Coincidence - Alan May [50]
Phillip hadn’t bargained on this. He would have preferred keeping the whole operation right there on the Coincidence, not getting the other boat involved at all. Just a quick patch-up from the doctor and they’d be on their way again, no one the wiser, that was the idea. And how did he know this doctor wouldn’t try something heroic as soon as he was back on the Inspiration?
Still, if Stefano’s chances were better on the more stable boat, how could he refuse? And the doctor did seem anxious about the kids—damn! Why did there have to be that complication? The only doctor in this part of the entire ocean, and he had to come with a boat full of kids.
Yet maybe they could be an asset, after all, these kids. Phillip considered himself a pretty good judge of character. The doctor wasn’t going to take any chances where the kids were concerned, he was sure of that. In fact, it was a sure bet that nobody could stomach the thought of any harm coming to kids. Well, nobody except Juan, maybe.
“Okay,” he said. “Give him the shot and then we’ll go to the bridge and you can radio your captain.”
Dr. Williams radioed the captain while Phillip told the others of the plan. They were to arm themselves with handguns but keep them out of sight. When the boats were tied together, he told them, he wanted them all to go onboard the Inspiration. They were to keep their mouths shut, stay alert, and not make any trouble—but if trouble came, they were to be ready to shoot.
Juan was beginning to boil over at the way Phillip had suddenly become the self-appointed leader of the team; he was getting way too cocky for his own good. He still said nothing, though. He’d take care of the little bastard later.
Henry and several Floaties put fenders on the port side of the Inspiration and made ready to take the lines of the Coincidence. Polo and Esteban put fenders on the starboard side of the Coincidence; Severo manned the docking lines. Phillip quickly maneuvered the boat alongside. The lines were made fast, with the Zodiac still tied to the transom.
Phillip and the doctor climbed aboard the Inspiration. Most of the Floaties were finished with classes for the afternoon, and had come on deck to see what was going on.
“Must be something really serious with the guy in this boat,” Pierre said to Melissa. He had never seen the doctor looking so grave.
The students watched as Phillip, Dr. Williams, and Captain Marzynski conferred for a moment, then strode toward the captain’s quarters. But they were soon distracted as Henry lowered a stretcher and Stefano was hauled up. He was strapped in securely, but was pitching himself around with such force it was all they could do to keep hold of the stretcher.
Pierre and Evan helped carry him to the first aid room. When Dr. Williams came in he asked them to leave, which they were glad to do. The man smelled awful.
“Do you suppose it’s something terribly contagious and that’s why everyone’s looking so grim and acting so weird?” Melissa asked.
That would explain a lot, the Floaties agreed. But then why wasn’t he wearing a mask? And why would the doctor have allowed anyone close to him?
The doctor, meanwhile, cut off Stefano’s pants and took a closer look at the wound. The Inspiration’s first aid room was well stocked for any of the complaints likely to befall healthy people on a long ocean voyage—seasickness, of course, plus colds, cuts, splinters, bruises, scrapes, strains, sprains, and even a simple broken bone. But it was not intended to be a floating hospital, and it had none of the heavy-duty anesthetics needed for surgery.
Dr. Williams had no way to put Stefano to sleep. He could freeze the wound itself, but that would require putting a needle into the infected area, which would risk spreading the infection.
He went to the drug cabinet in the hope of finding something that he could