Resolutions
It's a bit of a bittersweet New Year's Eve on Indefatigable this year. We knew something was happening when we pulled into port and no one was given shoreleave. I was sent ashore for my Lieutenant's exam and the Captain went ashore to report to the admiralty. Horatio came with us, for no reason I could easily discern other than to keep me entertained and prevent me from throwing up from sheer nervous tension.
But when we all returned just past four bells in the afternoon watch the captain summoned all the officers to his quarters. He'd been uncharacteristically quiet in the shoreboat back to the Indie and didn't even ask me how my exam had gone. Though Horatio did. In great detail. Perhaps the captain felt no need to inquire since Horatio was doing such a thorough job for him.
At any rate, I was one of the first to be tested this morning (Horatio made damn sure I'd cleaned my uniform last night and was ready to go early this morning. Which was all to the good. I'd heard about his wait when he'd arrived late to the exams. Any extra time in that claustrophobic hallway would have been the end of my nerves, certain sure.)
At any rate (I keep circling around this point, but never making it) the Captain said that he had several announcements. The first was that he'd already received the results of my exam (Oh, I suppose that would explain why he hadn't asked how my exam had gone) and that I'd earned my commission. (Thank God. I don't know if I could ever face those Captains like that again. It felt way too much like being on trial
But when we all returned just past four bells in the afternoon watch the captain summoned all the officers to his quarters. He'd been uncharacteristically quiet in the shoreboat back to the Indie and didn't even ask me how my exam had gone. Though Horatio did. In great detail. Perhaps the captain felt no need to inquire since Horatio was doing such a thorough job for him.
At any rate, I was one of the first to be tested this morning (Horatio made damn sure I'd cleaned my uniform last night and was ready to go early this morning. Which was all to the good. I'd heard about his wait when he'd arrived late to the exams. Any extra time in that claustrophobic hallway would have been the end of my nerves, certain sure.)
At any rate (I keep circling around this point, but never making it) the Captain said that he had several announcements. The first was that he'd already received the results of my exam (Oh, I suppose that would explain why he hadn't asked how my exam had gone) and that I'd earned my commission. (Thank God. I don't know if I could ever face those Captains like that again. It felt way too much like being on trial