Chapter 7

That night the seas started to get rough. We were two hundred miles off Liberia and the captain steered a course into the storm and, with the way the ship was constructed, the vessel did not pitch too much at all. More entertainment was offered to keep the passengers occupied. It was difficult for most people to sleep; some had it hard even keeping their food down. The next morning the storm was still blowing and perhaps even a bit rougher. Noon found very few people at the tables.

Weather reports came in by radio and it was mentioned how the storm covered a very wide area and was mostly at sea and on our course. Mom was a little seasick but pride made her ignore it and even pretend for our benefit. Lusa was in bad shape and I just let her rest in her bed until the worst was over.

As it happened, the worst was not over quickly and the next day it got worse. Some of the passenger ships had stabilisers to keep the ship from pitching in the seas. Ours was older and would probably never get a refit the way aeroplanes were seemingly taking over long trips.

I awoke Lusa and took her to the bathroom and later tried to get her to eat something. She did this for me but spewed it back up so I put her back to sleep. Thinking about the children in the lowest levels I took a few bags of candy and all I could buy at the store and went below decks. On the way I found an old newspaper from Cape Town and put it in the zip bag with the rest of my props. The crew's quarters supplied a short piece of rope that had been discarded. The ship was pitching slowly and I saw vomitus on the deck and the air reeked of more sources. I took a look around and found one of the three original girls and her smaller brother. In Hindi, I told them to go to the common room for a magic act.

They did not really want to go but decided to anyway because there was little else to do. I placed my zip bag on the ground and told the girl that I had a magical cobra in my bag pretending to be a rope. I put my hand in and drew it out quickly startling my audience of two. Another quick movement and I snatched a recorder from the bag. This would have to take the place of a Pungi that the typical snake charmer would use. I played a few tunes and the small audience began to enjoy the music. Finally I resorted to the music of the snake charmer and, being as theatrical as possible, I coaxed a three quarter manila rope to push out the insides of the bag.

The two were now worried that I might have such a snake with me. Soon others came by drawn by the music or the small congregation already there. I stopped and said with a worried voice, "You all better back up. This snake is very partial to small boys. He ate two before I came on the ship."

The boy of two and a half backed up taking his sister with him. I continued with my music and the bag started to move with the same rhythm. Soon the end of the rope poked out of the bag and bent a few inches from the top to simulate a snake's head. It moved back and forth following my movements and bobbed to the music. The rope was raised slowly and soon it was almost two feet out of the bag and staring at the motions I was making.

At the end of the song it abruptly hurled itself out of the bag and slithered across the floor to me. I heard screaming as the people in the front jumped back to get away from the fearful reptile. Nobody wanted a snake in their midst. I caught the snake in my fist close to where a real head would be and its tail realistically wrapped around my arm.

"You are a naughty snake. You came out to dance then want to eat me," I said as I put the rope back into the bag. The screams had brought even more people and it was getting difficult for people in the back to see. Taking a few steps I reached behind the ear of some of the smaller children and plucked small candies. This was easy to do as I could move very fast and in this case I could even move the candies to where I wanted them.

I took out the old newspaper next and using my fingers I ripped it into thin strips but did not separate them from the main sheet. When everybody could see the pieces I moved my hands very quickly and hid the ripped piece and substituted the whole piece with a flourish. It was handed to the people in the front row to see if they could find any damage.

"I need a volunteer from the audience to help me with the next piece of magic," I said with a serious voice. Nobody came forth and I reached out my hand to the first girl but she was much too shy to help. Her small brother eagerly came forward at my urging.

"I will put you in a trance for this experiment." The boy had no idea what I was talking about but moved as I pushed him. Soon he was lying on the floor with his full length viewable to the audience. "Pretend to fall asleep," I whispered, "and keep your eyes closed." Then for the audience's benefit I said, "Abra cadabra and presto," while gesturing with my hands.

I looked down to the smiling boy and said, "Look what I found here!" I started to pull a long piece of cloth from his ear with one hand at his ear to supposedly help bring it out. The boy's eyes opened and the audience saw it as I knew they would. After almost four yards were pulled out I stood up and walked to the zippered bag and threw the rags in and the rope tried to get out. After capturing it again and pushing it into the bag I palmed some candies.

The boy closed his eyes as I came back and I searched his body and found candy all over and threw them to the audience. The boy appeared to be a hoarder and had at least ten pieces in his navel.

When the candies were gone I waved my hand again and then raised the boy off the floor almost a foot. The audience was spell bound now and some even gasped. I went to the bag and got out the rags and pulled the boy's sister to him. "Take the end and we will run the cloth under your brother." She was amazed at what she saw but did as I asked and we brought the stretched rags under the boy then all over him to prove that there was no support. There was none but the audience would always think that there was and know this for a trick. If I slipped again they would think it a trick and me being an amateur magician just practising.

After I finished with the boy I lowered him down and offered him some candy as a reward. I bowed to the boy as if he did it all and started to clap. The audience was slow to catch on but clapped too. The boy turned red and ran to his sister.

"Thank you for your attention and good afternoon." I packed up my things and saw that the people were less motion sick now and my task had been accomplished.

As I went out some of the adults pressed small coins into my hands in thanks for a good performance. It felt like a lot when I considered how much they had to spare. I dare not refuse them either or they would think that I didn't value their generosity.

The children in the back that had not received any candy thus far were delighted when I plucked some from their ears. When I left there was a lot less moaning and groaning than when I entered. The smell though was just as bad and this I would take care of now. I raced up the stairs and walked to the closest area I could to get to the captain. A large sign said that no passengers were allowed beyond so I waited for a crewmember to pass by. Luckily one was going into the crew's quarters and agreed to relay a message for me. He was a little incredulous about a little boy requesting this though.

I waited patiently for almost ten minutes because I could read that the Captain was busy. When he came out he looked at me seriously and said, "Hello Master Boz. What can I do for you?"

"Good afternoon sir. It is not quite for me but I would like the stewards to go below deck and clean up all the vomit on the deck. If this is not possible then you might give access to the cleaning supplies so that the passengers can do this themselves. I would recommend a slight monetary or gastronomic reward for their help."

He replied, "I have been thinking a lot about you recently Master Boz and I still can't place you. Listening I would think you a very educated adult and I can't see how that corresponds to your obvious youth. To answer your question, how many hours would it take for the clean up? The men are busy now cleaning up the areas on the upper deck from the passengers with weaker stomachs."

"Four man hours and another hour each day the storm continues, sir."

"Would you organize the clean up if I allowed the passengers to do it?"

"I can do that. I would suggest one pound be paid for the job for the duration of the storm. Food would be preferable but then there would be acrimony among the lower decks."

"That sounds satisfactory. Now what about some music for the passengers?"

"I was entertaining the sick children below decks and I anticipated the adults above deck too but I am afraid Lusa is sick and will not be able to play."

"We have a good pianist and I am sure you and he can come up with an adequate repertory for tonight. I would like to see my guests eat and enjoy themselves." Pausing for a few seconds he continued, "It takes a while for food to leave the stomach. Are you up to singing for that length of time?"

"I am and I would like all four musicians. Somewhere during the night I hope to get Lusa to start playing again and forget her own troubles for a while."

With the Captain's word on the matter I approached the musicians within the crew area and talked with them. I managed to get a better evaluation of their abilities. I went through all their sheet music and then asked about some Scottish and Irish ballads that many of the passengers would like. I also knew that many of the English would enjoy them at the same time. One of the Captain's favourites was a take off of one of Robby Burns' poems. Here I had to learn the pronunciation of the dialect to make it sound authentic.

With word of mouth advertising the dining room was filled somewhat more than usual. The Captain seemed to be risking his word on me without ever hearing me sing. Dad came early and sat at a table that was close to the musicians. The Captain was not yet present and we started with some Afrikaans songs that sprang from their Protestant background. There were few people present from South Africa but the ones that were tapped their feet or hand against their tables.

Sticking to ballads, we played English, Irish and when the Captain came in, some Scottish pieces. The latter seemed a little out of place without the pipes but I think we made do. Most of the people were being served now, so I reverted to some English sea shanties with the use of alternate words for some of the racier sections or just left them blank and let the audience fill the words in with their minds. Here I danced to the music with my leather shoes slapping the floor and the audience beating time on the tables.

I smiled at what I had done for the people and what they had done in return. This did not take away from me wanting to be a doctor but just that it was nice to entertain people as well. With Lusa finished her first major meal in two days I spoke into the large microphone and got her to take the pianist's place in accompanying me.

"Lusa, play our Bantu song. This time play it softly."

Lusa was frightened again and I helped place all the information before her so she would not feel threatened. I explained the song in English then Lusa started out very softly. I started singing in the soft Bantu language talking of life before the white man came and how a young man lost his life trying to kill a lion so that he could prove his manhood and marry his true love.

The audience did not know that the Bantu had such a rich past and had not heard many songs in any case. This one I happened to make while thinking of Lusa a few months after I was born.

To avoid showing preferences I sang a few German and Dutch songs. With the original pianist back at the keyboard, I sang in Spanish and we ended the night with a stirring piece in French. There was a lot of clapping and it seemed more people came from their rooms to hear us as the night wore on.

Dad was clapping harder than the rest and mom, Japera and Lusa were very bright eyed as they clapped too. When it was time to leave the Captain came up to me and said, "That was much more than I ever expected from you or any musician. The passengers are leaving happy and even the storm seems to have abated. So Shawn, when would you like to get your compensation for your labours?"

"The next watch starts in a half hour and I would like to begin then."

"Young man you need your sleep. Let's have it in the morning?"

"Sir the night is beautiful and perhaps a little less stressful as well. I believe the second mate would not object too much if you tell him the right way."

The Captain knew the second mate was competent but did not work very well with passengers or especially children but payment had been requested, so now it had to be delivered. "As you wish. I will inform the second but I think he will be a bit truculent about it."

"As temporary captain it would be my job to set him right in any case. I would look on it as a joke to see how well it worked in the morning."

I was soon introduced to the second mate. He was a short wide man with enormous strength that had gone to pot recently. His drinking was the major reason but the realisation that life was now finite seemed to cause the former.

"Mr. MacAndrews this is Shawn Boz. He looks young but is very knowledgeable. I would take it as a favour if you would follow his orders as if he were I. The only time I would like you to override him is if he does something dangerous to the ship or passengers. His orders are to keep a course for Southampton with as little trouble as possible." The helmsman and the radio operator listened to the odd orders and smiled at the probable outcome.

"But sir," he said in a thick brogue, "he is only a wee lad."

"That is true by his looks but his mind is as sharp as yours. Follow my orders in this Mr. MacAndrews."

"Aye sir."

When the captain left MacAndrews said, "You won't be giving any orders on my watch, boy."

"I will be giving orders or I will have you thrown in the brig for mutiny. Don't think that I have not read and understood the articles under which this ship sails. Do I make my self clear Mr. MacAndrews?"

"And who would you get to enforce that law boy?"

"I will personally."

This time he laughed. He saw a boy of about 4 or 5 perhaps even 6 threatening him with force. "I would like to see that 'captain boy'."

I flew across the deck and drove my feet into his stomach and he doubled over from the unexpected pain. I landed on my feet and kicked him in the jaw and this knocked him out and he fell onto the deck. I walked over and dragged the heavy man to the wall and put him into the recovery position so there would be no problem till he awoke.

I casually walked over to the chart as the two men looked at me with their mouths open. Finding a steward on duty I made a call and asked him to come to the bridge. The radioman was going to check on the mate when I said, "As you were Mr. Frisco. The mate is fine and will wake up when the watch is over."

The man was used to taking orders and I used both the way dad and the Captain did in issuing them. Mr. Frisco returned to his duties but kept his eyes on me. I read the log and got a feeling for the style it was written in. I amended it to state that I had taken command.

The steward came on the deck and looked at Mr. MacAndrews in the corner then to the helmsman for clarification.

"The second mate disbelieved that I could enforce a command. A captain, even a temporary one has to be firm, fair and sure. I am trying to do that. Do you believe that I have the authority after the captain gave it to me?"

The man was in a quandary and could only say, "Ahh... I think you can give orders and if they are fair I will play the game."

"Thank you. The job I have for you is simple. I want you to go into steerage and then to cabin p36-b. Offer Mr. Sabal a temporary job of cleaning the vomit off the bulkhead and decks in the halls and public areas. You will need to give him access to the storage rooms and allow the passengers to clean up their own mess within their rooms." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a few folded notes and handed him a fiver. "Give him this for his time and say that the captain thinks he is honest enough to be paid first."

"But... ok. I can do that. Anything else?"

"That is all. Since the storm is subsiding I think we should be in clear water in two hours and there will be less work for you."

Every hour I wrote in the log our heading and speed. The engine room called to report everything functioning properly and I thanked the man. He was very startled by the voice but kept to his job. The radioman gave me his finding verbally. Another steward came to give us coffee and stopped dead in his tracks at seeing MacAndrews unconscious. I explained the problem and also said that the first steward neglected to tell him to get a reaction.

He smiled at me and said, "Would the temporary captain like a cocoa?"

"I think he would."

The watch came in later after hearing from the steward and gave the standard report. After a while all sorts of crew came to ask one thing or another to see the taciturn MacAndrews still sleeping on the hard deck.

Five hours into the watch I had this strange feeling of helplessness. I looked about and tried to find its source. After checking all the ship I knew it was ahead of us somewhere. There was no use using my eyes in the dark sky and the ship did not have the new radar the military had. I used my own eye and sent it far forward. The disturbance was still out there but not quite able to be pinpoint yet.

"Helmsman come to a course of zero zero one."

"But... , " he did a bit of thinking and saw that it was not dangerous and only headed a little closer to the shore than our nominal 250 mile distance. "Aye aye sir. Come to a course of zero zero one."

My eye could not go too high without losing detail so I kept it at three miles and made a zigzag course looking for the source of the disturbing feeling. Ten minutes later I came on it. A ship had gone down and in the wreckage of the vessel hung eight people. One was a young female hurt from a cut on the forehead and was supported by an older man. Four males still lived and one young boy was holding on to a cushion but was weakening rapidly. Another wounded man lay on a plank.

"Helmsman come four degrees to starboard and call for flank speed. There are some people in distress."

The helmsman didn't argue but slowly changed course and the engine room started to comply. Within five minutes the captain was putting his jacket on and coming on the bridge. "What in god's name is going on here." Then he saw MacAndrews on the floor and then wondered even more.

I finished making out the log and walked over and stood under the Captain's frowning features. A ship has sunk 23 nautical miles ahead. At present speed we should be there in 51 minutes. I believe there are survivors."

"How the hell... How do you know this?"

"It is a feeling. I got one once before and was able to save a woman with difficulties giving birth. If we hadn't got there; mother and child would have died. If I am wrong I will have spent 350 extra pounds worth of fuel and not made our trip any longer. If I am right I will have spent 350 extra pounds and this ship would be noted for saving some people' lives. I will pay for the fuel if I am wrong. If I am right the owners will pay and also get the credit."

The amount of money was high but the sale of the diamonds would cover it. Most people were lucky to make even one pound a day.

The captain saw the logic of the argument and started to give orders. "Sir I am still in command. Do you relieve me, sir?"

"Get out of my chair we are not in the Queen's Navy now." He looked at the log and saw that there was no damage to it and then looked at MacAndrews. "What happened to him?"

"I believe he stumbled before you came onto the bridge sir."

"Get him to sickbay and alert Doctor Quigley that we may have some work for him."

"Aye aye sir."

I awoke the doctor, "Yes, what is it?" he said groggily.

"We are coming on some survivors of a shipwreck in about forty minutes. They will be suffering from hypothermia, shock, exhaustion and I believe some to have trauma to the face and neck."

"Who the hell is this?"

"Shawn Boz. I was on watch and I am conveying the Captain's orders."

"Fine, I'll get dressed and see what I can do to help. Are you going to get your dad?"

"I was hoping you would say that sir."

"He might not be."

"The second mate is coming down with a contusion to the mandible at the condyle. I believe he has some problems with the ninth and tenth thoracic nerves." Dr. Quigley said nothing but I was sure he was doing his best to see the problem from my too specific answer.

The captain roused all the crew and got the boats ready to lower. Doctor Quigley came on deck with dad and asked if this were a game.

I had talked to dad and I verbally reminded him about the time that I recently helped him with the pregnant woman. Dad was vague but said how I once before averted a tragedy and caused him to stop and check on a woman 'close' to the road.

At ten minutes to five the captain ordered the lights turned on and the horn sounded. The loud and sorrowful hoot could be heard for miles and after five times the entire ship knew something was happening. I suggested cutting speed and the captain relayed the message. At twenty minutes after five, I spotted the wreckage with my real eyes and pointed it out. The officer of the watch used his glasses and found it in the dim light.

The captain ordered a full stop and the boats were sent out. One man hanging onto a plank for over a day could not hold out any longer and released his grip and slipped beneath the waters. I reached out and picked him up and held him afloat. Minutes later the boats were in the flotsam and pulling the survivors onboard.

The majority of the lifeboats returned while the rest searched for more survivors. There were none to be found.

All around our ship passengers used their cameras to take in the sight of the bedraggled and almost dead survivors pulled into the lifeboats.

The seas were gentle but not for a small craft and it took a while to secure them and bring the survivors onboard. Crewmembers carried the survivors wrapped in blankets and both dad and Dr. Quigley sent them where they wanted them. Passengers again pushed the crew aside and the flash of their cameras bothered the rescuers much more than the rescued. Japera went back to her old duties and helped three other nurses with carrying out the doctors' orders.

The 'Hidalgo II' was of Spanish registry and had set out from the Canary Islands. The owner, his wife and young son had gone for a trip to Dakar, Senegal. The crew of ten and a young maid had accompanied them. The storm came up and a massive bolt of lightning had struck the mast and destroyed the radio. An unnoticed fire had started in the hold and an explosion soon after ripped apart the ship and destroyed the lifeboats.

The owner, his wife and four members of the crew had succumbed to the explosion, fire and exposure. The heavy cargo had pulled down the wooden hull along with all of the lifesaving equipment. The young boy only survived because one of the survivors that did not make it to the pickup had put the boy on a larger piece of wreckage and kept him out of the warm water more. The maid was only 14 and had been saved by one of the crewmembers by wrapping her in a blanket and lashing the blanket to a short section of spar. The blanket kept the water next to her body warmer than the surrounding sea.

When the last survivor was carried onboard dad and Dr. Quigley relegated him to sickbay the same as the rest. I walked up to the man and saw his pale skin, felt his weak pulse with my hand and then looked into the man's mind and knew he had a cerebral embolism. Looking at both men I said, "This man has had a stroke."

"How can you... ?" said Quigley.

Dad cut in, "If Shawn says he has a stroke he has had a stroke. Let's get him on medication as soon as possible."

Dad and Quigley pushed their way through the crowd of onlookers and allowed a path for the crewmembers and the stroke victim. I followed right after. When we got to the medical section one nurse was going to bar my way when Japera came over and said, "He stays with the doctors," and took my hand and pulled me into the operating room.

Quigley looked up and was about to have me sent out but reconsidered and continued with his talk with dad over the best way to proceed. Japera and the other nurses were stripping the survivors and placing their valuables beside their beds. We came out of the room they were in and the nurses wanted me away from the naked people. Quigley said, "Let him stay. He has seen more than enough for his age and there is nothing here that's new."

I looked at the girl's forehead and asked, "Who is going to suture her? If we leave it too long it will take a cosmetic surgeon to repair the damage." Placing a hand on a person's wrist I said, "And this one may need a heart stimulant. The rhythm is too irregular and shallow. Can we get some heat lamps in here to bring their core temperature back up?"

The doctors looked at one another and started to do what was needed. I went into the small side room and found the small boy with one of the nurses. I reached out to his cold hand and found his respiration shallow and pulse weak from the effects of shock. His small body could not take too much of this abuse so I searched through Quigley's thoughts and found the location for the heat lamps and got one for the boy.

I plugged it in and directed the infra-red onto the boy. The nurse was going to object but thought about it and decided she would have done the same. Taking a small hand towel I folded it and placed it over the boy's eyes. He was on a normal hospital bed and I had to reach far over to place it correctly.

Next I started removing one piece of sheet at a time to find any damage. The nurse now reacted, "What are you doing? The little boy is in shock. Leave him alone."

"Nurse, he is in shock as you have diagnosed but do you know everything that is wrong with him?"

"There is nothing more wrong."

I pulled the boy's arm out and showed her all the small puncture marks. "Is he a heroin addict or perhaps a diabetic? Take a blood sample now and I will see if there is a way to save his life."

"I will..."

"Dr. Quigley, will you come here please?" I asked.

The doctor came in and the nurse tried to get her say in first. I just showed him the arm, then, "I think the boy is into diabetic shock. We need some blood work done to calculate the amount. I would suggest a sugar solution administered intravenously to start. It would not hurt in any case."

"I think you are right." Turning to the nurse he said, "We are busy out there. Draw fives cc's of blood." He turned back to me; "Do you know how to run the equipment?"

"Since I was little sir."

"Nurse, give the sample to this young gentleman after you draw it." The nurse did not really understand but would do as the doctor ordered.

The boy's mind was confused and due to his age not organised enough to find all the details I needed to know. The state of his mind was one to the reasons I considered diabetes in the first place. When the nurse finished with the blood she gave it to me in a way that made her feeling like she was giving a sharp knife to a child. "Will you get the intravenous now and administer it?"

She was upset at things not being the usual stable way and absently said, "Yes doctor."

The test took eleven minutes and during that time I checked the rest of the patients and suggested to dad that they too received some sugar in their blood. With the absence of sugar I knew the boy was in trouble. Too much or too little sugar or the same with insulin could put a person into a coma.

I heard voices and knew that the Captain had come in to see what he could do to help. The doctors told him what they were facing and said basically that even a hospital could give no better care. A list was made of all the ailments and the doctor let it be known that nobody else on the ship was allowed to get sick or otherwise need his services. One survivor had a broken leg and another a concussion that might need surgery.

"I can use some more heat lamps if we have any. All of the survivors are also suffering from shock."

I finished the test and wrote out my findings. It was possible that most people could read my script even if most were in medical phraseology. This I believe was against the un-written code of all doctors.

Quigley read the results and passed them to dad and said, "I guess your son was right again."

The Captain asked, "What was that about?"

"Shawn found many marks from being injected on the boy's arms. This could mean diabetes but could also mean other problems. We are looking into the matter closely.