I sat at my desk, my chin resting on steepled hands, trying to make sense of Janet and her predicament.

Hard knocks on the door startled her, and Janet hid her hands in her face.

Doctor Smythe and a nurse came in. I looked up at him.

"I don't think Janet is fully fit to work; she nearly passed out a little while ago."

The nurse knelt beside Janet and whispered so softly I could hardly hear the words.

"Janet, you know me; I looked after you before. My name is Ursula, and I need to check some things."

Janet mumbled something, hid her face again, then rose from her chair and ran back into my accommodation.

We followed her to the bathroom, where she knelt by the toilet and retched into the pan.

"Damn!" I thought

The doctor touched her forehead and told the nurse to fetch something, then took one of the tumblers above the basin, filled it from the tap, and pressed it to her lips.

"She's still malnourished and extremely dehydrated."

In my mind, I thought, not just for food and water.

The nurse returned, rubbed some alcohol on her upper arm, and quickly injected the contents of a syringe. Janet slumped against the pan within seconds. I helped the doctor pick her up; she seemed to weigh nothing. We then carried her to the bridge, where a wheelchair had been left waiting. We put her down gently, and the nurse strapped Janet in before covering her with a blanket.

We rolled the chair along the alleyway to where a service lift was waiting. Ten decks below, we emerged and continued to the ship's hospital.

Inside the room, they lifted her onto the bed, and I sat there, holding Janet's hand.

The medical team looked at us oddly. I smiled.

"I'm still hoping she will open up to me."

My phone vibrated in my pocket, notifying me about a message from the radio room. I moved to the doctor's office and phoned up.

"Captain, we have received a coastguard report of a missing person."

"Okay, zap it to me. I'm at the hospital."

Sitting at the doctor's computer, I logged in, read the message, printed a copy, and folded it in my pocket. I then decided to use the satellite phone to call the coastguard and tell them I thought the missing person was on my ship and unconscious.

I knew the senior coastguard officer and dialled his direct number.

"Hi, Stan, I know you are at sea, so it must be important if you are calling me now."

"Yes, Dan, it is. We have a young lady on board, who might be the missing person in the message your people sent earlier."

"I'm all ears."

"We have her in the ship's hospital, malnourished and dehydrated. She's on a drip but terrified of being abandoned and needs constant reassurance. The poor lass won't let go of me. Also, I think you need to go back and find whoever filed the initial report."

"Okay, Stan, I'll set that up."

"Fine, Dan. My extension is 1001. Add it to the ship's number when you dial."

I turned to the doctor.

"Right, Doc, I've got to get back to work. Your nurse must stay with her constantly. Keep me advised of any change in her condition."

My next job was the daily senior officer's meeting, and Janet instantly became the top item. Her sexual needs were not on the agenda, but there was no dissenting about her medical treatment. I told the staff captain to take over my other duties again so I could concentrate on poor Janet and all her woes.

Janet became my priority, and I spent all my time at the hospital, much of the time sitting at her bedside, holding her hand. Sometimes, I would go to the doctor's office and talk with him. Then I went back to sit with her again, talking to her when she was awake, wanting her to pull through and return to life.

._.

I lost track of time when I was in the hospital. The Captain gave me the strength to survive, but at times, letting the darkness take hold of me seemed the easy option.

The key event was one of the times when he bent over to kiss me before he left the room, and a crumpled sheet of paper fell out of his pocket.

When he was out of sight, I grabbed it, then saw my picture and the word MISSING.

As I looked at the message in shock, the monitors went into alarm. The doctor and nurse rushed into my room and saw the pain in my face.

"Captain! Come here, now."

He arrived immediately and saw the chaos.

I glanced at him, waving the sheet of paper.

"This is a mistake."

The captain looked confused.

"I received it from the coastguard, and I need to talk to my contact there to figure out what is going on."

He sat beside me, took my hand, and then whispered.

"I really am looking into it, sweetheart. All we want is for you to get better. No one will take you away from us."

"But, Captain, I am not missing. I was abandoned."

He leaned across me and wrapped his arms around me, cuddling me tightly.

"I think, Janet, you need to tell me your story. I must have it to keep you safe. I know you've been hiding it from me, but I also know you are a very frightened woman. Please, take me into your confidence."

It was a turning point, and it was clear that I had to tell him my story.

"Do you remember me saying that after I left the orphans' home, I worked as a waitress?"

"Yes, Janet, I do."

"A lot of them were temporary jobs, but after a while, I settled down at one particular place. It was the owner’s lifetime work, and he was a man proud of his achievements."

"The business was free of debt, and he was very happy about that, telling all the staff almost every day."

"Wilbur was his name, a true gentleman."

"For some reason, he liked me and gave me a lot of help. I ran the till, which needed someone he trusted."

"In time, I learnt Wilbur's wife had died in childbirth, and their daughter was stillborn.

He had a son, Hannibal, who was supposed to be his father's partner, but all he did was gamble his share of the profits and never did any work for the business. Hannibal lusted after me, but I was safe while his father was around."

"I think Wilbur looked at me as the daughter he had lost. He let me live in the attic above the restaurant, rent-free."

"Then Wilbur died, and his son took over. The restaurant went downhill, and the chef left. He tried to do the chef's job but was a hopeless failure."

"He started to paw me, breasts, buttocks, and once he put his hand on my front bottom. I stayed because of my attic room and free food. But then Hannibal said he was stopping my food, and he was going to take me away."

"I was terrified and left that night. I lived on the street until I found a cheap lodging house. Then I got the harbour crew job."

"But someone told me a man was looking for me and offering a reward for information. That's when I decided to be a stowaway.

._.

Later, I stood by her bed, whispering with Doctor Smythe.

"Have you had a reply from your coastguard friend?"

"Not yet; I will give him a call and see where they are."

I turned to face her, and she gave me a lovely smile that only lasted a few seconds before she grimaced in pain.

The doctor handed me a wet cloth.

"Wet her lips; I'll be right back."

The nurse, Ursula, came next with a bowl of ice cubes and another full of grapes.

"The doctor has been called to the main pool; someone has had a fall."

"Okay, thanks."

I turned to Janet and fed her a grape, pushing it gently between her lips. She grasped my finger and began to suck it vigorously. Fortunately, the nurse had already walked out.

Then, there was a vibration in my shirt pocket. A phone call from Dan. I let it go to voicemail, then typed a short message to say I would call back shortly.

Janet looked unsettled. I fed her another grape, and once more, she sucked on my finger. Ill and at death's door she may be, but her sexual appetite was undimmed.

"Now, Janet, that was my friend Dan. I will call him back and let you listen in to the call."

._.

My nerves were jangling, wondering what Dan would say. The captain was sure I was safe, and I felt reassured by his words. But any sense of absolute safety? I lost that when Wilbur died.

I watched in trepidation as the phone sent a series of musical tones representing Dan's number.

"Hi Dan, Stan here. I am with Janet; she can hear you on the speaker."

"Good morning, Stan. We checked out the person who filed the report. A guy by the name of Hannibal."

I screamed, interrupting the flow of words.

"It's him, oh God, please no, don't let him get me."

The captain put his arms around me, squeezed me in a tight hug, and kissed my cheek.

"Now, now, quieten Janet. You are safe here. We must listen to Dan."

I felt my fear easing, and I whispered my assent to him.

"Go on, Dan."

"We went to the restaurant; it's closed down. We searched his house, but there's no one there, so it is a dead end for now."

I realised I had some essential information and interrupted.

"Dan, he has a boat big enough to live on in the marina. He may be using it."

"Okay, Janet, I heard you. We will look there."

Dan and the captain agreed they had done all they could and said farewell.

He kissed my cheek and stood up, saying he needed to meet with his senior officers and update them on my progress.

._.

The morning after the phone call with Dan, I was back at the hospital, in Doctor Smythe's office.

"I think she's out of danger, sir."

"Excellent work, Doc. We'll have her back in the pilot's cabin tonight."

We left the office and walked into Janet's room.

"Well, Janet, you are looking a lot better."

"Yes, I am, and I realise I've found a new family on the ship."

"That makes me very happy. Now, Doc Smythe has to do some final checks, and when you are ready, Tony will come down and bring you back aloft, and you can be my maid again."

I left a happy Janet sitting on her bed.

Three hours later, I was at the conference table in my office with my senior officers. Once again, Janet dominated the agenda, but with good news this time.

The routine stuff was well underway, and I was nearly asleep as the cruise director droned on about some minor accounting problem when there was a knock on the open door to my sitting room.

I looked up to see Tony and Janet together.

"Come in, Janet, and meet the top team."

The group cheered and clapped, and a smile crossed Janet's face.

"I would like a refreshment, please, Captain, perhaps an ice cream."

"Of course, young lady."

I signalled to Tony, and he disappeared into my accommodation. After a few minutes, he reappeared, carrying a tray of sundaes. I chuckled.

"Damn you! I love a banana split."

After we had enjoyed our treat, the meeting broke up.

Janet gave everyone in the room a big hug and a kiss, and I took her to my dayroom.

There, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Don't worry about anything other than getting your strength back. Now, relax and forget all the stress of the last few days."

We went to my bedroom, where Janet lay on the bed. She looked at me tenderly.

"Come to me, Captain."

"No more, Captain, please, Janet. I am Stan in here."

I lay beside her and kissed her lips softly, then pushed my tongue into her mouth. Janet opened wide, and I felt the tip of her tongue touch mine. When I lifted off, she looked into my eyes.

"I've missed your touch so much, Stan. Undress me, please; I want you to take me now."

Piece by piece, I removed her clothing until she lay naked on the bed. Then I stood to take my clothes off. Shirtless, I looked down at her beautiful breasts, each one adorned with a large brown and very stiff nipple. My eyes wandered across her tummy, down to the dark thatch of pubic hair that marked the entrance to her sex.

My cock was rigid, and when I let my trousers drop, my underpants had a massive bulge in the material. Finally, I knelt on the edge of the bed, completely naked, with my cock standing erect against my flesh.

Janet reached across and grasped my shaft in her hand, then gently wanked it a few times. The pleasure of feeling my foreskin rubbing over my glans was incredible, and I leaned down to kiss her again, our tongues frantic with desire.

Then I started kissing her body, from her chin to her sternum, then each breast in turn, sucking on her nipples, using my lips and tongue to arouse the nerves beneath. Janet whimpered and moaned in pleasure.

My tongue shifted across her tummy, delving into her buttonhole before tracing a wet path down to her pubes.

I shifted around, kneeling between her legs.

"Lift your legs onto my shoulders."

She locked her legs around my head, and I touched her pubes with my nose. I rubbed her with it, then found her pussy lips and pressed my tongue inside. Her odour filled me with desire; I wanted Janet so much, but more than that, I wanted her needs satisfied.

I rubbed her buttocks with my hands and gave them a playful pat, which made her moan and jump in surprise.

"Oh, you're playing the jumper tonight."

"I don't like being swatted, but your pats are lovely."

I went back to licking her pussy and realised Janet was becoming wet. She whimpered and moaned almost continuously.

"Oh, yes, sir! Oh, yes, oh my God!"

My hands slid from her buttocks along her thighs, pulling them apart so I could get deeper into her pussy. I stared along Janet's body, across her thatch, her tummy creased where she was bent, her boobs rolled up towards her shoulders, and her pretty face contorted from the waves of pleasure emanating from my tonguing of her clit.

"Please, Stan, please. I want a sixty-nine, and your cock deep in my throat again."

I crawled around over her body, then lowered my loins over her face. Peering along the ever-narrowing space, I saw my cockhead slip into her mouth, feeling her lips and tongue playing together. Down and down, I pushed until Janet's lips pressed against my pubic bone. She didn't gag; how I did not know, but the feeling of her throat muscles gripping my cockhead was delicious, and my body shuddered in response.

But my duty was to her pussy and the knot of her clit inside. I lowered my face and grasped her thighs with my hands. My tongue found its way to her most sensitive spot, and I flicked across her clit's swollen glans.

Beneath me, her body convulsed as I hit the sweet spot time and time again. My hips were pumping up and down, my cock lifted up and then slammed down time and time again.

Janet came, her legs squeezing my head as she bucked below. I did not relent, enjoying the feeling of her struggling to cope with the extreme pleasures wracking her body. Orgasm after orgasm, her moans vibrating against my thick cock lodged in her throat.

I knew my time was coming too, so I lifted off, swung around, and planted my body between her legs, immediately pushing into her sopping wet cunt. There was little time remaining, and I pounded her vigorously. Janet whimpered and moaned beneath me, and when I erupted inside her, the moans became one continuous droning sound.

As my jerking body passed through its orgasmic spasms, there was one thing foremost in my mind: the words I needed to say to Janet.

"I love you, Janet, love you, love you."

Her reply was everything I could desire.

"I love you, Stan, the captain of my life."

We slept the whole night entwined as one. When we woke, Janet was in a buoyant mood, but her body was still weak. I borrowed the wheelchair again and rolled her through crew-only areas to the forecastle deck. I lifted her to her feet, and we stood on the little platform, looking out over the calm, blue sea. The only sound was the bow wave breaking below as the ship's stem parted the water. Janet gasped at the dozens of flying fish scuttling over the water for tens of metres.

"Oh, Stan, this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

"Look down again, Janet."

I pointed at the sea surface, where the dark blue shape of a dolphin was swimming alongside the bow. Suddenly, it accelerated ahead, its speed leaving the ship far behind.

"Oh, wow."

She turned to me, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me down for a deep, tongue-lashing kiss.

"Now, young lady, I have a ship to run and a second-in-command who needs a rest."

I sat her in the wheelchair again and kissed her forehead.

"Tony will be here soon to take you to breakfast. I'll see you later."

I left her there, the morning sun shining on her locks, a look of rapture on her pretty face.

Mid-morning, I returned to my accommodation and found Janet fast asleep on my bed, looking like a radiant angel.

She slept all day. In the evening, I sat on the bed and spooned her in my arms, kissing her neck and shoulders.

"Janet, babe, I love you."

Then she struggled and screamed.

"Get away, get away from me!"

I realised she was having a nightmare and held her tightly, whispering in her ear.

"Janet, it's me, Stan, your captain."

Suddenly, reality dawned, and she quieted, sobbing in my arms, with her clawed fingers wrapped tightly around my arms.

"You are safe, babe. No one can hurt you; I promise to keep you safe."

"But he hasn't been caught. He can find me anywhere and attack you, too."

"No, he has no way of getting to you on my ship. There are hundreds of crew to protect you, all at my command."

Then, there was a persistent knocking from my sitting room. I went out and found the bridge watchkeeper there.

"Captain, we've received a storm warning; a hurricane will cross our track tonight.

"Very good, two-oh. Follow my standing orders and set the ship up for heavy weather. Call the engine room as well; we might need to manoeuvre at short notice."

"Aye aye, Captain."

I went back to the bedroom and kissed Janet tenderly.

"I have a lot to do, love; we have to make the ship ready for a storm tonight. Don't worry, it will be fun!"

During the evening, we made love again. This time, Janet lay on top of me in a sixty-nine position. My head squeezed between her thighs while she sucked on my cock buried deep in her throat. Her head bobbed up and down, glug, glug, glug. The sound alone was enough to make me cum, and I knew I wanted to shoot straight into her throat.

My tongue flicked around her clit as she wriggled and pressed her sex against my face. Her juices covered me, running down the sides into my ears. Janet's body tensed, and then her two thighs pressed so hard I thought my skull would split. Her strength surprised me. When she rolled about, my body had to follow hers. I lost count of the number of orgasms; they seemed to be an unbroken, continuous line of pleasure.

Inevitably, her mouth and throat took me over the edge. I felt the sharp surge of semen racing along my shaft, and my hips bucked, forcing me deep inside her throat as my cum jetted out of my body and into hers.

I turned around and lay with her, kissing and tasting our bodies in the other's mouth.

Once more, I uttered those three beautiful words.

"I love you, Janet."

She repeated them back to me, and then she bolted into the bathroom, and I heard the lock turning.

Perplexed, I phoned the nurse and asked her to attend. When Ursula knocked on my door, I answered wearing my dressing gown. I explained what had happened, and then she asked me to stand back so she could talk to Janet alone.

Ursula knocked on the bathroom door and asked Janet to let her come in. I heard the lock turning, and she went inside.

In a minute, they came out and sat on the bed. Although they were quiet, I could hear most of what was said.

"Look, dear, you fucked each other, but now you are scared."

Janet nodded.

"Yes, I felt I had no control. He just did what he wanted, but I loved it."

Ursula chuckled and placed a hand on Janet's shoulder.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing you've told me that is wrong. You have found love with a caring man, and your family is all around you on the ship."

Standing by the door, I realised it would be an age before Janet had put her fears behind her. Then I sneezed, and Janet rushed to me, tears streaming down her face, stammering an apology for her panic attack. I held her tight, softly whispering sweet nothings in her ear, desperately wanting to protect her from her demons.

I smiled at Ursula and thanked her for her help and for coming so quickly. I guided Janet back to bed, covered her with the duvet, and kissed her forehead.

"I have to go to the bridge and make an announcement. I will come back to you later."

By the door, I paused and turned around to look at her soft curves visible beneath the duvet. Her eyes were closed, and the rise and fall of her chest showed she was already asleep. I flicked the light switch and turned my mind to the oncoming storm and my responsibility to five thousand souls.