Deepest Desire [NaLu AU]

Chapter XI

I awoke to the unpleasant sensation of my stomach churning and my head pounding. I clutched my stomach, doubled over as I quickly vomited the contents of my dinner into a bucket. I felt bile rise even as my stomach was completely empty, and fought the urge to dry heave. Stumbling out of my cabin, I headed up the stairs, leaning heavily on the railing. "Erza," I grumbled, stopping to gag dramatically in the middle of her name.

I saw a head poke over the edge of the deck and into the square opening that the staircase from below-deck led to. "Yes, Captain?" she asked.

I gagged into my arm and looked away. I knew I didn't need words for her to understand the problem. "Natsu," she said exasperatedly. "You know you're in charge of keeping your medication stocked." She shook her head. "It'll be about six hours before we can reach the next port," she coughed and continued under her breath, "even though it'll throw us way off course." I groaned in discomfort and she gave me a motherly look, "Try to hold out until then."

It took me another five minutes to escape the mildew scented staircase and into the boiling, salty air. I took a deep breath and felt my stomach calm for a split second before my vision spun before me again. I gazed out at the ocean, trying to calm the rough, choppy waters inside me, and make them look like the collected, glassy surface of the ocean before me. It was futile as I felt my face turn visibly purple and I bolted to the side of the ship, emptying yesterday's breakfast into the ocean, cringing as I tainted it. My stomach grumbled and I felt the entire crew's eyes on me as I trudged to the galley. I knew any food I ate would be wasted, but I didn't care. We were about to arrive at another harbor anyways where we could stock up.

I heard snickers behind me as I waved to Mira while she was cleaning up the bar in front of her. She smiled kindly with her eyes squinted closed. "Hello, Captain. What can I do... for you?" she trailed off as her eyes opened, only to finish her sentence with suppressed laughter.

"Chicken," I pleaded, miserably, sitting on a barstool in dramatic anguish.

She laughed at me as she prepared a drumstick for me quickly. I salivated, thinking about it, but dry heaved just as quickly when the ship crashed into a particularly choppy wave. Mira looked at me skeptically and said, "Are you sure you'll be able to eat this, Captain? You don't look like you can hold anything down at the moment." Good observation, I thought sarcastically. I stared at the chicken leg as she waved it in front of me. I growled territorially and snatched it from her hand, devouring it quickly. My content feeling was short-lived, however, when I heard heavy boots clonk into the galley.

Mira looked up behind me and smiled again, though it looked a little more forced than usual. "Hi, there!" she chirped kindly. "You're Lucy, right?" she asked. I groaned and laid my head on the bar, holding the remains of my chicken leg.

I heard the boots clonk their way to me and I saw someone sit beside me out of the corner of my eye. "Yeah." Her voice was annoyed and ashamed. I frowned, feeling the urge to vomit my chicken, but I held my hand over my mouth to prevent it. I cringed as I saw her glance at me disgustedly. "What's wrong with you?"

I frowned and sighed, putting my head back on the bar. "I have motion sickness," I said, rolling my eyes. "What does it look like?"

Mira eyed the exchange and a grin crept onto her face deviously. "I'll just be cleaning the dishes," she said, already walking away.

I lifted my head and decided to try to sleep off the rest of my motion sickness. I trudged off to my cabin, and was surprised when Lucy followed me. She was trying to be stealthy, but it wasn't working very well, especially with those boots of hers. I managed to not fall and keep my path straight and steady, if it wasn't for my completely discolored face, you wouldn't be able to tell I was even sick. I made it to the stairs without a hitch, but as soon as I landed on the first step, the boat stuttered. It made the boat rock back and forth and I couldn't prevent the chicken from rising out of my stomach and landing on a step below me. I collapsed, losing my balance completely, and saw Lucy grab my wrist before I could fall all the way down the stairs. She glanced at my stomach's contents that now lay on the stair she was just above. I caught her cheeks puff and her face began to sweat just before her dinner joined mine in a pile.