Chapter 14 – Hell Hath No Fury …

The flickering candlelight danced across the room, leaping in and out of the shadows coating the walls. Delbert followed the pattern idly, playing with the ends of the cloth he had tied around his wounded arm. It had succeeded in staunching the blood flow, and the pain had lessened somewhat. Now instead of a raging fire racing throughout his arm, he only had to contend with a dull throb. He wished medical would get to his quarters quickly. He had more important things to do than sit around and wait for a doctor. More important things such as dealing with a certain irritated captain. He thought for a moment. Perhaps irritated was too light a word.

His ears perked up when he heard footsteps halt outside his room, and he turned as the wooden door slowly creaked open. Surprise lit his features when he discovered not a doctor, but rather the captain standing there, a scowl on her features.

"Amelia! What are you doing here?" he squeaked, his eyes frowning in question.

"Doctor, I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to you. Follow me," she instructed stiffly and executed an about face, moving along the port bulkhead. Doppler watched her go for a moment then sighed. She was obviously still quite angry. He had expected her to be, but a part of him had hoped his injuries would have displaced some of the irritation and replaced it with a small measure of concern. Apparently, he was not to be so lucky. Grabbing his overcoat, he shrugged one arm in to it and followed her out.

The walk through the belly of the ship was tense and except for a few greetings from passing crewmembers, it was made in silence. As they neared the ship doctor's quarters, Delbert slowed down, but Amelia kept walking, strolling briskly by and continuing down the corridor.

Wisely, Delbert chose to refrain from questioning this and merely followed behind. His perplexity mounted when they ascended the stairwell and stepped onto the main deck. With a look that clearly said, "Stay here," Amelia glanced at Doppler before approaching Lightoller, who was standing watch.

"Mr. Lightoller, I cannot find Doctor Dillamond," she informed him. "Have you, by chance, seen him?"

"No, m'am. I haven't seen hide or hair of the doctor since he departed for liberty."

"It's as I thought," she sighed. "I fear our good doctor has found a bit of company too enticing to leave," Amelia noted, cracking a grim smile.

"Most likely, m'am."

"In any event, I will be taking Doctor Doppler to my quarters and will attend to his wounds there."

"Yes, m'am."

"Not one of word of this anyone, Lightoller. I don't want any scuttlebutt making its way through the ship." She positioned her nose mere inches from his. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Like fresh rainwater on Danobian glass, Captain."
Amelia nodded. "Good man. Carry on." She turned and headed to the stairwell that would take them below deck and to her quarters. "Dr. Doppler, you will follow me."

Amelia's quarters were dark, save for a single lamp nestled again the far corner of her nightstand. The open windows rattled softly as the ship rolled, ever so slightly, back and forth, the crisp night air sliding across the back of Doppler's neck. He shivered as the cool, moist wind danced across his fur. The breeze felt good. It was a minor luxury in the mess he had found himself deposited among.

Amelia finally broke the silence with a curt, "Shut the door, Doctor."

He did as instructed and then turned to face his lover-turned-temporary nemesis. "Amelia, we need to talk."

"Yes, we do." Her tone was terse and devoid of any of the compassion he had come to expect from her.

"I understand you're ah … upset with me," he began.

"Livid would be a more accurate term," she muttered, pushing him on the bed. "Sit there and don't move," she ordered as she retrieved a tray off the nightstand. It was filled with assorted bandages, antiseptics and frightful-looking pair of scissors. Placing it near his side, she chose a particularly nasty-looking orange disinfectant. As she unscrewed the cap, he caught a whiff of its scent. If the odor was any indication of its potency, Doppler was certain it would hurt something fierce, and knowing Amelia he had a feeling it had been chosen quite deliberately.

He watched as she soaked a thick piece of gauze in the foul liquid before turning around to face him, eyes blazing with fury.

"I should have you thrown in the brig for this! You're just lucky we were in port. Had this happened on the ship," her words trailed off, and she sighed in frustration. "Honestly Delbert Doppler! What in the Etherium were you thinking? Getting involved in a bar room brawl and with a man twice your size, who's an Ambassador no less!"

"I was thinking," he winced as she dabbed at the cut along his lip, "that I was defending your honor."

"I'm quite capable of defending my own honor, Delbert. Thank you very much."

"Dammit, Amelia! I love you! I may not be the brawniest of men and no, I'm not much of a spacer. I'm an astrophysicist, an academic. But I am a man, and that means I will rise to defend the woman I love!" he yelled, angrily jerking away from her ministrations.

Amelia sucked in a small breath. She could see the fire in Delbert's eyes. She would have to tread carefully.

"Delbert. Darling. I'm touched that you defended my honor," she told him in a low voice. She ran her fingers through his hair, which now hung above his shoulders, having come loose in the scuffle, and then continued, "I simply don't want to see you hurt, love."

"I'm not the weakling you think me to be," he muttered darkly.

"Weakling?" Her eyes widened in shock. "Delbert Doppler, I do not think of you as weak. You are, by far, one of the bravest and strongest men I've ever known." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't you dare roll your eyes at me. I'm speaking the truth."

When he didn't respond, Amelia brought her hand beneath his chin and forced him to look at her. "You listen to me. It was you who freed us from the pirate brute back on Treasure Planet. You, not I, who took a laser blast for that ambassador back on Corsica."

Delbert looked up. "I thought you said we weren't allowed to discuss that anymore."

"We're not," she shrugged. "But there's an exception to every rule. What I'm trying to get through that thick canid skull of yours is that I have never thought of you as weak." Her eyes softened. "You are one of the bravest, most caring, kindest, not to mention, handsome men I've ever known."

Delbert's eyes closed in relief at her statement, and Amelia could see the anger drain from his features. The subtle straightening of his shoulders as he lifted his gaze was not lost on her, and it filled her with happiness.

"I'm sorry." A soft admission as he took her hand.

"Don't be." She ran her other hand along his profile until her thumb rested against the corner of his lips. "We're all entitled to a moment of anger every now and then."

"Yes," Doppler agreed, "but never directed at you."

"Even at me."

"No." He shook his head. "I never want to direct my anger at you. Don't argue with me on this, Amelia." He raised a hand to still her protest.

"Very well," she finally acquiesced, shaking her head in amusement. "You are far too giving with me. You realize that, don't you?"

"You deserve it." He smiled softly, a hint of the old Doppler shyness coming through once again.