Windfalls, Chapter Twelve
As promised, I'm putting up an extra chapter so I don't leave my readers in suspense.
TITLE: Windfalls, Ch. 12
RATING: PG to be on the safe side.
WORD COUNT: 2,746.
PAIRING, IF ANY: Eventual Horatio Hornblower/Captain Amelia
SPOILER WARNING: A brief mention of Retribution.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here.
SUMMARY/NOTES: Archie fights for life. The captains keep vigil.
“Well, Doctor?” Hornblower demanded as the doctor pushed open the curtain. Beside him, Drake, her arm bandaged, stood stiff as a board, waiting for an answer. The doctor looked pensive. “He’s still alive, but he’s lost a fair amount of blood. We’ll have to see his condition tomorrow before I can say anything one way or another.”
“What happened?” Drake said curtly.
“He was stabbed once in the shoulder and once in the side,” the doctor said, indicating the position of Archie’s wounds, “Not a surprise, really, considering his condition.”
“Condition?” Drake’s voice was sharp, “What condition?”
The doctor looked at her, puzzled. “You mean you didn’t know? I assumed he’d informed you!”
The look on Drake’s face made Hornblower clear his throat. “If you please, Doctor, I would like to be informed of this condition for myself.”
“As I was bandaging Mr. Kennedy’s shoulder, I listened to his breathing. Even though he was asleep, his breaths were shallow and a bit irregular, in a way that had nothing to do with his injuries. It seems to me that he has some condition that hampers his breathing. An old injury, perhaps?”
Hornblower remembered, almost against his will, the moment all those years ago when he tore open Archie’s coat and was confronted with the gaping wound in his chest. “Yes,” he said, “He was shot near the lungs. He’d told me the bullet only grazed it.”
“Be that as it may, it did him some harm. It might not matter so much in day-to-day matters, but when he over-exerts himself-such as running around in the heat of battle-it makes it harder to draw breath. I imagine that being stabbed in the shoulder would make it even harder to get air into the lungs. As such, it left him open for another attack.”
Hornblower looked back at Drake. The look of horror on her face made his heart turn over. “Thank you, Doctor,” she said quietly, “I’ll let you tend to your other patients, but I’ll be back to look in on my officer.” She turned on her heel and strode out of the infirmary, hands curled into fists behind her back. Hornblower dismissed the man and hurried after her.
He found her up on deck, hands flat against the railing, head hanging. “Captain Drake?” he asked softly. Up close, he could see that she was trying to prevent herself from shaking, but the tremors in her arms gave her away. “I didn’t know, Hornblower,” she said softly, “He didn’t tell me.”
“Maybe he didn’t know himself,” Hornblower said awkwardly, “Or maybe he didn’t think it would matter.”
“Not matter?” Drake said with a short laugh, “We board the ships we intend to take. Surely he’d have realized that he’d be running into places where he’d be ‘over-exerting himself’. I should have known, I should have seen…”
“It…it’s not your fault.”
“It is a captain’s duty to know everything important that goes on in his ship,” Drake said in a near monotone, “And I failed that. He’s my first lieutenant! I dine with him regularly! How did I not see…?” she shook her head. “I sent him over to help you. ‘Kennedy! Go and lend your old friend a hand!’ I said. I should have left him on the Legacy. Why risk the two senior officers?”
Hornblower reached his hand out, then hesitated, unsure if she would throw off the touch or not. Drake was silent for a moment. Then she said, her voice even but strained, “I must return to the Legacy to look in on my men and assess the damage. When I’m finished, I will return here to monitor Kennedy’s condition. That is, if you’ll allow it.”
“Of course,” Hornblower answered quickly, “I could have a meal prepared for you, if you wish.”
“I’ll have something in my cabin, thank you,” she said, straightening up, “And Hornblower, choose the men you wish to send to the Vacarme. Pick a good man to captain it; she looks like a bit of a handful.”
“But Captain Drake, it’s your turn to captain a prize.” Hornblower was nonplussed, “And besides, you were the one who captured it.”
“I know.” she said, looking at him for the first time. Her expression was similar to the one he had seen in his cabin during that unfortunate dinner, and Hornblower took an involuntary step back. Drake continued, “But it would be better for your men to command it. Even though no one will hold it against you that you were surprised in the fog, it will still look better in the Admiralty reports if you are the one who brings the ship in. I doubt there will be an inquiry, but we must take every precaution.”
Hornblower started; in the midst of Archie’s predicament, he had forgotten all about that side of things. “I…yes. You’re right. Thank you. I…”
Drake turned away. “I’ll be back later this evening. Send a boat or a signal if there’s a change in Kennedy’s condition.”
With that, she returned to the side of the ship and hopped across to the Vacarme, which was still attached to the Sutherland. Hornblower watched her go, realizing that the anxiety he felt wasn’t just for Archie.
***
True to her word, Drake came back just as night fell. By then, the Vacarme had been disentangled and sent to England, Hornblower had received a report of the damages, and the dead had been buried. Archie, mercifully, was not among them. Hornblower had looked in on him occasionally, but there hadn’t been much of a change. He told Drake as much when she came aboard, and she nodded. “That’s some good news, I suppose,” she said, following him to the infirmary, “but we won’t know for sure until the wee hours of the morning.”
“I will be happy to signal you if…”
“No need,” Drake said, pushing aside the curtain and taking a seat next to Archie, “I already gave orders to Yarrow, my second lieutenant. He has the ship tonight. I’m staying here.”
Hornblower knew that he couldn’t dissuade her otherwise. He merely nodded. “I’ll look in when I can.”
When he turned, he saw Drake reach into the small box she’d brought along. He’d assumed it was paperwork for writing her report. But when he saw her take out her small wooden ball, he found he wasn’t all that surprised. As he left the infirmary, Drake tucked the ball into the crook of Archie’s elbow.
As much as he wanted to follow Drake’s example, Hornblower had a ship to run. He wrote his own report, took a light supper, and oversaw the repairs to the main topsail. Then it was time for him to retire. He looked into the infirmary before doing so. Drake was still there, sitting by Archie’s hammock, her hand on his chest to monitor his heartbeat. She looked up when Hornblower pushed aside the curtain, and shook her head; no change. He nodded and pulled the curtain closed once more.
Hornblower didn’t remember falling asleep, his mind full of memories of both Archie and Drake. But he suddenly bolted awake at a rapid pounding on his door. “Come in!” he barked, feeling dread wash over him. No one would be knocking on his door when it was still dark out, unless an enemy had been sighted, or…
One of the powder boys stuck his head in the door. “Beggin’ your pardon, Captain, but I was told by Captain Drake to send for you as quickly as possible. Mr. Kennedy’s in a bad way.”
“What sort of bad way?” Hornblower said, leaping out of bed and looking around for his clothes.
“She says he’s still alive,” the boy said, “But he’s…covelsing?”
Hornblower froze. Swallowing, he nodded to the boy. “Thank you. I’ll be along at once.”
He arrived at the infirmary with his jacket mis-buttoned and his belt unfastened, but couldn’t find it within himself to care. Drake was on her feet, holding Archie down by the shoulders. “Damn it, Archie! You’re better than this! Fight it!”
Archie was shaking violently, so violently that he might have toppled out of his hammock if Drake hadn’t been pinning him. Hornblower came forward. “One of his fits,” he said softly, “I should have guessed it might happen.”
Drake swallowed. “He told me about them, at least. He said he hadn’t had one in a long time, but that he was more prone to them in times of great stress. I guess I thought…since he was asleep…that he wouldn’t…”
Hornblower touched her back lightly. “Things like these can be unpredictable. It’s not your fault.”
“Oh God!” Drake cried, looking down at Archie again. Hornblower saw it too; the small pool of blood that was blossoming across the bandages on Archie’s shoulder. “He’s opened his stitches,” Drake said, sitting down and putting both hands on top of the wound, “But we won’t be able to get them re-sewn until he calms down.”
Hornblower came to the other side of the hammock and placed a hand on Archie’s shoulder to keep him in place. With his other hand, he pulled up Archie’s shirt. The stitches on his side seemed to be holding, at least. Hornblower looked over at Drake, who was pressing down on the wound with all her might, watching Archie’s face intently. Hornblower reached over and put his hand on top of hers, adding his weight. She glanced at him, then nodded her understanding. Then she slid one of her hands out and lay it on top of his, fingers curling lightly around it. Hornblower didn’t say anything, but he gave her a small smile. Then the two of them turned their attention to Archie.
“Come on, Archie,” Drake murmured, “lay your demons to rest. They can’t hurt you here.”
Hornblower brushed the hair out of Archie’s face. “It’s all right, Archie. Just try to breathe.”
How long they stayed like that, Hornblower didn’t know. All he knew was Archie finally gasped and went limp, his shaking stilled. Horatio put a hand to his chest; the beat was far too frantic for his liking, but it was beating. He nodded to Drake, who exhaled audibly. Hornblower straightened up, moving on stiff legs, and called for the doctor.
The doctor nodded his approval when he removed the bandages. “It could have been much worse,” he said, picking up a needle, “But you stopped the flow before he lost much more.”
Drake looked at her hand, which had been soaked crimson, and made a derisive noise. The doctor urged her to dip her hands in the basin he had set next to Archie, then looked up at Hornblower. “We’ll have to see, of course, but he’s survived the night. There’s a good chance he’ll wake up. But both of you have been here long enough. Leave me to my work and I’ll call you if there’s any change.”
Drake visibly swayed when she stood up, and Hornblower knew that her energy was completely drained. Her pace was still steady as she left the infirmary, but she was in desperate need of rest. “Captain Drake,” Hornblower said when they reached the deck, “Archie’s in good hands. You should look to yourself.”
“Yes…” Drake said, shaking her head to clear it, “Of course. I’ll call my boat.”
Hornblower held out a hand. “Why make it harder on yourself? I offer you the use of my cabin. You can sleep there for a few hours while we wait for the doctor’s report.”
She seemed surprised. “Very kind of you, Hornblower, but I disturbed your rest. Surely you could use some sleep yourself?”
“I managed a few hours,” he said, “I’ll be fine. Besides, I have to look over the repairs to my ship. Please, Captain, as a favor?”
She thought for a moment, then gave him a slight smile. “All right, Captain, if you insist.”
He led her to his cabin and opened the door for her. “Oh, stop it, Hornblower,” she said with a bit of her old verve, “I’m tired, not incapacitated. I can open my own doors.” To prove her point, she pushed the door closed behind her. Hornblower couldn’t help but smile. Then he went down to the galley to inform Polwheal that Captain Drake would be sleeping in his cabin and to serve breakfast on the quarterdeck this morning.
Bush had done an admirable job at the repairs. It had been almost twenty-four hours since the Vacarme attacked, and you could barely see the damage she had caused. He gave Bush his sincerest compliments. “Thank you, sir,” Bush said, touching his hat, before looking around and lowering his voice. “If I may, sir…how is Mr. Kennedy?”
“Stable,” Hornblower said, “But it’s still too soon to tell.” Bush nodded and didn’t ask more.
As was to be expected, the morning was foggy. Hornblower cursed and pulled out his watch to check the time. When he saw the silver gleaming dully in his hand, he swallowed and put it back without consulting the time. Clearing his throat, he did another examination of the ship.
An hour later, he carefully pushed open the door to his cabin; he needed to fetch his spyglass. Drake had thrown her jacket over the nearest chair, and her boots were sprawled on the floor. She was lying on her side in the bed, one hand dangling over the edge. Hornblower paused and looked at her. She looked at peace, a little smile on her lips. Hornblower’s heart softened a little at the sight. Resisting the urge to touch her hair, he grabbed his spyglass and left her to her sleep.
The watch had just rung ten bells when the doctor appeared on deck. Hornblower felt himself visibly relax when he saw the man smiling. The doctor’s first words confirmed things; “He just opened his eyes. Wants to know where he is. I think you should tell him.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Hornblower said, hands clasped firmly behind his back to stop them from shaking, “I will.”
Archie’s face was far too pale, and he was lying prone rather than sitting up, but he gave Hornblower the old smile when he entered. “Captain Hornblower! This is a surprise! Has word gotten round about my injury so quickly?”
“You’re still on the Sutherland, Archie,” Hornblower said, taking a seat, “It was too risky to try to move you, after you fell unconscious from your lung injury.”
Archie had the decency to look chagrined. “Oh, bugger. You know.”
“Why didn’t you say something, Archie? Rushing into things like this was the height of foolishness!”
“It’s never been this bad before,” Archie said, “Truly. I didn’t expect the fighting to be quite so brutal.” Something must have occurred to him, because he looked up at Hornblower guiltily. “Captain Drake…?”
“She knows too.”
Archie cursed again. “She’ll be shouting at me for an hour when she gets me back to the Legacy.”
“She’s been worried for you, Archie. She didn’t leave your side all night.”
“Really?” Archie blinked at that, “Well then. Where is she?”
“She was exhausted. I lent her my cabin.” Archie laughed a little. “What, pray, is so funny?”
“Nothing, nothing. If she’s awake, do you think you could coax her my way? Maybe I can get her to expend some of her anger.”
“I’ll see,” Hornblower said, standing up, “And Archie? I know it’s beyond your control, but thank you for waking up.”
Archie touched his forehead. “It’s the least I can do.”
Hornblower hurried to his cabin and tapped on the door. “Captain Drake? Are you up?”
“Come in, Hornblower. This is your cabin, after all.”
Hornblower pushed the door open and saw Drake buttoning up her coat. “Thank you for the use of your bed,” she said, “It was only three or four hours, but I can live on that. How’s Archie?” she continued, a slight edge to her voice.
“He’s awake,” Hornblower said, unable to stop himself from smiling, “The doctor says he’s going to be all right.”
Drake looked at him, a bright gleam slowly coming into her eyes. “Alive,” she said, “Oh, thank God.”
Hornblower placed a hand on her shoulder. “You can see him, if you wish. He was asking about…”
He never got the chance to finish his sentence, because Drake suddenly stepped forward, placed a hand on his cheek, and kissed him full on the mouth.
TITLE: Windfalls, Ch. 12
RATING: PG to be on the safe side.
WORD COUNT: 2,746.
PAIRING, IF ANY: Eventual Horatio Hornblower/Captain Amelia
SPOILER WARNING: A brief mention of Retribution.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here.
SUMMARY/NOTES: Archie fights for life. The captains keep vigil.
“Well, Doctor?” Hornblower demanded as the doctor pushed open the curtain. Beside him, Drake, her arm bandaged, stood stiff as a board, waiting for an answer. The doctor looked pensive. “He’s still alive, but he’s lost a fair amount of blood. We’ll have to see his condition tomorrow before I can say anything one way or another.”
“What happened?” Drake said curtly.
“He was stabbed once in the shoulder and once in the side,” the doctor said, indicating the position of Archie’s wounds, “Not a surprise, really, considering his condition.”
“Condition?” Drake’s voice was sharp, “What condition?”
The doctor looked at her, puzzled. “You mean you didn’t know? I assumed he’d informed you!”
The look on Drake’s face made Hornblower clear his throat. “If you please, Doctor, I would like to be informed of this condition for myself.”
“As I was bandaging Mr. Kennedy’s shoulder, I listened to his breathing. Even though he was asleep, his breaths were shallow and a bit irregular, in a way that had nothing to do with his injuries. It seems to me that he has some condition that hampers his breathing. An old injury, perhaps?”
Hornblower remembered, almost against his will, the moment all those years ago when he tore open Archie’s coat and was confronted with the gaping wound in his chest. “Yes,” he said, “He was shot near the lungs. He’d told me the bullet only grazed it.”
“Be that as it may, it did him some harm. It might not matter so much in day-to-day matters, but when he over-exerts himself-such as running around in the heat of battle-it makes it harder to draw breath. I imagine that being stabbed in the shoulder would make it even harder to get air into the lungs. As such, it left him open for another attack.”
Hornblower looked back at Drake. The look of horror on her face made his heart turn over. “Thank you, Doctor,” she said quietly, “I’ll let you tend to your other patients, but I’ll be back to look in on my officer.” She turned on her heel and strode out of the infirmary, hands curled into fists behind her back. Hornblower dismissed the man and hurried after her.
He found her up on deck, hands flat against the railing, head hanging. “Captain Drake?” he asked softly. Up close, he could see that she was trying to prevent herself from shaking, but the tremors in her arms gave her away. “I didn’t know, Hornblower,” she said softly, “He didn’t tell me.”
“Maybe he didn’t know himself,” Hornblower said awkwardly, “Or maybe he didn’t think it would matter.”
“Not matter?” Drake said with a short laugh, “We board the ships we intend to take. Surely he’d have realized that he’d be running into places where he’d be ‘over-exerting himself’. I should have known, I should have seen…”
“It…it’s not your fault.”
“It is a captain’s duty to know everything important that goes on in his ship,” Drake said in a near monotone, “And I failed that. He’s my first lieutenant! I dine with him regularly! How did I not see…?” she shook her head. “I sent him over to help you. ‘Kennedy! Go and lend your old friend a hand!’ I said. I should have left him on the Legacy. Why risk the two senior officers?”
Hornblower reached his hand out, then hesitated, unsure if she would throw off the touch or not. Drake was silent for a moment. Then she said, her voice even but strained, “I must return to the Legacy to look in on my men and assess the damage. When I’m finished, I will return here to monitor Kennedy’s condition. That is, if you’ll allow it.”
“Of course,” Hornblower answered quickly, “I could have a meal prepared for you, if you wish.”
“I’ll have something in my cabin, thank you,” she said, straightening up, “And Hornblower, choose the men you wish to send to the Vacarme. Pick a good man to captain it; she looks like a bit of a handful.”
“But Captain Drake, it’s your turn to captain a prize.” Hornblower was nonplussed, “And besides, you were the one who captured it.”
“I know.” she said, looking at him for the first time. Her expression was similar to the one he had seen in his cabin during that unfortunate dinner, and Hornblower took an involuntary step back. Drake continued, “But it would be better for your men to command it. Even though no one will hold it against you that you were surprised in the fog, it will still look better in the Admiralty reports if you are the one who brings the ship in. I doubt there will be an inquiry, but we must take every precaution.”
Hornblower started; in the midst of Archie’s predicament, he had forgotten all about that side of things. “I…yes. You’re right. Thank you. I…”
Drake turned away. “I’ll be back later this evening. Send a boat or a signal if there’s a change in Kennedy’s condition.”
With that, she returned to the side of the ship and hopped across to the Vacarme, which was still attached to the Sutherland. Hornblower watched her go, realizing that the anxiety he felt wasn’t just for Archie.
***
True to her word, Drake came back just as night fell. By then, the Vacarme had been disentangled and sent to England, Hornblower had received a report of the damages, and the dead had been buried. Archie, mercifully, was not among them. Hornblower had looked in on him occasionally, but there hadn’t been much of a change. He told Drake as much when she came aboard, and she nodded. “That’s some good news, I suppose,” she said, following him to the infirmary, “but we won’t know for sure until the wee hours of the morning.”
“I will be happy to signal you if…”
“No need,” Drake said, pushing aside the curtain and taking a seat next to Archie, “I already gave orders to Yarrow, my second lieutenant. He has the ship tonight. I’m staying here.”
Hornblower knew that he couldn’t dissuade her otherwise. He merely nodded. “I’ll look in when I can.”
When he turned, he saw Drake reach into the small box she’d brought along. He’d assumed it was paperwork for writing her report. But when he saw her take out her small wooden ball, he found he wasn’t all that surprised. As he left the infirmary, Drake tucked the ball into the crook of Archie’s elbow.
As much as he wanted to follow Drake’s example, Hornblower had a ship to run. He wrote his own report, took a light supper, and oversaw the repairs to the main topsail. Then it was time for him to retire. He looked into the infirmary before doing so. Drake was still there, sitting by Archie’s hammock, her hand on his chest to monitor his heartbeat. She looked up when Hornblower pushed aside the curtain, and shook her head; no change. He nodded and pulled the curtain closed once more.
Hornblower didn’t remember falling asleep, his mind full of memories of both Archie and Drake. But he suddenly bolted awake at a rapid pounding on his door. “Come in!” he barked, feeling dread wash over him. No one would be knocking on his door when it was still dark out, unless an enemy had been sighted, or…
One of the powder boys stuck his head in the door. “Beggin’ your pardon, Captain, but I was told by Captain Drake to send for you as quickly as possible. Mr. Kennedy’s in a bad way.”
“What sort of bad way?” Hornblower said, leaping out of bed and looking around for his clothes.
“She says he’s still alive,” the boy said, “But he’s…covelsing?”
Hornblower froze. Swallowing, he nodded to the boy. “Thank you. I’ll be along at once.”
He arrived at the infirmary with his jacket mis-buttoned and his belt unfastened, but couldn’t find it within himself to care. Drake was on her feet, holding Archie down by the shoulders. “Damn it, Archie! You’re better than this! Fight it!”
Archie was shaking violently, so violently that he might have toppled out of his hammock if Drake hadn’t been pinning him. Hornblower came forward. “One of his fits,” he said softly, “I should have guessed it might happen.”
Drake swallowed. “He told me about them, at least. He said he hadn’t had one in a long time, but that he was more prone to them in times of great stress. I guess I thought…since he was asleep…that he wouldn’t…”
Hornblower touched her back lightly. “Things like these can be unpredictable. It’s not your fault.”
“Oh God!” Drake cried, looking down at Archie again. Hornblower saw it too; the small pool of blood that was blossoming across the bandages on Archie’s shoulder. “He’s opened his stitches,” Drake said, sitting down and putting both hands on top of the wound, “But we won’t be able to get them re-sewn until he calms down.”
Hornblower came to the other side of the hammock and placed a hand on Archie’s shoulder to keep him in place. With his other hand, he pulled up Archie’s shirt. The stitches on his side seemed to be holding, at least. Hornblower looked over at Drake, who was pressing down on the wound with all her might, watching Archie’s face intently. Hornblower reached over and put his hand on top of hers, adding his weight. She glanced at him, then nodded her understanding. Then she slid one of her hands out and lay it on top of his, fingers curling lightly around it. Hornblower didn’t say anything, but he gave her a small smile. Then the two of them turned their attention to Archie.
“Come on, Archie,” Drake murmured, “lay your demons to rest. They can’t hurt you here.”
Hornblower brushed the hair out of Archie’s face. “It’s all right, Archie. Just try to breathe.”
How long they stayed like that, Hornblower didn’t know. All he knew was Archie finally gasped and went limp, his shaking stilled. Horatio put a hand to his chest; the beat was far too frantic for his liking, but it was beating. He nodded to Drake, who exhaled audibly. Hornblower straightened up, moving on stiff legs, and called for the doctor.
The doctor nodded his approval when he removed the bandages. “It could have been much worse,” he said, picking up a needle, “But you stopped the flow before he lost much more.”
Drake looked at her hand, which had been soaked crimson, and made a derisive noise. The doctor urged her to dip her hands in the basin he had set next to Archie, then looked up at Hornblower. “We’ll have to see, of course, but he’s survived the night. There’s a good chance he’ll wake up. But both of you have been here long enough. Leave me to my work and I’ll call you if there’s any change.”
Drake visibly swayed when she stood up, and Hornblower knew that her energy was completely drained. Her pace was still steady as she left the infirmary, but she was in desperate need of rest. “Captain Drake,” Hornblower said when they reached the deck, “Archie’s in good hands. You should look to yourself.”
“Yes…” Drake said, shaking her head to clear it, “Of course. I’ll call my boat.”
Hornblower held out a hand. “Why make it harder on yourself? I offer you the use of my cabin. You can sleep there for a few hours while we wait for the doctor’s report.”
She seemed surprised. “Very kind of you, Hornblower, but I disturbed your rest. Surely you could use some sleep yourself?”
“I managed a few hours,” he said, “I’ll be fine. Besides, I have to look over the repairs to my ship. Please, Captain, as a favor?”
She thought for a moment, then gave him a slight smile. “All right, Captain, if you insist.”
He led her to his cabin and opened the door for her. “Oh, stop it, Hornblower,” she said with a bit of her old verve, “I’m tired, not incapacitated. I can open my own doors.” To prove her point, she pushed the door closed behind her. Hornblower couldn’t help but smile. Then he went down to the galley to inform Polwheal that Captain Drake would be sleeping in his cabin and to serve breakfast on the quarterdeck this morning.
Bush had done an admirable job at the repairs. It had been almost twenty-four hours since the Vacarme attacked, and you could barely see the damage she had caused. He gave Bush his sincerest compliments. “Thank you, sir,” Bush said, touching his hat, before looking around and lowering his voice. “If I may, sir…how is Mr. Kennedy?”
“Stable,” Hornblower said, “But it’s still too soon to tell.” Bush nodded and didn’t ask more.
As was to be expected, the morning was foggy. Hornblower cursed and pulled out his watch to check the time. When he saw the silver gleaming dully in his hand, he swallowed and put it back without consulting the time. Clearing his throat, he did another examination of the ship.
An hour later, he carefully pushed open the door to his cabin; he needed to fetch his spyglass. Drake had thrown her jacket over the nearest chair, and her boots were sprawled on the floor. She was lying on her side in the bed, one hand dangling over the edge. Hornblower paused and looked at her. She looked at peace, a little smile on her lips. Hornblower’s heart softened a little at the sight. Resisting the urge to touch her hair, he grabbed his spyglass and left her to her sleep.
The watch had just rung ten bells when the doctor appeared on deck. Hornblower felt himself visibly relax when he saw the man smiling. The doctor’s first words confirmed things; “He just opened his eyes. Wants to know where he is. I think you should tell him.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Hornblower said, hands clasped firmly behind his back to stop them from shaking, “I will.”
Archie’s face was far too pale, and he was lying prone rather than sitting up, but he gave Hornblower the old smile when he entered. “Captain Hornblower! This is a surprise! Has word gotten round about my injury so quickly?”
“You’re still on the Sutherland, Archie,” Hornblower said, taking a seat, “It was too risky to try to move you, after you fell unconscious from your lung injury.”
Archie had the decency to look chagrined. “Oh, bugger. You know.”
“Why didn’t you say something, Archie? Rushing into things like this was the height of foolishness!”
“It’s never been this bad before,” Archie said, “Truly. I didn’t expect the fighting to be quite so brutal.” Something must have occurred to him, because he looked up at Hornblower guiltily. “Captain Drake…?”
“She knows too.”
Archie cursed again. “She’ll be shouting at me for an hour when she gets me back to the Legacy.”
“She’s been worried for you, Archie. She didn’t leave your side all night.”
“Really?” Archie blinked at that, “Well then. Where is she?”
“She was exhausted. I lent her my cabin.” Archie laughed a little. “What, pray, is so funny?”
“Nothing, nothing. If she’s awake, do you think you could coax her my way? Maybe I can get her to expend some of her anger.”
“I’ll see,” Hornblower said, standing up, “And Archie? I know it’s beyond your control, but thank you for waking up.”
Archie touched his forehead. “It’s the least I can do.”
Hornblower hurried to his cabin and tapped on the door. “Captain Drake? Are you up?”
“Come in, Hornblower. This is your cabin, after all.”
Hornblower pushed the door open and saw Drake buttoning up her coat. “Thank you for the use of your bed,” she said, “It was only three or four hours, but I can live on that. How’s Archie?” she continued, a slight edge to her voice.
“He’s awake,” Hornblower said, unable to stop himself from smiling, “The doctor says he’s going to be all right.”
Drake looked at him, a bright gleam slowly coming into her eyes. “Alive,” she said, “Oh, thank God.”
Hornblower placed a hand on her shoulder. “You can see him, if you wish. He was asking about…”
He never got the chance to finish his sentence, because Drake suddenly stepped forward, placed a hand on his cheek, and kissed him full on the mouth.