The Great Cabin

Stephen looked up to see Hesperus. "It has, to be sure. Thank you for fetching me."

Raoul gave a small, ironic bow. "Thank you for coming so swiftly that we had time to stand out here."

Stephen looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I believe the capitaine states that we believed you might take more coaxing to leave your charge," Padstowe said, hoping he had the right interpretation. "So we gave ourselves time enough for persuasion, which meant we ended up with time in hand."

"Do you think that I am neglecting...?" Stephen looked back towards the companionway, frowning and pale. "But you said..."

Raoul nodded to confirm Padstowe's interpretation of his words. "I thought there might be some delay - if you were already busy, or something. But we were lucky, there was no urgent need for you, and you could come at once." He turned away from the rail with an effort that was mental rather than physical. "But now, I think our time is running out. Supper will be served. Shall we go downstairs?"

"Yes, let's," Padstowe said, before Stephen could protest. "After you, doctor."

"I am really not hungry," said Stephen, looking worried. "This was a very pleasant break, but I think I must be returning to Mister Crozier."

"Stephen," Padstowe growled softly. "You said yourself Mister Crozier was stable enough for you to eat. So you shall come and eat, and then you shall return to your patient."

"He is my charge, as you say, and I am really not hungry; I ate more than my fill at dinner. I have dawdled here long enough; there is still the trephinne to see to, and I must talk to the armourer and the barber, and I must ask Lieutenant Leat or Lieutenant George if we are still on course, and what time I must be ready by."

Padstowe directed a weary gaze at the Capitaine.

"Shall you take one arm and I take the other?"

"I am happy to do so, Captain. Please, Dr Maturin, do not make me use violence against you." Raoul put on his nurse-maid expression, with a smile lurking in his grey eyes. "The longer you stand here arguing, instead of going to the Wardroom and eating, the longer will be the delay before you can get back to your patient."

"You ask me to come to dinner, then you say that you did not expect me to come with you in the first place, because of my need to sit with Mister Crozier - thus implying that you expected me to sit with him instead of going to a meal which I do not require. It is what I would expect of myself, but instead I allowed myself to be lured away because that room is so... No, I think the most effective way to cut the length of my delay in returning to my patient is to forgo supper altogether."

Raoul stepped in front of him, the smile fading. "No. You know I did not say that, or mean it. We thought - I thought you might be involved in something that would take a few minutes to finish: you do not need to sit with Mr Crozier at this moment, you admit. If you do, if his assistants are so unskilled that you must stay with him every moment, then when will you sleep? You will kill him more surely if you are not fed and rested than if you leave him, stable as he is, for long enough to eat and relax."

"I... I have implied that I am more confident of Mister Crozier's chances than I really am - not that I am not confidence, but confidence must always be assumed by a physician. He has a severely depressed fracture to the skull; if he survives, I do not know if he will regain his mental powers. Most do, but some do not - medicine simply does not understand the brain. I cannot seen to be neglecting him; I cannot have anyone say that I was dining and socialising while Mister Crozier was..." Stephen took a deep breath. "His assistants seem to be very capable, but in the length of time it would take for them to reach the wardroom should something happen..."

"If it is that quick could you do anything were you there?" Padstowe asked. "Stephen, please, the capitaine is right. Come down and eat a little something. You will not be seen to be neglecting him. After all, Dr. Stephen Maturin is as human as the rest of us, and humans must by necessity eat. Were you to be seen gambling and carousing I might understand your anxiety - but a short moment to take some bread an cheese? Come, Stephen, we shall take you down to the wardroom."

[OOC: And I shall go to bed. Goodnight.]

"In this case I am not a human being, Jonathan - I am a physician," said Stephen, looking quite humanly miserable.

Raoul stared at the doctor, seeing the pain, and not knowing how to help, nor realising that his own face reflected the misery back at the doctor. "Please, come and eat. Do not turn my words against me. I want ... "

Stephen looked up at Raoul, and at Jonathan. He had other charges as well as Crozier - when had des Sablières become a charge? - and he did not want to be the reason they looked like this. He sighed wearily, and rubbed his eyes, willing his headache away. "Just long enough to take some bread and cheese."

Raoul breathed out in relief. "Long enough for some bread and cheese, and fish if they have caught it for you," he amended. "If they have noted that you did not eat meat, and arranged for fish..." They would not have done so for a Papist Frog, he thought, but for Dr Maturin, they might.

Padstowe felt as relieved as Raoul looked, and started descending the companionway before any other misunderstanding or change of mind could occur.

Stephen went behind Padstowe, his fingers hovering at his shoulder in case he should fall.

Yes the British captain, determined not to show himself at a disadvantage now that he had gained an advantage by a fraction, made his way steadily down the stairs, if a little slowly, and turned to wait for the other to come after him.

Stephen gave Padstowe a small smile, then looked over his shoulder for des Sablières. "Will you both be all right on the ship tomorrow, while I am performing the operation?"

"I do not believe you would care to have us spectating, which would be the alternative."