PLAYING WITH FIRE

Chapter 14: The Morning Part 2

Maya's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the sharpness in Carina's tone.

She opened her mouth to protest, but something in Carina's expression made her hesitate.

So instead, she just slumped back against the pillows and pouted like a child caught red-handed.
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The crew chuckled, amused by Maya's pouty expression and Carina's assertive tone.

Travis quipped, "Looks like someone got scolded by the Italian girlfriend."

Vic chimed in with a grin, "Yeah, better watch out, Maya. Seems like Dr. DeLuca means business."

Maya huffed, the pout still on her face. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."

As the others joked and teased, Carina noticed that Maya was struggling to keep her eyes open.

Concern flickered in Carina's eyes, her hand gently resting on Maya's leg. "Bambina, you need to rest. You look exhausted."

Maya weakly protested, half-lidded eyes glancing at Carina. "But I'm not that tired. I—"

Before she could finish, a yawn interrupted her words, completely betraying her statement.

The others chuckled as Maya's yawn undermined her denial.

Ben's voice held a note of concern. "You were saying you're not that tired, Captain?"

Carina, seeing that Maya was fighting a losing battle with her exhaustion, gently pushed her back against the pillows.

"Just close your eyes and rest, Bambina. You need your strength to heal."

Andy, true to her word, stood up and announced she was going to get breakfast for everyone.

Vic, never one to pass up food, popped up as well.

"Hey, I'll come with you."

Andy nodded, a smirk on her face. "Alright, but no sampling the food on the way back."

Vic feigned offence, placing a hand on her chest. "What do you take me for, a barbarian? I would never."

Andy rolled her eyes, not entirely convinced. "Uh-huh. We both know you can't resist temptation for longer than five seconds."

Vic pouted dramatically, feigning innocence. "I have restraint, I'll have you know."

Andy chuckled. "Right, and I'm the Queen of England. Come on, let's go before I lose my appetite."

With that, Andy and Vic left the room, bantering and jokingly wrestling as they went.

The rest of the 19 crew chuckled, used to their playful antics.

Travis observed Andy and Vic's playful banter and couldn't help but ship them a bit. He muttered to Jack, "Those two have some serious chemistry, you know?"

Jack chuckled in agreement, noticing Travis's comment. "Yeah, they're always like that. They're so comfortable around each other, it's like they're a couple already."

Theo, who was nearby, couldn't help but overhear their conversation. A pang of jealousy tugged at his chest as he watched Andy and Vic leave.

As the others continued their banter, Carina suddenly noticed a concerning detail. She placed a hand on Maya's forehead, frowning at the heat radiating off her skin.

Carina's voice held a hint of worry. "Bambina, you're burning up again, your fever is back."

The room fell silent as the others turned their attention to Carina's words.