Free Second on the Right by Elizabeth Los Page A

now. Thanks ta yer sharp eye and quick tongue, ye
got the crew ta move right quick. We found ye trapped in the corner
by that thing. He was—” Benedict stopped for a moment. “Somethin’
from yer body went in ta him, as if he were feeding. He disappeared
before me crew and I could capture him. I swear he looked like… ah,
but that can’t be.”
    Eileen buried her face in his chest. Images
of those eyes haunted her. Twenty minutes had gone by before she
was able to talk to him. Breaking down in front of the captain was
nothing short of embarrassing. She could not meet his gaze.
    With composure, she finally said, “I
apologize for my behavior. It won’t happen again.”
    “Eileen,” Benedict said in a tender voice.
“Ye’ve nothing ta fear.”
    She nodded. Her lips pressed in a firm line,
she stared at the floor.
    Gripping her chin, he forced her to look at
him. “I do believe ye saved me life.”
    For a brief moment, they looked at each other
in silence.
    Benedict broke what connection there was
between them. “I best be getting’ back ta the helm.” He placed her
on his bed. “Rest. That be an order. Understood?”
    She offered a slight smile and nodded.
“Captain?” she called quietly. His features softened when he looked
at her, causing Eileen to completely forget what she was going to
say. Within seconds, the captain’s expression changed to a
smirk.
    “Rest,” he repeated firmly before leaving the
cabin.

    "Captain, are you feeling all right?" she
asked, trying to downplay her concern.
    Benedict gave a weak smile. "Aye. I'll be
fine,” he said quietly, waving her off. The skin under his eyes had
darkened. There were beads of sweat above his brow.
    She nodded, but watched him carefully over
the next few days. Within a week, he wouldn’t eat. She sought out
the ship’s carpenter for help.
    “He’s not eaten at all,” she explained. “He’s
ill.”
    Anders sat back, looking at her thoughtfully.
Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he replied, “Follow yer gut, lass.
I think ye can manage without my help.”
    She nodded. Turning to leave, she felt his
hand on her shoulder.
    “Be sure ye come ta me if ye canno’ handle
him, aye?”
    She smiled, spun around and hugged him
tightly. “Thank you,” Eileen whispered. She ran the stairs to the
upper deck, leaving him dazed in her wake.

    That night, she asked, "Captain, are you
feeling all right?"
    Again, he replied weakly, "Aye. I am fine."
His body language said otherwise.
    Eileen nodded, feigning acceptance of his
answer. In her hammock, she remained awake. Staring at the ceiling,
she focused on the sounds coming from the captain that might alert
her to something serious. Follow yer gut. The words from
Anders echoed in her mind. Early in the morning, Captain Benedict
let out a groan and fell to the floor. Rolling out of her hammock
as fast as she could, Eileen scrambled to find her lantern and lit
it. Racing over to Benedict’s side, she put the light down on the
floor and placed her hands on either side of his face. She could
feel he had a fever and had broken into a sweat.
    "Captain, are you all right?" she asked, this
time full of concern.
    All he managed was a head shake before he
doubled over and groaned in pain. She wrapped her arms around his
back and chest and helped him back into bed in a seated position.
He tried to push her away. She knocked his hand down. Suspecting
what might be the problem, she began to ask him questions.
    "Does your head hurt?" A nod.
    "Does your stomach hurt?" A nod.
    "Do your muscles ache?" Another nod.
    "I'm going to unbutton your shirt and
examined your neck, chest, and back. Is that all right?" Again, a
nod.
    She carefully unbuttoned his shirt, trying
not to cause him additional pain. She picked up the lantern and
held it close to his body. With her other hand, she ran her fingers
across and down his chest, over his back and finally around his
neck. Her fingers skimmed a portion of his neck. Using the light,
she