[he followed her, feeling cruddy but not ignorant of how sad and tense she still seemed. He wanted to just pamper her and cheer her up...but that'd be hard to do while he felt so dry that a mere stretch might crack his skin enough to bleed]

[he followed her down to the galley, looking in the barrel...sure enough, it had seawater in it. This would have to do until they sailed to clean waters.]

Thanks Faye... Don't worry, in going to make my absence up to you. [he wiped at her still-moist cheek gently]

[As cruddy as he felt, he still managed to lift the barrel and take it up into the deck. He was moving it because he intended to dump it in himself and didn't want to make a mess in the galley]