wrath of the Sea Queen (12 page)

"
I didn't
really
.  I spent a few hours reading and a few more hours
on the laptop,
surfing the web.  Then I laid on your shoulder thinking that would
help me
settle down, but I couldn't sleep," she answered.

"At all?  You were up all night?
"  Vin was surprised that she wasn't exhausted.  Instead, she was full of energy this morning.

"Yes
, pretty much
," C
a
eli confirmed.

"Is there something on your mind or are you
simply
excited about the trip?
  We have
some
time if you want to talk.
"
  Vin wondered
if she would take him up on the offer
. 
H
e had
sensed for a while that there
was
something going on with her. 
Though he had asked several times, she had not yet
chosen
to discuss it.
  Maybe now that she was home again, she might open up.

"
Y
ou know
me
.  I
ha
ve been excited for days
, and
I can
catch up on my
sleep on the plane.  It
'
s going to be a long flight.
"

"Speaking of that,
you should
check the weather
.
  I
caught the late news last night
while you were finishing your packing
.  That tropical storm seems to be settling near the island.  They are predicting that if it hits the island directly, it will be one of the worst storms they
ha
ve ever seen.  I
'
m surprised they aren't cancelling flights.  If the weather is going to get
that
bad, I
would prefer
it
if
you didn't go.
  It won't be safe.
"

"I
wi
ll check
for a
n
update
before we leave, but you know how reporters get.  They
wi
ll turn a
summer
rain into a
monsoon
if it will
get
rating
s
pikes
," C
a
eli answered.

She was aware of the potential bad weather.  However, each time she turned on the news, she heard a different forecast.  One said the storm would not be close enough to the island to
cause any trouble
.  Another said the island should be evacuated in preparation for the worst storm in history.  And each channel changed its own story several times.  She didn't know which one to believe.  C
a
eli decided that if flights were not cancelled, then the weather couldn't be that bad.  If the flight was
called off
, then she would be
quite
happy to
spend the week at home or perhaps ride up to
visit
the
guys at the
lake house
for a couple of days
.

C
a
eli and Vin both
went into
the bathroom to get showered and dressed.  Even though she
was only two days
returned from a two week
long
conference in
Manhattan
, they
were
both
getting ready
to leave
for
separate
vacation
s
. 
Neither C
a
eli nor Vin originally intended to spend so much time apart within such a short span, but the right opportunity came along, and it somehow worked out that way. 

Their luggage was ready and waiting by the
front
door. 
Vin's bag consisted of an oversized black duffle, packed and sitting on the floor.  C
a
eli
's
large,
navy blue suitca
se and a matching carry
on bag
were pla
ced
next to his less formal luggage.  She tucked her swimsuit and purse into the suitcase.
  She wouldn't need either of those while she was on the plane.
 
C
a
eli had already placed her important items and things she might need
on the plane
in her carryon bag.

Her
stomach gave one last lurch
before finally settling down
, and then
the
happy couple shared a few more pre-departure kisses
on the couch
while
wait
ing
for the taxi. 
C
a
eli
briefly
considered
an additional
cause
of her discomfort
during the
cab
ride to the airport
. 
It could be
at least
partially due to her guilt about going on a
second
trip without Vin, despite his insistence that she go and have fun. 
Her
first trip
had been
for business, and Vin
had prior commitments that prevented him from joining her; not to mention, he
did not like the
crowded
city. 
C
a
eli
could
certainly
understand that. 

T
he upcoming trip
, however,
was a vacation
;
but it was
not the type of
scenery
Vin
enjoy
ed
. 
He
was not
at all
fond of sand or seawater
, much preferring a wooded landscape
.  While
C
a
eli
was looking forward to spending some relaxing time on the beach
and watching the ocean waves
,
her
guilt
for
going without Vin
persisted
. 
Ever s
ince they married
more than ten years ago
,
C
a
eli
had
never
gone
on
any trip, much less
a
vacation
,
without Vin.  Never, that is, until now.
  Now, she was about to leave on the second such
outing
in a month's time
.

CHAPTER 5

Dr. Erickson,

Perhaps you did
n
o
t receive my first letter
or maybe it is buried in a stack of mail on your secretary's desk.  Either way
, I am sending this one to your home
in hopes that it will garner your attention
.
  In the months
since I first wrote to you
, my father has died
.  M
y brother's illness
grows
worse
by the day
.  I feel certain that you would help us, if you could only know
how much he
is suffering.  I have read so much about you and your work
that I feel as though I know your heart. 
I
believe that
you
must be
a good person
to do
the
work that you do
. 
Because of that,
I
know that you
are
my
brother
's last hope
.

Whatever
antidote
you found in that blood
sample
is the key to curing my brother, but we cannot get the medicine. 
We are told it has not been made available yet because it has not been properly tested. 
I am begging you to intervene on my brother's behalf.  Please, Dr. Erickson, help him get into the test group.  Test your medicine on my brother.  We are willing to take the chance that it might save his life.  His time runs short. 
Please
help!

With hope and urgency,

Maku