Sally took it slowly, not wanting to look, but needing to see what had happened to her. She raised the mirror and looked at herself. The eyes staring back at her were Sally's stormy grey, but they were in a face she didn't recognize. The oval, scarred face was gone. In its place was a small, heart shaped pixie face with clear, honey brown skin. A spattering of freckles were so close in color that they were almost invisible. The golden red hair was gone, replaced by a snug cap of light silvery blonde streaked with light shades of pink. It was an attractive face if not one she was familiar with.
She lowered the mirror and stared down at her body. It was small, tight and firm. Her breasts seemed smaller, her figure more slender, less rounded. She pushed aside the blanket and ran a hand down her thigh. There was no sign of the long, puckered scar she had had for so many years. No scar marred her abdomen, or any other part of her body. She pulled the blanket back up and stared blankly at Jack.
"What does it mean?", she whispered.
"I don't know,", Jack replied. "You're still beautiful, love, just different." He sank down on the bed beside her. "You need to rest and get your strength back. Speaking of which, here's Dawson now."
Sally rallied at the smell of food, her fear forgotten.
"Great", she grinned, starting to get up.
"Hold on,", Jack said hastily. He placed a small table beside her and put the food and beer on it. Sally grabbed the beer and gulped it down, then started on the food. She would need a lot of resources to recoup.
Having eaten all she could hold Sally lay back down with a sigh. She felt very weary now. Jack had joined her as he hadn't eaten since dawn. Now he stood and moved the small table away. Sally shivered slightly. He handed her a long gown and she snuggled into it and pulled the blanket over her.
"It's dark out.", Sally observed, looking out the window. "Are you coming to bed?" He bent to kiss her.
"Soon, hon. I have to see how the men are doing. We should have been at Tallaha Island by now but we've been holding off out of sight. I have to make sure we'll be in shape to take her in in the morning. We can't show any sign of weakness, you know, they'd attack us and try to take the ships."
"Okay,", Sally said, her eyes beginning to close. "Hurry back. I miss you." Jack touched her soft, new hair and went out as she fell back asleep. He frowned worriedly as he left. She hadn't seemed to take in the situation at all. It was like she had roused only long enough to consume enough resources to keep her going. He was afraid of how she was going to take it when it hit her what had happened to them. She lived with a mutant, had befriended ghouls, but he knew she was terrified of becoming one.
Aaron was at the controls when he came out.
"How is she?", he asked Jack quietly.
"I don't know, I don't think she's fully realized what's happened to her yet. She seemed out of it, like she was drugged or dreaming. She's sleeping now. We have to make land tomorrow. I want to drop the boy off and take on some supplies. I'd like to get the Sea Grate back to Baton Rouge to the ship yards there. She seems like a pretty solid ship. I think we could make something of her. I doubt we'll be able to get her repaired enough at Tallaha to sail her. What do you think, Aaron? Do you think it's too great a risk to tow her that far? I'm thinking of leaving the ships in deep water and taking a dinghy into Tallaha harbor for supplies."
Aaron considered the situation. "As long as this weather holds I think we can do it. If it blows up a storm though I think we should cut her loose. If the sky looks bad in the morning maybe we should just sell her for what we can get at the island. It would be risky to try to take her in, even if it is only a day's sail."
Jack nodded. "I agree. We'll see in the morning. Did you get enough sleep today?", he asked.
"Yeah," Aaron said. " I slept most of the day so I could take watch tonight. Dawson never called me. It seems Carl has healed up pretty well and there wasn't anything else I could do for Sally you weren't doing. I'll be good. See you in the morning, then, okay?" Jack clapped him on the shoulder.
"In the morning, then", he said and headed for his cabin.
Jack cleaned up and slipped into bed beside the still sleeping Sally. He took her in his arms and snuggled her to him. She felt oddly different and strangely familiar at the same time. He lowered his head beside the soft cap of her new hair and noticed she smelled a bit different. There was a light, spicy fragrance he hadn't noticed before. It was very appealing, he decided, holding her against him as he drifted off to sleep. He did wonder though, he was sure he had heard right, what she had called out as she came to. She had never mentioned David to him.
Sally was still asleep when Jack rose early the next morning. He checked his wounds and found they were barely visible now though he still had his old scars. He had really needed a good night's sleep. The night had gone quietly. He was starting to leave when she stirred.
"Jack", she murmured, peeking open her eyes. They were cloudy with sleep.
"Hmmm? I'm here", he said, stopping to lean over and give her a kiss.
"I'm so hungry.", she said languidly, barely stirring. He frowned worriedly. It was so unlike her.
"I'll have something brought in for you.", he said.
"'kay, good." She closed her eyes again and he went out to see how his crew was faring.
He found Carl already preparing breakfast for the crew.
"Hey,Carl.", he said. "How are you feeling this morning?" Carl grinned widely.
"I feel fine. I'm hardly even sore. Still got some scars but they're fading fast. Are you sure I was shot with a machine gun, Captain?", he asked.
"Yeah, by rights you should be dead, so I guess you're lucky we got hit with the GECK, eh? Sally's still awfully tired, though. Can you take her in some breakfast? Better make it a lot of breakfast. She sure ate a lot last night. If she went back to sleep just leave something for her. Better take some beer too, that's her favorite drink."
"Sure, as soon as I have it ready.", Carl said.
Sally roused at the smell of food. She was famished. She sat up as Carl pulled the small table to her bedside and placed the loaded tray on it.
"Mornin' Carl,", she mumbled. She picked up a beer and took a swallow. She lifted her arm to look at her Pip-boy. The radiation had dropped to almost zero.
"Morning Sally,", Carl replied. "How are you feeling?"
"Famished." She flashed him a smile. "Do we have any irradiated water by any chance?"
"I don't know, but I'll see if I can find some.", he said.
"Thanks", Sally mumbled around a mouthful. Carl left her digging into breakfast and went in search of irradiated water.
He was sure Sally hadn't noticed him trying not to stare. The changes had been dramatic. She looked like a different person. He finally located a bottle of irradiated water and brought it to her. Sally had finished all the food and a bottle of beer and was sitting, slumped over the table. She lifted her head when he came in and smiled at him.
"Thanks,", she said, taking the water. He watched her finish it, then lay back down, pulling the blanket over herself. She was sound asleep by the time he had gathered the remnants of the meal and left the room. He hoped she was going to be all right. He sure liked Sally.
Jack chose the items he wanted to take for trade and had them loaded onto a dinghy. The kid had been following him around most of the morning since breakfast so he told him to go to Hawk's room to gather any personal possessions to take with him. The kid didn't budge.
"I don't have anything", he told Jack. Jack studied the boy for a moment.
"Then go help Fred with the supplies.", he said and headed for Hawk's room.
Mike and Jack took the dinghy into the harbor and tied up at the dock. Mike stayed with the dinghy, rifle at the ready, while Jack took the boy and went up to the trading post. He carried a large pack brimming with items. He had given the boy a small backpack also loaded with items. Jack noticed the boy was quivering with his desire to be off but he stayed with Jack. At the entrance to the post he stopped and turned to the boy.
"Where's your family, boy?", he asked.
"I live that way", he said, pointing at a road going inland. "About a mile."
"Can you get there on your own?", Jack asked.
"Sure, I used to do it all the time. I've only been gone 'bout 3 weeks."
"Okay, then, here, take this.", Jack said, holding out a hunting rifle. "Do you know how to use this?"
"Wow, sure, Dad taught me, but we only have one so I never get to use it. Can I keep it?", he asked excitedly.
"Yes, and the pack too. Now get on home and don't stop for anything. You can check the pack when you get there.", Jack said.
"Thanks, Captain Jack!", the boy exclaimed. "Wait till Mom sees this. Wow. She's gonna be so happy. Tell your wife I hope she gets better.", he added seriously. Jack nodded and watched the boy trot off before he headed into the trading post. He hoped the family made good use of the 500 caps, ammo for the hunting rifle, and useful items he had put in the pack as well as the reader for the boy.
The trading didn't take long. The trader did wonder why Jack had anchored the Tradewind so far off shore but Jack explained there had been some sickness aboard and didn't want to risk bringing it in. He was sure the boy would back up this story when he told all his friends about his adventure.
They returned to the Tradewind by early afternoon with the needed supplies. They had gotten fair trade on Tallaha Island and assured the trader they would be back on schedule as the sickness seemed to have passed.
Jack saw to the stowing of the supplies and checked on the Sea Grate. After giving orders to the crew he went to check on Sally. She was still sleeping soundly. Even as he sat down beside her and ran his hand over her short pelt he felt the beginning of her rising respiration. She was entering another regeneration cycle. He put on a radiation gauge and poured some irradiated water into a basin to bathe her forehead. Her Pip-boy registered only 10 rads so she was low on radiation. When he was finished Jack checked his gauge. It registered only 8 rads which wasn't much exposure.
The cycle lasted only about an hour before she went back into a normal sleep pattern. Jack continued to watch her for the next half hour, rubbing her forehead and arms with the radiated water, watching her rads climb slightly. Satisfied that she was stable he went out to take his turn at the controls so Aaron could rest. His rads now registered close to 18.
It was midnight and they were sailing well toward Baton Rouge port in a calm sea with a gentle breeze. Jack couldn't have asked for better weather. He left Fred in charge of the Tradewind and went off to his room.
After checking on Sally Jack poured some clean water into the basin and washed up before climbing into bed. He knew by now how she felt about hygiene. He studied his bulked up form in the mirror as he performed his ablutions, secretly pleased at the increased musculature and enhanced agility he had noticed. He definitely felt improved.
Sally opened her eyes at the first sign of the pre-dawn lightening the shadows in the room. She slipped from the bed, not disturbing Jack. She went over to the window and watched the sun rise. It made her feel good as it always did. She turned to go to the wash basin and almost tripped over her gown. She frowned, looking down at the hem. It was her gown. It should come only to her ankles. Why was it dragging on the floor? She lifted the gown and went over to the wash basin.