Fiction. What Happened Between. G
TITLE: What Happened Between
AUTHOR: Ashley-Pitt
CHARACTERS: William Bush, Horatio Hornblower
WORD COUNT: 400
RATING: G
SUMMARY: What happened perhaps in the time between “Ship of the Line” and “Flying Colours”
DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters nor am I making any money from them. I borrow them once in awhile, but put them away tidily.
Lt Bush stood roaring orders over the din of the guns. Suddenly, he
felt himself thrown bodily to the deck. He looked around in surprise. There was no one near him. He tried to stand but something was greatly amiss.
Two men of the surgeon’s crew bent over him.
“Leave me on deck.” said Bush. “Let go of me, you dogs.”
“Take him away.” said Hornblower.
The men once more tried to help him. “No damn you! My place is here!” Bush roared.
If he were to die, it should be at his captain’s side, not cowering below.
Bush tried once more to stand but his feet would not get a purchase on the deck as it was too slippery with blood, his blood. He looked down and stared dumbly at his right foot which had been smashed to a red pulp. He was surprised that he felt no pain…yet.
Finally the men succeeded in getting Bush erect, his arms around their shoulders.
Bush sought out Hornblower. As if he could perceive that Bush needed him, Hornblower turned and met his gaze.
His eyes were hard with the madness of the battle but the shields lifted and Bush could see the sadness and pain deep inside.
In his mind he could hear Hornblower say; "Please go below William, go below and live.”
Just then a ragged broadside tore in to the Sutherland and jolted the deck.
A pain ten thousand times greater than any pain Bush had ever felt coursed up his leg and exploded in a blue white flash in his brain.
Then mercifully he lost consciousness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were making arrangements to transfer the wounded from the ship. Hornblower moved among the men until he found Bush.
Bush lay on a stretcher. He was deathly pale and breathing raggedly. Hornblower squatted down beside him.
Quietly he murmured, “Ah William. I have lost my ship. I have lost the Sutherland.”
Bush’s eyelids fluttered and opened. He focused with difficulty on Hornblower.
“Not to worry sir.” Bush whispered as he reached out weakly and patted Hornblower’s arm. “They’ll give us another.”
Bush shuddered as a spasm of pain tore though him.
“Bush!” Hornblower said. But he had lost consciousness once again.
Hornblower took his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Bush’s fevered forehead before he rose, twitched his blood-stained coat into place, and went to oversee the transfer of the wounded.
AUTHOR: Ashley-Pitt
CHARACTERS: William Bush, Horatio Hornblower
WORD COUNT: 400
RATING: G
SUMMARY: What happened perhaps in the time between “Ship of the Line” and “Flying Colours”
DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters nor am I making any money from them. I borrow them once in awhile, but put them away tidily.
Lt Bush stood roaring orders over the din of the guns. Suddenly, he
felt himself thrown bodily to the deck. He looked around in surprise. There was no one near him. He tried to stand but something was greatly amiss.
Two men of the surgeon’s crew bent over him.
“Leave me on deck.” said Bush. “Let go of me, you dogs.”
“Take him away.” said Hornblower.
The men once more tried to help him. “No damn you! My place is here!” Bush roared.
If he were to die, it should be at his captain’s side, not cowering below.
Bush tried once more to stand but his feet would not get a purchase on the deck as it was too slippery with blood, his blood. He looked down and stared dumbly at his right foot which had been smashed to a red pulp. He was surprised that he felt no pain…yet.
Finally the men succeeded in getting Bush erect, his arms around their shoulders.
Bush sought out Hornblower. As if he could perceive that Bush needed him, Hornblower turned and met his gaze.
His eyes were hard with the madness of the battle but the shields lifted and Bush could see the sadness and pain deep inside.
In his mind he could hear Hornblower say; "Please go below William, go below and live.”
Just then a ragged broadside tore in to the Sutherland and jolted the deck.
A pain ten thousand times greater than any pain Bush had ever felt coursed up his leg and exploded in a blue white flash in his brain.
Then mercifully he lost consciousness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were making arrangements to transfer the wounded from the ship. Hornblower moved among the men until he found Bush.
Bush lay on a stretcher. He was deathly pale and breathing raggedly. Hornblower squatted down beside him.
Quietly he murmured, “Ah William. I have lost my ship. I have lost the Sutherland.”
Bush’s eyelids fluttered and opened. He focused with difficulty on Hornblower.
“Not to worry sir.” Bush whispered as he reached out weakly and patted Hornblower’s arm. “They’ll give us another.”
Bush shuddered as a spasm of pain tore though him.
“Bush!” Hornblower said. But he had lost consciousness once again.
Hornblower took his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Bush’s fevered forehead before he rose, twitched his blood-stained coat into place, and went to oversee the transfer of the wounded.