Aberdeen Affair
"Oil rig nurse Nneka treats roughnecks offshore—but the thick Ugandan engineer who transfers to her platform needs treatment for something that medication can't cure."
The North Sea was no place for feelings.
Cold. Isolated. Professional distance mandatory.
Then Nakato arrived—thick curves impossible to hide even in safety gear, eyes that found Nneka across every crowded mess hall.
"I get headaches," she claimed. "Need the nurse."
The headaches were suspiciously frequent.
"You don't have headaches," Nneka said during the fifth visit.
"No."
"Then why keep coming?"
"Because you're the only beautiful thing on this platform."
The medical bay was private.
Offshore, rules bent with the ocean.
"This could get us both fired," Nneka whispered.
"Transferred," Nakato corrected. "There's a difference."
"Is it worth it?"
"You tell me."
Two weeks on, two weeks off.
They made the most of every rotation together.
The crew noticed their friendship. Nothing more.
"Good for morale," supervisors said.
They didn't know how good.
Aberdeen's shore leave became their time.
Thick bodies finding warmth after cold seas.
"Best posting I've ever had," Nakato said.
"Best patient I've ever treated," Nneka agreed.
The North Sea kept secrets well.
Theirs was just another, buried under waves.