The Middies' Berth

"An' mebbe get a parrot or a monkey or two f'r your mother?" Thompson grinned. "I reckon that's why most rich folks pack their lads off to sea, sir. They just want a parrot when the lad gets back home. An' havin' him grow up to be an Admiral won't hurt, neither." He turned serious again. "And it's good for learnin' proper things too, like the navigation you young gemtlemen have to learn to do. I think you'd like the Caribbean, or even the South Seas, though, sir. And then you'd have travelled further than anyone in your family could dream of, an' you'll be a proper hero when you go visitin' at home."

"If they'd remember me though. Might dare forget me.. with so long as I might stay at sea." A thought of a money or parrot brightened the boy's face, and he'd already planned what he would have taught the bird, or where the monkey would remain. Even saw the monkey cause havoc in her mother's beautifully cleaned and tidied rooms, and how she would shreik and she would chase the furry demon down the halls.

"Why didn' ye brin' anything with ye?.like a parrot, or what ye said?"

"Dunno. There was enough of 'em - monkeys an' parrots both - when we came home in Surprise that I didn't think I needed to add to 'em. An' I wouldn't know what to do with a parrot if'n I had one, neither, sir." That had been one of the most interesting voyages of the Marine's career, and he remembered it fondly.

(OOC - I'm for bed, I'm afraid - or I'm going to fall asleep on the computer. )

"Could've given it to your mother and trained it so it would peck eyes out of the men that were behaving improperly!" It was still hard to grasp what kind of profession Thompson's mother had, and to think that he didn't have a father. Or atleast one that he would know and he often wished to try and ask just about the father and then remind himself that either there were fathers or rather none.

"I would've liked ter have a parrot. Even a monkey. Or.. did you bring any other animal with you? Where did ye send them to after?" He was again forgetting that they were waiting for someone to come from above to dismiss Thompson and retrieve the young middie.

"Now, there's a good idea. Never thought of that, sir. Saw all sorts of animals - visited one place where there was tortoises so big you could sit on 'em, and a sort of lizard that liked swimming. But out in the West Indies, there's all sorts of birds, like a little tiny thing that can stay perfectly still in one place apart from the wings that flap so fast you can't see anythin' of 'em but a blur."

Standing up was supposed to remind him that he couldn't relax in case someone came down here, but he was in danger of forgetting that and leaning against the door jamb.

"The doctor we had in Surprise was real clever, and used to like collecting all sorts of animals to study them. Had a sloth once. Just used to hang there, though it liked being in the rigging... Captain Aubrey managed to get it drunk. Fed it on cake soaked in rum, and it ended up three sheets to the wind, though it just went to sleep like it did when it was sober."

(OOC - I've probably bent the Aubreyad into some unrecognisable shape to get the sloth into Thompson's memories. )

"A sloth? " He couldn't even imagine what kind of animal was that, nor the lizards swimming in the water and a bird that had wings so fast it stayed in one place and had wings beat so fast one could not see them. It sounded all like from some fairytale about the land that one would find falling over the edge of the world, or going deep down and finding some stranger lost world in there.

"He'um gave any of that cake to middies too?.. 'bet they'd have liked it." He grinned at the thought. Cake soaked in rum, he wouldn't have minded at all.

"Well, sir, it was sort of... sort of like a monkey, only without a tail and looks sleepy all the time. Got long curved claws on its hands and feet that it uses to hang from, which is how it sleeps. Does that most of the time - sleepin', I mean."

He'd loved his time in Surprise, seeing all the strange and wonderful things the Doctor found. All the ships he'd been in since were a bit dull in comparison, even with the actions he'd fought since.

"He used to invite the officer and midshipman of the watch to eat with him, Captain Aubrey did. Though I dunno whether he gave 'em any cake, sir, it not lastin' so long at sea."

"Like captain Bolitho did once." He remembered the dinner fondly. That is, as much as he could remember, and the food there was exquisite, the wine was fine and he had drunk so much of it that there had been little food left to enjoy. His mouth watered at the thought of what they were given and he wished that the captain would have held another such dinner just then. He'd have minded his alcohol, just to eat more. And his tummy agreed, with a faint rumble beneath his clothes.

"..Does the captain here invite his midshipmen to it often?" Still convinced he would remain a midshipman of course he could dream, and be conviced the captain would even want to invite him there yet.

"Fairly often, I think, sir."

Telling the young lad not get his hopes up would only lead to getting snapped at again, and told to mind his place. De Guarde was going to take it awful hard when - if - Bush's threat was confirmed, and Thompson made up his mind that he would try to be nearby when the youngster came out of the expected interview with the Captain that would confirm it. Or not, as the case may be, though the Marine thought that unlikely.

"I dunno what's it's like, though, sir. I only help out when there's visitin' Marine or Army officers, like I did the other night. And not every time, even then."

Fairly often sounded splendid. He would be very much eager to go to another dinner like that. Fine food, great wine, and as much as one wanted. He could ignore the conversation which was meant for the adults any way. "So you helped last time, yes. What was,.. for dessert?" He'd mist the last, being that he had soiled poor first lieutenant's breeches.

He was glad that the lieutenant hadn't gone and had something done because of that. He knew on Confidence it would've been bloody terrible. " Jus' ter know... what I migbht see the next time.. if the captain is generous. And we will still have the army officer as guest.. till we drop him in Lisbon."

"They said it was the Battle of the Nile, all little ships done in pastry. The cook was there, y'see, sir."

The Naval cooks' penchant for fancy pies and puddings was well-known in the lower decks, and it was wonderful to see them, even if he never got to taste the creations they made.

"Though it'll be summat else next time. He's a fair hand at doin' that sort of thing, y'know, sir."

" Battle of the Nile..." He licked his lips: "...Hope t' cap'n invites us to the next dinner soon. N' that our cook hasn't been mauled by t' French." He wished he could have tried a taste of that and for a moment wondered who took his piece. Was it Dunnock, Fletcher, Yates? Perhaps it was Kinsella or Chandos. They looked like they could've claimed that piece. Unless it was one of the other men. Lieutenant Bush could've taken it as payment for his own 'dirty clothing'. Or there was a guest that wished to eat more.

He felt angry that someone might have eaten his 'ship'. The one meant for him! Must've been Yates. He was the grabby sort of lad! Though vaguely he remembered his image in relation to the events. But why, where and how, he could not say.

"Perhaps he will, tomorrow. Once we have everything cleared up!"

"Maybe, sir. Maybe not, though - he'll be fair busy gettin' Terpsy and the prize able to sail, after bangin' into each other like they did, as well as firin' at each other."

And by not saying anything, wasn't he encouraging De Guarde to think that everything would be all right and would continue just as it had? Which might make it worse if it wasn't going to. He didn't know quite what to say about it now, and fell silent again, trying to think what would be the best thing to say.

"He'll have his officers do so. And when some are sent to the other ship, there is a greater chance that it is us, that are invited. Less midshipmen, greater the chance." He smiled and had already imagined having a taste at some pastry, the delicious kind that the cook would make. And be seated with a servant behind him, to pour him some drink and to do as he pleased till he told him otherwise.

Being a midshipman had its perks, and he was darn glad he was one. And he knew that he would stay so, because it was natural and right. And if he was meant not to.. no, it could not happen really. He grinned. He might even have that silly boy to serve him again. Be right sure to make him work, and to be as timid as a mouse!

"Maybe, sir, but don't hope for it too much, sir. It's thing you hope for most that don't happen, sir. Least, in my experience they don't, sir." And he could not say more without telling the lad straight how it was - or was likely to be, and he wouldn't like that at all, would he?

(OOC - and I'm out to uni now. Be back about half-five, though I'll try to make it earlier.)

"What do you mean?..Oh, to be invited ter dinner?" He lifted an eyebrow and shook his head." I know I will be. 's not wishfull thinking.. well. I just hope I am soon. N' that I'm not sent onto ter other ship. There'd be a lieutenant only.. n' I bet there'd not be any opportunity fer a fair food... n' if we were having to go to Terpsy for it..it would jus' take too much time."

He hadn't registered the warning that Thompson was trying to give him in kind. Nothing could go wrong now. Once he was released from his confinement he would be finally going about yelling at people to do things again, establishing his authority and having any one dare as much as do something even slightly wrong, in trouble and bound to the gratings. Life was turning for the better for the young middie. And those lieutenants would not see him tremble either. He'll show them that he couldn't be broken by some silly threat!

(ooc - bye bye , have fun and see you later! Oh and we have SNOW )

"Mebbe, sir. Mebbe," was all Thompson felt he could say. If the middy wouldn't listen to the warning he'd tried to give, it wasn't the Marine's fault, was it? He gave a small sigh and felt his queue. It was starting to pull loose, a little anyway, and he'd have to ask Vining to redo it for him soon. And he would certainly have to do his best to be nearby for the conclusion of the lad's interview with the captain... if he didn't think anything bad would come of it, he would have a horrible shock if he did find himself disrated, and he'd need a friendly face.

"For one so light spirited about others, you have a rather unhappy outlook on life." He replied, not liking the tone and prefering his own thoughts to any of doubt from the marine. He knew how it was, the marine was only a marine. He did not know how the naval officers did things, he, as a midshipman did.

That was enough to bring him into an even higher spirit and with it, anticipation of when the officers would finally appear. They've had their fun, they robbed him of the experience of a battle and any glory that could have come from that. Though probably, there would've been none, but still. Atleast he would've been there and fought.

They had their fun and now, they'd let him off. If only they didn't take so long. One would think the French had won, by how able Terspy was to do anything quickly. It was yet another proof for the boy that Confidence was better led. There, they would already have been sailing and having all hands where they were needed!

"I prefer to take things as they come, sir. You nver know what might happen, and I think it's best not to hope too much in case things don't work out the way you'd like. Of course, if they do, it's even better then."

He hadn't heard the pump, so that was something at least. Bt the way things were going, he wondered if any of the lieutenants had been hurt. Someone would have told them if the Captain was wounded, surely, but not necessarily about any of the lieutenants getting injured.

Poor Mister Dunnock. Branning had left the sick-berth after he and Hardy had gotten Sergeant Quinn there, in part because it was too crowded with officers for his liking. He'd never admit it, but he had been moved by the sight of the young midshipman's body. Dunnock hadn't been a bad sort, what little Branning knew of him.

His wandering thoughts guided his feet somehow, and presently he found himself near the midshipmen's berth instead of back topside. Branning blinked and remembered, belatedly, that the first luff had shouted for a Marine earlier, before the battle. Was that unfortunate lad still here?

"Hey there," he called out, a little uncertainly.

"Hullo there, mate!" Thompson replied, turning away from the open door and attempting to look more like a Marine on duty than he had been. "What's bin goin' on topside then?" he asked, curiously. "Ain't nobody told us nothin' down here."

It was Thompson, Branning realised. Poor fellow, getting stuck below-decks and missing all the action.

"We carried her, fin'lly. Cap'n an' Mister Leat are up forrard, in the sick-berth. Sarn't Quinn too," Branning answered. "First Luff's gettin' things set back t'rights."

After a slight, hesitant pause, he added, "Lost Mister Dunnock, too."

Well, that explained why nobody had come down here to say the lad had been sent for - everybody was too busy elsewhere.

"Hope the Captain and Mister Leat are all right," he said. "An' Mister Dunnock's copped it? Poor lad. He'd've made a real good officer when he grew up. And what happened to Sarn't Quinn, then?"

He slipped behind the door, when Branning arrived and kept it mostly shut, listening to what the two marines were speaking off. Splendid. Leat was injured. Quinn was too, which wasn't such great news. But one of the middies died, which to Mathew meant little. So Dunnock was killed, while others may mourn and weep, the youth just shrugged his shoulders to himself. People die. One middie less probably had its benefits too.

"Took a knock 'bout his head, but he'll be arrigh'. Carried him down to sick-berth twice, even!" Branning managed a slight grin, and wondered how long it would take before Quinn was back on deck again.


Edit: I'm off for a couple hours, errands to run. Back later this afternoon!