The Captain's Journal (Shay Cormac x OC Fanfic)

Chapter 3

The Next Morning....

Shay woke up early to the sound of water splashing outside. Grabbing his pistols, he slowly looked outside the tent, only to find Gist arriving on shore with the rescue boat.

"Good mornin', Master Cormac."

"Oh, Christopher, it's jus' you," Shay set his pistols down by the firewood. "Thought you might've been--"

"An assassin? Robber? French Army soldier?"

"Somethin' like that."

Gist chuckled at his captain. "So, how's the lovely lady holdin' up?"

Shay smiled and sighed happily. "Much better now. She's all warmed up now. She's still sleeping in my tent, though."

Gist looked a bit taken away. "Oh, really? You slept with the lady then?"

"Wasn't going to leave her out here in the open for someone to attack the poor lass. B'sides, the fire could only do so much."

"It was a bit cold an' windy las' night, wasn't it, Shay?"

"The more warmth she has, the faster she will recover."

As Shay and Gist prepared an early meal on the open fire, Shay felt the need to bring up the woman's injuries to his first mate.

"Gist, I cannot help but feel concern for the lass we rescued."

"You have every right to be, Captain."

"I had to take off her wet clothes last night to help dry her off and get her into somethin' dry. Then I saw them."

"You saw what?"

"Her body." Shay's voice became uneasy and tense. "Her naked body had cuts. Stab wounds. Scars everywhere. What could she have gone through before we found her?"

"What if she's a sailor, like us? Maybe even got a ship of her own?"

"Well, I know now she's capable of holding her own in a fight."

"Once the lovely lady's up an' about, we'll get our answers."

Shay went ahead and brought the woman close to the campfire. He told Gist to bring the medicines and they both rubbed her cuts to disinfect them. Shay rubbed the decongesting blend just above her ample bosom to help soothe her throat and her breathing.

The delicate pistol wounds they saved for last.

"Gist, unwrap her leg for me," Shay said, preparing a rag with the disinfecting blend and poppy oil.

Once the hole on her leg was exposed, Shay took a deep breath.

"Hold her leg steady."

Gist held her right thigh firmly with both hands as Shay began to rub her wound clean. Her breathing became more prominent and scratchy as she let out painful moans and growls.

"It's okay, lass. It's okay. Jus' hold on." Shay finished as quickly as he could while he glanced at the woman that had tears dripping from her eyes. Once he was done, he wrapped her leg up again and did the same with her shoulder.

"Hey, Shay. Why don't 'ya 'ave her on deck? The warm sun will do her some good, wont it?"

"I like the sound of that."

Gist and Shay went and packed up the camp and took the woman with them back to the Morrigan. At the back of the helm, Shay had prepared a blanket with a bundled pillow for her to rest on while warming up in the sunlight. Shay had his crew pull up the anchor and set sail for Albany.

After about an hour of sailing, the wind stopped again, so Gist took the helm and Shay sat beside the lady as she slept. It seemed as though nothing would wake the girl until he had placed a hand on her forehead, causing her to moan. Then, a bit of good news arose: he saw her take a long, deep breath and exhale slowly. Her breathing was not shallow anymore. It sounded hoarse and rough, but at least she was breathing better.

"Thank God, she's getting better..." Shay muttered.

"Ev'rything alright, Captain?"

"Better than alright." Shay said. "She took a deep breath for us."

"She's comin' outta this, Master Cormac, just like I told 'ya so."

Shay chuckled. "Tha's right."

Gist couldn't hold in the excitement he shared with his captain. "You hear that, men?! Our lovely lady's almost better!"

They all shouted triumphantly as they worked on the ship.

The doctor paid Shay and the woman another visit in the captain's quarters and he reassessed her condition.

"I heard the lady took a deep breath for us. That's very good news."

"Yes, doc, it is."

"Has she been drinking the tea I gave 'ya?"

"Unfortunately not." Shay crossed his arms. "She's been too weak an sleepy to do so."

"Aw, well, that's a shame. Be sure to try again once she wakes up, Captain Cormac."

"I will, sir."

"Well, then, I shall head back to my quarters below deck. Call me if you have any concerns or questions for me."

"Thank you, sir."