Leaving Lisbon

Stephen had hit his ribs on the gunwhale as he fell, knocking all the air from his lungs - they filled instead with burning saltwater as he sank straight down, even without the lead-soled boots, not an ounce of fat on him to help him float. He had a few seconds in which his primary emotion was one of overwhelming annoyance - to survive attempted arrests, murders, assassinations and then to die while trying to climb the side of a Royal Navy ship on a pleasant errand once the most terrible fortnight was over-

Then in the darkness there was an explosion of white above him.

Billy easily hoisted the man up to the surface. He was just as light as seaman De Guarde, but not thrashing in such a panic as the boy had done only a few weeks earlier.

"Come on now, mate, out with that water, cough it out - don't just stare, Pat, you grog-faced lubber, give me a hand! All right, sir, easy now."

"A silly lubber.. that's what we're gettin'." The boy pointed where there was most bubbles coming to the surface. He steadied himself, leaning a bit back. "I'll not fall. Not as much of a fool as that one. Couldn't even get on ter ship right." He shook his head and grinned. Too amused he was by what he was seeing than to complain about anything really.

"Ah, t' fish is out again. Wonder if they be gettin' 'im up this time.. without drownin'. Tch!"

Maybe he should kick his legs? That is what Jack said kept one up in the water, but Stephen found he could do little more than weakly cough up seawater: what seemed like pints of it.

"I can hear you, young Matt, and you take care or you're like to be next," Billy snapped, glaring up at the lad. His face instantly changed to honey sweetness as he spoke to his burden. "All right, sir? Can 'ee climb up now? Hands there, up. Mind your feet, sir. I've got you."

"Jest you keep both feet on the deck where they belong. Don't want you joinin' they fishes, neither."

He let go of the waistband of the lad's trousers, satisfied he was not about to go for an unplanned swim, and stepped forward to see what all the fuss was about.

"It's the Doctor!"

Raoul breathed a sigh of relief as the seaman brought Stephen to the surface, and he could hear him coughing for breath. He pulled the boots back on as hands reached down, up and around to pull the doctor out of the sea and onto the side of the ship.

"s' De Guarde to you, Barrow!" He snapped back , but still couldn't keep that glare for long. The look of the sputtering, near drowned man that happened to trip and fall right into the water, still bringing chuckles to his lips. Silly buggard. Couldn't do more but a splash.

He pulled a hand at his trousers once they were released from hold and glanced at Thompson with a curious look on his face.".. Doctor?..don't we already have Dr. Crozier. .. why are we needin' another?"

Stephen nodded weakly at his rescuer, and looked up at Raoul, but was not able to make anything more than a pathetic show of climbing up the side, and was handed up instead, resulting in a far more elegant embarkation than his wont; and one less laced with blasphemies thrown down on the kind hands who pushed and pulled him up, coughing as he was.

"It's the Doctor from Surprise that I told you about, Matt, lad," he said. "Doctor Maturin. Dunno why he'm comin' aboard us, though."

"Well hello sir!" Billy exclaimed, recognizing his find. "I remember you. Army headquarters, weren't it? Are you really Doctor Maturin?"

"We've caught ourselves a .."He turned to silence glancing towards where the man was brought aboard, shaking his head at the image of this man. The Doctor then. From the Surprise, which had everyone rather excited. Probably coming to visit after all, seeing as he must have a ship somewhere nearby.

Stephen looked up at his rescuer blearily, overwhelmed by that very particular but very familiar combination of light-headedness, headache and nausea that accompanied a near-drowning. "How do you...?" he started before being interrupted by another coughing fit, and by the time he had regained his breath he had remembered where he had seen the sailor before. "That is right, that is right - thank you so very much - Billy Barrows, was it? Or am I mistaken?"

Someone took the saddlebags from Raoul, not even considering the possibility that he could manage on his own, and, having watched the doctor's accident he agreed that it was best that he accepted all the help offered.

When Raoul reached the deck he found the doctor had attracted a lot of attention, and recognition. He himself grinned, recognising the sailor who had jumped in as one of those who had dealt with the man with the knife.

Billy looked up to see the other visitor climbing over the side. "Hey, Cob! Look, it's our Fr-- friend! 'lo, sir!"

It seemed Thompson wasn't the only one who recognised the Doctor, though he wasn't quite sure how Billy Barrow knew him. What he was sure about, however, was that the Doctor wouldn't want to be crowded by a whole gaggle of folks with nothing better to do than gawp at someone who'd gone in the drink.

"All right, you an' me ought to shift ourselves and go find summat useful to do," he said to De Guarde, though he was reluctant to tear himself away.

"Hello," Raoul said, and offered his hand. "You are always saving people, Mr Barrow. But this is a good piece of work - we have just come to see Dr Crozier - to say goodbye before you go..."

"Yer want ter see him up close, dont' ye?" Motions to the arrival and peers at the second one with not as great a curiosity, since he had not done and pitched right into the water. "s' go n' see up close then." Being in greater delight to see the misfortunate damp man in grater detail than really with any interest of the arrival.

Stephen was shivering despite the sunshine. He looked up and around at the faces surrounding him, shamefaced and embarrassed. At least one other he recognised; a marine he was sure had been on the Surprise - Thompson, that was his name - standing next to a ship's boy who looked nastily amused. He turned around, coughing again and rubbing the rest of the salt water from his eyes, and tried to struggle to his feet.

"I can't. He'm a busy man, an' he won't 'member me anyways, me only bein' a Marine, like." He shrugged and turned away reluctantly. "C'mon, let's leave the officers to do what they'm here for - afore Watts or Colburn comes round with a starter."

Billy grinned bashfully at the Frenchman. "Well, sir... not many men can swim. But sir, you all right?" he asked the doctor. "Can you walk? Let me lend you hand. Sir, you took off my second cousin Bill's leg on the Surprise! He says-- well never mind that now. Come on, sir."

"Ye go ter him n' see if he remembers yer face." He insisted. " Won't cause you no harm n' cost yer but a few moments.. though.." He nodded in the direction of the man that was now turning away. "Think he looked like he recognised yer, for a moment."

He rubbed his hand through his hair, which was a bit messier than before. Part of it being that he was more at work and less at prancing about handsomely.

Raoul offered his hand to the doctor. He wished now that they had not decided to come in search of Dr Crozier - the atmosphere on the ship was oppressive, the looks of the seamen - that youngster in particular, leering with avid curiosity and contempt...

"He'm talkin', can't go interruptin', you know." Thompson's arguments were growing feeble and he did want to see how the Doctor was. But he turned back to see that the man in question was chatting with Billy Barrow. Water was streaming from both of them to pool in the scuppers.

He took a pace forwards and hesitated. No, he couldn't go interrupting, it wasn't right. But still he hesitated a little.

Stephen accepted to help to stand, leaning on both Barrow and des Sablières as he regained his balance - the faintness was fading, but the headache and nausea remained. "Thank you, thank you - I am indebted-" He coughed again, trying to puzzle out which of the myriads of Bills he had served with who his rescuer might be referring to. "I did?" He patted his head - he was soaked through, but it was the absence of his wig that made he look around, dazed and morose. "Capitaine, did you happen to see...?"