Carolyn nodded and retrieved her water from her bag to take a drink. She then put it away and turned in her seat to peer toward the bow as they moved through the choppier water.
"Like I say, it'll be less rough once we get around the point," Captain Jack repeated, glancing her way as he pushed up on the throttle to send them moving faster. She didn't understand the reason for his repeatedly saying that until he asked, "You don't get seasick, do you?"
"Not that I know of. This is my first time on a boat," she said.
His eyes widened at the admission. "You're kidding?"
"No."
"Well, hell, woman, where do you live? The desert?"
Carolyn chuckled and shook her head at the suggestion.
"Toronto, Canada."
"Yeah?" He grinned. "I have family there."
"You're Canadian?" she asked with surprise, and when he nodded, she muttered, "I keep running into them here."
"I'm not surprised. St. Lucia was a British colony like Canada and our two countries have a good relationship. A good number of the tourists who come here are Canadian and British."
She nodded and held on to her seat as the ride got a little bumpier. When she noticed Captain Jack eyeing her with concern, she raised her eyebrows in question.
"You look pale. How's your stomach?"
Carolyn hesitated. She was queasy again, but she was also feeling flushed and shaky as well, just as she had before she'd had the drink earlier. Her heart was also racing in her chest as if she'd run a marathon. She'd been experiencing those symptoms since yesterday, though, they just seemed a little worse now. She didn't think it could be seasickness, and was wondering if it was even flu now. It didn't feel like any flu she'd ever had. Recalling that the drink had helped if only temporarily and suspecting it was the orange juice, she shook her head. "I'm okay.
I think I just need some juice or something."
"Diabetic?" he asked with a frown.
"No, I skipped breakfast and-"
She paused as he turned to gesture to one of the crew again. A heartbeat later the big, bulky guy was in front of her with another full glass and a big grin. She eyed it suspiciously. "It's just juice this time, right?"
"Sorry, all the juice is already mixed into the punch," Jack said apologetically. "Just sip it and see if it helps again."
Carolyn grimaced, but took the drink. Noting that Jack's concern appeared to have deepened suddenly, she raised her eyebrows. "What?"
"Your hand's shaking," he said grimly and then turned and began searching through a small open shelf by his hip. Straightening a moment later, he turned and handed her a chocolate bar. "Try this."
Carolyn set her glass between her knees to free both hands to open the chocolate bar, frowning when she found the task taxing. Aside from disoriented, she was suddenly extremely clumsy. It was a bit scary actually, and she was relieved when she got the bar wrapper open.
Sighing, she took a bite.
"If it's low blood sugar it will take a couple of minutes for you to start feeling better," Jack said as she finished the bar moments later.
Carolyn nodded and balled up the wrapper, placing it in Jack's hand when it appeared before her.
"Thank you," she said as he discarded it in a small bag on the open shelf.
"My pleasure."
They were silent for several minutes, and Carolyn retrieved her drink and continued to sip it, thinking the added sugar should help. But she was aware as she did that Jack's gaze kept shifting repeatedly from the water ahead to her and could feel his concern. However, after a bit she started to feel better.
"Your color's better," he said suddenly, holding his hand out for her now empty glass.
"I'm feeling better," she admitted, handing it over for him to discard as she stood up. She then leaned against the stool and peered out over the water as she said, "Thank you."