Page 83 of The Condemned (Echoes from the Past #6)

SEVENTY

A bracing wind tore at Mary’s skirts and freed tendrils of hair from her cap.

She turned her face into the gust, eager to feel the wind’s cool breath on her face.

She’d come up on deck early in the morning, desperate for a breath of fresh air after being confined to the cabin for nearly four days.

Dr. Paulson had slept on the floor instead of retiring to his hammock, fearful of leaving Mary on her own.

He genuinely wished to help, but Mary felt like she was drowning and the hand that tried to pull her out of the water was slippery and too feeble to hold on to her for long.

She had no fever, and no symptoms of any known illness.

There were times when she felt well, and then quite suddenly, her face would become suffused with heat and her heart would start to hammer in her chest, rendering her almost breathless with the force of its beating.

Her head often hurt to the point where her vision became blurred, causing her to rub her eyes in the hope of clearing away the fog.

“Mary, you shouldn’t have left your bed,” Dr. Paulson chided her when he came up on deck, looking tired and disheveled. “You’re not well.”

“I was desperate for fresh air. I feel better,” she added.

The doctor nodded. “Don’t stay too long. You’re not strong enough. I think I can use a shave,” he added, running a hand over the coarse stubble shadowing his jaw. “Are you up to eating something?”

“I think so.”

“Excellent. I’ll wash up and then we can break our fast together.” He smiled and patted Mary’s shoulder in a fatherly way.

“I don’t know what I would do without you, Dr. Paulson.”

“I’m glad to be on hand. I must admit, I’ve never encountered a case such as yours. It’s most perplexing. ”

“Am I going to die?” Mary asked. Her voice trembled with fear.

“Mary, I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. You have my word.”

“Thank you.”

Mary leaned on the rail and gazed out over the endless ocean.

The sun was just beginning to rise, a shimmering semicircle of brightest pink skimming the horizon in the east. The sky, which had been a murky gray only a moment ago, blazed with crimson and gold as the new day dawned, bright and clear.

Mary couldn’t tear her eyes away from the awesome sight, buoyed by the thought that she’d survived long enough to greet another day.

She was certain her sickness would miraculously disappear as soon as she stepped ashore.

A silky ribbon wound itself around Mary’s ankles, and she bent down and scooped up the little cat.

“There you are,” Mary crooned. “I haven’t seen you in days. Where have you been hiding, you naughty kitty?”

The cat purred and burrowed deeper into Mary’s arms, frightened by the wind. Mary’s fingers stroked its head gently in an effort to comfort the frightened creature.

Mary remained on deck for another half hour, enjoying her brief spell of well-being, then she joined Dr. Paulson for breakfast, which she ate with relish. She was hungry—no, ravenous. That had to be a good sign.