ron brings me plenty of water to drink,” Melissa replied.

  “All right, you’re going to need plenty of rest. Your blood pressure is a little low, and considering certain other health issues you have, I might move you to one of our hospital beds if you don’t show sign of improvement soon.”

  “I’m sure that won’t be necessary, doctor,” Ron interjected. “I’m taking good care of Melissa.”

  “I appreciate that, sir. But it’s my responsibility to ensure she recovers as quickly as possible. If further medical care is required, please understand why we have to move her.”

  “I’m sure I’ll recover quickly,” a weak Melissa insisted as she rested her head on the back of her chair and closed her eyes for a second.

  “I think as soon as I’ve finished my rounds, I’ll stop back here to check on you and we can make a decision,” Nancy informed.

  Melissa nodded mutely before summoning enough strength to respond. “If I don’t improve soon, I swear, I’ll sue every single crew member on this ship!” Her threat, delivered in a weak and husky voice, dropped awkwardly in the center of the room.