Shipwrecked - Chapter 149: Liability (nosex)

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Chapter 149: Liability

Hakee's nineteenth birthday had passed over the previous days. It seemed like such a distant, small thing to even recall. I'd remembered to tell her on the evening call, apologizing for forgetting. She understood and thanked me, but was much more concerned about Amy. It was already December 7th, starting the fifth day of Amy's fevers. Her temperature had lowered a bit the previous day, but all night it had slowly risen back to where it was previously. Manu came South for the day to see if she and Kinnon could decide what to do next.

The days spent in fever could have lasting effects. The temps weren't so high on their own as to be dangerous, but we couldn't break the fever and Kinnon didn't like the way it had recovered to its previous highs. She and Manu spent an hour in consultation. They finally decided the best thing to do was wait another day and revist. If Amy wasn't better, a more aggressive treatment would be attempted. The longer she went with the fever, the more long-term damage might happen.

It had been difficult to don my mask of control and optimism, but I did the best I could. It seemed to make a difference, and I noticed that others were at least smiling some moments, concerned, sure, but not as openly worried as before. I felt like a fraud, but I also realized that this was part of what leaders had to do, a sacrifice necessary to maintain good order, to keep people's spirits up, to keep bad things from overly-burdening those who can do nothing about them.

I got very little sleep. An hour here or there. If I wasn't on watch, I was working. If I wasn't working, I was putting cool cloths on Amy's forehead. Bailey was a rock, as was Kate. The two of them took care of Azure while Amy was down and gave Keekah enough breaks to get her back in a better state of mind. Keekah had even taken to visiting Amy regularly and I think that helped everyone to see our sweet Keekah feeling well enough do so.

Kinnon was another rock. She checked on Amy every hour or two, even through each night. I think Manu would have done the same, but I expected that from her. I knew her well enough to know her heart and her skills were both dedicated to the task. It was very rewarding to know that Kinnon likewise took things as personally.

“Kal?” Ekoh's voice called from behind me as I wiped the sweat from Amy's head.

“Yeah?”

“I... I just had an idea... Wish I'd thought of it before now... Don't know why I didn't... so much going on! Oh, I should have remembered before now, I'm so sorry, I just—”

“Ekoh!” I said firmly, “What's your point?”

“My boat. There's a large cooler, down in the hold. We usually use the main area when fishing, and take the ice we need with us, well, when the machine in the village was working, but there's a cooler, as well, for when we had to clean the fish on site and then store them. Wish I'd have thought of that earlier!”

“Kinnon!” I shouted, turning to where the woman was dozing on the mattress near the back.

“Awake!”

“Can we move her?”

“What?”

“Can we move Amy? Would we be able to move her safely?”

“Maybe... why?” she asked.

“Ekoh's boat. There's a cooler. To break the fever.” My heart was racing. Before Kinnon could respond again, I shouted to Ekoh, “Fire it up! Bring it back here as fast as possible. Kinnon, do whatever you need to do to make her mobile. I'll get help to carry her. Ekoh. Stop dallying! Hurry!”

The man finally got his feet under him and raced off.

“Can't believe he didn't remember this days ago, that dumb son-of-a--” I ranted.

Kinnon shouted at me. “Kal! Calm down. Right now! He remembered, that's good enough. It's been a very difficult few days. No one's head is going full speed. Be thankful for the break we needed.”

“Right. Yeah. I know,” I said, my breathing rapid. “Sorry. I'll apologize to him. I'll go get some help. We can move her, though?”

“Yes.”

I was out the door without another word. I collected Tok and Takino. Nina was racing down the shore to help Ekoh with the boat. Tok grabbed a long and sturdy board which had been sanded down to use as a litter. Takino threw on a couple of long pillows and they strapped them on, adding rope loops to make carrying easier.

We showed Kinnon and carefully, the four of us moved Amy from the bed to the stretcher.

Waiting for Ekoh and Nina seemed an eternity. By the time they arrived, I was ready to chew him out for taking so long. Kinnon pulled me aside and said in no uncertain terms that the stress and lack of sleep were making me irrational and touchy and that I needed to calm down and concentrate on what we were doing. Ekoh, she told me, was doing the best he could. Another few minutes were not likely to make a difference.

Kinnon gathered her bag of supplies and Kate gathered up spare clothes, water jugs, and other items we'd need. Very carefully, we carried Amy down to the shore. Nina floated out one of the platforms we'd used to move the building supplies and we worked Amy on top, then moved her out to the boat. It took a few moments to get her on board, but as soon as we were topside, we worked our way down into the cooler.

Ekoh had already turned it on and it was quickly cooling down. He'd had spare blankets and padding laid onto the floor to keep it from being too cold to step on barefoot. Inside, I was instantly chilled and momentarily wished I'd brought clothes. That was surely a first.

I saw Kinnon breath a sigh of relief as soon as the cool blast hit her face.

“Take these clothes and press them against the sides to get them cool,” she told us as she unwrapped the coverings from Amy's body, leaving her naked again. Ekoh brought a couple of sea lamps, and Kinnon had us close the door behind us.

“How cold will it get in here?” I asked as we laid the first of the cooled cloths on Amy's skin.

“Too cold to stay very long,” Ekoh told us. “It's a freezer, really.”

I was shivering, but barely noticed the cold.

Kinnon took charge. “Bring me blankets and clothing. I need them now. I have to stay in here with her. If the fever breaks, she can't stay in here long. Kal, bring clothes for several people. You'll come in for five minutes at a time, no more, before going out to warm up. I'll do the same. Fetch Bailey, she can assist me. Go!”

We scrambled. In no time, we'd gathered the clothing and towels and had Bailey with us. Kate stayed back to keep an eye on Azure and Katie. On the deck, Tok, Bailey, and I donned our clothing. Tok waited while Bailey and I went inside.

Kinnon told Bailey to monitor Amy's temperature constantly. The fever, despite the cold, was rising again. Kinnon stepped out to put on another layer of clothing. I shivered immediately. My heart was beating like crazy.

Tok and I swapped staying inside every five minutes or so, as did Kinnon and Bailey. Everything in camp could wait, though Takino and Ekoh had returned to ensure progress continued, as did Nina who took charge of the others and kept everyone moving.

The day dragged on. The fever kept going despite the way Amy had stopped sweating and seemed to be chilled. Kinnon grew worried about the exposure to the cold. Amy's skin was freezing. Still, Kinnon insisted we had to break the fever. Taking Amy in and out would cause more problems than it would solve, the surgeon insisted.

Darkness fell at some point. Nina brought supper for those wishing to take it, and everyone but me ate heartily. I tried to swallow a few bites of stew, but found myself too worked up to do more than swallow dully. At Bailey's insistence, I made my way a spoonful at a time over the course of an hour, finishing my bowl last.

- - -

“Kal...” Bailey's voice stirred me. I might have been sleeping on my feet, I'm not sure. I was holding Amy's hand. The young woman was shivering wildly. “It broke,” Bailey said quietly, then shouted. “It broke! Get Kinnon!”

My eyes widened and I slammed open the cooler door. “It broke!”

Kinnon pushed past me quickly and confirmed that Amy's temperature had fallen dramatically. When it reached a normal range, she said, “Get her out of here right now.”

We did as directed, moving Amy's litter out onto the deck.

“Cover her. Warm her up. Quickly.”

Amy's temp went from a spike to below normal in under just a few minutes. It was vital now to ensure Amy's body didn't become hypothermic. We wrapped her in blankets and I curled up along one side of her, Bailey on the other. Kinnon was a model of concentration.

“I want to set up here for the night, in case the fever returns. I'll need someone to stay with me.”

“I'm staying,” I said immediately.

“No,” Kinnon told me firmly. “Someone else.”

“What the hell?” I exclaimed.

Kinnon grabbed my arm and pulled me to the railing. “Kal. You are beyond exhausted. You're on the verge of needing medical care yourself. The last thing I need... the last thing Amy needs... is for my attention to be split to deal with you. Get back to camp and rest. Bailey will stay. Tok as well. We'll send for you if you can help. Don't come back here until morning.”

I nearly protested, angry that this newcomer, a woman I'd know only a few days, a woman who had no right to tell me, the Chief, what to do, had dared send me away.

But Bailey, my eternal rock and the most calming drug in my universe, stepped to my side and took my hand. “Kal,” she said smoothly, “she's right. You're done here. You can barely stand. You can't help Amy now. Go. Please. We'll take care of her.”

I stared at her a moment, glowering. And then my anger broke, though it was replaced by the headache I'd done my best to ignore for days. “Fine. You're right. Sorry, Kinnon. I'll go...”

“I love you, Kal,” Bailey said, kissing my lips.

“I know... Thank you, Bailey. I love you,” I turned to the eyes watching me. “All of you.”

- - -

I never expected to sleep, but my body had other ideas. I woke to find the sun had already broken into the morning. My legs and arms ached. My back was on fire. My head pounded. For a moment, I had to remember where things stood. Amy!

I leapt to my feet, surprised to find a pile of clothing on the floor near the mattress. Then I remembered that I'd worn them in the cooler and stripped them off to swim back to shore, using the floating platform to keep the clothes dry. I raced out of the shelter to find Keekah stirring a pot over the fire, the sounds of hammers and saws bouncing back from the trees. The boat was still in place and I ran to it, ignoring calls from those behind me. I worried they'd give me terrible news. I had to see whatever it was for myself.

I swam out to the boat and pulled myself onto the deck.

Amy was on her back, motionless, Kinnon kneeling down over her.

Amy was talking. Amy's talking!

“Amy!” I was on my knees beside her in seconds.

“Kal,” she said weakly, smiling sleepily. “Hey, my love...”

“How're you feeling, Sweetie?”

“Like shit,” she said, grinning.

“That's good... I guess,” I replied, almost laughing.

“She's okay, Kal,” Kinnon told me. “Not completely out of the woods, but the fever seems to have gone for good. Her breathing is strong, her pulse is normal, she's even hungry.”

“And I needed to pee earlier.” Amy looked quite proud of that fact.

“That's wonderful,” I told her, tears in my eyes. “You scared us good, Amy...”

“I scared myself. Crazy dreams, Kal,” Amy said, looking at my eyes, a hand raised shakily to touch my face. “I hear they had to make you leave me.”

“I thought you were sleeping enough for both of us. Some people had other interpretations.” I grinned at Kinnon who nodded and offered an approving smile.

“I wish someone would bring Azure. I miss her so.”

I eyed Kinnon who shrugged. “Won't hurt. I don't want to move her until this evening, I think. Just to make sure.”

“I'll be back as fast as possible.”

I jumped in the water without a thought and swam to shore. I kissed Katie while I let Keekah know that Amy was okay, and she passed the word on as I found Kate, who was dozing with Azure against her chest. Gently, I pulled Azure up and Kate woke. I let her know what was going on and she looked relieved but was soon back to sleep. It had been a very long few days for everyone.

I strapped Azure onto the floating platform to keep her from falling in, and then Tok helped me lift her over the railing. He cradled his daughter a moment before settling the sleepy girl against Amy's chest, still covered in blankets. Someone had rigged an awning over Amy's litter to keep the sun away, so we didn't worry that Azure was wearing only a clothe diaper.

Amy's eyes tried to fill with tears but she was dehydrated. “Can I feed her?”

Kinnon shook her head. “Not yet, I'm sorry. Give it a couple of days. You need to recover first. She'll get nothing right now, anyway.”

“Ah,” Amy's disappointment was obvious, but it passed quickly as she stroked Azure's strands of dark hair. “Azure, Azure, oh I've missed you my sweet girl. Have you been good for everyone?”

“She's been a doll,” Bailey assured her. “A real doll.”

“Good. I've been enough trouble for the two of us, can't have you adding to it,” she told the giggling infant. “Think this is funny, do you?” Amy tickled Azure's sides, which made the girl laugh. It made all of us laugh. And maybe cry just a touch.

- - -

Amy was moved back to camp just before sunset. She'd been eating and drinking fine, but Kinnon wanted her to stay in bed another couple of days before attempting much, and another week on very light-duty at most. The surgeon suggested Amy eat as much as she could stomach, and I assured her that we'd see it through.

While she slept, I pulled Ekoh aside and said, “Listen... The other day... I said some things I regret. Called you a name... It wasn't fair... and I'm sorry.”

Ekoh looked confused. “I don't recall that...”

“It was after you went to get the boat... I was... I was not myself...”

“No apology needed, Kal. I didn't hear it, and if someone I loved was in such a state, well, I'd have done much worse. Don't worry about it.”

“Well... thanks. For the cooler. You saved Amy's life.”

“I wish I'd have thought of it earlier.”

“You remembered soon enough. And now we know.”

Ekoh scratched his head, “Yeah. Any time it's needed. It's not my boat anymore, you know. It belongs to Phoenix, though, if you don't mind, I'd like to take the console whenever she's running.”

“She have a name?” I asked, “I didn't see one on the hull.”

“M'kalanula Ihnahn Anay.”

“What's it mean?”

“Ice in My Veins.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Figures.”

- - -

“You were amazing,” I said to Kinnon just before heading to sleep near Amy in the medical building. She was standing outside one of the new shelters, the one she was going to occupy alone for some time, unless she was sleeping with Nina instead. Nina was on watch with Takino, so there'd be no sounds of pleasure out of that shelter that night, as if anyone had the energy for such things at that point. “Seriously... And I'm sorry. You were right about me. I was becoming a liability.”

“You had been a liability for a day or two,” Kinnon corrected me with a small smile, “but you meant well. I know it.”

“You had to be as tired as I was. You kept your head. I need to learn that skill.”

“Long nights working emergency rooms pounds that sort of thing into it. Dealing with you is nothing compared to the anguished parents who insist on being in the ER with their son or daughter, or the cop who refuses to step aside so that I can treat his perp. You're tough, Kal, but I can handle you.” Kinnon smiled warmly, and I took words as a kindness.

“Well, I'm glad you're here, Kinnon. We're really lucky to have you.”

“I'm happy I can help whenever needed. I just wish I wasn't needed very often.” She pulled her flask out of her pocket and took a long swig, then pushed it in my direction.

I accepted and tipped back the container. Liquid fire tore down my throat and I nearly choked, sputtering and coughing as I tried to swallow. “Good god!” I finally exclaimed, “what the hell is that?”

“Everclear, or... the closest I've found since being back in this part of the world.”

“How the hell do you drink that straight?”

Kinnon looked off towards the outpost where Nina and Takino were keeping watch. “Long nights working emergency rooms...”

She turned to me and looked into my eyes a moment.

“What is it?”

“Your a good person, Kal,” she said lightly. “I worried that you'd be a tyrant, or a narcissist, a moron, whatever. I've seen enough of those back home over the years. But you're not. You really care about people here. You're a good leader... Damn, it's really a shame you're a man...”

Before I could reply, Kinnon pressed her lips to mine and I accepted her kiss. It was wonderful and warm, especially after the scorching fluid which was still burning down in my stomach. I stroked her hair and her face, lost in her soft lips, her probing tongue.

Her hand brushed my face where stubble had reappeared since I'd shaved days earlier. “I never did tell you, but you look really nice when you shave, Kal. Really nice.” She kissed me again, and then I pulled back, uncertain where this was going.

“Sleep well, Kinnon. And thanks again.”

She nodded, tipped the flask back again and swallowed, then smiled, “You too. Night Kal.”

I returned to see that Amy had stirred a bit. “Hey sweety.”

“Hey, Kal. Can you get me some water?”

I brought her a cup of cool water and she drank it all. “Thanks,” she told me. “Wish I weren't so tired. I really want to take you inside me again...”

“Soon, lover. I promise.” I kissed her mouth.

Amy pulled her face back and tested her tongue along her upper lip a moment. “She tastes nice,” Amy said, “Kinnon tastes nice. Alcohol there, but nice. I thought she was a lesbian...”

“Mostly,” I said, “though she really wishes I was a woman.”

“Well, you're not. I can verify that,” Amy said with a smile. “But it's nice that you kissed her. Maybe she's lonely.”

“Maybe. Perhaps a bit drunk, too. On top of the exhaustion and stress. I think she just needed a kiss.”

“You're so nice, Kal,” Amy grinned, “always willing to kiss the pretty women.”

“That's why I kiss you so much. You're so darn pretty...”

“Mmm... Don't make me spend the next hour crawling to my knees so I can spend another hour trying to suck you off.”

We both laughed and I stroked her hair from her face. “Get some sleep, Amy. I'll be just over there. You need anything, just call for me.”

“Thanks, Kal. I love you. Always.”