Fic: A Small Sliver of Comfort
(for esteven who can never get enough…)
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Patrick O'Brian, I'm just messing with them.
Word Count: 750
Rating: PG
'Ow!'
Stephen, coffee cup in hand and feet up on a nearby chair looked up from his encyclopaedia enquiringly. Jack was alternately shaking and sucking his finger and frowning. ‘What have you done now?’ he asked.
‘Nothing.’
‘Yes, it looks like it; let me see please.’ He got up and went over to his friend.
Jack put his hand behind his back out of reach and repeated anxiously, ‘It’s nothing Stephen, I just caught my finger on something; don’t concern yourself about it.’ Stephen gave him a cool, disbelieving look and reached around his back to grasp Jack’s hand and pull it free - with some difficulty.
Stephen squinted at the finger professionally for a moment. ‘You have a splinter there Jack, it will have to come out or it will fester in this heat, just hold it toward the light and I will be with you in moment.’ He felt in his pocket for his lancet, and Jack at once put his hand behind his back again.
‘I am sure it will be fine: more times than not these things come out of their own accord, just let it be.’ In vain did Jack try to adopt his best “I’m the Captain, my word is law” tone but Stephen was having none of it: with regard to illness and injury Physician trumped Captain every time.
‘Why is it that everyone on this ship thinks they are a better judge of medicine than me? Come Jack, give me your hand and stop being such a child about a little splinter, I have taken much worse out of you before now with less fuss.’ This was undeniably true, but that was done in the heat of battle or its immediate aftermath when Jack was generally unaware of it, and he hated to be cut in cold blood. But he also knew Stephen was implacable in these matters, so with the greatest reluctance and fearful of an unseemly scuffle; he brought forth his hand once more and shut his eyes. A tiny jet of exquisite pain as the lancet slit the skin, a sensation of increased pressure, almost immediately followed by its relief.
‘There, it is done.’
Jack opened his eyes and squinted at his finger: a small flow of blood marked the spot where Stephen had cut him. He looked at the doctor expectantly but Stephen was busy wrapping up his lancet in his handkerchief and stowing it within his pocket once more. ‘Is that it?’ he asked, a trifle petulantly, Stephen looked at him bemused.
‘Is that “what”? I am at a loss, the splinter is out, you are unlikely to get an infection now I think.’
‘I must say your bedside manner leaves something to be desired doctor: no tea, no sympathy, just a cool “it is done” and on we go. When I think of the hours and hours, weeks even I have spent at your side nursing you through various illnesses… ‘
Stephen sighed and rolled his eyes. Gently he grasped Jack’s hand again, inspected the minute wound carefully, dabbed away the trickle of blood and then raising the injured finger to his lips dropped a delicate kiss on the reddened skin. ‘There: all better now and you were very brave. Would you like a bandage for it, or will you manage as it is?’ He smiled at Jack mischievously over the rim of his glasses then added, ‘And you have never complained of my bedside manner before, I recall,’ as he took the finger wholly into his mouth and sucked it’s entire length, his tongue flicking at the more sensitive underside. He held Jack’s gaze for a moment before adding, ‘Now I come to observe you more closely, you seem a trifle flushed, a touch feverish. Perhaps you would be better in your cot for a while, should you like to lie down? Come, I insist, it is doctor’s orders, and I shall make a point of waiting on you personally - it will never do to have the ship’s captain ill. Your every need shall be attended to, relief will be instantly to hand.’
‘Oh, well, if you think it for the best…And certainly I have been troubled by an unaccountable stiffness, an aching you know? Perhaps you should take a look at it,’ ’ murmured Jack meekly, grinning to himself and undoing his neck cloth. It looked like it was going to be worth the trouble he had gone to in acquiring that splinter after all!
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Patrick O'Brian, I'm just messing with them.
Word Count: 750
Rating: PG
'Ow!'
Stephen, coffee cup in hand and feet up on a nearby chair looked up from his encyclopaedia enquiringly. Jack was alternately shaking and sucking his finger and frowning. ‘What have you done now?’ he asked.
‘Nothing.’
‘Yes, it looks like it; let me see please.’ He got up and went over to his friend.
Jack put his hand behind his back out of reach and repeated anxiously, ‘It’s nothing Stephen, I just caught my finger on something; don’t concern yourself about it.’ Stephen gave him a cool, disbelieving look and reached around his back to grasp Jack’s hand and pull it free - with some difficulty.
Stephen squinted at the finger professionally for a moment. ‘You have a splinter there Jack, it will have to come out or it will fester in this heat, just hold it toward the light and I will be with you in moment.’ He felt in his pocket for his lancet, and Jack at once put his hand behind his back again.
‘I am sure it will be fine: more times than not these things come out of their own accord, just let it be.’ In vain did Jack try to adopt his best “I’m the Captain, my word is law” tone but Stephen was having none of it: with regard to illness and injury Physician trumped Captain every time.
‘Why is it that everyone on this ship thinks they are a better judge of medicine than me? Come Jack, give me your hand and stop being such a child about a little splinter, I have taken much worse out of you before now with less fuss.’ This was undeniably true, but that was done in the heat of battle or its immediate aftermath when Jack was generally unaware of it, and he hated to be cut in cold blood. But he also knew Stephen was implacable in these matters, so with the greatest reluctance and fearful of an unseemly scuffle; he brought forth his hand once more and shut his eyes. A tiny jet of exquisite pain as the lancet slit the skin, a sensation of increased pressure, almost immediately followed by its relief.
‘There, it is done.’
Jack opened his eyes and squinted at his finger: a small flow of blood marked the spot where Stephen had cut him. He looked at the doctor expectantly but Stephen was busy wrapping up his lancet in his handkerchief and stowing it within his pocket once more. ‘Is that it?’ he asked, a trifle petulantly, Stephen looked at him bemused.
‘Is that “what”? I am at a loss, the splinter is out, you are unlikely to get an infection now I think.’
‘I must say your bedside manner leaves something to be desired doctor: no tea, no sympathy, just a cool “it is done” and on we go. When I think of the hours and hours, weeks even I have spent at your side nursing you through various illnesses… ‘
Stephen sighed and rolled his eyes. Gently he grasped Jack’s hand again, inspected the minute wound carefully, dabbed away the trickle of blood and then raising the injured finger to his lips dropped a delicate kiss on the reddened skin. ‘There: all better now and you were very brave. Would you like a bandage for it, or will you manage as it is?’ He smiled at Jack mischievously over the rim of his glasses then added, ‘And you have never complained of my bedside manner before, I recall,’ as he took the finger wholly into his mouth and sucked it’s entire length, his tongue flicking at the more sensitive underside. He held Jack’s gaze for a moment before adding, ‘Now I come to observe you more closely, you seem a trifle flushed, a touch feverish. Perhaps you would be better in your cot for a while, should you like to lie down? Come, I insist, it is doctor’s orders, and I shall make a point of waiting on you personally - it will never do to have the ship’s captain ill. Your every need shall be attended to, relief will be instantly to hand.’
‘Oh, well, if you think it for the best…And certainly I have been troubled by an unaccountable stiffness, an aching you know? Perhaps you should take a look at it,’ ’ murmured Jack meekly, grinning to himself and undoing his neck cloth. It looked like it was going to be worth the trouble he had gone to in acquiring that splinter after all!