A/N: Oh my goodness you guys. I can not even start on how grateful I am to all of you! Every time I get a review or a favorite, I swear I smile like an idiot for three minutes. And not just that either! On Sunday, I was looking at my story traffic, and I had the most hits I've ever had! You are all so sweet to read this until now.
This is also the one month anniversary of this story being on Fanfiction. Well, it's actually three months as of October 5, since I really started this…July 5, 2009, but oh well :)
And now onto the actual reason you're here…
Chapter 11
Sea Sick
Tetra's eyes fluttered open, and she was met with a stinging hand and a completely limp body. What happened last night…? The only thing she remembered was the storm that hit, and banging her head on the ship's railing. She slowly lifted her opposite hand to her hair, and felt it going almost every direction possible.
'Ugh,' she groaned, 'I sure hope Link doesn't see me like this…' she quickly hit herself in the head, 'Why do I care what he thinks? I don't care what anyone else says…wait a minute, I'm thinking about my feelings, that's girlish, cut it out. Go back to sleep,' she silently scolded herself. She closed her eyes when a sudden chill rippled down her spine, and she nestled in closer to the blanket…wait…
She peeked her eyes open again. The pirate girl looked to her left, and she saw her wall, and the frame of her bed. She looked down and saw her bed and the cream colored blanket she was sitting on. Then she looked to her right and saw something she didn't expect; Link was sitting next to her with his arm around her shoulder. His eyes were closed, and his head was laid back against her bed frame, and soft snoring left his lips.
'How the heck did this happen!' She was flabbergasted. Not that she minded it much, but no one would know that.
Link began to stir beside her, and she quickly shut her eyes in an act to sleep.
Link took in a deep breath and stretched, a few of his joints popping in response. When he stretched his legs, he pulled the blanket off of Tetra's shoulders and she immediately started shivering.
"Oh sorry Tetra…" he muttered groggily. The boy quickly and quietly slipped out of the blanket and draped it around her shoulders. He pulled his boots onto his feet and walked to the door. He took one more look at the young captain, and she was still shivering. He ran back to her and tucked the blanket around her securely and spoke to her.
"You look awful…I should go and get Nudge…I'll be right back" he said to her even though he thought she was sleeping.
He heard her mumble something but it was unintelligible to the young boy, so he ignored it and stepped out of the room.
The sun was halfway in the sky as a pirate crew ambled around on deck. Link scanned the ship until he found who he was looking for by the wheel.
"Nudge!" he called and ran to the pirate. He nearly tripped over Senza and Mako playing cards in his rush to get to the other side of the ship.
"Hello Link. How is the Miss?" he asked.
Niko turned to look at them and winked as he walked by "Yeah Link, how is the Miss?"
Link ignored Niko's comment and continued talking to Nudge,
"She is shivering like crazy, but still sleeping. I wasn't really sure if that was good or bad." His voice was a pitch higher on his last sentence. He waited for Nudge's response with one eyebrow raised.
The man nodded and looked up in thought.
"I wonder what is wrong with her…she should have warmed up by now…" Nudge thought aloud. Worry was the only emotion that was showing in his dark brown eyes. He nodded with his head to the door, and Link led the way to the Captain's room.
"Wonder what's wrong with the captain," Niko said to Gonzo as he leaned against the wheel-stand.
"Not sure, but Nudge will figure it out, yeah?" he answered, slowly turning the wheel to the left.
"Suppose that's right mate…" he agreed and looked up at the sky, "Who would take over if she died?"
Gonzo froze at the very thought of his beloved Miss Tetra biting the dust. He quickly shook it off, not wanting the other pirates to think any less of him for having a crush on the captain. Instead, he obtained a high and mighty air about him.
"Whoever is in second command would make sense," he grinned, rubbing his fist on his shirt.
Niko was immune to Gonzo's implication. "Maybe Senza…he's good at keepin' order on the ship. Or maybe Nudge, he'd be a good leader. Oh, or Mako, he's smart."
"Or maybe the person in second command," Gonzo growled, leaning closer to the small pirate and jabbing his thumb at his chest.
"Let's not be dwellin' on the negative matey," Niko said, shooing Gonzo's face away with his hand.
Gonzo exhaled deeply and went back to steering the ship, closed his eyes and pinched the skin between them. He quickly opened them as a thought popped into his head.
"Where's the shrimp, yeah? He's got work to do, and I haven't seen him 'round here in a day,"
Niko smirked and looked up at the large pirate. "I'll betchya 'es cuddled up against our captain right now."
Gonzo's face turned bright red with fury. "What do you mean by that, swabbie?" he growled.
It seemed like Niko shriveled down to the size an ant under Gonzo, "W-well," he stammered, twisting his stripped shirt around in his hands, "she was shiverin' like mad. S-so Link had to help 'er with 'er temperature, so he had to sit with her in this blanket…"
"That little TWERP! When I get my hands on him I'll…I'll…" Gonzo paused and failed to think of a decent threat.
"You'll what?" Niko squeaked.
"I don't know, but I'll be sure that he won't like it."
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Link held a warm washcloth to Tetra's forehead as Nudge stuck a thermometer in her mouth.
"What's it say?" the boy asked anxiously, peering at Nudge's hand as if to see through it.
The man's eyes drooped and he slowly shook his head. It covered up most of her head as he placed a callaced hand on the shivering girl's forehead.
"I'm afraid she has hypothermia."
Link's eyes nearly popped out his head at this information.
"Wh-what?" he whimpered.
The man quickly raised his arms in attempt to reassure the devastated boy, "It is only a mild case and can be easily treated."
"Are you sure? She could just have a bad cold," he protested and shook his head, not wanting to accept the fact that Tetra's condition could be fatal.
"According to my prior knowledge, her symptoms match," he said, feeling almost as melancholy just by looking at the young boy. He continued after getting no response from Link.
"Her uncontrollable shivering," they both looked at the ghost-white girl, who to no surprise was shaking madly, "pale and cold skin, confusion. For the confusion part I'll demonstrate."
Nudge stood from the bed and walked towards the door. Link watched the man in confusion.
He started banging on the door with his knuckles and shouting, "Captain! It's an emergency! The ship is on fire!"
Link's eyes whirled back to Tetra to see her reaction.
She slowly turned her head and took in a shallow breath. It seemed like a decade before she responded.
"Huh…? The slips fyrr…" The rest of her sentence was unintelligible to either of the two.
"Slurred speech is also a symptom," Nudge explained with worry spread in his slanted eyes. The man took in a deep breath and continued.
"And so is delayed reaction."
Emotions ran across Link's face as fast as rain pouring down in a storm; fear, desperation, sadness, and horror. "What can we do to treat it?" he asked with his race of emotions stopping at sorrow.
"We can give her warm drinks, followed by candy or other high sugar foods."
Link nodded, and stood up to get the ingredients.
"We can also press hot rocks or hot water bottles against her neck, chest, and stomach area."
Link grimaced, that didn't sound too pleasant, or comfortable.
"And we should get her to a doctor as fast as possible," Nudge added.
"But there is no island with civilization anywhere near here, Outset is at least three days away," he said.
"We can just hope that her condition doesn't get any worse."
A voice came from behind the door, "Nudge, your needed on deck."
"I'll be right up," he turned to Link, "Give her some hot water, and I'm sure we have some candy in the slop hall."
Link nodded and watched him leave the room then he turned to Tetra. He sat next to her, his head fell limp and he clamped his eyes shut just as they grew watery.
"C'mon Tetra, hang in there. When we get to Outset, my grandma can make you feel better. I know you can tough it out," he placed his hand on her uncovered one. Link opened his eyes in surprise as he felt a squeeze. He looked up from the floor to his hand, and saw Tetra's gripping his. His dark green eyes widened as his gaze traveled up until he was looking at the young girl's pale face. A weak smile was there, and her eyes were slightly opened. That same spark was visible in her turquoise eyes, and she closed one and winked at him. Link half sighed, half laughed as he smiled back, held her cold hand to his cheek, and whispered,
"I know you can make it."
