His heart was in his throat when he asked the ship’s master to bring them up to board at the bow.Frederica was on that ship, though he had no idea in what condition he would find her. His nerves rankled him as if they were on the outside of his skin, and his stomach felt like it had fallen through a trap door. Petrified and at a rare loss for words, he motioned for Hatch to direct the men to throw over the ropes and tie the two vessels together.“Ahoy!” Hatch hollered at the crew of the Independence. A few men answered. “The woman patient you have on board. What is her condition?” Hatch called.The men looked confused, and Hatch asked, “Is she alive?”One of the men began to nod his head.Relief flushed through Gaston and he almost dropped to his knees to praise heaven for answering his prayers. But before he could fully digest the news, he saw her.Moving gingerly and with Appling’s help, his beloved Frederica walked toward the ship’s railing.His heart was so full that he thought he would burst.
