The long walk to the Mary seemed excruciating, doing nothing to help my aching stomach and the dry heaving every few minutes.
Surprisingly, the Captain was fairly supportive and patted me on the back a few times while telling me ‘it was alright’. It wasn’t really, but I took comfort in his words.
When we reached the Mary it was still early in the morn’ but also much foggier and it was hard to breathe, not helping my condition any. A few of the sailors on the docks were concerned and yelled out a few times asking what was wrong. The Captain didn’t take his cue to tell them and instead waved them away, helping me onto the ship.
I suppose now, he didn’t wish for his right hand man to die on the job. A cruel truth, but one that revels in his personality. He was the Queen Bee and he needed his workers to create food for the colony. One dies, work is halted, and then another is born. He was like this, except work was halted more prominently. There weren’t many men wanting to go out on ships now. Pirates, and the like. They already had enough adventure in their normal lives, what with the frequent weather troubles and natural disasters. This island was possibly both the most dangerous place to live and the most boring.
When we got onto the Mary, finally after me not being to walk up-hill onto the large wooden wonder, he told me to go to the nurse and left me. The nurse was a robust, bald man with an infectious smile. He often told me of his two children and wife back at home. He told me that, the next time we docked at his hometown, he would be retiring for good. I would be sad to see him go, but knew it was for the best. The only bad thing would be finding someone as well versed in medical treatment as him.
Another bad thing was that I had never actually seen the nurse’s practice room. I hadn’t a clue where it was. I could ask a crewman but I doubt I would be able to talk with my throat as dry as it was and made my way down to the galley instead. My stomach felt a slight bit better and I thanked it for that. Usually I heard stories of sailors getting sick on ships but never getting sick on land and then getting better on a ship. I suppose that just tells how much time I spend on the sea. Long months and hard storms made you immune to sea sickness after a while.
Once down to the galley I felt utterly relieved of my pains and asked the cook for a drink of water. He obliged and it was oddly cold. Usually our water was hot or room temperature. I guess a cooks helper must’ve gotten some new ice packs to use. I shrugged and chugged it down anyway, and my throat felt so much better than before.
I figured, since I felt better, I could inform the Captain and we could go back to the library. My nauseous feeling had completely gone and I couldn’t fathom just staying cooped inside the Mary with the nurse hovering over me. Although I could get a much needed rest if it happened.
After telling the Captain he shrugged and said we could, as long as he didn’t have to take care of me when I got sick again. I assured him that I wouldn’t but he didn’t seem to believe me. I didn’t believe me very much either but it was a positive thing to think.
We set out again and the Captain seemed rather lethargic about the whole thing. He might’ve been tired but I wouldn’t know. I felt perfectly lucid, despite having been woken up much too early. But then again, the Captain had had a night on the town. I imagine he did, at least. He might’ve just been kept at the City Hall again.
After walking a while we still hadn’t reached the Library and I vaguely wondered if we should start taking the time to board horses during out outings. It would certainly be easier to get around, except for the more painful fact that the Captain insisted on riding bareback. I couldn’t do it very well and my horse persisted on bucking or making me slip off. I even tried riding the other few horses we had and they still purposely kicked me off. Every time the old man witnessed these events of rebellion, he would laugh and yell that it was karma. It was more directed at the Captain than me, because I was slowing him down. At least that’s what I thought he meant.
I let the Captain lead us this time, we would get to there faster that way.
