“I don't know, maybe a little.”
“I wish there were something I could do. There must be something.” She scanned the deck, searching for a steward, but she couldn't find one. Laurel unlaced Luke's shoes and removed them, then pulled on the extra pair of socks and replaced his shoes. She started to push his hand into a glove.
Luke jerked his hand away. “I can do it.” He pushed his fingers into the warm wool, then laid back and closed his eyes.
“Hi, kids,” Will said, strolling up to Luke and Laurel. Brian was perched on his shoulders, and Justin ambled along the rail, clacking a stick against the braces. “You feeling any better?” he asked.
“Maybe.”
“We'll be in Seward soon.” Will rested his hand on his son's shoulder. “How much longer?”
“A couple of days.”
Luke pulled a blanket over his face. “That's too long.” Throwing back the cover, he looked at his father. “I'm never leaving Alaska if it means I have to take a ship.”
Will chuckled.
A steward joined them. “Feeling any better, Mr. Hasper?”
“I wish everyone would stop asking me that.”
“I have an apple and crackers and some tea for you.” Luke shook his head no. The steward looked at Will. “Should I leave them on the table?”
“Why bother? Nothing I eat stays put,” Luke muttered.
“Leave it,” Will said. “I'll get him to eat something.” A large swell lifted the ship, then dropped it into a trough. Will braced himself against a wall.
When the ship settled, the steward set the food and drink on the table. He stared at the boy pityingly. “In all my days of service, I've never seen so many sick.” The ship rolled over another wave, and Luke moaned. “Take heart, lad. Only a couple more days.”
Laurel kneeled beside her brother and rested a hand on his arm. “You need to eat something.”
“I can't.”
“Just a little.” She held up a cracker, but Luke turned his head. “All right then, try a little of the tea.” She set down the cracker, dropped a cube of sugar into the tea and stirred, then held the cup out to him.
Luke rolled onto his side, pushed himself up on one elbow, and took the cup. He sipped. “How's Mama?”
“Better, but she's weak and still a bit dizzy. She's worried about you.”
Using his pocketknife, Will sliced off a section of apple and held it out. “Try eating a piece of this.”
Luke reluctantly took the fruit and nibbled on it.
Adam joined the Haspers, and after tipping his hat to Will and Laurel, looked at Luke. “Sorry to see you're still sick. I was seasick once. It was no picnic, that's for certain.”
“Oh, dear Lord!”a woman shrieked.“Somebody help!”Miram Dexter ran onto the deck. “We're sinking! The ship is sinking! We're going to die!” She scanned the deck. “Where are the life jackets? What about lifeboats? Do we have any?” She paced up and down. “Where are they?”
“They're on the upper deck,” Laurel said, her heart leaping. “What's wrong? What's happened?”
Seeing Will, Miram sprinted across the deck and grabbed him. “Do something!”
“What's happened?” Will asked, his voice steady.
“There's water pouring into one of the cabins! We're going to sink!”
Will took hold of the hysterical woman's arms. “Miram, calm down. Getting in a panic isn't going to help. What do you mean there's water pouring into a cabin? Which cabin?”
People crowded around. “What's happened?” a woman asked. “Is something wrong?”
Miram closed her eyes and gulped in air. “All right, I'm calm,” she assured Will, but her voice said otherwise. It quavered, and its pitch rose with each syllable.
Will gently released her. “All right now, tell me what's happened.”
“Nothing happened exactly.” Her voice sounded shrill. “I was visiting with Mrs. Prosser and doing some needlework when water started seeping through the wall. At first it was only a little, but then more started coming in, and now it's a lot, and it's flooding the floor!” She held her face in her hands. “Someone has to do something!” Her eyes swept up and down the deck, then scanned the sea. “Dear God, what are we going to do?” She ran to the railing and peered out over choppy waves.
“Laurel, you take care of her,” Will said. “I'll see what's going on. And look after the boys.” He stopped in front of Miram. “Where is Mrs. Prosser?”
“She went to tell the captain.”
Laurel gathered her brothers close. “Daddy, check on Mama. OK?”
He nodded, then taking long strides, hurried to the stairs and disappeared. Adam, Robert, and two others followed.
Luke sat up, his skin sickly pallid. In a voice that sounded more like a boy's than a man's, he asked, “Laurel, what's happening?”
“I don't know, but I'm sure everything will be fine.” Laurel wished she could believe her own words. Miram seemed high strung, but Laurel couldn't imagine her making up such a story. She scanned the ocean, searching for land, but there was none.
“What should we do?” Luke asked, grabbing the edge of the chair and struggling to stand. For a moment he looked like he might fall, but he finally managed to gain his balance.
