Chapter 7: Regretful

I see it in your eyes, she is not Althea.

Those words followed Damon from the deck back to his cabin, it would not stop repeating in his mind, no matter how hard he tried to push it to the back of his head. Althea, Althea, the sound of her name ripples in his mind like a disease that will never go away.

In a fit of anger of himself, Damon kicked the stool next to him, sending it flying across the room. That wasn't enough to tame the anger that has fueled up in his heart. Anything and everything in the room that his eyes laid on were either kicked or knocked over. Even the maps and books neatly seated on the bookshelves were ripped and tossed all over the room. The only thing that remained untouched was the bottle of Randy which he happily indulges in them behind his desk

Cale and Matilda heard the thrashing coming from his quarter but knew better than to seek him out now while he was seething with either anger or sadness, whichever they may be. Besides, they have their hands full at the moment, care and concern for the big baby can wait.

"Careful, on her side not her back." Matilda directed Cale as he laid Danielle down as gently as he could. He wanted to stay to find out the extend of her marred back, but Matilda chased him out of the room to gather a few things that she requires. Pulling the curtain from about her bed, she blocked the view of anyone who entered. She proceeded to open where her shirt was ripped and cried at the sight of her bloody back. The lash line was so defined she feared if it would leave a scar on her back forever.

With the first batch of fresh hot water Cale came back in with, she tried to clean off as much bloody as she could, but they just kept oozing from when she applies little pressure to her wound. Soon, she lost count with how many basins of water was changed before she managed to apply a poultice she guided Cale to make from behind the curtain. With opened wounds like this, it is inevitable for an infection to develop.

"How is she?" Cale enquire from behind the curtains.

"Not so good. I've applied the poultice to her back, but I still fear a fever might claim her weakened body." Matilda appeared from behind the curtain.

"We will reach Sage in two moonlights from now. Do we have sufficient medical supply to make a poultice last that long?"

She rummages through whatever leftover medical supply they have left. Most of it have went to treating the crews' injuries after their mini warfare with The Saurs. They were severely shortage and there was nothing that can be used to bring down her fever should it develop.

"I doubted it." She sighed. "If I stingy on the ingredients, I can still manage at least two more batches of poultice."

She looked up at him with a sight of defeat, "we have nothing that can bring down her temperature."

Cale slammed his fist flat on the table and cursed. "Do whatever you can to keep the girl alive. We need her."

"I will do my best, there are some alternative remedy that I know of." She scratched her head, thinking hard. "Meanwhile, do me a favor and check on the big baby."

Without her telling him, he would have found his way there too. Not bothering to knock he swing the door opened and slam it shut. The mess in the room did not surprise him, it was a sight that he was used to by now.

"What is it now?"

"Why did you do that?" Cale raised his voice.

"Do what?" Damon asked as he swirl the randy in his hand at eye-level.

"She was innocent."

Damon scoffed, "Innocent? You call aiming a rifle over your heart an innocent act?"

Cale slammed both his palm on the Captain's desk, "The rifle was not loaded, I saw it with my own eyes."

"Good for you. I am not ready to see what your insides looks like." Glugging the last mouthful of Randy, he slams the glass on his desk and looked sternly at his first mate. "She committed an offence and she ought to be punished for it."

"She is not made to withstand those lashes."

"She was standing fine even after two lashes."

"She is our key to finding Artty but thanks to you, she lies unconscious on a bed fighting for her life."

Something tugs on Damon's heart when he heard that. He was sure to harden his heart when it comes to any woman but why is it feel a slight sense of guilt creeping in to what he has done towards the lass, the lass that mysterious took form in his dreams. He stood up from his chair and walked to the window with arms behind his back.

"We are due to arrive in Sage in two moonlights. Matilda says she doesn't have enough poultice to last that long but will make do with whatever she has."

"You are dismissed."

"Capt...."

"DISMISSED!" Damon yelled with his back still facing his first mate.

He sighed when the door slammed.

~~~~~~~~~~

The following night, Damon felt more and more uncomfortable as the lass continued to remain on his mind as he went about his day. It did not help that he tried to keep his mind occupied with trying to get his ship to Sage as soon as possible. He had heard the commotion that the lass was burning up with fever. The aching desire to take a look at her was increasing no matter how much he fought it internally. After much consideration and wearing of his cabin floor, he found his way there with a little something that might aid the situation. He swung the door open and watched Matilda jumped in her seat, surprised by his presence.

"Damon."

"Matilda."

"How dare you show your face in here?"

"Surprise!"

She snorts at his remark and watched him cross the room to look over the girl on the bed. The lass was moaning and pant in her sleep. Perspiration made her skin glisten as she laid on her front with her upper back and forearms exposed. He noticed she has been changed out of her odd clothing into a shift so large he could think it belonged to his nanny. Her fingers twitching as though she was having a bad dream. He brought his fingers to the towel over her head and flick it aside and felt her forehead with his whole palm. He flinches the moment his skin came in contact with hers, he had never felt such extreme heat before.

"Barnacles, she is hot!" He exclaimed and begin surveying the room. "This room is way too hot, what are we trying to do, roast her further alive?"

"She was shivering before, so we heated the room up."

"Have you tried giving her a cold bath?"

"How can we, with her a wound like that on her back." She narrowed her eyes at him with a look of accusation.

He ignored her perfectly.

"DAMON!" Matilda yelled in shock as she watched him roll the girl's back onto a pillow and scooping her off the bed in his arms. "Just what do you think you are doing?"

She walked with him to the door of her room.

"Taking her to my cabin where it is much cooler." He struggled with the door but manages to open it. "If you please, help me move her stuff over?"

Reaching his cabin, he gently laid her on her front before bolting the door in time before Matilda could enter. He went back to the girl and without modesty, slip the oversized shift off her shoulder and exposed the bandage across her back. He ripped it apart and came in sight with the four-lash line across her back. He surveyed her soft and silky skin which was covered in perspiration as she laid bare in front of him. He fought a strong urge to run his hand along her back and to her front, but the doorknob rattle put a stop to his lustful mind.

"Damon! What are you doing with the lass, open up this door this instance!"

"You will wake the girl with your screeching and banging." He shifted the shift back over her shoulders and lifted her off the bed to his bathtub.

"You will scare the girl to the underworld with your face!"

"I am pretty sure I have been told otherwise." He let the screaming continued as he focused on not hurting the lass as he placed her in his wooden bathtub filled with cooled water that had not been used. He notices the crease forming on her forehead as she reacts to the cool water and how her oversize shift sticks to her skin and define the curves on her body, namely, her round, firm and inviting bosom. His shaft throbbed achingly, wanting to have his fill after being out at sea for so long.

"Damon!!"

The call of his name snapped him out of his lustful thought again. He knows better than to take advantage of an unguarded lass.

"Goodnight, Matilda!"

Once, her skin felt less warm, he dried her off with a towel and dressed her in one of his many white shirts. Laying her on his bed, he sat beside her and lifted the shirt to look at the fierce lash line he marred her silky soft skin. Reaching into his pocket, he fished out a small jar of green paste. Using two of his fingers, he smeared the poultice on her wound with his bare fingers, taking his time and feeling her skin smooth under his fingers. When he was done, he covered the poultice with bandages and finally covering her with the sheets of his bed.

He sat beside her for a while longer to drink in the soft features of her face. Although, she has a much less painfully expression that before, he softly and gently caresses her cheeks with the back of his fingers praying she doesn't die because of him.