Alan

"Weren't you also reading a book, Nat?" I asked to encourage her to talk. "Is it any good?"

"Yeah it's a uh...mystery" she sipped some water and got a bit of bread.

"She had her nose in it for most of the day" I joked and hoped that she would expand on what she said.

"It's about a cop turned kennel owner"

Before she could say more, the waiter came with the salads. When he finished, Nat continued.

"A dog handler is accused of murder, so the ex cop finds the real killer to prove her innocence." She started on her salad.

"I love a good mystery once in a while" Mary remarked. "Have you read Agatha Christie?"

"Yeah ..." What was it with Nat and short answers??

Nat didn't' say much during the rest of the meal and she picked at her food. I don't know why! The dish was exquisite!

At the cabin, I tried to talk to her about the way she acted.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing!" she dropped on the couch, after slipping off her high heels.

"You're mind's elsewhere these days. Is something going on at the clinic?" I sat in a chair close to the sofa. Maybe that was it.

"Not that I know of..." she said.

"What about that flu you said you might be coming down with?"

"I think it's more like tiredness catching up to me" she shrugged. "It doesn't quite feel like the flu."

"And you're not eating as much as you were at the beginning of the cruise" I pointed out.

She shrugged again, while lying down on the couch

I continued "Maybe you should see the ship's doctor?"

"I'm fine, babe" Nat shook her head and put a sofa pillow under it.

"If one of your patients ate less, and seemed tired all the time, wouldn't you want to do a checkup?" I tried to reason with her. If something was wrong, we needed to know.

"Apples and oranges" She countered. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"You didn't eat much of your dinner." I told her and continued " Hell, you didn't even know what it would be until the waiter served it."

"Alan...please..." She groaned irritably. "I just wanna rest so I can feel better for tomorrow"

"That's what you said last night" I reminded her. "And you feel asleep in your clothes"

"Like you don't?" she retorted.

"It's typical for me, but not you, unless you've done an all nighter" I argued. "Humor me and see the doctor after breakfast tomorrow"

"I've done nothing but humor you all day today!" she said in a warning tone. Nat tended to get cranky when tired.

"If you're as fine as you say ya are, the visit shouldn't take that long" I put on my diplomatic voice.

"Sick bay is far" she mumbled with her eyes closed and remarked. "And I bet the doctor is a hack who's got a suspended or revoked license."

"You're just saying that to get me to shut up" I told her.

"If I were, it's not working" she said derisively.

"Look at you! It's only eight and you're close to falling asleep!" I again tried to reason with her.

"Despite your nagging" she complained. "Let's talk about this tomorrow"

"Tomorrow huh?" I asked with doubt. She said that just to get me to stop bugging her.

"Yeah..."

"Somehow, I doubt that you mean it."

"Will you just let me veg in peace??" she griped.

----------------------

After much nagging and loving looks from me the next day, she finally relented and agreed to see the doctor.

TBC