The Queen of the Waves

13: the Sickness

Bastian sat, fuming on the floor outside of Maria's room. He couldn't believe she had been so foolish, he also couldn't believe the men he had on the ship. He would make them pay for her fear.

Throughout the night, a few other men stumbled in the direction of Mara but Bas was quick to see them off. In the morning, Bayen walked to see Mara, a sailor with her breakfast in tow when he saw Bas keeping quiet.

He nodded his head at Bas as he stood to leave. His bones protested from their night on the ground but he didn't care, all he could hear ringing in his ears were Mara's cries of terror.

"All quiet?" Bayen asked as Bas walked away to begin with his duties, namely dealing a swift justice to the men who had terrorised his little stowaway.

"Haven't heard a noise from her." Was his simply reply as he disappeared around the corner and out onto the main deck.

Bayen used his key to unlock the door, there were only two on the ship, his and Bas'.

"Mornin' lassie." He called as he opened the door, as soon as his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the morning cabin, the smell of illness hit him.

"Mara." He called out, dashing over to the bed. "Get Bas and the doctor!" He yelled to the sailor carrying the food.

The pallid, death like complexion on Mara's cheeks was one he knew with a terror.

"Mara, Mara..." he muttered as he dug her out of the heavy covers.

She was drenched in sweat and burning up, her wild hair was sticky and stuck to her forehead. Without waiting for the doctor, he brushed back her hair and found the cold water basin from her wash the night before.

Moving on memories, Bayen dunked a rag into the water and lay it across Mara's forehead. She let out a weak whimper and then a groan of pain.

"No no no," Bayen moaned in anguish as Mara groaned in pain, clutching at her stomach as cramping gripped her.

Footsteps thundered around them as both the doctor and Bas appeared in the room.

"Is it? Is it?" Bayen repeated frantically, desperately as he placed another rag over her feverish forehead.

"Let me examine her, Captain and then I can help."

Bas gently laid a hand on his captain's shoulder and moved him out of the way of the doctor.

"It can't, it can't happen again." Groaned Bayen as he buried his face in Bas' shoulder to hide his distress from the eyes of the doctor.

The doctor quickly scanned for signs of the sweating sickness, the disease that stole Bayen's family from his grasp but was revealed to find none.

Angry red spots dotted over her middle and he knew instantly what Mara was unwell with, the quickening fever.

"Captain, it's not-" The doctor paused before continuing, "it's not that. She will make a full recovery in a few days."

Bayen spun around to face the doctor, to face Mara, relied on his face.

"She'll be ok?" He checked once again, as he fell to his knees, stroking her cheek gently.

"Yes sir, with rest and keeping the fever at bay, Mara will be fine."

Bayen's jaw slackened with relief as Mara whimpered once again, rolling in a frantic, panicky way.

"What's wrong? She's in pain!" Bayen demanded, he couldn't bear to see Mara in pain, and himself powerless.

"She's not well sir, I'll not make light of it, I just know she will recover."

"What, what symptoms does she has?" Bas asked firmly, breaking the silence as his eyes scanned Mara's face with worry, his heart was heavy with distress as well.

"Headache, fever, stomach cramps and a painful throat."

The doctor cleared away his instruments after checking her temperature again. He tested the cloth and gave a look to Bayen to refresh it.

"She shouldn't be left alone, water and the cool is what she needs."

Both men nodded solemnly as the doctor left the room, carefully closing the door behind him without a slam to startle Mara.

"Well," Bas cleared his throat, "should I watch her sir?"

"No," Bayen snapped protectively as he tightened his grip on her hand.

"Sir, I have overheard some rumblings about a mutiny." Bas lied, he needed a reason to give the men who assaulted Mara a lashing, and a mutiny threat was sure to do the trick.

"Deal with it then Bas, you know what to do." Bayen didn't even take his eyes off Mara's unconscious form as he spoke to his first mate.

Bas nodded his head and snapped his heels together before leaving the room. He was all too glad to deliver punishment to those vile men who were all too eager to assault Mara, not caring if she wanted it or not.

"Mara," Bayen whispered as he plumped the pillows behind her and pulled back the covers until she was left in just her nightdress.

He glanced over at her flushed and sweating form, she was still too hot with her fever so he moved over to the window and opened it. The breeze shifted the curtains and the cooling air reached Mara and she sighed in a small gasp of relief.

Mara groaned again and rolled over on the side nearer to the window, her eyes flickered open briefly but Bayen could tell she was still delirious with the fever.

He sighed with the pain of the memories that were bubbling up at the sight of that bed full of sickness once again.

"Mara," Bayen called softly as he lifted her up slightly, holding her against his chest so that he could place the cup against her lips. She sipped a tiny amount before her head lulled back weakly again.

Bayen sighed with stress as he laid her head back down on the pillows. He sat back on the chair he had pulled over and watched Mara with intent eyes, searching for any sign of change in her health.

He had sat in this chair before, holding his Calla's hand and watched the life draining from her, he swore to never do that again.

Below deck, Bas stood with the whip in his hand as he delivered thirty lashes to each man who laid a hand on Mara, and twenty to any who watched and did nothing.

What neither Bas nor anyone else realised was that with every whip crack on flesh, the future on the golden promise became darker and darker, and tinged with more and more misery.