chapter 14
Samantha recovered from her ordeal. Alber' stayed with her most of the night. Taking her to her room at the Inn. Ordering her meal, making sure she ate at least some of it. Talking with her, soothing her.
It was the afternoon of the following day when word came to Alber'. The Santa Maria had been caught in the storm, the Captain injured, they were expected back late that night or the following morning.
Alber' was torn should he tell Celia and Samantha, Martin was hurt or wait until the ship docked to learn how serious his injury was? There was nothing they could do until he returned.
What he didn't know was Celia was fighting her own battle for survival at that
very moment. Her youngest Ariana, had gotten into trouble in the storm, and
Celia had caught a chill rescuing her form a nearby stream. The child was doing
well, but the mother had not taken the same precautions with herself and was
fighting a terrible fever and chills. She was coughing, and there was blood when
she coughed hard.
Alber' worried, staying in his home near the port so any word about the ship
would reach him instantly. It was well past night fall when word finally came
the Santa Maria was docking.
It wasn't ten minutes later that Cero was knocking frantically on his door.
"Signore Gracon, please, you must come at once."
"What is it Cero?"
"The Captain he is hurt, I've come to ask you to bring a doctor and his wife."
"Si, Cero I know just the doctor." Alber' pushed him back out the door and hurried to a house on the corner.
"Doctor Alvera, please you must go to my friend. This man will show you where."
Alber' pounded on the door.
"Si, let me get my bag."
Alber' went to Samantha's room. He hired a carriage to take her to the dock.
Then he went for Celia, having warned Samantha that she would be coming shortly.
"Please God, let him live." Samantha prayed the entire time she was rushing to
be with Martin.
Martin was in pain the medicine the doctor had given him hadn't yet taken effect.
"Martin, mei amore," Samantha knelt by his bed.
"Cara, you came to me?' Martin was suffering from an infection and high fever. He was not behaving normally.
"Si, caro, I'm here with you. You must rest. Let your body fight the infection."
"Kiss me Cara, I've missed you so."
Samantha kissed he hot lips, then smoothed his hair from his forehead.
"Doctor what must I do to help him?"
"You can bath him in cool water, to bring the fever down. But he must not take
a chill. It is very tricky. OF you can wait and see if the fever breaks on its
own. Either way tonight will tell if he is to live or die."
:::::::::::::::::::
"I must speak with Celia, it is very important." Alber' was met at the door by
a woman he did not know.
" I am sorry signor, she is ill and not receiving visitors."
"I'm an old family frined I'm sure see will want to see me."
"Very well, but only for a moment." the woman frowned.
"Celia, I've just learned you are ill." Alber' took the seat by her bed.
She looked terrible, pale, and weak.
"Alber' so nice of you to come. I'll get well soon, it was only a chill."
Celia opened her eyes and smiled at her husbands friend.
"Arian is safe, you are a very brave woman." he lifted her hand to his lips and
kissed it.
"Sweet Alber', Grazie."
::::::::::::::::::
Samantha stayed at Martin's side, bathing his forehead with cool water. Changing
the sheets under him, and stripping him out of his clothing. She took precautions with cooling him to much, keeping the covers over his lower body, and bathing his chest, and arms. Then covering him again, against a chill.
Martin tossed and cried out, calling her name in his delirium.
"Samantha, cara, where are you?"
"I'm here mei amore, I'm here with you." she held his hand and continued to
try and help him to stay cool. Freting he was getting worse instead of better.
Samantha prayed, for him, to come back to her, to get well.
The combination of her attentions and the medicine the doctor had provided worked. The fever broke and Martin, opened his eyes again, they were clear and focused.
"Samantha, cara when did you come?" He lifted a hand to her cheek and smiled at her.
Her heart flopped over in her chest at his sweet smile. She kissed his palm, tears falling from her eyes, tears of joy.
"Never mind when, I'm here now. I love you so." she kissed his hand again.
Alber' arrived with sad news, Celia had died. He expained what had happened,
she had saved their child but lost her life.
"You had us all scared my friend." Alber' touched his hand to Martin's good
arm.
"Grazie, for taking care of them for me." Martin nodded to his friend.
"I can not believe she is gone." He was sad, he had loved her when he was younger but now, Samantha was the one his heart belonged to.
"Cara, it is not a good time but I must ask you. Will you help me raise my children, and be at my side always?" He sat up in the bed and kissed her hand,
looking deeply into her eyes.
"Si, Martin I will."
::::::::::::::::::::::
The bell from down stairs rang. Angel was in the kitchen making coffee, she
was usually up before Sam and today was no different.
"Angel it's Bailey could you let me in please?"
"Sure Bailey come on up." She walked to the control for the elevator and unlocked it for him.
"Good morning, is Sam up yet?"
"No, but her alarm should go off any minute now. Another big case?'
"Yes, I wanted to brief her on it on the way to the plane."
"The phone rang just then and Angel went to pick it up. Hi mom, how have you
been? Oh, is there a problem?"
Bailey, moved towards Sam's bedroom, thinking he could wake her before her
alarm and get her started early.
Sam was still deep in sleep, still dreaming about Martin and herself.
"Sam, wake up we have a new case." Bailey stood in the doorway, and called to
her, but got no reaction. He moved in closer to the bed and tried again.
"Sam, wake up we have a case." He said a little louder this time, his eyes on
her face. Bailey was wearing only his usual white shirt with no tie yet, this
morning as it was a hot muggy day in Atlanta. He still had his sleeves rolled
up to help him keep cool.
"Che, mei Amore? Che?" Sam opened her eyes and though she was still dreaming.
Bailey's eyes opened wider, had she just called him her love and asked him
what he'd said in Italian? For a second he didn't know how to respond, then
decided to go along with her. " Ciao, Cara noi avere caso."
"What did you say? Bailey?" Sam looked up at him, realizing it had been a dream
and wondering what had happened to make her dream what she had. Wow, that was
one hell of a dream.
"Good morning, we have a case." He smiled at her, "You spoke to me in Italian
just now, I didn't know you knew any."
"I don't not much anyway. Did you say Cara isn't that sweetheart?"
"Something like that, come on Sam we have to be at the airport in an hour."
Bailey turned back to the hallway, not wanting to give himself away.
Sam watched him leave wondering about his behavior, and then remembering her
dream. She climbed out of bed and went to take a quick shower. The details of
her dream coming back to her in pieces. Bailey looked like Martin the version
of him from her dream, wearing just the white shirt. It awakened feelings
she had kept buried for so long. Bailey as more than her best friend.
Bailey as he was a virile, handsome man.
She'd dreamed about making love with Bailey or his double. She'd spoken Italian to him when she first woke up, but she didn't know that much of the language. She tried to remember what she'd said but drew a blank.
Sam was dressed and ready in twenty minutes, her hair was a bit damp still but
is would be fine once it was dry.
"Bailey as soon as I get my coffee we can leave."
"That was fast." He turned towards her, from the window. His mind was racing with thoughts. He wondered why she'd spoken in Italian to him, he wished he
knew if she'd meant those words. My love.
Sam poured her coffee into her travel mug and took a sip, adding some sugar.
"Bail what did I say to you before, you said I spoke in Italian when I first
woke up?" She studied him from her place in the kitchen, he looked like the
man from her dream so much, he just need the wind blowing his shirt the
sun on his face.
"You did, you asked me, what I'd just said to you." He evaded the true answer.
But he did want to know if there was any basis for it. He'd been hiding his
true feelings for so long.
"That's all I said? What?" Sam looked puzzled. "Are you sure there wasn't something more to it?'
"You said, che mei amore, che?" Bailey quoted her exactly. Then waited for her
reaction.
"Mei amore, that's my love isn't it?" Sam blushed, well it was true but she
wasn't about to tell him it was.
His eyes locked on hers, they made a connection for a moment then Sam blinked
and it was gone. She wondered was the attraction all on her side. Might her
subconscious be picking up on vibes from Bailey that she was missing.
Could the wonderful dream become real someday?
"Yes, it's funny what you'll say when you first wake up. The mind plays tricks
with your head." Bailey gave her a easy out for what she'd said, not wanting her
to try and explain and make him feel even worse than he already did. As much as
he cared about her he knew she wasn't ready for anyone in her life.
"Well I guess we'd better get going." Sam picked up her stuff and headed for the
door.
end
Samantha recovered from her ordeal. Alber' stayed with her most of the night. Taking her to her room at the Inn. Ordering her meal, making sure she ate at least some of it. Talking with her, soothing her.
It was the afternoon of the following day when word came to Alber'. The Santa Maria had been caught in the storm, the Captain injured, they were expected back late that night or the following morning.
Alber' was torn should he tell Celia and Samantha, Martin was hurt or wait until the ship docked to learn how serious his injury was? There was nothing they could do until he returned.
What he didn't know was Celia was fighting her own battle for survival at that
very moment. Her youngest Ariana, had gotten into trouble in the storm, and
Celia had caught a chill rescuing her form a nearby stream. The child was doing
well, but the mother had not taken the same precautions with herself and was
fighting a terrible fever and chills. She was coughing, and there was blood when
she coughed hard.
Alber' worried, staying in his home near the port so any word about the ship
would reach him instantly. It was well past night fall when word finally came
the Santa Maria was docking.
It wasn't ten minutes later that Cero was knocking frantically on his door.
"Signore Gracon, please, you must come at once."
"What is it Cero?"
"The Captain he is hurt, I've come to ask you to bring a doctor and his wife."
"Si, Cero I know just the doctor." Alber' pushed him back out the door and hurried to a house on the corner.
"Doctor Alvera, please you must go to my friend. This man will show you where."
Alber' pounded on the door.
"Si, let me get my bag."
Alber' went to Samantha's room. He hired a carriage to take her to the dock.
Then he went for Celia, having warned Samantha that she would be coming shortly.
"Please God, let him live." Samantha prayed the entire time she was rushing to
be with Martin.
Martin was in pain the medicine the doctor had given him hadn't yet taken effect.
"Martin, mei amore," Samantha knelt by his bed.
"Cara, you came to me?' Martin was suffering from an infection and high fever. He was not behaving normally.
"Si, caro, I'm here with you. You must rest. Let your body fight the infection."
"Kiss me Cara, I've missed you so."
Samantha kissed he hot lips, then smoothed his hair from his forehead.
"Doctor what must I do to help him?"
"You can bath him in cool water, to bring the fever down. But he must not take
a chill. It is very tricky. OF you can wait and see if the fever breaks on its
own. Either way tonight will tell if he is to live or die."
:::::::::::::::::::
"I must speak with Celia, it is very important." Alber' was met at the door by
a woman he did not know.
" I am sorry signor, she is ill and not receiving visitors."
"I'm an old family frined I'm sure see will want to see me."
"Very well, but only for a moment." the woman frowned.
"Celia, I've just learned you are ill." Alber' took the seat by her bed.
She looked terrible, pale, and weak.
"Alber' so nice of you to come. I'll get well soon, it was only a chill."
Celia opened her eyes and smiled at her husbands friend.
"Arian is safe, you are a very brave woman." he lifted her hand to his lips and
kissed it.
"Sweet Alber', Grazie."
::::::::::::::::::
Samantha stayed at Martin's side, bathing his forehead with cool water. Changing
the sheets under him, and stripping him out of his clothing. She took precautions with cooling him to much, keeping the covers over his lower body, and bathing his chest, and arms. Then covering him again, against a chill.
Martin tossed and cried out, calling her name in his delirium.
"Samantha, cara, where are you?"
"I'm here mei amore, I'm here with you." she held his hand and continued to
try and help him to stay cool. Freting he was getting worse instead of better.
Samantha prayed, for him, to come back to her, to get well.
The combination of her attentions and the medicine the doctor had provided worked. The fever broke and Martin, opened his eyes again, they were clear and focused.
"Samantha, cara when did you come?" He lifted a hand to her cheek and smiled at her.
Her heart flopped over in her chest at his sweet smile. She kissed his palm, tears falling from her eyes, tears of joy.
"Never mind when, I'm here now. I love you so." she kissed his hand again.
Alber' arrived with sad news, Celia had died. He expained what had happened,
she had saved their child but lost her life.
"You had us all scared my friend." Alber' touched his hand to Martin's good
arm.
"Grazie, for taking care of them for me." Martin nodded to his friend.
"I can not believe she is gone." He was sad, he had loved her when he was younger but now, Samantha was the one his heart belonged to.
"Cara, it is not a good time but I must ask you. Will you help me raise my children, and be at my side always?" He sat up in the bed and kissed her hand,
looking deeply into her eyes.
"Si, Martin I will."
::::::::::::::::::::::
The bell from down stairs rang. Angel was in the kitchen making coffee, she
was usually up before Sam and today was no different.
"Angel it's Bailey could you let me in please?"
"Sure Bailey come on up." She walked to the control for the elevator and unlocked it for him.
"Good morning, is Sam up yet?"
"No, but her alarm should go off any minute now. Another big case?'
"Yes, I wanted to brief her on it on the way to the plane."
"The phone rang just then and Angel went to pick it up. Hi mom, how have you
been? Oh, is there a problem?"
Bailey, moved towards Sam's bedroom, thinking he could wake her before her
alarm and get her started early.
Sam was still deep in sleep, still dreaming about Martin and herself.
"Sam, wake up we have a new case." Bailey stood in the doorway, and called to
her, but got no reaction. He moved in closer to the bed and tried again.
"Sam, wake up we have a case." He said a little louder this time, his eyes on
her face. Bailey was wearing only his usual white shirt with no tie yet, this
morning as it was a hot muggy day in Atlanta. He still had his sleeves rolled
up to help him keep cool.
"Che, mei Amore? Che?" Sam opened her eyes and though she was still dreaming.
Bailey's eyes opened wider, had she just called him her love and asked him
what he'd said in Italian? For a second he didn't know how to respond, then
decided to go along with her. " Ciao, Cara noi avere caso."
"What did you say? Bailey?" Sam looked up at him, realizing it had been a dream
and wondering what had happened to make her dream what she had. Wow, that was
one hell of a dream.
"Good morning, we have a case." He smiled at her, "You spoke to me in Italian
just now, I didn't know you knew any."
"I don't not much anyway. Did you say Cara isn't that sweetheart?"
"Something like that, come on Sam we have to be at the airport in an hour."
Bailey turned back to the hallway, not wanting to give himself away.
Sam watched him leave wondering about his behavior, and then remembering her
dream. She climbed out of bed and went to take a quick shower. The details of
her dream coming back to her in pieces. Bailey looked like Martin the version
of him from her dream, wearing just the white shirt. It awakened feelings
she had kept buried for so long. Bailey as more than her best friend.
Bailey as he was a virile, handsome man.
She'd dreamed about making love with Bailey or his double. She'd spoken Italian to him when she first woke up, but she didn't know that much of the language. She tried to remember what she'd said but drew a blank.
Sam was dressed and ready in twenty minutes, her hair was a bit damp still but
is would be fine once it was dry.
"Bailey as soon as I get my coffee we can leave."
"That was fast." He turned towards her, from the window. His mind was racing with thoughts. He wondered why she'd spoken in Italian to him, he wished he
knew if she'd meant those words. My love.
Sam poured her coffee into her travel mug and took a sip, adding some sugar.
"Bail what did I say to you before, you said I spoke in Italian when I first
woke up?" She studied him from her place in the kitchen, he looked like the
man from her dream so much, he just need the wind blowing his shirt the
sun on his face.
"You did, you asked me, what I'd just said to you." He evaded the true answer.
But he did want to know if there was any basis for it. He'd been hiding his
true feelings for so long.
"That's all I said? What?" Sam looked puzzled. "Are you sure there wasn't something more to it?'
"You said, che mei amore, che?" Bailey quoted her exactly. Then waited for her
reaction.
"Mei amore, that's my love isn't it?" Sam blushed, well it was true but she
wasn't about to tell him it was.
His eyes locked on hers, they made a connection for a moment then Sam blinked
and it was gone. She wondered was the attraction all on her side. Might her
subconscious be picking up on vibes from Bailey that she was missing.
Could the wonderful dream become real someday?
"Yes, it's funny what you'll say when you first wake up. The mind plays tricks
with your head." Bailey gave her a easy out for what she'd said, not wanting her
to try and explain and make him feel even worse than he already did. As much as
he cared about her he knew she wasn't ready for anyone in her life.
"Well I guess we'd better get going." Sam picked up her stuff and headed for the
door.
end