The last few weeks had become increasingly distressing, not only for Martin but also unwittingly causing concern among his crew mates. The physical toll was wearing him down as he expended every single ounce of his energy performing unspecialized labor that paid far less than when he was moving furniture or boxes for his clientele. The long hours of hard work were taking a significant toll on his body and mind, left him feeling exhausted.

Cairo, Egypt Runway

"I need to talk to you about something," Douglas begins, his tone soft yet cautiously probing as he addresses his captain. Martin glances back at Douglas, looking hesitant as he absently fingers the collar of his loose-fitting uniform.

"Did you balance the fuel?" Martin asks, trying to deflect the conversation away from himself after finishing the post-takeoff checks.

"Can we forget about the fuel for a moment?" Douglas interjects, concerned. "I've noticed some changes in you over the past few weeks, not just in your personality but also your weight."

Martin's eyes flicker with unease, and he mumbles, "It's just stress, lots of stress, and I'm trying to handle it the best I can right now."

The word "stress" catches Douglas off guard, and he takes a moment to process it before gently pressing further. "What kind of stress are you facing?"

Martin hesitates, his emotions tangled, and he replies with a hint of hopelessness, "You know, regular stress, the kind everyone goes through."

Douglas's voice softens, concerned for his captain's well-being. "Martin, I've seen you handle tough situations before, and this feels different. What's really going on?"

A few moments of apprehensive silence rolled before Martin would break it with another outburst. "It's nothing," Martin says, at last before sinking further into his chair. "Nothing is wrong with me, so let's leave it at that, alright?"

Douglas narrows his eyes slightly, seeing through Martin's attempt to deflect the issue. He's been working with Martin long enough to recognize when his captain is struggling but being stubborn about it. "Martin," Douglas says firmly, "I've seen you handle far worse situations on this plane. This is clearly affecting you, and pretending everything is fine won't make it go away."

Martin hesitates, knowing that Douglas is right, but still unwilling to admit his vulnerability. "It's just... a lot of things at once," he finally admits, his voice tinged with frustration. "I feel like I should be able to handle it, but I can't."

"Martin, I can't help you solve this problem if you don't tell me exactly what's been going on," Douglas says with a touch of authority. He notices his captain's eyes reflecting a mixture of sadness and fatigue.

Martin sighs, feeling torn between his pride and the need for help. "It's just... things have been tough lately," he admits reluctantly. "Financial troubles, personal issues, and work stress—it's all piling up, and I'm not sure how to handle it."

Galley

"Mum, I think there's something wrong with Martin," Arthur says, his voice tinged with concern. He nervously fidgets as he pours a cold glass of orange juice for his mother, Carolyn, who watches him impatiently.

"What do you mean, Arthur?" Carolyn asks, her curiosity piqued by her son's worried expression.

"Something happened last night after you headed off to your hotel room around five in the evening," Arthur says, a hint of hesitation in his voice. He hands her the glass of orange juice, but his eagerness to share the events of the past twelve hours is evident. "I promised not to tell you, but my people reading skills told me otherwise."

Carolyn takes a sip of the orange juice, trying to process what Arthur is implying. In that moment, she chokes on her drink, her eyes widening with disbelief. "So, the captain thought he could pull rank?" Carolyn demands, her frustration evident as she slams the glass of orange juice on the small kitchen counter.

"Please don't tell him I told you just yet," Arthur pleaded, sensing the seriousness of the situation. "Last night, he got really, really light-headed all of a sudden, and really, really hot all at once, and it was Douglas who was forced to catch him. You know when a woman swoons like you read in one of those period romance novels I always catch you reading during downtime? It was exactly like how you would picture Douglas after he broke Martin's fall."

Carolyn closed her eyes and held up a warning finger to Arthur's lips. "Arthur, you were in the midst of a medical emergency," she said in a hushed voice. "Don't tell me that not only did both of you fail to call emergency services, which I'm sure Martin required, but you and Douglas dragged our captain back to your hotel room while I was blissfully unaware of the circumstances that befell him."

"Pretty much," Arthur replied, his eyes wide with shock. "You're really getting better at guessing games, you know this, right?"

"I can't believe all three of you promised to never tell me," Carolyn muttered, her frustration and bitter anger evident in her voice as she grappled with her crew mates' mutual deceit.

"If it helps, Martin made a quick recovery." Arthur offered, though his voice still carried a hint of worry that betrayed any confidence Martin might have had in downplaying his predicament, attributing it to the ninety-degree weather.

MJN Airlines - Fitton Airfield

After Arthur had revealed what happened the previous night, Carolyn felt a mix of concern and frustration building inside her. She knew that both Douglas and Martin had kept the incident a secret from her, and that didn't sit well with her at all. She decided to confront Douglas privately about the matter.

Once they were away from the rest of the crew, Carolyn fixed Douglas with an intense stare. "So, care to explain why you and Martin decided to keep this little episode a secret from me?" she said, her voice firm.

Douglas shifted uncomfortably under Carolyn's gaze. "Well, you see, Martin insisted he was fine afterward," he began, trying to defend their decision. "We didn't want to alarm you unnecessarily."

Carolyn raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Martin insisted, did he? And you just went along with it?"

Douglas sighed, realizing that trying to make excuses wouldn't work with Carolyn. "Alright, perhaps we should have told you," he admitted. "But you know how stubborn Martin can be. He hates feeling like a burden, and he probably thought he could handle it on his own."

"Handle it on his own? Clearly, he couldn't handle it when he ended up collapsing," Carolyn retorted, her frustration evident. "We're a team, Douglas, and that means looking out for each other. Martin should know that by now."

Douglas looks uneasy, not used to being on the receiving end of Carolyn's concern. "We thought it was just the heat, Carolyn," he explains. "Martin said he felt fine afterwards. Oh, yes, and under a technicality we were working together as a team if that counts for anything."

"What do you mean thought?" Carolyn says, shock evident in her tone of voice. "I thought it was a bout of heat stroke or something else."

Douglas sighed, running a hand through his hair as he replied, "That's what I thought too, Carolyn, but it was more than that. I could see it in his eyes when he collapsed. He's not well."

Carolyn's face softened, her worry evident. "Why didn't he say anything? We're supposed to be a team, looking out for each other."

"Carolyn, how long do you think we should keep this to ourselves?" Douglas asked, his voice reflecting the seriousness of the matter. "Martin's health is at stake here, and we can't afford to delay addressing this any further."

Carolyn frowned, contemplating the situation. "I know, Douglas. It's just that Martin is so proud and independent. He may not take it well if we confront him directly."

"I understand that, but we can't let him suffer in silence," Douglas replied, a touch of frustration in his voice. "He's not doing well, and he needs our help, whether he likes it or not."