by April Dawn
The bed seemed immense without Joshua. Reena grasped the shirt he’d discarded, during their morning’s lovemaking and held it to her as she curled on her side. She breathed in his male scent and thought about him laying in the dank, chilly hold without her. What would he say if he woke, and she wasn’t there? Would he worry for her safety? Would he be confused or scared? Would he call for her?
For the hundredth time, she rolled to the edge of the bed, ready to go to him, but stopped. He needed her to heal him more than he needed her to be with him when he woke. But what if the Captain was tossing him overboard at that very moment? What if he was silently sticking a knife in his ribs and twisting it? She flung the blankets off, her legs moving to hang off the edge of the bed. No, he wouldn’t hurt Joshua yet. He wouldn’t do that until he’d made them pay.
Reena pulled the shirt back to her face, trying not to cry as she breathed deep. He would live, and they would get out of this. They had to.
9
Between her worry about what the Captain had planned for them, his strange behavior, and Joshua’s well-being, Reena had been awake most of the night. There was a part of her that knew Joshua hadn’t died. Surely she would have felt it in the deepest parts of her soul if he had. The rest of her couldn’t let go of the fear. He had to be all right, or she couldn’t go on. She’d found herself up long before dawn, pacing the small cabin. Her mind going over his wounds and his state when she’d left with a healer’s eye, scrutinizing the facts for anything she might have missed. By the time the sun had risen, she was already dressed and rushing to the hold to check on him.
When she arrived, the men were rushing about, feeding and tending the injured as she had instructed. Many of the injured sailors were up and about, helping the more critical and less mobile. She was glad to see that her healing skills had helped, especially when she saw Joshua sitting up on the cot and eating a thick and lumpy stew.
“Enjoying your meal?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant as she observed his grimace spreading with each bite. She didn’t want him to know how concerned she had been, or how bad it could have been if his fever hadn’t broken.
“Not particularly.” Joshua beamed brightly at her.
He tried to set the mushy food down, but Reena pushed the bowl back toward his face.
“Oh no you don’t. Eat up,” she said. “Doctor’s orders.”
“How can I deny any doctor so lovely as you?” he asked, but grimaced when he again lifted the spoon from the bowl.
Reena performed some basic tests to be sure that the concussion was mild, and then tore herself from his side to check on the others. The calm and quiet of the ocean was filled by the loud pounding and yelling coming from the deck above, and Reena knew that the new captain would need all the men he could get to have the ship underway again.
As Reena moved about the hold, checking dressings and wounds, she noticed that Gunner was paying particular attention to Joshua’s needs. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw that the choicest bits of food, near inedible as they were, were given to Joshua. Much trouble was taken in making him comfortable, and Gunner was always there whenever Joshua spoke. The rugged man seemed to have a soft spot for Joshua and acted like a devoted servant.
Reena turned to a young sailor that she’d seen around the ship a few times and checked the thin wound that ran the length of his right arm. She tried to remember his name and could only remember him being called Fish, or something similar. Fish seemed to be getting worse, but Reena couldn’t understand why. She had cleaned his wound, a nearly insignificant one and dressed it with clean bandages. He should be well, not covered in sweat and shivering. Reena ran her fingers through his rich brown curls and came away with a wet and clammy hand. The captain’s shirt was pressed to Fish’s forehead to cool the fever, and it was obvious that someone had been at his side all night. Reena couldn’t help but wonder why they hadn’t come to find her if they were that concerned about his condition. She wondered how long they had let him worsen without word to her.
She checked and rechecked the wound, finding no reason for his condition. That was when she noticed the pinpoint of blood that seeped into the canvas beneath him.
“Smalls, help me!” she called to a sailor that had been nursing the others. Smalls, a large burly sailor ran to her side, nearly dropping the stew pot that he held.
“We need to turn him! Carefully!” She pulled the canvas from beneath Fish as she spoke, and together they deposited him on his stomach. The blood that soaked the back of his shirt was coagulated only to a degree, and Reena knew that he had, like as not, bled off and on all night. She tore his shirt, searching for the wound. After a moment, she found it. A sliver of wood had lodged itself beneath the skin of his back and might well have punctured an organ. The wound was red and torn, and Reena could see the infection starting at its edges.
She snapped orders, and the men around her scrambled to fill them. Reena worked in a daze, her mind wholly focused on the wound and the wooden bit inside it. Fish had fallen from the rigging, and this must have happened during the fall. She imagined the fall, the point of entry, the organs that might have been pierced. His lung hadn’t been punctured, because he wasn’t coughing up blood. His heart hadn’t been pierced, or he never would have lasted the night. No other organs could be affected, so she knew that it was the wood itself and the bleeding inside him that would mean life or death for this young man.
Fish was obviously no older than Reena herself was, and if she looked very close, this ruggedly handsome boy with deep brown locks was perhaps younger by a year or two. The thought of losing him horrified her. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and her shaking fingers.
Pulling the wood from the wound, she prayed that the boy would live. If her hand slipped, the long sliver might puncture one of the organs it had avoided. No sound penetrated her concentration as she focused on removing all the bits of wood and debris from the wound. Cleaning the lesion with alcohol, she checked for internal bleeding. When she cauterized the wound, the sizzle and the curses of the sailors were no more than a distant buzz in her ears. She remained in her trance like state as she sewed and dressed the wound. It wasn’t until she knew that the boy would likely live that she allowed the world to tear away at her healer’s facade.
The smell of seared flesh and the grey faces of the sailors were the last thing she noticed when the world came back to her. All that mattered to her at that moment was Joshua. Running to him, she flung herself into his arms, shaking furiously as he held her tight. Never before had she tended an injury that was so delicate. Never before had one wrong move meant death. Her violent tremors slowed then ceased as he gently stroked her hair.
“It’s over, my love.” Joshua repeated while he held her.
She drew strength from his embrace, but after a moment sat up, realizing that she was pressing against his wounded legs.
“Are you all right?”
“Don’t worry about me, love. Take whatever you need from me, and I will deal with the rest.”
Joshua was an amazing man. Even when he was injured and in pain, his first concern was always others. She’d been told Joshua had saved the lives many of the sailors, including their new captain’s, and for his bravery, he’d been injured. Yet even with the predicament they were in now, with Gregory as captain and Joshua hurt, she wouldn’t change him for the world. It was part of the reason she loved him so. She only hoped they would both live through what was to come and still have each other in the end. That thought opened the floodgates and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
9
Fear gripped Joshua stronger than ever before in his life. Certainly more than he would ever admit. Here they were in an uncontrollable situation. They were in the middle of the ocean, him injured and unable to protect them properly, and Reena dealing with heinous wounds and terrible stress. Once again, as he had many times in the past, he wished that he had told her no. Wished he had insisted they wait until later and
leave on a proper passenger ship. His need to be with her, to help her and be her knight had led them both astray. The blame of it fell squarely on his shoulders. If he had only let himself admit his affection for her, they might have been married months ago and at this moment, happily visiting with her family. He had to do something. The sight of her frightened yet determined face while she’d worked on Fish’s wounds made him feel useless. The smells and sounds that had accompanied the experience were the very things her family and he had sought to protect her from.
“You’re all right,” he whispered, rocking her back and forth as she lay against his chest,
The many battlefields he’d been on for the Crown had taught him how to contend with the blood and gore. Reena was a talented healer, but she obviously hadn’t had to deal with this much at once. At least not alone and not since her childhood. Over half the crew, a good hundred men, lay injured on the cots in the hold. Many had superficial injuries to limbs, others had head injuries that weren’t too severe, but they needed watching. No more than a few were seriously hurt and none so badly as the young sailor she’d just helped. The stress of it was a lot for anyone to handle, and she was doing it all alone and with no formal training.
“It’s all over now, love,” Joshua crooned, once again damning his useless legs. When he had come around last night to find Gunner standing over him and forcing liquid down his throat, his first thought had been of Reena. He’d tried to go to her, wanting to warn her about Gregory being the new captain. And he’d needed to be sure that she was well. When his legs had crumbled beneath him, and the enormous Gunner had to lift him back onto his bed, he’d realized the truth of it all. He was useless to her now. He couldn’t walk, he couldn’t fight, and he certainly couldn’t save her from anything. Not the captain, the men, or the horror of the hold.
Joshua stroked her hair as Reena let out a final sigh. Despite his effort to hold her a little longer, she pulled away and got back to her feet. Reena would have to be strong and face this without him, but Joshua knew that she could. He knew something that Michael never did. Reena had always been strong and independent. Despite her insecurities, she didn’t try to change herself and conform to society. She never backed down when she thought something was worth fighting for, and she never worried what others would think of her because of her beliefs. Whatever terrible things might happen before this ship reached the dock, Reena could handle them. He hoped he could too.
Chapter Twenty-three
Reena slipped her bed gown over her head, her bones and muscles aching. Even her hair seemed to hurt. She had stayed in the hold much longer than she should have. Though she knew she should go and rest, she still hadn’t been able to leave Joshua. She would have set up a cot next to his, but Reena knew that she would be foolish to sleep in front of the men. Many appreciated and even respected her, but she still saw the occasional stare, which told her she must be careful. She hadn’t seen Gregory since the night before. At one point, she thought he’d been at the edge of the room, but when she’d turned, he hadn’t. Slipping into bed, she shook her head as if to fling him from her mind and turned her thoughts to Fish.
Fish had been steadily improving since she’d removed the wood from his back. He was sore and tired, but his fever was gone, and he was eating again. All of which were good signs. He would live, and for that, she was glad. Reena smiled as she thought of the way Fish had grabbed her hand and thanked her profusely when she’d checked his wounds that evening. His eyes were bright with life again, though he still had a lot of healing left to do before he would scurry up the rigging again. She only hoped they would all survive what was to come.
9
“Well, now that we’re almost underway, I’ve been officially promoted from second mate to first mate.”
“That is wonderful news, Fish.” Reena sat forward in the small chair at his bedside. Only a week had passed since the horrific storm, but the ship had been healed of all its wounds and most of its crew as well.
“I get my own cabin and everything. The old captain had it specially made years ago when he was given the ship, so that both he and his mate would have cabins of their own.”
“Oh, and now that you are on the mend Captain Talbert is going to let you sleep there?” Reena twisted her fingers in her skirts.
Gregory would soon have free time again.
“Yes, and you will be allowed to stay where you are.”
Biting her lip, Reena didn’t tell him that she lay awake at night, listening to the sounds outside her door. That every footstep, every scrape that sounded, made her stiffen and a sheen of sweat covered her from head to toe by morning. When each new day arrived and Gregory hadn’t, she still found herself worrying that he would come to the hold and take Joshua.
“That’s wonderful.” She lowered her head to the simple grey dress she wore and stole a peek at Joshua. He appeared to be sleeping. Reena sighed. She hadn’t wanted him to worry about her, but the way he stared when he asked if she was all right, told her he did.
“You should get some rest.” Fish inclined his chin toward Joshua as he continued, “Before he wakes. I know you wish to be here when he is awake.”
Nodding, Reena rolled her head on her shoulders, stretching sore muscles. After requesting Smalls to send Thomas for some food when he came to the hold, she headed for her cabin. When she passed the threshold, she smoothed her plaited hair to be certain that it still held. The cabin had seemed cold and unfriendly since Joshua had left it, and Reena didn’t like to spend much time there anymore. The knock on the door signaled that her meal had arrived, and she called out for Thomas to enter. When the door opened, Gregory, not Thomas walked inside. Reena jumped, a hand flying to her chest. He stood there holding a large tray of cheeses, bread, and fruit.
“Oh dear, I was expecting Thomas.” She tried to affect an air of casual indifference while her pulse thundered inside. If she allowed him to know how afraid she was, it would give him too much power.
Gregory’s mood was much brighter than it had been the night of the storm. He’d acted so oddly that night, but there was something much more terrifying in this new attitude. Surely it meant he’d come to a decision of some kind.
“Sit, my dear.” He indicated the chair with his free hand as he pushed the door closed with his shoulder. Reena eased onto the seat. “Delicacies at sea.” Gregory plopped the tray in front of her and sat.
Reena didn’t want to eat, not with him here, and not while he seemed so pleased with himself. His casual manner made her stomach twist in knots, and she was sure that if she tried to eat anything it would come back up. However, worried that he would get angry or upset if she didn’t eat, Reena picked up a small wedge of cheese and nibbled.
The captain had no such trouble. He tore at the food like a man at a celebration. His clothes were clean and tidy, and his hair had been secured back with a dark blue ribbon. He smirked as he chewed. She knew at that moment, whatever he told her, her life would change today. Her stomach threatened to rebel, and she lowered her eyes to her plate. She didn’t want Gregory to see how his presence affected her.
“You look lovely today.” He tore a piece of bread from a loaf and shoved it into his mouth.
Reena kept her eyes on her plate and brushed absently over her dress to busy her trembling hands.
“Not talking to me, eh? Here I am ready to celebrate all the wonderful changes that are to come, and all you can do is stare at your dress.”
He sounded so happy, so excited. Reena swallowed around the welling in her throat.
“Please.” She swallowed again in an attempt to clear the obstruction. “Whatever plans you have for me, let Joshua live. Punish me for the both of us if you must, but don’t harm him.” Her tears welled, and her voice broke. “Please, I...” She stared down at her wringing hands.
Her breathed caught at the sudden presence of Gregory’s fingers on her chin. He brought her face up to meet his. There was seriousness present in his gaze that she’d
never seen before.
“Hmm... What shall we do about this, my dear?” he asked.
Reena drew in a shaky breath, and her chin shook in Gregory’s hand. She closed her eyes in an attempt to block out this terrible twist of fate as though she could will herself back.
“Please, don’t ask that of me. I can’t,” she whispered, trying to still her quaking mouth.
Mocking laughter rang out. Gregory sat across from her, laughing, a bitter sneer quickly dissipated the instant her eyes flew open. She didn’t know what kind of game this was, but she wanted to hit him and shut him up.
“Your control over us isn’t enough? Now you mock me too?” She set her jaw, suddenly more angry than afraid. “What did we ever do—”
“No, Reena. You don’t understand what you have done, do you?” His laughter stopped, and a smirk appeared in its place. “I didn’t come here for you, and I’m not going to hurt your man.”
“What do you want of me then?” She lifted her thumb to her lips but stopped herself before chewing her nail.
“Well, my dear, when he is healed, I’m going to marry you,” he said, his voice momentarily bitter.
Reena’s jaw dropped as quickly as her hand. She opened her mouth to speak, but the captain continued before she had a chance form a word.
“Not to me. To your man. I’m going to witness your union, and you will be husband and wife.” He sat back and took a large bite of cheese.
“You—I—why?” She glanced around the cabin, which seemed suddenly strange and unreal. She wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t help but be wary.
“You really don’t understand, do you?”
Reena searched her mind for the trap this man was about to spring. Waited for the words he would say that would make her want to die. She couldn’t figure his angle. So she held herself guarded, showing as little emotion as possible.