She stopped at his door and knocked, calling out at the same time, “Captain Graham! Magdela is very ill. She needs the ship’s surgeon!”
The captain opened the door. His nightshirt was half open, and Mary had an urge to reach out and touch him.
“I am sorry sir, I do not know where the doctor’s quarters are.”. Bennett reached for his overcoat, and closed the door behind him.
“I will bring him. Get back to your room. It is not right to be seen with me in this state of dress.”
Mary hurried back to her quarters and waited next to Magdela’s side. “Agua.”
Mary poured a glass of water and held it up to Magdela’s lips. “Here. The doctor is coming.”
There was a knock at the door followed by the doctor and the captain opening the door and coming in.
The ship’s surgeon had grey hair shaped like a U around his bald pate. He carried a black bag. “Please move back, miss. I do not want to alarm you miss, but she may very well be contagious.”
Mary moved over to Captain Graham’s side. She lightly reached out to hold onto his arm as the ship swayed. He pulled her closer to his side. The earlier storms the ship had evaded had kicked up the waves, which the ship rode roughly. They stood side by side, the captain steadying Mary on her feet. She could feel him as he drew a breath, and another. Why was it she felt so alive when she stood next to him?
The doctor peered closely into Magdela’s eyes, and felt her forehead. “Where is the pain?” he asked.
Magdela showed him with her hand.
The doctor finished examining her and turned toward Mary and Graham, “She has a fever. I need her moved to the surgery room where I can watch her and in case the fever is contagious. We do not need the sickness to spread among the men on the ship.”
Mary clutched at Graham’s arm, “It is worse than I thought.”
Graham looked toward Mary, “Do not worry, but do pray.”
The doctor left, leaving Mary and Graham alone for the moment with the feverish Magdela.
“Will she be all right?”
Graham studied Magdela who appeared to be in an uneasy sleep. “The surgeon will do his best. Prayer can work wonders.”
Graham glanced around the room, anything to avoid looking into Mary’s eyes. He spied the painting in progress on the easel. He let go of Mary’s arm and took a step closer toward the painting illuminated in the dim light.
Mary spoke, “It is a present for you, not King George.”
Graham took another step toward the easel and looked at the painting of himself.
“Is that how I look to you?”
“Yes.”
Graham turned and looked at Mary. She did not look away. She clutched her hand to her stomach her heart beating faster. Graham looked away back toward the painting. “Mary, don’t.”
Mary broke the silence, her anger and frustration raising the volume of her voice, “How is it you are a man who can command a ship of men to do your bidding, yet you cannot think of a way to find what we both would have?”
He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. He turned to face her, “Life is sacrifice. Love is sacrifice. If there were a way I would find it.”
Mary took a step closer, “You will find a way?”
“On my word of honor if there is one to be found, I will find it.” He bent his head towards hers, and whispered, “It is all I can give.”
He stepped back and left the room to wait in the hall as Mary waited on the men to move Magdela to the doctor’s surgery room.
***
Captain Graham woke in the morning and went to the doctor’s quarters which were attached to a room where the sick were sent. He knocked and entered. The doctor was washing in his basin.
“How is she—” Captain Graham began to ask as he stepped into the patient’s room. Magdela's lips were blue.
“She died before dawn. There was nothing I could do. Her lower stomach region was bloated and hot. Some interior infection has taken her life. I will prepare her for burial.”
The captain nodded. “Thank you,
The captain opened the door. His nightshirt was half open, and Mary had an urge to reach out and touch him.
“I am sorry sir, I do not know where the doctor’s quarters are.”. Bennett reached for his overcoat, and closed the door behind him.
“I will bring him. Get back to your room. It is not right to be seen with me in this state of dress.”
Mary hurried back to her quarters and waited next to Magdela’s side. “Agua.”
Mary poured a glass of water and held it up to Magdela’s lips. “Here. The doctor is coming.”
There was a knock at the door followed by the doctor and the captain opening the door and coming in.
The ship’s surgeon had grey hair shaped like a U around his bald pate. He carried a black bag. “Please move back, miss. I do not want to alarm you miss, but she may very well be contagious.”
Mary moved over to Captain Graham’s side. She lightly reached out to hold onto his arm as the ship swayed. He pulled her closer to his side. The earlier storms the ship had evaded had kicked up the waves, which the ship rode roughly. They stood side by side, the captain steadying Mary on her feet. She could feel him as he drew a breath, and another. Why was it she felt so alive when she stood next to him?
The doctor peered closely into Magdela’s eyes, and felt her forehead. “Where is the pain?” he asked.
Magdela showed him with her hand.
The doctor finished examining her and turned toward Mary and Graham, “She has a fever. I need her moved to the surgery room where I can watch her and in case the fever is contagious. We do not need the sickness to spread among the men on the ship.”
Mary clutched at Graham’s arm, “It is worse than I thought.”
Graham looked toward Mary, “Do not worry, but do pray.”
The doctor left, leaving Mary and Graham alone for the moment with the feverish Magdela.
“Will she be all right?”
Graham studied Magdela who appeared to be in an uneasy sleep. “The surgeon will do his best. Prayer can work wonders.”
Graham glanced around the room, anything to avoid looking into Mary’s eyes. He spied the painting in progress on the easel. He let go of Mary’s arm and took a step closer toward the painting illuminated in the dim light.
Mary spoke, “It is a present for you, not King George.”
Graham took another step toward the easel and looked at the painting of himself.
“Is that how I look to you?”
“Yes.”
Graham turned and looked at Mary. She did not look away. She clutched her hand to her stomach her heart beating faster. Graham looked away back toward the painting. “Mary, don’t.”
Mary broke the silence, her anger and frustration raising the volume of her voice, “How is it you are a man who can command a ship of men to do your bidding, yet you cannot think of a way to find what we both would have?”
He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. He turned to face her, “Life is sacrifice. Love is sacrifice. If there were a way I would find it.”
Mary took a step closer, “You will find a way?”
“On my word of honor if there is one to be found, I will find it.” He bent his head towards hers, and whispered, “It is all I can give.”
He stepped back and left the room to wait in the hall as Mary waited on the men to move Magdela to the doctor’s surgery room.
***
Captain Graham woke in the morning and went to the doctor’s quarters which were attached to a room where the sick were sent. He knocked and entered. The doctor was washing in his basin.
“How is she—” Captain Graham began to ask as he stepped into the patient’s room. Magdela's lips were blue.
“She died before dawn. There was nothing I could do. Her lower stomach region was bloated and hot. Some interior infection has taken her life. I will prepare her for burial.”
The captain nodded. “Thank you,
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