Claim Me Captain! I'm Addicted to You!
Chapter 14: Bleeding

Chapter 14: Bleeding

"Dammit, woman, are you made of steel?" Nick uttered as he let go of Georgia, letting her stand on her own.

Georgia blinked, stunned and mortified. "Y-You were carrying me!"

"Yeah," he said, rubbing his nose. "Because I found you passed out at my desk like a drunk pirate and thought you’d be more comfortable on the bed I told you to stay off of. My mistake for being considerate."

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. Then she stammered, "I—I was trying not to ruin the bed... I spent thirty minutes fixing it!"

Nick gave her a blank look, then shook his head, turning away toward his office. "Next time, just sleep on the floor. Less risk of head trauma."

Georgia face-palmed. She just assaulted the man who saved her life—and might be her only chance at staying alive.

As Georgia peeked at Nick again, her eyes widened in horror.

"Y–You’re bleeding!"

Nick blinked. "What?"

"Your nose!" she gasped, pointing. "You’re bleeding from your nose!"

Nick instinctively touched his upper lip, and sure enough, his fingers came away streaked with red.

"Damn," he muttered.

Without waiting, Georgia grabbed the chair behind him and nudged him into it. "Sit. Now."

He sat, stunned by the sudden shift in her demeanor—no longer panicked, no longer sarcastic. Just focused. Intense.

She snatched a wad of tissues and gently tilted his head forward. "Not back. Never back—unless you want blood in your throat." She pressed the tissue to his nose. "Blow. Slowly, gently. Just enough to clear it, not start a geyser."

Nick obeyed, a little too compliant for someone used to barking orders. Once he finished, Georgia pinched the soft part of his nose and grabbed the radio Evelyn had left her.

"Evelyn, I need ice—ASAP. The captain’s nose is bleeding!"

"[Copy that,]" came Evelyn’s calm voice over the radio.

Nick stayed frozen in place, letting Georgia pinch his nose like she’d done this a thousand times. But what he couldn’t ignore was the way her eyes flicked toward the wall clock—her brows drawn tight, lips pressed in concern.

She was... counting.

"Hey," Nick said, voice nasally but low. "It’s just a nosebleed. I’ve taken punches to the face harder than this."

"Shhh!" Georgia cut him off with a sharp glare. "I’m counting."

He raised a brow but said nothing more, obeying like a soldier taking orders. There was something oddly grounding about her fussing over him like this. Something warm and unfamiliar.

Nobody worried about him, not like this. The only people who genuinely cared about him were his mother and his little sister, which was expected since they are his family.

Other people’s concerns were fake; they only wanted something from him in return.

Georgia, still holding pressure on his nose, muttered, "If you faint on me, I swear to the gods I’ll throw you overboard and then jump in after you just to drag your heavy ass back, so we’re even."

Nick couldn’t help it—he chuckled, even with blood in his nose.

He liked this version of her.

Even if she was currently threatening him with murder and a rescue.

Evelyn arrived at the door carrying a bag of ice, followed closely by the ship’s designated medical officer, who is none other than Second Mate Sarah.

Georgia narrowed her eyes. ’Of course.’

As soon as Sarah laid eyes on Georgia tending to Nick, she moved in like a shadow, nudging her aside with a discreet but deliberate shove.

"Seriously?" Georgia snapped, stumbling back a step but not backing down. "Was that necessary? I’m trying to stop his bleeding, not kill him or flirt with him..."

Nick’s brow twitched, catching the tension between the two ladies.

Sarah ignored her completely. "How many minutes in?"

"Five," Georgia replied tightly, shooting her a look.

Sarah moved to take over, but Nick abruptly raised his hand, blocking her.

"I got it," he said curtly. "Just hand me the ice pack. It’s just a nosebleed. I’m not dying."

There was a pause as Sarah reluctantly passed the pack to him. "How did this happen, Captain?" she asked.

Georgia opened her mouth to explain, but Nick cut in smoothly, "I hit my head while picking something up. It’s nothing serious."

He threw Georgia a subtle look—a warning, almost. She read the message loud and clear: ’Don’t engage. Don’t explain.’

While Sarah busied herself transferring the ice into the pack, Georgia kept her distance, trying not to roll her eyes.

"Just... be careful next time, alright?" Sarah cooed, her voice sickly sweet. She reached out, her hand lifting toward his cheek.

Nick stood up sharply, stepping away before she could touch him.

"I’m fine," he said firmly. "You can all leave. I need to rest."

He turned to Georgia, voice dipping low. "You stay. I need to speak with you."

Sarah stiffened. "If Georgia’s staying, then I’ll stay too. Just to make sure you’re okay."

Nick’s expression turned to stone.

He faced her head-on, voice like frostbite. "Are you deaf, officer? Or are you deliberately testing my patience?"

The temperature in the room dropped. Even Evelyn froze.

"I was very clear during the briefing," Nick continued, each word razor-sharp. "No one is to speak with the rescuee unless it’s me, the Chief Officer, or the Chief Steward. That includes you. I also told you to leave. Or did you conveniently forget that, too?"

Sarah opened her mouth, but he didn’t let her speak.

"If you can’t follow the chain of command, you can pack your bags and disembark when we reach port."

A sharp silence settled.

Sarah flushed—her pride stung more than the words—and she finally spun on her heel and left, her steps echoing down the corridor.

Evelyn, sensing the tension, gave Georgia a quick wink and mouthed "Good luck" before quietly slipping out.

Georgia was stunned by Nick’s attitude at that moment. It was very different from how he interacted with her.

Once the door clicked shut, Georgia turned to Nick, still stunned. "That was... intense."

Nick exhaled, dropping the now-bloody tissue into the bin. "That was me being patient." His voice was back to being gentle.

Georgia blinked. "You’ve got a scary side, Captain."

He met her gaze, serious now. "You haven’t seen scary yet."