Cruisin' - Chapter 4

By Nick B
(c) 2007

The one where Donna shows her true colours

Another big hug and thanks to Kris for doing the proofing on this one - twice! She has nerves of steel I'm tellin' you.

---

I decided to visit that officer before going to see Margaret. I figured that there was just an outside chance that I had been wrong about the two blokes that said they would deal with my baggage. Well, you never know.

Thinking about the officer’s visit to the cabin made my skin crawl. There was just something about him that I didn’t trust. It wasn’t just his outspoken prejudice, but for a person in his position, the way he spoke to Margaret was unforgivable. I wondered what he might have to say.

I needed to visit the little boy’s room en-route and when I saw my hair in the mirror I just had to do something with it. I damped it down, well in fact I totally soaked it, scraped it this way and that and STILL it looked feminine. I needed something to cover it since there was nothing I seemed able do to it to make it look less like a girl’s haircut. Coupled with the shaped brows, I was having a hard time seeing me as a male, despite the change of clothes and judging by the looks I got on exiting the gents, so were a few others.

I bought a baseball cap since it was cheap and pulled it on. Looking in the small mirror on the sunglasses rack, it did make a difference, but not as much as I was hoping for. Unless I pulled it down right over my eyes, you could still see the eyebrows and they kind of gave the game away.

Oh well, deep breath and off to that officer’s office.

I know, I keep referring to him as ‘that officer’, but I didn’t know who the hell he was. He wore a cap and had things on his shoulders, so as far as I was concerned, he was an officer. He was also an arsehole, but I felt it best to let him dig that hole for himself. He didn’t need my help there.

I arrived at his office and knocked on the door.

“Come!” said a stern voice from within. He was sat behind a desk, smug-looking and wearing an expression that made me want to stand with my back to the wall.

He told me to shut the door and sit down almost dismissively. I didn’t think his tone went with placating a passenger who through no fault of his own (as far as he was concerned) had lost all his baggage and had been left to fend for himself.

“You left a message for me to come and see you.” I said as ingratiatingly as possible, trying to use politeness to offset his abrasiveness.

“Yes, it’s about your baggage.”

“You’ve found it?” I said, knowing damned well he hadn’t and neither had anyone else on this damned floating sardine can.

“I’m afraid not. Apparently it wasn’t brought aboard.”

“Why ever not?” I asked, knowing that Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dummer on the docks were probably responsible for that mishap. “What am I supposed to do? Do you have any suggestions?” I asked.

“What’s wrong with that other look you seemed to have got good at?”

“Sorry?”

“Well, the skirts, blouses, heels.” There was an extra bit of leering when he said the word ‘heels’. I could feel myself blushing and getting just the teeniest bit pissed off.

“That wasn’t my idea and I wouldn’t have dressed like that at all had I not had my baggage misplaced for me.” I contested hotly. “So look. I can’t keep on wearing this all the time can you help?”

“I’m sorry, but no we can’t. You do have an alternative, so I feel that you should do just fine.” he answered, giving me a grin that said a lot more than the words alone.

I was furious and getting furiouser — I don’t know how else to describe my feelings at that time. I was hoping that if he saw me in what amounted to men’s clothes I would have got a bit more respect, but I was wrong.

Once again I was on back to square one. I sat waiting for him to relay the message from Margaret, but it didn’t happen.

“Well?” he asked in that downright condescending way of his.

“Nothing.” I almost spat and left the office.

I closed the door to his office and couldn’t believe that that was it. Not only did he not feel it necessary to help, but worse, he seemed to take a kind of sadistic delight in watching me suffer as a result of this baggage fiasco.

I really didn’t like that man.

Perhaps he didn’t like me either and that was just his way of showing it.

I hoped I would have better luck with Margaret.

---

I went out on deck to try and cool off and looked out over what seemed to be a completely endless ocean. I had hoped that the cruise company would have had provisions for incidents like mine and perhaps they did, but that bastard officer didn’t let me in on them.

Ooh it made me mad.

The sea air or something about that vast apparent emptiness seemed to blow out the fire that was raging inside and I calmed down.

It occurred to me that this was the first time since this trip started, barring the first day that is, that I hadn’t had to worry about whether my boobs were straight, my hair just so or whether my makeup was okay and instead, I found myself worrying about other aspects of how I looked.

I knew I looked hideous in the clothes I was currently wearing, not least because of the nail polish that I had completely overlooked in trying to look ‘manly’. Reluctantly, I had to concede that although they were meant for a girl, I did look more presentable en-femme, so I headed back to my cabin and the outfit I wore for breakfast.

It was some time later that I knocked on the door of cabin 15C.

There was no reply.

I knocked again, louder this time and waited…

…and waited…

…and finally knocked again.

Despite the hefty pounding I gave and fears that my knuckles were now damaged, I received no reply from her cabin and only managed to bring the man from 16C out instead.

“What the hell’s going on out here?” he demanded. I looked at him and I could see he was just about ready to punch me out, but stopped short when he saw what he thought was a girl. “Sorry, it’s just that the wife’s seasick, has a migraine and only minutes ago, there was a right old racket going on out here. I have no idea what was happening, but all this noise is doing nothing to alleviate her discomfort.”

“I’m so sorry.” I replied. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll call back later.”

He disappeared closing the door behind him, leaving me wondering what had happened. Revellers perhaps? Probably not at this time of the day, but my gut feeling was that Margaret was somehow involved and that intrigued me.

I still had about an hour to kill before Donna was about, so I decided to go tour the ship. There were shows and café’s, shops and pools — even a gymnasium — not that I was going to even try and put on a leotard. Come to think of it, I wasn’t going to be able to use the pools either, not without drawing an awful lot of attention. Still, coffee sounded good.

Café Paris was fairly quiet. It was a real tables-and-chairs-on-the-pavement affair and after a while of sitting outside sipping a cappuccino and watching this micro-world go by, one could be forgiven for forgetting that this was a ship, not some arcade or backstreet off the Champs Elysées - minus the cobblestones of course!

I suppose being in such a small community, it was only a matter of time before Lucy and I bumped into one another again. She was walking alone across the atrium and I don’t think she noticed me until it was too late. I got up and went across to her.

“Hiya. How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Um, okay, I guess.” she replied and I could feel the tension growing.

“Would you like to join me for a coffee? I can say without fear of contradiction, that the cappuccino is quite excellent.” I said dramatically. I don’t think she wanted to, but she wound up smiling and well, I think she just gave in.

We sat there for a good couple of hours in the end. I asked her if she’d eaten and whether she had plans. I had no intentions of candle-lit anything, but after three cappuccinos, I needed to eat something before my stomach turned on me.

“Just a snack maybe?” I asked.

To my utter amazement, she agreed and the two of us headed for the food court that was about as impersonal as one could get.

I was hungrier than I thought and went and got seconds of everything, returning with a full plate, to wide eyes from Lucy.

“How… Your figure… You can’t possibly…”

I just grinned.

“I have a high metabolism and right now, I think I need it. It’s not quite as relaxing as I thought this cruising thing.”

“Why?”

“Oh, I don’t know, it’s just not what I expected. Not what I expected at all.”

“Don’t you like it?”

“It’s not really a case of not liking it; it’s more a case of not being able to be myself.” I almost had to kick myself under the table for that one. Lucy looked at me with a kind of questioning look.

“Is it because of me?”

“Sort of, but no. Not really. It’s complicated and…”

“Ah there you are.” said Pete. As usual, Gil was beside him. “Hello Kim.”

“Hi, I hope you don’t mind me dragging Lucy here to lunch.”

“Not at all. It’s nice to see her out and about instead of moping round the cabin.” said Gil. The look that Lucy gave her could have curdled cream at several hundred yards. “She needs someone of her own age to have fun with.” Another daggers expression from Lucy, which seemed to go unnoticed by Gil or Pete.

“Well, you look as though you’re enjoying yourselves, so try and stay out of trouble. We’ll see you back at the cabin later.”

That was that. A very embarrassed looking Lucy was doing her best to hide the look of horror that was unmistakable on her extremely pretty face.

“What?” she demanded. I tried to keep my face straight.

“Nothing.” I said as matter-of-factly as I could muster.

“Good!” she said. I couldn’t help it, I just burst out laughing and pretty soon, we were both laughing.

“Do you fancy a dip in one of the pools?” she asked.

“Oh shit!” I thought. There’s no way I can hide inside even a tight one-piece. For one or rather two things, my ‘breasts’ wouldn’t stay where I put them, plus, even in cold water, my manliness — such as it would be at low temperature — would be unmistakeable

“Er, I can’t.” I said rather nervously.

“What, can’t swim?”

“Oh, I swim just fine - like a brick in fact, but I can’t. I’ll happily join you and watch from the side, but I can’t.”

“Spoilsport. Come on, it’ll be lovely.”

“I’m sure it will, but I don’t think so, not today.”

“Ah! Why didn’t you say?”

I had to think for a moment on how to answer that one, but then it dawned on me. She thought I meant I had the curse. Works for me.

“I didn’t think it proper.” I said.

“Another time then.”

“Yes.”

I think I meant it, but right now, it just made me feel better knowing I wasn’t going to have to besport myself in the nuddie or at least not have to worry about who saw that beneath this feminine exterior, throbs… well anyway it does whenever Lucy’s around.

---

Despite her initial tenseness, Lucy had calmed down quite quickly and although clearly disappointed that I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) go swimming, we spent the rest of the day together, happy as a couple of pigs in pooh.

We talked a lot, sitting close together most of the time and I wished the day would never end. It didn’t have to, but it was getting cold outside, she wanted a shower and would eventually be going off for dinner and I figured I could do with a change of clothes for dinner too.

I went back to Donna’s cabin. I didn’t think anything of having spent all day out with Lucy, but evidently, Donna didn’t feel the same way.

“Where have you been?” she demanded. I have to say, I was shocked. I didn’t think it any of her business.

“Here and there.” I replied as casually as I could.

“So what; my cabin is a bloody hotel is it?”

“Er, that was you idea, not mine. Look, I’ll get my stuff and go back to my cabin if it’s all the same. It was starting to grate anyway, having to live between the two.”

“You’ll do no such thing. You’ll come in this instant. I definitely need to have a few words with you.”

Since when did she become my mother?

I went inside as I figured that whatever rant she was going off on, would just sail over my head. Then I could pick up my stuff (well alright, the stuff I’d been given) and then go back to my cabin. It might be noisy and it might not have the same luxurious quality as Donna’s but at least I could come and go as I pleased.

“I said be back in two hours didn’t I?”

“You say a lot of things, Donna and I’m under no obligation to pay any attention to any of them if I don’t want. Frankly I’m tired of acting the perfect little girl for you and as much as it pains me, I have no choice but to continue dressing this way until I get home and I don’t need you telling me what t do.”

“Of all the nerve!” she spluttered. “I give you the hospitality of my suite and this is how you repay me?”

“You want paying? I had no idea this all came with a price tag. I thought being trapped in this hell-hole of a disaster was payment enough. Sod it! I’m getting my stuff and I’m outta here!”

I turned to walk away to what I had considered my room when there was a sharp pain in the back of my head and twinkles round the eyes before my knees gave way and the lights went out.

---

I awoke to find myself on the bed — my bed in Donna’s cabin. She and some other bloke were looking over me.

“That was quite a nasty fall you had.” said Donna.

The man with her, peering over a pair of half-moon glasses introduced himself as Dr. Weintraub. I tried to sit up, my face contorting with the rage of her saying I fell for one thing and the fact that I wanted to tell the doctor it was no fall, but I failed to do so, for another.

“Stay vhere you are, young lady. I haff giffen you a mild sedatiff, you should sleep.”

I vaguely remember Donna thanking the good doctor for his time and him saying something about glad to be of help. He also said something about a check up with regards to the ‘other’ medicine.

What other medicine?

Again the lights went out.

---

The next time I woke up, it was dark through the cabin windows. I looked at my watch, but it wasn’t there. I looked round, wincing as pain shot through my head, radiating from the point of impact. I don’t know what she hit me with, but it was one hell of a wallop. I tried to get up, but every time I did, I could feel my head swimming and nausea rising.

I have no idea how long I was out, no idea what odd chemicals were now floating around in my body and no idea how long Donna planned on keeping me here. All I knew was that I was pretty scared.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

“No thanks to you. A ‘fall’ was it?”

“Well I had to do something. I didn’t want to resort to drugs, especially since you seemed to be doing so well, but you forced my hand.”

“Drugs? What sort of drugs?”

“Just a little something to make you a little more relaxed about things; give you a bit more incentive to be the Kimmy we all know and love.”

“It won’t work you know.” I said, finding it difficult to get my head round this latest turn of events. Of course if my head didn’t hurt so much in the first place, perhaps that would have made things a little easier.

“Oh I guarantee that they’ll work. Dr. Weintraub has given you a small implant. That should take no longer than a month to get to grips with your masculinity. Fortunately, you’re such a wimp anyway; it should help speed up the process. You should start seeing results in a week or two.

“What have you done to me?”

“I haven’t done anything and if you hadn’t been so intent on doing you own thing rather than doing as I asked, perhaps none of this would have been necessary. Anyway, it’s time for your shot. The good doctor suggested you stay in bed until your head heals and I’m inclined to agree. Looks like you’ll be spending the next three or four days here.”

I tried; God knows I tried to fight her off, but I just didn’t have the energy or strength for that matter and a few seconds later, a slight jab in the arm was followed shortly afterwards by blackness.

---

I woke up whenever, I had no idea when. I also had no idea how long I’d been this way. I had vague recollections through a ‘fog’ of, well, ‘nothingness’ really where I was told to drink something or do something, but other than that, nothing.

My ears were ringing, my body was shaking and the bump on the back of my head was still tender, feeling like a large bird - probably an ostrich laid it — though thankfully not nearly as painful as it was. I had trouble standing and even more trouble moving once I’d managed that.

“Nice to see you up and about.” said Donna.

“Only just.” I said.

“Whatever. You’re up and that’s the main thing. Do you feel well enough to go to breakfast?”

I was famished. I didn’t know how long I was sedated, was it three days, four or was it longer. Anyway, I was absolutely starving. Had I not eaten as much as I had with Lucy, how ever long ago that was, I think I’d be feeling even worse today — if that’s possible.

“I think I can manage.” I replied.

“No funny stuff. Otherwise I’ll have to get good Dr. Weintraub in to sort you out on a more permanent basis. You might as well just relax and enjoy the trip.”

“There’ll be no funny stuff Donna.” I said resignedly, scarcely able to shuffle along, my head still feeling woozy.

We made our way to the breakfast room — incidentally also known as the food court. Running away wasn’t likely as much as I wanted to. I had to be helped along by Donna the whole way and I felt such a twit getting in there and walking like a bloody geriatric.

The one thing about going to breakfast there was the possibility of meeting up with Lucy. Well that and the delicious croissants and coffee they served at breakfast time. I started this time with some orange juice, followed by croissants and I have to say, it was harder to get them down than I thought.

The coffee tasted weird too. I don’t know whether that’s as a result of the shots, feeling bad or what, but I stomached it because I knew it would make me feel better and to help it along, I had my fingers crossed.

I hoped it would make me feel more like a human and less like a poor excuse for one, but I have to say that the wooziness didn’t go away. I don’t know what the drugs they had been giving me were, but food wasn’t having the desired effect on quelling the queasy feelings I had in my stomach.

You can’t know how pleased I was when Donna went off to the toilet and almost immediately in came Pete, Gil and Lucy. They came and sat at my table and as bad as I felt, I gave them all a big smile.

We’ve missed you, or at least ONE of us has! Have you been hiding?” asked Pete, smiling at me and giving Lucy a quick sideways glance, though I could see that Lucy looked a lot less pleased with that remark than I was. I could feel the shakes starting to build and I just HAD to get out of there as quickly as I could.

“Not exactly.” I said. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re here. Any chance you can give me a hand to get out of here?”

---

To be continued…