Huzzah! I have returned! I wrote about the last half of this on the plane
from Heathrow back to San Francisco, LOL. I was inspired since one of our
in-flight movies for the ten hour flight was in fact Master and Commander.
My friend may have heard me huzzah all the way in the front of the plane,
lol. Anyway, here's the next part. Enjoy.
A Doctor
Stephen Maturin walked silently along the street towards the dock, having encountered an old friend the day earlier. As usual, he had rather misplaced time and never went back to the ship that night. The news his old friend had relayed to him had not been all necessarily good. But it was better to know now than to find out too late. Stephen's thoughts drifted to a name she had mentioned, a James Hunter. She said he should stay away from him, Hunter knows too much; or at least thinks he does.
The familiar sight of tall masts lay ahead. Stephen smiled slightly. There had been a piece by Mozart running through his head all morning and Stephen would dearly love to play music tonight. He wondered if Jack had gotten the new strings for his fiddle that he kept saying over and over again that he needed - or if Jack would be in a mind to play tonight. His thoughts were interrupted by hoof beats and someone shouting.
'Doctor! Doctor Maturin!'
'Mr Howard? What is it?' Stephen asked as the panting Marine brought his horse to a stop.
'You must come quickly sir, the Captain's been wounded,' Howard said quickly, gasping for breath.
'What! How did this happen?' Stephen exclaimed.
'There was a duel, sir,' Howard replied, 'Please, sir, you must come quickly.'
'A duel? Jack?' Stephen muttered as he pulled himself up behind Howard on the horse and they rode off, the horse not taking the road so fast as his new passenger felt uneasy. The horse returned on his rout back through the small coastal town, to a small inn.
'The local doctor wouldn't see to him, sir. Claimed it was an unfair match. Apparently the bastard, begging your pardon sir, Hunter said that the Captain shot first. But it wasn't true and Hunter's dead now,' Howard rambled on as they climbed the stairs to the room at the top. The marine opened the door, 'In here, sir.'
Stephen walked in slowly, seeing Jack's almost still figure on the bed in the middle of the room. 'Jack? My God, what have you done,' he said softly, making his way over. The wound was in a bad place. Stephen touched his own side, where he had received his own wound from dueling Canning, near the same spot. The doctor's eyes left the wound and went to Jack's pale face. His eyes were squeezed shut. Stephen laid a hand on Jack's brow and was slightly surprised when the blue eyes opened and looked up at him.
'Stephen?' Jack whispered.
'Yes, I'm here now. And you're lucky to be,' Stephen smiled slightly and then looked over to Howard who stood near the door. 'Mr Howard, if you would send for my instruments from the ship?'
'Of course, sir, right away,' Howard said quickly and went out the door.
Jack's hand twitched and he winced at the sudden pain. 'Stephen,' he whispered again, 'He called you a traitor - the bastard.'
Stephen blinked. He hadn't been told the details of the duel, only that it had happened. 'Jack, this...this was the reason? Are you positive it was really worth all of this,' the doctor said slowly.
'The man was asking for a fight,' Jack replied.
Sighing, Stephen lifted the bandage and examined the wound again. 'And you certainly gave him what he wanted,' he said after a moment, a bit frustrated and a little angry.
The awkward silence during Stephen's examination of the wound was interrupted by the entrance of Heneage Dundas. 'Thank God you've come Doctor,' Heneage said, looking quite relieved.
'I've sent Mr Howard back to the ship for my things, I should like to remove the bullet as soon as possible,' Stephen explained, laying the bandage back in its place and turning to look down at Jack, 'Pray, where you wearing your shirt at the time my dear?' Jack nodded. 'Then it is better that I remove the bullet soon before the cloth causes an infection.' He was silent for another moment. 'I do wish I could give you something for the pain now, brother,' Stephen said softly.
After a moment, Heneage apologized but he must return to his ship again. He also said that he would send someone, if not himself, into town occasionally to report back to him if they needed anything. With one last concerned smile, Heneage left. Stephen looked down again at Jack. In the short time since, the wounded captain had fallen into an uneasy sleep.
'One of these days Jack Aubrey...' Stephen started with a sigh, but never finished what he was about to say as his thoughts began to wander. The man was truly devoted to his friends, yet Stephen could not help but feel angry that Jack could be so foolish. Had he been there, of course Stephen would have challenged Hunter. Jack had fought in his stead, but it was foolish. He really should have known better. Stephen sighed; he would have done the same, why was he angry at Jack.
Once again the door was opening, interrupting the silence. This time it was Mr Howard, accompanied by Padeen and Higgins.
'Good,' Stephen said, standing up, 'Padeen, you may put those on the table here. Higgins, be so good as to open the curtains so that I might be able to see and then measure out a dose of laudanum.'
'Is there anything I might do, Doctor?' Howard asked.
'I dear another person may obstruct my view, but you can see that we are not disturbed until I am finished.'
To my dear reviewers:
ScifiRogue – yes, I'm rather fond of friendship stories myself. Glad you like it!
Li – Only Hunter would dare to speak ill of the good doctor and look what happened to him! But, good ol' Stephen comes to save the day, heehee.
Aileen Leonard – Yeah, my spelling is something to be desired, lol, my friend was proof reading this on the plane and had a conversation standing over the guy in the seat next to me, which was kind of funny. Anyway, glad you're enjoying it.
Misty Satin Dream – haha, I'm home now! And looky, I updated! Sorry for the long wait, I was visiting Nelson ;-). Hope you like this part.
Anna Maxwell – when my friend was proof reading this on the plane, she wrote "so Jack..." in a few places, lol. I can totally see Jack doing this too. pats Jack on the head again good boy.
La-Longa – the 9th book, goodness, you're much farther than I am. Haha, I'm still on Post Captain (but I did read HMS Surprise since the store didn't have Post Captain for the longest time). Anyway, thank you much, glad to see you like it.
Jevvica – does this count as a cliffhanger? Eep! Anyway, now that Stephen's there, everything will be all right, eh?
Huntress16 – I actually don't really know anything about dueling, LOL, other than watching the first Horatio Hornblower for clues. Oh thank you, it's always good to know that the characters are in-character, I always stress about that, lol. Hope you like this part!
Thanks reviewers, you really make writing this go a lot faster!
A Doctor
Stephen Maturin walked silently along the street towards the dock, having encountered an old friend the day earlier. As usual, he had rather misplaced time and never went back to the ship that night. The news his old friend had relayed to him had not been all necessarily good. But it was better to know now than to find out too late. Stephen's thoughts drifted to a name she had mentioned, a James Hunter. She said he should stay away from him, Hunter knows too much; or at least thinks he does.
The familiar sight of tall masts lay ahead. Stephen smiled slightly. There had been a piece by Mozart running through his head all morning and Stephen would dearly love to play music tonight. He wondered if Jack had gotten the new strings for his fiddle that he kept saying over and over again that he needed - or if Jack would be in a mind to play tonight. His thoughts were interrupted by hoof beats and someone shouting.
'Doctor! Doctor Maturin!'
'Mr Howard? What is it?' Stephen asked as the panting Marine brought his horse to a stop.
'You must come quickly sir, the Captain's been wounded,' Howard said quickly, gasping for breath.
'What! How did this happen?' Stephen exclaimed.
'There was a duel, sir,' Howard replied, 'Please, sir, you must come quickly.'
'A duel? Jack?' Stephen muttered as he pulled himself up behind Howard on the horse and they rode off, the horse not taking the road so fast as his new passenger felt uneasy. The horse returned on his rout back through the small coastal town, to a small inn.
'The local doctor wouldn't see to him, sir. Claimed it was an unfair match. Apparently the bastard, begging your pardon sir, Hunter said that the Captain shot first. But it wasn't true and Hunter's dead now,' Howard rambled on as they climbed the stairs to the room at the top. The marine opened the door, 'In here, sir.'
Stephen walked in slowly, seeing Jack's almost still figure on the bed in the middle of the room. 'Jack? My God, what have you done,' he said softly, making his way over. The wound was in a bad place. Stephen touched his own side, where he had received his own wound from dueling Canning, near the same spot. The doctor's eyes left the wound and went to Jack's pale face. His eyes were squeezed shut. Stephen laid a hand on Jack's brow and was slightly surprised when the blue eyes opened and looked up at him.
'Stephen?' Jack whispered.
'Yes, I'm here now. And you're lucky to be,' Stephen smiled slightly and then looked over to Howard who stood near the door. 'Mr Howard, if you would send for my instruments from the ship?'
'Of course, sir, right away,' Howard said quickly and went out the door.
Jack's hand twitched and he winced at the sudden pain. 'Stephen,' he whispered again, 'He called you a traitor - the bastard.'
Stephen blinked. He hadn't been told the details of the duel, only that it had happened. 'Jack, this...this was the reason? Are you positive it was really worth all of this,' the doctor said slowly.
'The man was asking for a fight,' Jack replied.
Sighing, Stephen lifted the bandage and examined the wound again. 'And you certainly gave him what he wanted,' he said after a moment, a bit frustrated and a little angry.
The awkward silence during Stephen's examination of the wound was interrupted by the entrance of Heneage Dundas. 'Thank God you've come Doctor,' Heneage said, looking quite relieved.
'I've sent Mr Howard back to the ship for my things, I should like to remove the bullet as soon as possible,' Stephen explained, laying the bandage back in its place and turning to look down at Jack, 'Pray, where you wearing your shirt at the time my dear?' Jack nodded. 'Then it is better that I remove the bullet soon before the cloth causes an infection.' He was silent for another moment. 'I do wish I could give you something for the pain now, brother,' Stephen said softly.
After a moment, Heneage apologized but he must return to his ship again. He also said that he would send someone, if not himself, into town occasionally to report back to him if they needed anything. With one last concerned smile, Heneage left. Stephen looked down again at Jack. In the short time since, the wounded captain had fallen into an uneasy sleep.
'One of these days Jack Aubrey...' Stephen started with a sigh, but never finished what he was about to say as his thoughts began to wander. The man was truly devoted to his friends, yet Stephen could not help but feel angry that Jack could be so foolish. Had he been there, of course Stephen would have challenged Hunter. Jack had fought in his stead, but it was foolish. He really should have known better. Stephen sighed; he would have done the same, why was he angry at Jack.
Once again the door was opening, interrupting the silence. This time it was Mr Howard, accompanied by Padeen and Higgins.
'Good,' Stephen said, standing up, 'Padeen, you may put those on the table here. Higgins, be so good as to open the curtains so that I might be able to see and then measure out a dose of laudanum.'
'Is there anything I might do, Doctor?' Howard asked.
'I dear another person may obstruct my view, but you can see that we are not disturbed until I am finished.'
To my dear reviewers:
ScifiRogue – yes, I'm rather fond of friendship stories myself. Glad you like it!
Li – Only Hunter would dare to speak ill of the good doctor and look what happened to him! But, good ol' Stephen comes to save the day, heehee.
Aileen Leonard – Yeah, my spelling is something to be desired, lol, my friend was proof reading this on the plane and had a conversation standing over the guy in the seat next to me, which was kind of funny. Anyway, glad you're enjoying it.
Misty Satin Dream – haha, I'm home now! And looky, I updated! Sorry for the long wait, I was visiting Nelson ;-). Hope you like this part.
Anna Maxwell – when my friend was proof reading this on the plane, she wrote "so Jack..." in a few places, lol. I can totally see Jack doing this too. pats Jack on the head again good boy.
La-Longa – the 9th book, goodness, you're much farther than I am. Haha, I'm still on Post Captain (but I did read HMS Surprise since the store didn't have Post Captain for the longest time). Anyway, thank you much, glad to see you like it.
Jevvica – does this count as a cliffhanger? Eep! Anyway, now that Stephen's there, everything will be all right, eh?
Huntress16 – I actually don't really know anything about dueling, LOL, other than watching the first Horatio Hornblower for clues. Oh thank you, it's always good to know that the characters are in-character, I always stress about that, lol. Hope you like this part!
Thanks reviewers, you really make writing this go a lot faster!