Coraline Murphy

30.

"Tommy asked me to tell you that he's coming up in a little while," Coraline told Curly, who continued to steer the small canal boat as he turned to look at her, noticing how she shivered a little with only a thin jumper on. 

It had been three days on the boat now, and he was yet to see her sleep more than 4 hours at a time, so focused she had been on nursing Tommy's injuries and relieving Curly from the wheel. 

"Will you rest now, Miss Rory?" Curly asked her, and she smiled tiredly at him.

"I need to make sure Tommy is alright," she replied. 

"He looks better," Curly commented, remembering how his friend's face had been battered and bloody when he first arrived at the stables, being held up by a barely standing Coraline. "But you don't."

Coraline chuckled. "I'm fine, Curly. I've had worse."

"You cough sounds worse, Miss Rory."

Coraline couldn't disagree with him; it was getting worse, and each time the cough took hold of her, she felt like she was coughing up her own lungs, but not wanting to cause Tommy more worry in his state, she tried to keep her coughing down. 

"When we return from London, I'll get an inhaler the doctor told me about," she said to Curly. "I didn't have time to pick it up before we had to leave the hospital."

"Didn't have time to pick what up?" Tommy's head peered out from the galley, his bruises starting to fade yellow on his face.

"Oh, nothing of importance. How are you feeling?" Coraline quickly changed the subject, rushing over to help Tommy up the small steps to get onto the deck. 

"Much better, love," he said, not wanting to appear weak in front of Curly, who stood stoically steering the boat, his eyes fixed on the water.

"Really?"

"Yeah." He wasn't lying - he'd slept better on that boat, with Coraline sometimes beside him, than he had in years, and was feeling more refreshed than he had in a while, despite the occasional twinge of pain from his injuries, which were healing well thanks for Coraline's careful treatments. "Don't know what you've put on those bruises, but it's worked."

Coraline chuckled. "That horse stuff isn't actually bad..."

He laughed. "I always was at one with the horses. Why don't you head down for a rest, Rory?"

"I'm alright. Reckon Curly could do with a break." 

"He'll have a break - I'll take over steering."

"I don't want to leave you by yourself, Tommy. What if you suddenly take unwell?" 

"I'll stay with him, Miss Rory." Curly called over, wanting Coraline to have some rest. He didn't like how pale she looked. 

"Go on, Coraline," Tommy urged, noticing her shivering. "I'll wake you in a couple of hours, alright?" 

She nodded, knowing she could trust Curly completely to look out for Tommy, and headed back down into the galley space to the small cabin that she and Tommy had been using. 

Tommy's POV

I watched her walk down the small set of steps to get into the boat. Whilst I was feeling considerably recovered from the battering I'd received from Sabini, I was worried about Coraline. I wished that I'd forced her to go home where Polly could have cared for her. But she was here now, and all I could was make sure she was looking after herself. 

Turning back to Curly, I went to take the wheel, whilst he took a seat a few feet away from me. 

"Tommy..." He started, before falling silent.

"What's on your mind, Curly?" I stared ahead into the darkening waters as night started to fall.

"Tommy, is Miss Rory alright?"

"I don't know, Curly." I answered honestly. 

"I heard... last night..." 

"Me too."

I'd more than heard it. I'd felt it too, when the nightmare had Coraline in its grip, her body trembling in terror next to me in the tiny bunk we were sharing whilst Curly was steering up on deck. Her cries had awoken me with a start as I looked around, trying to see what it was that was frightening her. Realising she was having a nightmare, I leant over her, taking her thin shoulders in my hands and tried to shake her gently to wake her up, noting the sheen of the sweat on her pale skin. 

"Coraline...!" I whispered, not wanting to scare her further. "Coraline!" 

She didn't wake up at first, her body still shaking violently, her head turning from side to side as she whimpered. 

"Coraline!" My voice was louder now, more forceful, and as I shook her shoulders, her eyes shot open, blinking rapidly as she took in her surroundings. Her chest heaved as she tried to get her breath back, and I winced at the wheeze I could hear coming from her lungs. When her eyes finally made contact with mine, I could see the tears running freely from them, and I moved quickly to wrap my arms around her, hushing her as I held her tightly to me.

"You're alright, Rory, it was just a dream." I felt her nod against me as her hands clasped desperately into the shirt I was wearing, seemingly trying to hold onto something tangible.

"Tommy..." She sobbed into my shoulder, as I gently stroked the back of her head.

"I'm here, love, I'm here."

We sat like that for some considerable time, me rocking us back and forth until I realised, she'd fallen back asleep again. Lying her back down gently in the bunk, I brushed some hair from her face, and frowned as I felt her skin, burning against mine. 

I quickly felt her forehead, realising that she was running a fever, and cursed myself for being so absorbed in my own injuries that it'd slipped my mind that Coraline was still recovering too. Knowing her as I did, I was sure she'd barely slept nor ate since we'd come aboard. I left the room as quietly as I could so as not to disturb her, and returned quickly with a cool cloth to put on her forehead in a bid to cool her down a little. 

Lying down beside her, I held one of her small hands in mine, marvelling at how it fit so perfectly. At some point, I must of fallen asleep, and when I woke up, she was gone.

"She has nightmares," I said to Curly. "We all do." 

He nodded, understanding. "But there's something else, Tommy. Have you heard her cough?"

I frowned, not having noticed her coughing. 

"She tries to hide it," Curly continued. "But it sounds awful, and I think it's getting worse."

"When she said she'd not had time to collect something from the hospital, what did she say it was?" I had a horrible feeling about this.

"An inhaler, I think, Tom."

"Fuck." I'd been so adamant on getting us out of the hospital where we were sitting ducks that I'd forgotten what Coraline had told me, that she had to get an inhaler from the doctor once she'd come off that oxygen tube. I'd not thought to stop for it, and now she was suffering. My mind raced as I came up with a plan. "Right, as soon as we get to London, one business is done, we will go to a hospital and get her the inhaler she needs." 

Curly nodded, his face still worried, his eyes refusing to meet mine. 

-------

Later that night, I left Curly to continue steering and crept down into the bunk room to check on Coraline. She was asleep, but her face wasn't peaceful, her brow furrowed and her breathing strained. Her skin was still too warm to my liking, though it felt a little cooler now than it had last night. Once again I took her little hand in mind, turning it over absentmindedly. I noticed her fingernails were a little blue, standing out against the pale skin of her fingers. 

Fuck, I thought. I really have failed her here.