Heated Debate, Sunday afternoon

"Alright. How about that. Oxley says that he has seen the doctor up when he came, and is sorry for not having had him back in his hammock right in that instant. He is very sorry that it happened and he didn't mean to let the doctor do anything that could've made his condition any worse. He also wishes to add that he did not mean to get Mister M'Clure and Bridgens in trouble. " Which was something De Guarde wasn't too sure about adding, but did as the boy insisted. " and regrets that it came to that... or summat?" He wasn't sure. He wrote letters home, not to apologise to someone he hadn't even wanted to in the first place.

"N' I'll just write.." Which was a lot harder for just that reason. " De Guarde ... no.. um, I wish to apologise for my tone and manner of speaking. " He scowled: "And its content, on the account of which I have disrespected You, sir. I have acted against ..um.. my better judgement and overstepped my .." Oh darnit, he couldn't remember the word." Well that... n' then .. I could add, .. We hope that you shall find it in yourself ter.. to forgive us.." Was that some of his sarcasm shining through?", and shall .. shall.. be willing to repeat our apologies, should you so require or wish.

Then Sign us.. as Oxley and De Guarde?" Or did he want to add that he were a drummer, and he'd then have to write for himself to be able sea man or something. Whatever they had him as.

Oxley nodded, careful to move nothing other than his head. "I think... I think that sounds good. Even if you don't mean it, really, you're tryin' which is good if he does decide to go to an officer over it. Though I think we should say that, well, if he wants us to say it personal like, to his face, we'll be at... dunno where would be a good place, though. Don't want him to have to go all the way for'rard, after all. Um, how's abaft the mainmast on the gundeck sound? An' we'll give him a time. If he comes, we'll say sorry, an' if he don't come, we tried our best."

He frowned, glad de Guarde couldn't see his face. "I'd like to sign meself Private Oxley, only you... I don't s'pose you really want to sign yourself Seaman de Guarde."

"Mm, a time.. maybe after t' skylarkin' or summat? Or jus' before we'um going ter sleep, so he has summat time to read and consider it either way? " He wasn't sure how long the skylarking would last or they could ask Maturin to set the date and inform them on it, but that could be harder as then maturin had to make an effort to send someone after them.

" It'd be easier ter get it over as soon as we can." And he frowned because Oxley mentioned that he'd have to sign himself seaman or atleast he'd supposed he'd really not want that.

"...If I'um write private Oxley n' De Guarde, then it'll sound as if we're both privates..." which was true but did he, would he sign himself seaman?

"....hmph,.. like pullin' a sore tooth." He commented. "One which doesn' want ter budge." But he decided to write it. Just this time, just this once if he could help it. Well he might write it, for the longer he considered the more it did feel like a sore tooth and his resolve was fading faster than he could've even started writing the first lines.

"If we tell him... um, how 'bout just after hammocks are piped down? That'll give him time to think about whether he wants us to say it to him, or not, an' there won't be anyone round to hear it. The watch on deck'll all be up on the weather deck, I should think, anyway, an' everyone else'll be too busy gettin' their hammocks down."

"That would be a good time. Hm, think we'll have them guests with us for long?" They were nearing their destination, whichever that was. He shrugged at that thought and began to write in the letter again. All that they've agreed to, from the mentions, apologies to date of meeting.

"There, I think I'um done. Anything else we've left out. Here's wot's written about the dosing, here's your apology." He pointed to the section on the paper. " Here's mine, here' t' say that we could meet him too n' when, if he'd like to. Now..unless we have summat else we want to add, I'll just sign our names 'ere.. n'..we can have it folded and .. oh right, write , For doctor Maturin, on t' other side of course. Then we can jus' deliver it. I'd think we go straight ter him, tell 'im it's fer him n' leave. So's we're sure it won't be misplaced somewhere."

Or lost, that would be a laugh, not from them, but still. Then again Maturin could not read it either, unless.. "We could tell him its real important. That way he won't just trash it or summat!"

"Aye, we could say that. S'pose I'd best be the one to deliver it - or make sure it gets delivered anyway, which is diff'rent." He wondered if Foley would consent to giving it to the doctor for them; Markham would probably refuse to disturb him after the events of earlier. "I hope he'll accept us sayin' sorry," he said. "If he don't, I'm keepin' out of his way if I can, I know that much."

He though he knew why Oxley suggested it be better that he, if anyone, would deliver it. He'd wanted to say something to that, but instead marked their two names, of Private Oxley and seaman De Guarde - the later with great effort, but done. Then he folded the letter and wrote 'To Doctor Maturin' or something of similar nature and held the folded letter to Oxley. He supposed he needn't anything else to go with it.

"If yer mean to do that, be careful not ter get injured or summat." He murmured. " Well, here ye go, all finished n' done."

He turned when he was sure that de Guarde didn't need to borrow his back any more, and took the piece of paper.

"I'll be all right," he said, and paused, studying the younger boy's face. "I dunno what's got into you, but you're turnin' out a whole lot better than I thought you would when you come aboard. I'm glad I 'pologised to you yest'day."

"..Lots happened." He smiled, debating for an instant whether he could consider that as a compliment or feel bothered that Oxley suggested he was bad in the first place. Deciding to do the first his smile broadened a little.

"Thankee. N' yer shocked me right ..big when yer came n' apologised." He murmured. "Glad yer did too. Made better things happen that way too." He corked his ink bottle back and began wiping the quill on a piece of cloth he'd brought with him. The ink had dried on the letter ever since they've been talking while writing and all he needed to add was:" Careful with where t' name's written. Don't think it's fully dry there."

"Wasn't goin' to 'pologise, not at first," Oxley admitted with a shrug. "Only, I got to talkin' with Foley - Mister Cartwright's steward - and he said that about doin' what's right when it ain't 'spected bein' better'n doing it 'cause it was, and it made me think." He shifted his grip on the paper a little, making sure he wasn't holding it too close to the bottom of the sheet.

"An' I hope you're gettin' to like me a bit, an' all," he said, with an usually shy smile.

"But yer did do it, cos you've meant it aye?" He asked. He was not really surprised that Oxley hadn't meant to do it. Hell, he didn't want to apologise to Maturin, but only since he felt he'd been fully in the right.

He blinked, crossed his hands a little over his chest, the papers scooped up with one hand and the ink bottle in the other. "Well, I do like you when you're friendly, though I'd love ter put a stopper on your gob sometimes. That I would!" He winked showing that it was a bit of a tease there.

"Well, I wasn't sure you was goin' to accept it at first, but I thought I'd try anyway. And then you did and... I did mean it, though if you hadn't accepted it, I'd've just walked away and not bothered any more." And he certainly wouldn't have asked if De Guarde would like to go up into the tops, and he definitely would not have invited the other boy to join in with the skylarking.

He shrugged, grinning. "I don't b'lieve there's any lad who wouldn't run off at the mouth sometimes. Ain't nacherel, not to say what you think at times, even if it means gettin' in trouble. And there's no boy that I've heard of, ever who's never bin in trouble for summat he's done."

"I know. Is hard ter say sorry." He had to, when they were planning for the skylarking too. And it wasn't the easiest thing at all. And had to now, which was even worse!

"'specially if you mean it, cos then it means something. Isn't jus' oh who cares sort of thing." He nodded and smirked. "I'd have wanted to brag about that, but yer right. I wouldn't be standin' there thinkin' on that letter if I hadn't had me mouth sayin' wot I was thinking. Though, 'least.. he did deserve it, didn't he?" He was asking for Oxley's opinion. "I mean, I shoudn't have said it, like you shouldn't have let Dr. Crozier walk about. But then I did, and you did a bit because you had less choice, no? N' anyway.If yer pushed him into the hammock he could've gotten injured n' then all hell'd be there too!"

"He did, a bit. But he is an adult, and a surgeon an' even I know it's best to bite your tongue sometimes. Means you get in less trouble that way, and all. And I did try to get the doctor to lay down again, only he said he was Terpsy's surgeon - which he is. And I didn't think he'd listen to Mister M'Clure or Bridgens, neither, if they were there, seein' as they have to do what he says, bein' the senior surgeon an' all. And I stuck around to try to make sure he didn't hurt himself worse. Though it would've bin better if I'd have been able to say all that to Doctor Matterin at the time, though I don't s'pose it would've sounded much better than just an excuse. I never expected him to be so angry, though. Not with them, or... or with anyone else."

He smiled at de Guarde. "Sometimes it ain't so good to be all curious, like, neither. I bin in trouble for that before now meself, after all."

"Aye, 's adults who act like children though. N' he was fine n' well actin' like he were a spoiled brat! Pardon' me saying so." Not that he regretted saying just that. "As for you, as much as those sound like excuses, they are all valuable points too! I wonder if he were in yer shoes, n' I mean bein' a marine private n' all what he'd have done! Is all easy sayin' .. why yer didn't do that or this, when yer have t' authority ter. But when ye'um a private or a Tar or so.. really now.." He was on a roll.

"Might be a smart thing at the time but then, yer can as well expect ter get in an even bigger trouble if you do do it. Ye'll be said ter have disobeyed a direct order or summat, disregarded authority.. and so on."

He shrugged: "Everybody's so taken with him, n' I thought I could almost be, when he'd really saved our surgeon but.. ye see. I've learnt well enough that one good deed won't redeem all yer bad ones." Else he wouldn't be a Tar any longer.

He scowled a little: "Curious? Wot'cha mean with that?"

"Y'see, that's what the folks in charge never think of. And if Id' tried to get him to lie down again, I'd've had to... to, y'know, do it with me hands. And some folks would call that striking an officer, an' that's death in the Articles of War, ain't it. So it's best to do whatever's the easiest, safest thing at the time, even if it ain't the best, an' then tell someone who has got the authority. Which is just what I done, goin' to find the other doctor like I did." He sighed. "Ain't easy, sometimes, bein' just a private. Though there's allus someone you can talk to, who knows what you ought to do, which is good, if you can find 'em when you need to."

"Aye, touchin' 'im...strikin' an officer. Or even if he tripped, n' you were there.." The boy turned and took a few steps.

"s' not a perspective I've thought of before landin' 'ere. I mean... you never really imagine it like a problem till ..well, it ain't easy for you at all. And you did the best yer could've in the situation. N' Mr. Crozier hadn't gotten injured at all because of you. Which is a fair achievement in its own, what with how he was and everythin'!"

"But then 'fcourse that guest doctor can't imagine that, though I think he'd been upset with everyone in there, jus' couse he could. Wosn't fair. You could've jus' gone n' not called anyone fer help. " He shook his head. "So you think you'll give t' letter straight to Mr. Maturin?"

Oxley shook his head. "Not after that. I don't s'pose he'll want to see me again. I'm goin' to ask Foley to give it to him, or wait till there's nobody around in the wardroom and slip it under his cabin door. Though... I dunno how they can see it's somehow your fault, if he was kicked in the head by a horse. Even if you was down there at the time. Could just as easily say it's the groom's fault."

He looked frankly at de Guarde. "And there must've bin a reason you was around sickbay afore comin' in like that. 'Cause I can't believe you was there by accident."

"Don't jus' slip it under t' door. It could.. as it does.. go places that nobody'll see it. Better then ter give it ter Foley n' make sure he goes n' delivers it. " He looked surprised. "...Wait, they'um think it's me fault Dr. Crozier's got hit by a horse?"

He hadn't thought so himself. Sure he'd been there and in the way and Crozier came, but it was him that was meant to be there what with all the work he had to do, and not the doctor. Well he thought so atleast. So it wasn't as if he was asking the doctor to get hurt!

He blinked. Was Oxley accusing him of something now. ".. I wos' there because I heard t' shoutin'. ..." He muttered.

"That's what some folks are sayin', though it ain't true, an' Thompson told 'em to stow it," Oxley said. "He was there as well, wasn't he? Thompson, I mean. So he should know. And, well, I'll give it to Foley to give him, then."

"Aye, Geo .. Thompson was there too. N' he'd helped when t' doctor was down. If it weren't for him, our Mr. Crozier could've not made it at all! He's saved his life in sorts." He nodded. "Held his head all safe even with 'is achin' ankle."

He shook his head, grateful that Thompson spoke for him, but somewhat distressed that people were accusing him, blaming him for the Doctor's injury. "Wot' are they sayin' 'zactly ? 'cos I didn't do nothin' n' I was there 'couse I had ter clean. s' not me fault that Dr. Crozier got hurt while there too!"

"It's just that some folks think you might've had summat to do with it, though I dunno how they can think that, or why, really. But I think they're just stupid an' don't know what they'm talkin' about, an' I'll tell 'em so, I will."

"They think I pushed him or summat?" He shook his head sharply. "Just know. I did not! And I didn't do nothin' wrong!" He frowned. "..Thanks Oxley.. um.. Tom... that is if I may call yer Tom.. if not.. then jus' Oxley." He said quickly.

"..I hope they'um going ter listen to you, n' Thompson! Really do!" He didn't do anything wrong, but those rumours, he didn't like them.

"You can call me Tom, I don't mind," Oxley said. "I mean, I call you Buckles, don't I? And I think folks have only bin sayin' that 'cause of, well, what you was like when you come aboard. We'll show 'em, though. You're one of us an' even the grown-ups'll have to see it when you come a-skylarkin' with us in a bit." He grinned conspiratorially at the younger lad.

"Even then I would not have tried to kill someone!" He felt angry that the men thought so. He breathed a bit more easily and nodded to Oxley. "Alright. We'll show 'em. Though if somebody slips.. they'll blame it on me, I bet." He said glumly. But he was not at all thinking that he would not go up in the shrouds, just because of them sailor's opinions. He'd go there because he wanted to have fun, and to compete and be damned with them!

"Better hurry n' get the note delivered. Well.. Foley mind, or we can go where Maturin is, knock on the door, say there's post fer him, and slip it under his door. Keep our voices, or your voice low, so he don't know who it is?" He was only thinking of the letter to calm himself somewhat. And he'd thought that they were thinking some better!