Children

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THE SEA GODDESS
Irene wakes to a rocking motion. Where is she? How did she get here, wherever here is? Looking around the dimly lit room with only a tiny window in one wall, she sees other children, some younger, lying on dirty bunk beds, only a few are older than her ten years.
Willie Johnson, one of the boys is waking up, “Mmm, where am I?” he asks, trying to focus in the dim light, “Who are you and how did we get here?”
Irene answers, “I don’t know, I‘m Irene Pool. The last thing I remember is walking around Piccadilly Circus when a big burly man approached me. I tried to run but he caught me.”
Children start rousing, some crying, some silently looking around. The door bursts open. A small, balding man dressed in a graying white coat and black trousers comes in.
“Quiet! Stop that noise,” he says. “I am Doctor Dyke and we are on the Sea Goddess, a three-mast schooner bound for the Americas. We are an experiment ship; by the time we reach America I will know how the cow pox vaccine reacts to the small pox virus.”
“Doctor, what ever your name is.” Irene says, with more bravado than she feels, blinking trying to focus on the man, “What right do you have to take us anywhere?”
Looking at his paper, Doctor Dyke says, ”No. 105, it isn’t any of your business but I will tell you, I took the right to take you street urchins off the streets of London. I will make you famous.”
“My name is Irene Pool, I am 14 years old and I am not--
“To me and the members of the crew you are a number. You will learn your number as will the others,” the doctor says looking at the children milling about. “Okay, all of you come with me,” he orders in a gruff unfeeling voice.
A young girl, Mary Beth starts to whimper softly. “I want my mummy. I want to go home.”
Doctor Dyke orders. “Come with me and be quiet.”
“Where are you taking us?” Irene asks.
“BE QUIET!” Doctor Dyke states loudly. “We are going up on deck, so the only viruses or diseases on board are the ones I brought.”
On deck, the children are assaulted by bright sunlight. Becoming accustomed to the sunlight they rush to the rail to see… nothing but the sun and sky reflecting in the blue-green ocean. As they turn around to look up at the fluffy white sails they are suddenly hit with cold saltwater. The crew is dosing the children, one by one, using buckets pulled over the side of the ship. The children fall to the deck, cold and shivering from the icy seawater.
“Now you are clean,” Doctor Dyke says. “You get into the clean clothes in the cabin, then you can go to the galley and eat.”
An unseen voice says, “I am Captain Moore. The Sea Goddess, a good and sturdy schooner will take us to the Americas safely. The galley is below decks astern, the back of the ship. Cookie will take good care of you.”
After drying themselves and putting on dry clothes, that are too large for them, the children follow the doctor to the galley.
“Welcome children. I’m Cookie, I will be serving your meals here in the galley.” Cookie says, “Eat hearty because this may be the last meal you‘ll want.”
After they finish eating, the first mate, Oily Jack, leads them back to the dark and dingy cabin they awoke.
Soon the doctor enters and says, “No. 101, come with me.” He points to a young boy of about 8 years of age.
The young boy stands and goes towards the doctor. “Yes sir?” he says. “Name is Billy, don’t know my last name.”
“You are No 101, don’t worry about your name.”
”Where are you taking him?” Irene asks, holding Billy by the hand.
“Never mind 105, your turn will come.” Doctor. Dyke says.
Taking the boy out of the cabin, Doctor. Dyke closes the door behind him. A short while later they return, with Billy is whimpering.
“No 102, your turn, come on” He says to Mary Beth. Every other day another two children are taken and inoculated with the cowpox vaccine. As each child is inoculated it becomes noticeable that Irene isn’t getting sick and there is no scab on the scratch site even though she has inoculated twice just to be sure. Is it possible that she is immune?
“Irene” he says.
Which surprises Irene because he has always called her No.105.
“Since you seem to be unaffected by the cowpox, you will care for the others. If you need anything I will be in my cabin but don’t bother me unless it is an emergency.”
Irene has been caring for the children. Billy was extremely seasick and one of the first serious cowpox cases Irene cared for. She tries a number of different things to keep him alive, but he died. Mary Beth’s reaction was light and she has been helping Irene with the sick children.
Soon it is Willie’s turn to be inoculated. He succumbs to the cowpox as if it were the real small pox with a high fever, chills, nausea and itchy red spots cover his body. Irene bathes him with cold seawater to bring down his fever, but to no avail. The salt water stings the open sores. She tries to make him drink or eat, but he brings it up. She is afraid he will die as Billy did. “Mary Beth,” she says. “Watch him while I go to the doctor. I can’t let Willie die like Billy.”
She goes to Doctor Dyke’s cabin and knocks softly.
“Come.”
Irene enters, shyly looking at the floor. “Doctor Dyke, Willie is delirious, calling for his mother.” She tells him what she has tried. “He is getting worse. What should I do?”
Doctor Dyke’s says, “There isn’t much you can do now except keep him comfortable, Irene.” Again he has called her by name not a number.
“Is that all I can do Doctor?” Irene asks almost in tears.
“Yes, that is all you can do for him, Irene. You may sing or talk to him as his mother. That may ease him some.”
After leaving the doctor’s cabin and about to enter the dark, dingy cabin, a thought comes to her. She turns and runs up the gangway calling excitedly to Oily Jack the first mate who had befriended her. “Oily, Oily where are you? I need you.”
“Right here, child, calm down. What is the matter?”
“Oily, I need your help,” she says excitedly. “The reason the children are not recovering is because they are closed in a dark sick smelling cabin. They need to spend time on deck each day while the cabin is scrubbed. I will clean the cabin while they are on deck.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea, child. Why didn’t I think of that? But we have to ask the doctor first. You run and ask the doctor while I talk to Capt’n.”
Irene rushes back to Doctor. Dyke’s cabin and rushes in without knocking. “Doctor.” she says, “Can we take the children on deck for a few hours a day while I clean the cabin?”
“What brought this on?”
She explains her idea and what Oily said.
“That may be a good idea, Irene, I don’t see why not if you will clean the cabin and Oily and the crew will keep an eye on the children while they are on deck. We can take them up for a while now and test your theory.”
While the children are on deck, Irene and Mary Beth clean the cabin and change the bunks. The cabin smells so much better and looks like a room.
The next morning after a night’s sleep in clean sheets and clean smelling cabin Willie wakes and murmurs, “Mummy?”
“Yes dear?” Irene whispers softly
“Water, may I have some water? I’m thirsty.”
Getting the water Irene smiles. Willie is awake and asking for water. She silently prays that he will keep it down. She goes back to the bunk, holds his head up, and lets him doctorink.
“Mummy, I’m hungry. Can I have some of your potato soup?”
“Later, dear.” Irene says smiling to herself, “I have to go and make it.” She leaves the cabin and rushes into the galley, “Cookie, can you make potato soup? Willie is asking for some.”
Of course, child.” Cookie, the jovial old sea dog says, ”Why? I have some already made. It is still warm and you can take some to Willie now.”
Returning to the cabin, she runs into Doctor. Dyke. “Willie has had a cup of water and has asked for soup. That is a good sign isn’t it? He thinks I am his mother though.”
“He is still delirious, but at least he is asking for food. Yes, that is a good sign.”
Over the next couple of days being on deck the children begin to regain their strength. Walking on deck one day, Willie says, “You know something, my Mum sang to me. She brought me water and her special potato soup. That is why I am getting better.”
Irene looks at him and smiles. “Yes dear, I know.”

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