Her Lieutenant Protector

by Lara Lacombe

Which was why he was having such a hard time accepting Mallory’s theory. He didn’t discount her experience with her patient, or her assertion that the mystery stuff was dangerous in some way. But that didn’t mean it was radioactive.

  He knew better than most the type of panic triggered by the threat of radiation. People lost all rational thought when faced with an invisible danger, particularly one they’d been taught to fear since childhood. And even if Mallory’s presumption turned out to be correct, and the gray substance in the boxes was radioactive, he still thought people would be safer if they didn’t know. It would be better to have an orderly procession off the ship rather than a stampede.

  Briefly, he wondered how things were going in the clinic. He reached for the phone, then hesitated. Mallory probably wouldn’t appreciate the interruption... But if she was truly too busy to talk, one of the nurses would let him know.

  It took a minute to get her on the phone, but when she answered, she sounded fine. Everest relaxed a bit—surely if things were going badly, he’d be able to hear it in her voice.

  “I wanted to check in and see how things are going. Any updates?”

  Mallory sighed, and he imagined her leaning against the wall as she held the phone to her ear. Was her hair still contained in a ponytail, or had some of the strands slipped free to frame her face?

  “I’ve had five more patients present with gastrointestinal issues.”

  His stomach dropped. “That sounds like a lot.”

  She laughed softly. “It is when they all come in at the same time, that’s for sure.”

  He winced, imagining the scene all too easily. “Do any of them have sunburns?”

  “Oh, yes,” she said. “But they’ve all admitted to spending a lot of time outside, so that doesn’t necessarily tell us anything.”

  “That’s the problem, isn’t it? All of these symptoms could be due to norovirus, right? There’s no clinical smoking gun that points to, er, a different cause.” He’d almost said “radiation” but caught himself just in time. He didn’t want to bandy that word about casually, and he’d hate for someone walking past his office to overhear and get the wrong impression.

  “That’s correct.” He could hear the frustration in Mallory’s voice. “And I really hope this is all just due to the virus. But there’s no way for me to know for sure. I’ll feel much better once everyone is off the ship.”

  “Not much longer now,” he said. “We’re still working on finding the man who attacked you. Wesley is narrowing in on him, and he should have a name soon.”

  “That’s good,” she said. “Please thank him for me.”

  “I will. When we do find him, do you want to press charges?”

  Mallory was silent a moment, apparently taken aback by the question. “Uh, no,” she said. There was a strange note in her voice, and Everest got the feeling he’d inadvertently touched on a sensitive subject.

  “Are you sure? Don’t you want this man to pay for what he did to you?”

  She laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Of course. But I have some experience with this. Let’s just say what I want and what actually happens are two different things.”

  “Mallory—”

  “What’s the point?” she interrupted. “It’ll be my word against his. He said, she said cases never end well. Trust me.”

  A cold chill skittered down his spine. “Mallory, what happened to you?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Her voice was flat, and for the first time since he’d met her, she sounded defeated. “I have to go.”

  She hung up before he could say another word. Everest slowly replaced the phone in its cradle, puzzling over her response. Mallory wasn’t a cynical person. It was clear something had happened in her past to make her think there was no point in pursuing a case against her assailant.

  I have a lot of trouble trusting men. Her words echoed in his mind, and he considered them in a new light. At first, he’d thought she was burned out from a bad breakup. But given her reaction just now, he had to wonder if something more serious had happened.

  Had she been assaulted before? That might explain some of the behavior he’d noticed, like the way she shied away from touching men. She’d found an excuse not to shake hands with Wesley or Taylor last night. And she always had a watchful air about her, like she was constantly assessing the situation. It was one of the first things he’d noticed about her when he’d seen her in the fitness room. He’d thought she was just sensitive, but now he wondered if she was on guard, trying to protect herself against something.

  Anger surged in his chest, and he clenched his fists, pounding lightly on his desk. He wanted to pull Mallory out of the clinic and convince her to tell him what had happened to make her so cynical. Then he wanted to find whoever had hurt her and make him pay.

  The intensity of his feelings stunned him. Mallory was a grown woman, capable of taking care of herself. Yet his protective instincts insisted on viewing her as a damsel in distress, as someone he needed to protect.

  He wasn’t going to tell her that, though. How could he explain that his desire to protect her was not because he thought she was helpless, but because he cared about her? Would she even listen? Or would she shy away once he started talking about something so personal?

  She’d said he could talk to her, but he had a feeling she’d meant about his leg. If he started prying into her past, she might close up and shut him out before he’d had a chance to really get to know her. And while he was curious to find out what made Mallory tick, he didn’t want to push her too far, too fast and risk her walking away.

  Be patient, he told himself. It rankled him to have to go slow when he wanted to charge in and fix things, but from what he knew of Mallory thus far, she was a woman worth waiting for.

  * * *

  “Dr. Watkins? You have some visitors.”

  Mallory smiled absently at the nurse. “I’ll be right there,” she said. The woman nodded and left, and Mallory took one last look at her computer screen. She’d been scouring the internet for insights as to the identity of the mystery substance, but so far, she’d come up empty. Hopefully Everest’s friends would have better luck...

  She stood and smoothed the wrinkles out of her white coat. Maybe Everest had sent some of his staff to update her on the evacuation plans. That young man from last night was nice enough, and although she wouldn’t mind dealing with him again, she wasn’t crazy about Wesley. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was something about Everest’s second-in-command that rubbed her the wrong way.

  Maybe she’d get lucky and Everest himself had come to talk to her about his plans. Even though it had been only a few hours since they’d talked to the captain—or tried to talk to him, she mentally corrected—she was looking forward to seeing him again. It was strange, this pull she felt toward him. They’d spent so much time together since the voyage started she was surprised to find she wasn’t tired of him yet. In fact, it was quite the opposite. And after that incident on the bridge this morning, she was eager to know more about him.

  For starters, how had he lost his leg? And how extensive were his injuries? He was obviously a proud man who didn’t want people to know about his prosthesis. But maybe she could earn his trust and learn more about his past.

  She entered the clinic, anticipation thrumming through her. She glanced around, searching for Everest. But he wasn’t there.

  “Mallory!” Avery waved at her from the entrance to the clinic, a big grin on her face. Olivia stood next to her, smiling brightly.

  A sense of disappointment settled in her stomach, feeling like a small stone. On its heels came a jolt of shock. Never before had she felt bummed about seeing her friends. What was happening to her?

  Mallory swallowed and pasted on a smile, hoping they wouldn’t detect her momentary dip in mood.


  No such luck.

  “What’s wrong?” Olivia asked as soon as Mallory got close enough to talk. “You look upset.”

  Mallory shook her head, trying to cast off her mood. “Just feeling a little overwhelmed,” she said.

  “Is this a bad time?” asked Avery. “We can come back later.”

  “No, it’s fine,” Mallory assured her. “There’s kind of a lull now, so I can hang out with you guys for a few minutes at least. What brings you to my neck of the woods?”

  Olivia held up a small bag Mallory hadn’t noticed she was carrying. “It’s dinnertime. And we figured if the mountain won’t go to Muhammad...”

  “We’d come to you,” Avery finished.

  Mallory smiled with genuine appreciation. “Thanks, ladies. Taking care of me, as always.” She gestured for them to follow her back into her office, snagging an extra chair as she walked. “Come on in,” she said, dragging the chair into place. “It’s small, but we can all fit.”

  Avery and Olivia settled into the chairs, and Olivia passed Mallory the bag. She opened it, smiling at the contents: a tuna sandwich, an apple and a bottle of water. It was the same food she’d practically lived on in medical school, and she felt a flash of gratitude that Avery and Olivia had remembered.

  “Still a fan?” Olivia asked, watching Mallory’s face as she perused her dinner.

  “Oh, yeah,” Mallory said. “Thanks a lot. I didn’t think I was going to get to eat for a while.” She unwrapped the sandwich and took a healthy bite, her stomach suddenly feeling like an empty pit. “Where are the guys?” she asked around a mouthful of food.

  “They’re playing pool in one of the game rooms,” Olivia said. “We thought it would be a good time for us to check on you.”

  “Sounds like you’re staying busy,” Avery said, glancing around the small office. “How many cases of norovirus have you seen?”

  “About eight so far,” Mallory said. She took another bite, mulling over how much to tell her friends. On one hand, she probably shouldn’t share information about the ship’s problems with people who weren’t on staff. But these were her best friends, and she valued their opinions. Not to mention, Avery and Olivia were the smartest women she knew. It would be nice to get a second opinion on her theory. Everest had listened dutifully to her concerns, but she could tell he didn’t really buy into her idea. Avery and Olivia would tell her if she was on to something or simply being paranoid.

  She took a swig of water to clear her throat. “Can I ask you guys something?”

  “Of course!” Olivia said. Avery leaned forward, a gleam in her eye. “Is it about that hot security guard?”

  “Avery,” chided Olivia.

  Mallory laughed. “What happened to Grant?” she teased.

  Avery shrugged. “Grant has nothing to worry about. He knows I love him. But I’m not blind. You have to admit, Everest is a handsome man.”

  Olivia nodded, her smile turning a bit sheepish. “He is quite nice-looking.”

  Yes, he is, Mallory thought. But she waved away Avery’s question. “It’s about my patients.”

  “Oh,” Avery said, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She leaned back in her chair. “That’s probably a question for Olivia, or even Grant. But if you need help tracking the source of the outbreak, I’m your girl.”

  “I want both your opinions,” Mallory said. She described her observations and concerns, starting with Jeff and his friends and ending with her worries about the material in the black boxes. It felt good to talk to her friends, even if the topic of conversation was somewhat dire.

  “So what do you think?” she asked, glancing from Avery to Olivia as she finished.

  Both women sat still for a moment, clearly processing what Mallory had told them.

  Olivia spoke first. “I had no idea you were dealing with something like this.”

  “Why didn’t you come to us earlier?” Avery chimed in.

  Mallory shrugged. “You guys are on vacation. Besides, I probably shouldn’t be telling you now.”

  “Are you okay?” Olivia rose and reached for Mallory’s head. “Let me check your injury.”

  Mallory submitted to her friend’s attentions, knowing if she didn’t, Olivia would only fuss. “I’m fine,” she said. “Really.”

  “You lost consciousness,” Avery pointed out, sounding so much like Everest that Mallory wanted to laugh. “That’s not normal.”

  “She’s right,” Olivia said. She conducted a basic neurological exam, which Mallory passed.

  “Happy now?” Mallory asked, smiling up at her friend.

  “Hardly,” Olivia said. “But I feel a little better.” She sat back down and studied Mallory, her expression one of concern.

  “So you really think there’s radioactive material on board?” Avery said. She shook her head. “That’s a scary thought.”

  “I know, but it would explain everything I’ve seen.”

  “I don’t mean to be a naysayer,” Olivia said, “but your patients’ symptoms are consistent with norovirus. Why search for another explanation, especially one that seems rather implausible?”

  It was the same question Mallory had been asking herself for the past several hours. “I know it sounds crazy,” she said. “But norovirus doesn’t explain the welts and burns on that man’s hands. They look like the kind of thing I saw during med school when I did that oncology rotation.”

  Olivia and Avery were silent for a moment. “And you say he has GI symptoms, as well?” Avery asked.

  Mallory nodded. “But they didn’t start until after he had contact with the material.”

  “That is a bit unusual,” Olivia said thoughtfully.

  “How many people are on board this ship?” Avery asked.

  “About five hundred passengers, and maybe one hundred staff,” Mallory replied. “Why?”

  Avery cocked her head to the side. “So eight out of six hundred people have presented with symptoms that are consistent with either norovirus or radiation exposure. That’s just barely over one percent of the population on board.” She closed her eyes for a second. “One point three five percent, to be more precise.”

  Mallory and Olivia exchanged a smile. It seemed Avery had donned her disease investigator hat. Mallory always enjoyed hearing about her friend’s assignments, but she’d never considered the possibility she would need Avery’s expertise herself.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong,” Avery continued, “but if this material is spread throughout the ship, wouldn’t you expect a larger portion of the population to be affected?”

  “She has a point,” Olivia said.

  “I don’t think it’s in every box,” Mallory said. “It’s not in the hub in the clinic. I know for certain it was in one of the men’s bathrooms on A deck and in a passenger cabin on C deck. I haven’t been able to check any other locations, though.”

  “Maybe it’s not as bad as you think,” Olivia said.

  “Or maybe it’s worse,” Avery said. They both turned to look at her, and she shrugged. “I’m just playing devil’s advocate here. She hasn’t seen that many cases yet, but it’s possible people are sick but not coming to the clinic. Is there a way to check the sales of anti-nausea medication from the ship’s general store? If there’s been a spike in demand, it’s likely more people are affected but are trying to self-medicate before they come to the clinic.”

  “That’s a good point,” Mallory said, grateful for her friend’s insight. “I can ask around. It shouldn’t be too hard to find that information.”

  “It would be nice to know exactly which boxes have the mystery material,” Avery said. “We could map out locations and triangulate passenger exposure, to see if there’s a correlation between their distance from a box and symptom intensity.”

  Mallory grinned, ap
preciating Avery’s suggestions. “It’s a good thought,” she said. “But we might not have the time to do all that. Everest thinks we’re going to have to cut the voyage short in Charleston, so the police can retrieve the body and collect evidence.”

  “That’s a bummer,” Olivia said. “I understand why it’s necessary, but I was really enjoying the cruise so far.”

  “What does Everest think of your theory?” Avery said. “Or have you not told him?”

  Mallory poked at the water bottle cap with her fingertip, sending it scooting across the desk. “I told him. I think he’s skeptical, but he seems to be keeping an open mind.”

  “That’s good,” Olivia murmured.

  “He took pictures of the material in the cabin and sent them to a few friends. He used to be in the Chemical Corps in the army, so he’s hoping his friends who are still enlisted might be able to recognize the stuff.”

  “Wow,” Olivia said. “The Chemical Corps? That’s pretty intense.”

  Mallory nodded, a sense of pride budding in her chest. It was a little silly for her to feel that way, but she liked Everest and she was happy to hear her friends seemed to like him, as well.

  “Was he ever deployed?” Avery asked.

  Mallory nodded. “Iraq,” she confirmed. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell them about his injury, but she stopped herself just in time. Everest was a proud man, and it was clear he didn’t talk about his war wounds with just anyone. In point of fact, he hadn’t talked about it with her yet either. She’d happened to guess, thanks to the incident on the bridge. And while she knew Avery and Olivia would never say anything to him about it, the fact remained he hadn’t trusted her with this part of his story yet, and she had no business sharing her accidental knowledge with anyone else.

  “So...” Avery stretched out the word, and based on her oh-so-casual tone, Mallory knew exactly what was coming next.

  Her friend didn’t disappoint. “Breakfast was nice, huh?” She smiled brightly, and Mallory resisted the urge to laugh at Avery’s transparent attempt to circle around to the topic she was really interested in.