Greedy Hearts

Six: Sea Sickness

His large hand touched her forehead. "You're right, she has a fever," he said this to Elena. Then his eyes moved back to hers. "Have you had anything aside from when you ate with me?"

Juniper rolled her eyes. "It's awfully convenient that you're practiced in medicine."

"Just answer the question."

"No, I haven't. I've been far too busy trying to ignore the storm."

"Motion sickness?"

Juniper refused to answer that. It was rather humiliating.

"She's always had a bit of trouble with it, yes." Elena answered for her.

Kitt nodded. "Princess, it seems you'll need plenty of rest and care. You're sick, the fever confirms it."

"Oh, good job doctor." Juniper's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You two should leave now and I'll be fine in a day or two."

"Already told you, your Highness out of the question," Kitt shot her down immediately. He motioned to Elena. "I'll need a bucket of fresh water down here. And some for her to drink while you're at it, I suppose."

Juniper couldn't help sassing him. "How utterly kind," she muttered.

Elena obeyed the Captain and Juniper wished she could leave this man too. This couldn't be going worse.

Kitt didn't sit back while the maid was gone. Instead, he pulled Juniper's boots off and motioned to her clothes. "I'll need those."

"Hilarious."

"I'm serious, Princess. Don't make me take them by force." Kitt waited for a moment. "I'm not afraid to do it. It's nothing I haven't seen before." He winked.

"Tell me why and maybe I will," Juniper countered.

"The first way to take care of sickness is to make sure everything is clean, including you, and I'll bet those clothes are filthy, given you just found them laying around. If those clothes are dirty, it won't help your case." Kitt raised his eyebrows, holding his hand out once again. "Is that convincing enough?"

"I hate you," Juniper spat, grabbing her shirt and pulling it off. She didn't want to give him any sort of satisfaction by being shy. She threw the shirt at him and then unbuttoned the pants. Thankfully her under clothes weren't terribly revealing. She was grateful that she'd packed reasonably. As she tried getting the pants off the pain rolled through her and she curled over herself groaning.

Kitt stepped up and his fingers graced her sides as he took a hold of her trousers. "Lie still and I'll help. The more you move, the more pain you'll be in."

Juniper stilled and to her mortification, blushed as the Captain removed the trousers gently. He tossed them in the corner with the shirt and shrugged his coat off. He held it out to her.

"Here, put this on."

"But you said things need to be clean."

"It is, I promise." Kitt wasn't looking at her, she realized. He was facing her, but his eyes were averted. A pirate being gentlemanly? This had to be a strange dream induced by the fever.

Juniper snatched the long coat and threw it over herself like a blanket. It would be too painful to sit up and put it on. "At least you have some decency."

"I'm a pirate, but I'm a Captain. Of course I need some decency." Kitt gave her a crooked smile. "I'm not all bad."

She rolled her eyes. "Right. Am I supposed to praise you?"

"I do enjoy praise."

The door swung open once again as Elena came back with a bucket as instructed. Juniper was relieved for a moment but it didn't last long. She still had to deal with this ridiculous situation.