Third person's POV
Days slipped by quietly, and Wilmot had been out of sight for three whole days.
Not only did Ayla start to miss him, but Tabitha was also growing restless.
She cornered Forrest again, her voice filled with worry and urgency, "How is his condition? It's been so many days, hasn't there been any improvement at all?"
Forrest quickly responded, "Please don't worry. He's much better. It's just that Wilmot is concerned that he might still carry the virus and is afraid of infecting you all."
Tabitha was skeptical. She wasn't sure if Wilmot was genuinely avoiding her out of such consideration or if his condition had deteriorated to the point where he couldn't be seen.
After all, Wilmot had always been kind to her, and she felt she should visit him to ease her mind.
So, Tabitha said, "I want to see him. Which room is he in?"
"No need. Wilmot definitely wouldn't want you to come."
"I'll just take a look and leave after I'm sure of his condition. Which room is he in?"
Forrest hesitated, stammering, "This..."
"If you don't tell me, you won't be leaving here today," Tabitha's tone hardened.
Forrest reluctantly scratched his head, explaining, "I'm just delivering meals to you as Wilmot requested. Please don't make things difficult for me."
"I just want to see him. How is that difficult?"
"Alright. Let me go back and inform Wilmot first."
Hearing this, Tabitha softened her tone slightly, "I'll be waiting for your good news."
Forrest hurried back to Derek. At this point, Derek was not yet fully recovered. Although the high fever had subsided, he was still very weak and needed time to recuperate.
He stayed out of sight not only because of his illness but also because he didn't know how to face Tabitha.
Upon learning that Tabitha wanted to visit, Derek mustered his strength and made some preparations in advance.
After dinner, Tabitha asked Forrest to watch the children, and she headed to Derek's room with the room number he provided.
It was her first time leaving the room since boarding the ship. She walked down the long corridor. The howling sea wind hit her face, carrying a hint of chilly desolation.
The massive waves continuously crashed against the ship, causing it to rock violently from time to time.
Tabitha walked while carefully checking the room numbers.
Then, she saw a woman in a red dress standing not far away.
The woman elegantly held a cigarette between her fingers, lazily leaning against the railing with one leg slightly bent and the other stretched out. She wore a deep V-neck halter mini-dress, and the vibrant rose tattoo on her collarbone was faintly visible.
Tabitha said softly, "Excuse me."
Upon hearing the voice, the woman slowly looked up and appraised Tabitha from head to toe.
Since Tabitha was wearing a full-face mask, revealing no personal features, the woman observed her for a moment before retracting her legs.
Tabitha also shifted her gaze.
For some reason, Tabitha felt that even after she had reached the end of the corridor, the woman's gaze seemed to be firmly fixed on her.
Finally, she found the room and entered the password Forrest had told her. With a "beep," the door slowly opened.
The room was dark, but the curtains were wide open. By the faint light outside, she could barely make out the general outline of the objects inside.
A person lay on an oversized bed.
Tabitha wanted to turn on the light but was worried about disturbing Wilmot's rest, so she carefully made her way to the bedside.
"Wilmot?" she tentatively asked in a soft voice.
"Mmm, it's me."
Hearing this familiar voice, a weight in Tabitha's heart finally lifted, and she let out a sigh of relief.
"Can I turn on the light?"
"Sure."
With permission, Tabitha turned on the bedside lamp.
The light came on, revealing Wilmot propped up in bed, his overall condition noticeably worse than before.
She couldn't help but think to herself that it had been several days, and the drug's effects were so potent, causing such significant damage to his body.
"Are you alright?"
"No need to worry. I'm much better," Derek noticed her discomfort and, to ease the slightly awkward atmosphere, took the initiative to speak, "I'm sorry for that night when I was not in my right mind and did such a thing."
"It's okay," Tabitha took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and then said, "Actually, I came today not only to see you but also to discuss something with you."
"Go ahead."
"There's a week left until the ship arrives in Seattle. I'd like to ask, what are your plans?"
Derek was actually very clear about why she was asking, but he didn't expose it.
He countered, "My plans are not important. What matters is, what are your plans, Ms. Hartley?"