Boys at Play, 2nd June

"No. I like you here. I have someone to talk to. Bein' all alone in this place is jus' as borin'... as anywhere." Privacy was good, but he was not having injuries dressed and so did not need it. Not just yet, not really.

" An' I dunno. You could've gone if you wanted to go someplace and be entertained by your fri.....well. I hope you do not go." That was a lot ,saying it out loud and he felt his cheeks colour at it.

"I'll stay then." It wasn't as though anyone would think to look for him here, anyway, which was a good thing.

"Can talk wiv you, can't I? That'll be... entertainin' enough. Even if I can't race you up the foremast or anyfin' for a bit." He knew well enough what it was like to be caned, although he hadn't suffered the indignity of receiving such a punishment in front of the entire crew.

"No... I think it would really be better that....well, we don't go racing for a while now. I'm not sayin' I wouldn't win.. it's jus'..." He smiled faintly. "It would just not do." He lowered his gaze and appeared to be thoughtful.

"You didn' watch.... did you?" He hoped that the lad did not, but he didn't know. He saw lots of Tars who did, who had seen it and even heard one or was it more, who had thought that he'd deserved it.

While the two boys had been deep in discussion, there was a furry small beast that found its way into the sickbay. Chased there perhaps by Miss Emily, or just finding another of those holes, crannies or rooks through which it could squeeze it was now peering at the boys with its dark beady eyes. It sniffed the air, which caused its small nose to quiver and twitch, its whiskers following the soft motion.

Pushing itself onto its hind legs to see better it tilted its head to the side, blinked once, twice and flicked its left ear. It did not find any food to come from the boys and it was smarter than to trust the big two legs which all to often thought to kill its kind and even think of cooking it or roasting it. No, but the same two legs also were very careless. They dropped food on the floor. They sometimes flicked away things that were very nutritious and valuable and they had stored there food so carelessly. It was easy to gnaw one's way into those round things that they packed it in. well, not exactly round, but the material was gnawable.

Ah. There was some food on the floor after all. Must have come from one of the injured ones. The rat squeaked and moved forward. Stopped, sniffed then bolted for the big of crumb or whatnot that it set its sights on. The two younglings wouldn't notice it, surely!

"Oi! Get out of it!" Billy snapped as he approached. Beastly things, rats. They were all very well down in the hold, but it was gross impertinence for one to show up in the sickbay.

De Guarde jumped at the sharp voice and rolled of the bed. He cluttered to the floor with a loud OW, and cursed and whimpered. He pushed himself up slowly and grumbled. "Billy, you daft thing... oughtn't yell like you was an officer." He felt relief. Had it been a lieutenant and speaking the same, he knew he'd be in for trouble.

Billy stared in surprise at the boy. "Sorry mate, didn't see you was there," he said. Then as the words caught up with him, he smirked. "And don't you be callin' the captain's coxswain daft, ya cheeky." The boy might have been a young gentleman before, but now he was a seaman, and a youngster to boot. He ought to mind his manners. "Mister Farley about?"

"Sorry." He relented, speaking much more timid and submissive: "I don't know. I've been out till now, so..'s he might be, or he's out hisself. He was when I left." He shrugged. "Might be back outtere..or 'ere. Sorry." He winced. "You's comin' fer a normal seein' or is there summat wrong?" He asked that with some curiosity in his tone.

Billy was in a bit of a mood because of the pain in his side. "What's it to you?" he asked. He was unaware of the lad's new duties in the sickbay.

"..well, I need t' know wot' to tell mister Farley." He replied timidly, scowling. "I'm workin' 'ere. As a loblollyboy...well, up till I'm fit fer duty, I think." He studied Billy. "Take a seat 'ere will you." He motioned to the table.

"Oh." Billy relented then. He looked at the table, but sitting on that would be wrong. Sitting on the table was for lads getting their limbs chopped off. He spied a little wooden chair on the other side of the room and dragged it over. "Just come to see Mister Farley on account o' the hole in me chest," he said with a grin.

"Oh. I'll get 'im for you. Well.. I'll see if he might be anywhere's. If he ain't... yer bes' bet is t' wait. He's never too far from here, or long gone." He nodded and watched Barrow for a moment. "Anythin' yer want me ter tell him 'fore he comes?"

"No."

It took a few days till James decided to go to the sickbay but he hasn't slept for about three nights in a row, only a few minutes. He was never a good sleeper but now it began to become to much and he was very tired.

Perhaps the doctor has something... he didn't know much about medicine as he was rarely ill.

When he arrived he saw a boy and a young man talking. What he got from their words was the man whom he saw from behind was also waiting for the doctor.

He greeted them and asked the blonde man:

"Could I have a world with the doctor too, after you're done?"

He spoke quietly and friendly - even if he was higher rank he could wait, not to mention the blonde sailor's injury was quite bad according to what he said. His voice was surprisingly low for such a young man, barely more than a boy, but very pleasant.

"A'right." He nodded quickly and left the room, calling out Mister Farley's name, as he went in search of him. He almost hoped that the surgeon was not around because then he could have felt as if he had not been listening in on his and Button's conversation. "Mister Farley? We've got a patient comin' in ter be recheck'd!"

Billy looked up and saw one of the new midshipmen - or was it that master's mate? - and he stood and knuckled his forehead. "Aye, sir," he answered. Though of course the surgeon would have to see the young gentleman first, as was right and proper.

"Do we, now?" Farley's voice reached from the dispensary, where he seemed to have been spending a fair amount of time lately. "Who is it, my boy?"

"Billy Barrow, sir. Coxswain. An... a midshipman." He paused then shrugged. He did not know what the name of that one was, though he probably should have. "He's one o' t' new ones. Could you please come with me, sir?" He asked again, glad that he found the surgeon, but uneasy as to where he found him.

Ah. Barrow he knew of. Good lad, coming to be looked at again. The midshipman, on the other hand, could be anyone. Farley was not very well acquainted with the ship's young gentlemen.

"Oh certainly, if you do insist," the surgeon said playfully, rising to follow the lad out.

He was still a bit uneasy with being called "sir" and smiled on the sailor.

"I have time" he said. "My name is James Brogan" he added. "Master's mate."

"Sir, I do not insist only if you.. are willin' ter' go, sir. " He shuffled uncomfortably, fearful to upset Mister Farley, who was very kind to him in general. But then noticing that he was teasing him he smiled. "Please sir." He nodded and then lead him to where he had left Billy Barrow and the new midshipman.

Once there, he was quick to step aside and out of the way. He was there to fetch anything the surgeon wished for at a moment's notice, but otherwise a quiet self was best.

Billy nodded at him. "Mister Brogan," he answered with a nod. He knew that it was better not to speak unless spoken to, and not to volunteer too much conversation to an unknown officer. Cob Chase had received a flogging for talking to De Guarde, after all, back when the lad was a new midshipman.

He cocked an ear. Sounded like the surgeon was next door in the dispensary.

He smiled as De Guarde led the way back to the sick-berth proper. In time, hopefully, the lad would learn to be more easy with levity.

The midshipman was a newer face than even Farley might have expected. Perhaps suffering the jitters of one newly sent to sea. He could not be sure merely from a first glance. Or even a second.

"How may I be of service to you, young sir?"

And now everyone was looking at de Guarde. Terry shrugged and edged away while the others were distracted, quietly and making no fuss. He was used to sneaking around the ship, after all, and it was easy enough to slip out while everyone was looking the other way.

He could always come back another time, couldn't he? He needed to talk with the other boys anyway.


(91,000th post!)

"Good morning, doctor" he said. "I think you could perhaps begin with him" he looked at the young sailor, not knowing his name. "I only have a minor problem."

Minor, well, it was getting out of control but still not as bad as a serious injury what the blonde man was apparently recovering from.

He looked at him a bit better. It was hard to imagine such a strong, athletic man could be hurt by anything - he looked like a personification of Spring.

And yet mortal we are...