Je Suis Prest || Outlander

Chapter 19

"Fergus! Fergus!" I screamed into the maelstrom that had descended upon our ship. It pitched and rolled dangerously in the waves that lapped over the deck. Young Ian was holding me for dear life, begging me to not leave the safety of belowdecks. I couldn't see anything through the pounding rain.

"Cousin, let me find him. I'll bring him back." I acquiesced and knelt against a crate, bracing against the violent motion of the ship. I prayed for my husbands safe return to me. When we saw the storm looming ahead of us, I begged Fergus to not be reckless. I told him that he didn't need to prove himself by staying on deck with the other men. My vision swam with thoughts of him losing his grip on a wet rope and sliding into the sea. Claire comforted me as I sobbed and prayed. With each roll of the ship, I feared the worst.

"Marsali, I am here. I am here, ma cherie." Fergus stooped down and gathered me into his arms. His clothes were soaked through. I slapped him across the face, and he grabbed my wrists and pulled me upright. Claire moved to step between us, but Fergus shook his head.

"I told you to stay here!" My voice was still raw from screaming into the storm after him. "You promised!"

"I know! I know, but I'm okay." He shook me and made me look up at him. His long hair had come undone and hung loose around his shoulders. He looked like a proper pirate in this state. The ship rocked again, throwing the both of us against the ground, hard. I cried out when my back cracked against the crate I had been leaning against for support just moments ago. Claire was immediately by my side, instructing me to lie down so she could feel along my spine and neck.

"Stay sitting, you don't want to take another fall like that. I need to go out on deck, other men might be hurt," Claire's eyes were glazed over with intense focus. Fergus protested, but we both knew there was no stopping her. And then she was gone. Other men began to pile into the hold. There were murmurs of the ship going down.

"Where is Milord? Milord? Where is James Fraser?" Fergus moved through the sea of men, searching for Daddy.

"He stayed on deck. No use to him now," one man grumbled as he closed and locked the doors to the deck. Fergus flung himself at the man, only to be easily thrown back by both the sailors and the motion of the ship fighting against the storm. His feet went out from under him into the air and I heard a sickening thud as he hit the floor. I crawled over to where he laid prostrate and yelled at the men who were close to stepping on him to back away.

"Fergus, wake up," I slapped his face again, urging his eyes to open, but they didn't. Out cold. I put my head against his chest and felt it moving up and down. Young Ian stooped down and helped me drag him to safety against the back wall. I pulled Fergus' head into my lap and prayed for our salvation. Young Ian clutched my arm, and together we waited.

It felt like hours before the ship ceased its violent dance. Fergus stirred awake shortly after he had fallen, fortunately not remembering the events leading up to it. When the dark clouds broke overhead and the waves calmed, men began pouring out onto the deck again to survey the damage.

"Milady will not be happy with me," Fergus grumbled, reaching for his aching head.

"Shh. Just rest," I cooed, brushing his unruly hair away from his face.

The ship limped to shore. I left Fergus in Ian's care to scan the deck, the captain's quarters, and water for Jamie and Claire. There was no sign of them anywhere. I asked around, to see if anybody knew what had happened, and everyone refused to look me in the eye as they shrugged and said, "Must have gone overboard." I put a hand to my mouth to stifle my sobs. I was upset because of Daddy of course, but I mostly worried about Fergus. What would become of us without Daddy? Fergus needed his adoptive father just as much as I, if not more so.