“You have another patient,” he seethed slamming the door.
“What happened?”
“He crossed the line—and this time he’ll do the apologizing.”
Charlie retrieved the doctor’s bag. “Where is he?”
“Last time I saw him, he was laid out on the quarterdeck.”
“Damn it, Jax, you have to stop this nonsense. I know you’re fighting because of me. Maybe you should consider putting me off the ship and out of your life when we get to shore.”
He shot her an angry look. “Is that what you want?”
She thought about it before answering. Charlie moved up to him and put her arms around his waist, the doctor’s bag still in hand. “No. I don’t understand why I’m so drawn to you, but whatever this is; I don’t want it to end.” She reached up and ran her thumb along his lower lip. “After I thought about it,” she continued, “I was actually relieved I did not have to choose between you and my ship. I know I would have chosen my ship out of duty and responsibility and I would have regretted that decision. I can’t say if this pull you have on me is real and long lasting, but I would hated to never experience it at all.”
“Kiss me, Charlie.”
She stretched towards him and gave him a passionate, but short kiss. “I’ve got to go. It’s too bad you couldn’t be civil. I could have stayed here for a long time.”
“Charlie….”
“You have your kiss. Drink your tea.”
Charlie found Daniel still on the quarterdeck. He stood facing away from the crew. She could see he held a cloth to his nose.
“I’ve come to help.”
“I don’t want or need your help,” Daniel said turning around.
“Oh, my.”
His lip and nose were bleeding.
“Why do you both have to go after my face?”
“Maybe because it’s so close to your caustic mouth,” Charlie said coolly, reaching in her bag for clean bandages that could be held to his wounds until the bleeding stopped. “You really go for the throat when you attack.”
“I don’t want to see him make a mistake he can’t undo.”
“You think I’m a mistake?” she asked handing him a thick bandage. He gave her a curt nod as he took it from her. It surprised her to find her feelings hurt by his admission. Daniel didn’t even know her and yet he found her lacking.
“Maybe you should ask him about Millie Adams and how he became reliant on laudanum after she broke off their engagement.”
She had already realized he had a problem with the opiate in the past because of his reluctance to take it when she treated him. “If he wants me to know, he’ll tell me. I’m not going fishing with bait you provide,” Charlie stated. “I don’t know if you think I have some ulterior motive, but I assure you the last thing I want to do is hurt him.”
“How reassuring.” Daniel dabbed at his face. “As I said, your services are not needed. Please vacate the quarterdeck.”
“Aye-aye.”
Jaxon surprised Charlie by being sound asleep in his bunk when she returned. She hadn’t been gone long, so she knew he must have felt worse than he acknowledged. The cup with the willow bark tea sat empty on his desk and she worried she may have made it too strong and it had put him to sleep.
She retrieved the doctor’s medical books and reread the paragraphs about willow bark tea. It was quite specific about amounts, but she didn’t have the scales she needed to weigh out her ingredient.
Charlie carried a chair to his bedside then scanned his bookshelves for something to read. Rather than alphabetized, Jaxon kept his books grouped by subject matter. Nautical books were the largest group. Next to that his Bible and a book by John Falvel called Navigation Spiritualized; Or a New Compass for Seamen. The second largest section housed political books and pamphlets, mostly from the founding fathers. Paine’s Common Sense, Hamilton’s The Federalist Papers, and Ben Franklin’s autobiography were a few that she recognized. She could only find two works of fiction: Gulliver’s Travels which she had read several times and Robinson Crusoe.
Since she had never read Robinson Crusoe it was the book she chose. She curled up in the chair with her feet under her, but found the man in the bed drawing her attention over and over again.
She worried about him; worried about the fever, worried she made his tea too strong. She wanted to touch his forehead to test his temperature, but was afraid she’d wake him. Eventually, she gave in and was alarmed at the heat radiating off his brow. Charlie wet a cloth and laid it across his forehead. She watched as he stirred slightly then settled back into deep sleep.