The World Over

Oceanic Sickness

Chapter Sixteen

       Oceanic Sickness

William’s POV

I was the happiest man on Earth at the moment. I was marrying the woman I had wanted to since I saw her fall in the river all those months ago. So much has happened since then, most of it for the good, but all of that does not matter now, as those events have got me and Edith here, on this ship, going to New York to start a stress-free life.

“William, I am just going to call it a night.” She spoke quietly, standing up from the table.

I stood up also. “I’ll join you.” I looked at the other two couples with us. “We are both going back to the cabin; we shall see you for dinner tomorrow.” I spoke for both of us and shuffled both our chairs under the table before walking from the dining room.

“You did not need to come with me.” She remarked.

“I know, the people back there were too boring.” I joked and she smiled as she wandered into our cabin.

Once she was all dressed into her nightwear, she laid down in the bed. I got changed out of my suit and climbed in beside her, wrapping her in my arms. “Thank you for agreeing to be my wife.” I whispered in her ear.

“Thank you for putting up with me.” She retorted. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” I replied softly.

The next morning, I awoke alone. I sat up in the bed and got dressed back into my full clothing. “Edith?” I called out to hear nothing back. I pulled my socks and shoes on, tying the laces properly and straightening my back. “Edith?” I called again, just to hear more silence. I huffed as I wandered into the bathroom.

My eyes widened as I took in the scene before me, Edith was sunk over the toilet, her eyes closed and her face white. Oh no! I hurried over to her and picked her up, placing her on the bed carefully. “Edith, are you okay? Do you want me to fetch the doctor?” I asked frantically but she just groaned and let even more sick empty out of her mouth and onto the floor. If this girl has some sort of disease and dies, I will never be able to forgive myself from taking her away from a suitable doctor and not a ship one.

She shook her head once I had come back from fetching a metal bowl. “No.” She croaked and I fled from the room immediately. I would pay any amount of money just for Edith to be seen now.

As I was running past various groups of people, I stopped when I saw a picture of someone. I bent down and realised it was Edith’s photo of her when she was a child. I placed the photo in my pocket. If she lost that, I am sure she would have been devastated, those letters and this photo are her most prized possessions and if one of them went missing I am sure she would not be able to forgive herself.

As I started to quicken my pace, I pulled the photo out and started to examine it more closely. The woman was very similar in looks to Edith and her father looked like a warm but stern man, nothing like what my father and mother were. No, these looked like they loved Edith and what they did in the Boer War was courageous and if I ever got to meet them, I am sure to tell them that.

There were a few photos of myself as a child with my mother and father but they were all for show, so that to the town and village we would look like the perfect family that was respectable. But we were not. Yeah, my mum and dad worked for a living to maintain the fortune they acquired, but they were selfish with it, and that is why I did not feel like part of their family. I want to be a father that loves his children not one who just has a son to take over the business. Having children is not for that.

I looked up from the photo, and on the corner of two corridors, a woman who looked vaguely familiar was sat, shoulders hunched up and crying softly. It was odd to see a woman crying so openly, so I wandered over to her and sat down. She may be able to help with Edith if I help her first. “Are you okay madam?” I asked softly, causing her to start.

She glanced at me and shook her head. “I am not sir, I have left my daughter in England and I told my husband that we were to look for her more, but he was convinced that she had left with that cook and her husband as she thought that we were not looking for her, but I swear we were. We just could not find her and when we found out where she lived it was too late.” She told me before breaking into a fresh batch of sobs. I held her shoulders carefully so it would not look like I had a mistress and pulled her up to her feet.

I pulled the photo out of my pocket. “Is this you and your daughter madam?” I asked as I showed it her and she gasped, her eyes widening a little.

“Why yes! How did you acquire this photo?” She asked as she took it out of my hands and stroked the photo of Edith’s cheek.

“The baby in the photo is my wife to be madam. Your daughter is on this very ship.” I spoke kindly, a huge smile on my face, which seemed to reflect hers.

“Honestly?” She asked again and I nodded. I wish my mother would have loved me this much; she doesn’t even seem to care about me.

“Yes madam, but she is ill and I need to go and fetch a doctor, we are in room ninety-five you can let yourself in. Tell her I will be as fast as I can.” I replied before walking in the opposite direction to the medical room where hopefully a doctor was.

I knocked on the door to the Medical room and a woman dressed as a nurse stood. “Yes sir?”

“My wife, she is ill. I need a doctor, I have money.” I spoke fast.

“Okay sir, Doctor Livingstone is out at the moment on call, how urgent is it?” She asked.

“Very, she had fainted whilst leaning over the toilet bowl this morning,” I told her in quiet, hushed tone. It is no one else’s business and we do not want to spread rumours.

“Okay sir, well the good doctor shall be with us soon. What room are you in and I will send him to you straight away?”

“We are in room ninety-five; please tell him to knock before he enters, and thank you.” I told her before walking off back to our room.

I made my way back and as I stepped through the door, Edith was still laid on the bed, her face as white as the sheets. The bowl that I placed by the bedside gave the room a rancid smell. Edith’s mother had placed a cold, wet towel onto her forehead and was sat beside her, the love for her child, clear in her eyes.

“The doctor shall be here in a minute.” I told them both.

“Good, she does not seem to be getting any worse, and she has not been sick since I arrived and the pale face is due to the sickness, I am sure she will be fine by tonight.” She spoke like a professional.

“Are you a nurse?” I asked and she nodded her head.

“Yes, I was a trained nurse before I gave it up when I married Edith’s father. That was why I also helped in gaining an important victory in the Second Boer War. I could not afford to let our country lose when we needed to fight. I felt terrible when I left Edith behind with Harriet and Peter, but I honestly had no choice.” She spoke and I nodded my head, she must have a lot in her to be able to leave her child behind.

“Yes, and our country needed you.”