Sunday 21st - afternoon or thereabouts

Why didn't the bloody fool apologize? Bridgens stared hard at the boy, wishing and willing him to apologize, and in the ensuing silence Billy Barrow sighed. Desperate for a distraction, Bridgens hurried over to busy himself with adjusting his pillows.

Oxley grabbed his arm and bodily hauled him out of sickbay, managing to salute with his other hand as he did it.

He felt entirely unable to cope with this situation; he could feel his control slipping away. He turned back to Bridgens and M'Clure. "What have you to say for yourselves?"

"..Sir.." The boy stammered. Did it mean he was safe from the wrath? He dared look up, though he knew he might've shown fear that way. He opened his mouth to plead that this not be mentioned to the officers, but no words came, and he took a step back.

Then he yelped as he was pulled, stumbling after Oxley, and near tripping and falling as he went onward and out.

"Which we're dreadful sorry sir and it won't never happen again," Bridgens whispered, wide-eyed with fear.

M'Clure glanced to see Bridgens busying himself with Barrow, everyone else asleep, or at least pretending to be.
Gingerly he shut the door and addressed the question.
"Which I had ter have something ter eat, and Bridgens said he'd call me if something went wrong, afore yer was bothered." He wasn't going to defend his stance on having soemthing to eat, but he didn't want to put Bridgens solely in the wrong- he could easily make life miserable for all concerned.

Stephen focused his full attention on Bridgens. "So why did you leave your patients unsupervised for an errand which was not only not urgent, but that took you entirely away from the sickbay?"

"I... because I'm a stupid feeble-minded grass-combing lubber of a fool, sir?" Stupid he may be, but Bridgens knew that the doctor would not be satisfied by any answer he could give.

"Are you mocking me?" Stephen shouted.

"No, sir, no, sir, no!"

"Which we realise we made a mistake sir, and tis a bad one, with no excuse..." he tried to talk some reason into this steadily unreasonable room.

"A mistake that could have cost your surgeon his life! After all we went through to save it; Barrow may yet die, and you neglected him also!"

Trembling, Bridgens whispered, "He's been awake, sir, Billy has, and talking to the captain! His breathing's been... good."

Neglect was not a word m'Clure was impressed to hear and he bristled too but held his tongue this time.

"And while you were out finding spirits? What if his breathing had not been 'good' then?"

"I don't know, sir. I'm very sorry, sir," Bridgens replied humbly. Whatever their punishment was to be, he wished that the doctor would get on with it. Being fed alive to sharks would be preferable to this.

"I do not know now whether I can trust these patients to you again. But I must, for when we leave at Porto-" Stephen closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "When Mister Crozier wakes, I will speak to him."

Did that mean they would be left to think over their mistakes now? Or did it mean Dr Maturin would sit and eye them all like that until Dr Crozier was awake?

"Yes, sir," replied Bridgens, all meekness and humility.

Stephen pinched the bridge of his nose; he felt that he should sit with Crozier now, but the pain in his head was unbearable, and he feared a loss of control at any moment.

"We'll let yer know soon as Dr Crozier is awake again, sir." It was half offer- half order, and he was fully prepared to make a move to sweep Maturin out the door.

"Will you?" snapped Stephen, looking up. "Will you be here until he does?"

"Yes sir, yes sir!"

The doctor himself looked like he should be a patient. Bridgens knew that he had been injured by those Frog marines yesterday, but there was no way that he was going to mention it now. Let the man topple over in a coma if he wished, but Bridgens would not dare to speak to him unasked now.

"I won't be leavin, sir. Not till I come ter tell yer he's awake."

Maybe the doctor was planning on telling the captain that they had been negligent of their duty and had forsaken their station. That was one of the articles that called for death, wasn't it?