Crozier's Operation

"I think so," said Stephen, rubbing his eyes; the glare of the sun was making his head pound. "We should clear up the instruments; we ought to be ready to leave as soon as the Terpsichore returns."

"Of course, sir." He went back to the rock they had been using, crouching down to continue where the cleaning had left off.

Bridgens bent to his work, hiding his blush that was slow to fade. But he stopped when he reached the kidney dish. "Hey! Where's them bones?" He had thought the disc with the hole through the middle would make an interesting necklace to show his mates or girls in port.

"I have it," answered Stephen. "I will give it to Mister Crozier if he wakes up. It came from his skull, after all."

"Oh." A grin slowly spread across Bridgens' face, replacing the blush and the disappointment. The surgeon would like that. Lucky man.

But Billy gave the doctor a quick and startled glance. If he woke up?

Stephen rubbed his right temple, knowing better than to try to massage the left. Something was wrong, other than the ship sailing away. He looked out to see, frowning, then back around the men on the beach. "Where is Mister Yates?"

"He ran off up there." M'Clure pointed vaguely away from the group and up the small mound, "Think he went ter get a better veiw, sir."

"Him and the sergeant," Billy said. "Don't you worry, sir. They'll bring us the news."

"When was that? How long have they been gone?"

"Maybe... one glass, sir. Half an hour. Probably they're watching to see what goes on. And it's a high hill, sir, that headland there."

"I know what one glass means, Barrows," said Stephen, looking out to sea again. He closed his eyes; it really was very bright.

"THey'll be fine, sir, They won't be standing up there attracting attention or anything silly like that, and they'll come back and let us know anything important." Or so he hoped.

Billy nodded complacently. There were no trees in the immediate vicinity, and he saw the doctor squinting against the light.

"Should I rig up the sail for some shade, sir? For Mister Crozier, of course, while we wait. Awful bright here."

"He is unconscious; I doubt it bothers him overmuch," said Stephen, watching Crozier. "If you want to for yourself, you may go ahead."

"Aye sir." Billy summoned a group of his fellows and they set about raising the cutter's mast. If Doctor Maturin did not care about the sun, there were others who would appreciate the shade. The marines would have to be vigilant still, but the boat crew could afford to take some rest, sitting in the sand while they speculated on the strange sail sighted by the Terpsy.


[ooc - bye for now]

Everything was cleaned up, now, and he was starting to wonder what to do with himself. The shade from the sail would be nice, but there wasn't any need or wish for him to help them put it up, so he sat himself down near dr Croziers head, keeping half an eye on him.

Mister Yates was eager enough. anyway, Quinn thought, watching him run off along the path to the promontory. He followed the lad at a slower pace. The path branched off, one path running inland and the other heading up to the headland. He took the seawards path, though as it widened he could see no sign of the lad. He frowned.

That wasn't right. It wasn't right at all. "Mister Yates!" he called, wondering what could have happened to the lad. "Mister Yates, where are you?"

The little mouse watched him, almost unblinking, and Peter stared back, thinking of the nest behind him, and ... But Dr Maturin wouldn't kill something like this, just to dissect it and draw it. He had regretted that the one he had would decompose, but this one ... It dipped its head to take the crumb on his finger tip, and then put its right front paw on the same finger. He heard Sergeant Quinn calling him from the track down below, but could not answer, not quite yet, not until it came forward a couple more steps...

The marines were growing a bit restless now, and there was no sergeant to scold them for drooping under the hot sun. "I reckon they got picked up already," muttered Beech, stretching his neck above his stock. "They'll be on board for a chase and a fight while we're stuck here waiting."

"Don't be daft," Bakewell replied. "Would they go running off and leave us like that? And with both o' them sawbones stuck here, too?"

"Mister Yates?" He wondered whether the lad had got so far ahead of him that he was already up on the headland, looking out towards this other vessel, whatever it was, and decided to carry on in case that was what had happened. There was no point worrying just yet; it was likely just high spirits and he probably hadn't realised how far behind him Quinn actually was.

Stephen glanced between Crozier and the sea. It was getting quite warm at this point, the sun at its zenith. He stood up, and went to the canteens; it would be sensible to keep them together, in case the Terpsichore did not return for several hours.

The boat crew too were fidgeting now. They were eager to return to the ship, and they couldn't do that until Mister Yates fired the signal. Finally seaman Preddie stood up and announced, "I'm going after them."

"No you're not. Sit down." Billy barely opened his eyes to glance at his mate. There may not be an officer present - apart from Doctor Maturin, if he wished to give orders - but the captain's coxswain held authority in his boat. "As soon as you go they'll be back again, and then we'll have to send someone after you. We wait with the boat."

Stephen gathered up canteens; one empty and one nearly so from cleaning the instruments and the operators' hands, which left four. He sat down again next to Crozier.

Some of the marines shifted to stand in the shade. They had grown alert when one of the seamen stood up as if to leave, but he had apparently changed his mind, and it did not look like anyone was inclined to dessert. Everyone wanted to get back to the ship.

"Quit pacin' an' fidgeting, Jake," Bakewell grumbled at a younger lad.

Shriver too could no longer hold still. Finally he voiced his thoughts out loud. "I think we should go. Back to the Terpsy. Get back in the boat and row out to her."