Part Two

Meanwhile, on the high seas at 5.00 p.m, the yacht had returned to the last position where Princess Lana's accident could have happened during that terrible thunderstorm. The sea was calm now. Two more yachts with full crews had arrived. Now they could immediately start the search before the darkness would make it impossible. Donald seemed really confident about finding the princess alive. He knew they had to find her highness alive. He had been blamed for that accident by the queen herself, after he had informed her that the princess was missing at sea.

Queen Elaine had immediately flown to Boston. Nothing could keep her in the palace. She was praying that Lana would be found alive. The queen couldn't stand it if she would have maybe lost another family member in such short time by such an accident again. Her second son and Lana's father, Prince Robert, had lost his life also in a ship's accident. The queen was furious. Why had her 'Head Security' not taken better care of her grand-daughter? Queen Elaine couldn't and wouldn't forgive him for this inattentiveness. She wished that Donald was standing before her right now, so she could beat him terribly with her fists.

At the same time in Gull Cottage, Carolyn and Martha had managed to get the trembling young lady into the house. They had taken her upstairs and into the spare room, where they had lain her down on the bed and freed her from her wet things. Now she was covered with several blankets. Lana burned with fever and she was trembling all over. Carolyn feared for the young lady's life. Now she only knew one thing, a ambulance was needed to bring the young lady to a hospital as quickly as possible.

She was about to give Martha the order to call for a ambulance when suddenly Lana, in her feverish delusion, yelled. "NO, please! I don't want to be taken to a hospital." The princess wanted to avoid anybody learning her true identity. But before losing consciousness again, she whispered another single word, 'GRANDMA'. Now Carolyn was really worried about the young lady.

Before Martha could leave the room, Daniel was suddenly there and blocked the way to the door. "Martha, you can't make the phone call."

"Why not, Captain?" Carolyn wanted to know.

"Because the phone line is still dead. Remember, my dear?"

"Oh, yes. How could I forget that?"

Before she could continue, Daniel spoke again. "And don't forget the young lady's last words. You can't fetch a ambulance because we should respect her wish even if she said it in her feverish delusion."

"But, Captain, we can't help her here. She needs professional help from a hospital doctor." Carolyn began to protest but then she changed her mind after looking in Daniel's blue eyes. There she saw something that told her that he knew more about the young lady than he wanted to say. "Alright! But if we let her stay, we need Doctor Ferguson. He has to come here and examine her. Agreed, Captain?"

"Agreed, my dear. Martha shall drive into town and fetch the good doctor."

"I will. And don't worry, Captain, I won't tell the doctor the truth about our guest's real state of health. He will notice it soon enough." And with that, Ms Grant hurried out the bedroom door, down the stairs and past Candy and Jonathan without a word. She went out the front door in the direction where the station wagon was parked. Fortunately, the car hadn't been damaged by the storm. Now she was on her way. She drove a rather zigzag course on her way to town because she had to evade some ruins which lay around everywhere. In addition, she had to pay attention not to jump with her employer's car over the cliff because of the slippery road. 'Oh, my God, I hope I make it safe to town!' she thought.

A short time later, Martha arrived unhurt in Schooner Bay. She got a fright when she saw the big mess which the thunderstorm had caused in the town. All over, uninjured townspeople were busy with tidying works. She got out the car and began searching for Doctor Ferguson. Suddenly she saw him standing by a ambulance. Ms Grant made her way to that car. She was really perplexed when seeing that the person on the stretcher was Claymore. He was conscious again and his right leg had been splinted provisionally.

Claymore saw Martha standing behind the doctor. A little dazed from the syringe, the one which had been given him for the pain, he mumbled. "I have a broken leg, Martha. And I have to go to the hospital."

"Oh, sorry to hear that, Claymore." Martha said with concern. Before the back door to the ambulance was closed, she continued, "I wish you a good recovery."

After the ambulance had driven away, the doctor finally faced Martha. "How can I help you, Ms Grant? Has someone in Gull Cottage been injured by the storm, too?"

"No, nobody in the cottage is hurt, but Mrs. Muir and I found a strange young female lying unconsciousness down the beach. I think she must have survived a ship's accident or something because her clothes were very wet."

"Oh, I see. You want me to come with you and take a look at the young lady because she has become ill, right?" the doctor mused.

"RIGHT, doctor!" came Martha's answer.

But neither made it to Gull Cottage because Mrs. Muir's station wagon got stuck in the mud halfway there. Walking wasn't to be thought of either. It was rather slippery for a stroll to the house. What now?

In the meantime, Lana continued to talk about ever more confusing things in her feverish delusion. Carolyn and Daniel watched her but could do nothing about her present state. Carolyn put new cold cloths on her forehead, and both prayed that Martha would make it back in time with the good doctor in tow.

Suddenly a knock at the front door got the attention of the children. "Who can that be, Candy?" Jonathan asked.

"I don't know, little brother. Well, it can't be Martha because she has a key. Let's take a look." Candy suggested.

And they did. Opening the door, both kids were perplexed to see Ms Leevey was standing before them. "Come in, Ms Leevey." Candy said, because she saw that Susan looked very tired.

"Oh, thank you, Candy, Jonathan." and she came in. Closing the door behind her, Susan asked a bit tiredly. "Where is your mother?"

"Mom is upstairs!" both kids called at the same and Jonathan continued, "She and Martha found a young female down the beach and brought her in here. The lady is very bad condition, I believe. Martha is in town to fetch Doctor Ferguson."

"Oh, that doesn't sound good. May I take a look? Maybe I can help. My father is a doctor himself, and I have helped him several times in his work."

"Wow!" Candy was astonished. "Alright, come with me. Jonathan, you should take a look outside to see if Martha is somewhere in sight."

"Will do!" With that, the boy hurried out the front door.

to be continued