Corvus (Stars and Sails, Book 1)

Four

"Accident?" Jade asked.

Oliver nodded. He stared down so that she wouldn't see the tears in his eyes.

"I'm sure he'd be happy to hear that you think so highly of him, but..." Jade exhaled. "Oh, Ollie. That was no accident. You know that."

"Whatever," Oliver whispered. A tear rolled down his freckled cheek, followed by another. He pulled his hand away. Jade dropped the bandage roll. It unraveled across the floor. He rested his brow on his wrists as his shoulders began to quiver. "You think he did this to us?"

Jade sighed. "No. You know that this wasn't Fairburn's or my father's doing. It's not—we're not to blame. None of us are. Zelley's attack was random. He did it because he could."

Oliver nodded and stretched his hand towards her again. "I'm just sad."

"Mm," Jade nodded quietly. "Me too." She wrapped his other hand up. When she was finished, his hands were unusable. Jade did not claim to have a bedside manner and her techniques of care were not always the best. "I apologize. A doctor would have done a much better job than I did."

Oliver's facial features sunk again. "Oh, you're right. Captain Harris hired that doctor, but now what? He'll come out here for nothing."

"A doctor?" Jade stopped rolling the gauze back up. Her fingers froze.

"Yes, a doctor." When Oliver saw that she didn't understand he cleared his throat. "I don't know much about him. He's like uh, really respected." He attempted to scratch his head with his bandaged hands.

She paused to set the bandage roll on the nightstand. "But what about Dr. West—"

Oliver waved his bandages. "Oh, devil. I always do this, Jade. Maybe I wasn't supposed to tell you. He made it sound like you weren't very enthusiastic about this guy."

"Enthusiastic?" Jade asked. "I don't even know who he is."

"Dr.—uh you know, our doctor was retiring, so Captain Harris hired a new one."

Jade narrowed her eyebrows. "Why would I have a problem with that?"

"Look, that's all I know about him--Doctor. Respected. Replacement. That's it." Oliver shrugged, clearly looking like he had said something wrong. He rubbed the tears out of his eyes with his wrists. Jade shrugged away the doubt. It was probably just Oliver misunderstanding something. This wouldn't be the first time. He was sweet, just a little naïve.

"Don't worry about it, Oliver. I'll look into it," Jade said. She reached out her hands. He placed his in hers. "We're going to be alright. It's always you and me against the world." She smiled through the pain in her chest. "Thank God. I'd be as good as a shark if I didn't have you around." She quickly wiped away a tear.

Oliver bent over and cried again silently into his bandaged hands. Jade softly urged him to move over. She sat beside him on the coffer and let him cry. The storm raged on outside. Rain pattered against the porthole. She watched it for a while.

Oliver had been a part of the vessel for as long as she had, despite being four years younger than her. His parents were poor, so two-thirds of the money he made always went back to them, but that was his choice. He had found his place on the Coronis and she didn't think he wanted to be anywhere else.

Jade took his face in her hands. Tears wet his eyes. "Go to sleep." She pressed a kiss on the top of his head. "We'll sort everything out in the morning."

He wiped his eyes and got up . He hesitated. "Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you over that doctor. I don't think it's a big deal. Your father just," he sighed. "You know how much he treasured his secrets. No matter how small." He looked down at his hands one last time. A tear rolled off his chin. He left.

Jade pushed the coffer back into the corner of the room and threw the medical supplies in a drawer. She didn't bother changing for bed.

She blew out the candle, inhaled the smoke and stared at the ceiling until dawn.