Convict No man but Man

Horatio stared across the room deeply into the somber eyes of his beloved friend destined for the cool embrace of death. The perspiring forehead of his devoted midshipman told him that the verdict was not in his favor. The noose was awaiting his friend and it was now only a race to discover whether the hangman or the Spanish will have been his mate's demise. Archie's pale blue eyes looked faint as he stared past Horatio's shoulder onto what he could interpret as his passage to the God he believed in so dearly.

The courtroom buzzed as the judge's gable pounded the desk and Archie took the false blame for pushing the delusional Captain Sawyer into the holding cell. Captain Sawyer was unfit for service and in turn caused his friend the pain of his name being dismissed and unhonored at his inevitable death, whichever way the God's preferred him to die. Chaos broke out amongst the courtroom and the marines were called to restrain the crowd.

Admiral Pellew had been almost a fatherly figure to Horatio yet sentenced Mr. Kennedy to the gallows, lest it be the guillotine. At the chaotic sight before him he addressed the sentries to take Kennedy down to the hospital, Horatio turned to face Admiral Pellew. From across the courthouse he could feel his glare questioning him about who really deserved the gallows fate for the deceived captain's death. He continued his turn and faced away from his inquisitive superior towards the stairs, which would lead down to Archie's final living quarters.

"Goddamned the Spanish. Goddamned them to Hell!" Horatio muttered as his friend was led past him, by the sentries to the filthy hospital bed, which would be where Archie would spend his last minutes breathing. Archie's eyes followed Horatio's as they made their way down to the sick bay where the bars surrounding the area resembling a holding cell, now held significance.

Fate nearly met Archie too soon, for his friend collapsed before they could make it to his bed. Maybe they were tempting fate too far, for his friend was close to death by minutes, minutes that would pass too quickly. Doctor Clive knelt by his friend and carefully directed the marines to hoist him on to the bed; his eyes were regretful and definite. As the doctor drew himself up to a formidable position his eyes told Hornblower all he needed to understand the time his dying friend had left.

Doctor Clive peeled Archie's uniform from his chest and saw his wounds had worsened, the bleeding had increased and soaked through his bandages, his dear friend's life was going to end within the hour. Clive held Archie's neck and awoke him with a damp cloth to his pale forehead.

"Who am I Mr. Kennedy?"

"You're Clive, you great fool!" Archie said half-heartedly, almost to himself in a trance.

"Very well Mr. Kennedy, I will leave you to yourself. Take as much time as you would like Mr. Hornblower."

With those final words the doctor left them to themselves to say their goodbyes and farewells. Horatio looked deeply into Archie's eyes with no embarrassment at their proximity. Archie's chest was gleaming with sweat and heaved in pain with every breath he took. His bandages were slowly being soaked by red; with every passing second he seemed to lose more color to his face. He gasped in pain, Horatio took his hand and felt Archie grab it, trying to maintain his calm, but at the same time the force with which he pressured his hand told Horatio of the pain he experienced and of how hard he was trying to stay with him and not float away on top of the water with which he was walking under.

"Archie…..why, why would you take the blame for at such a dear cost…."

"Look at me Horatio, no gallows in the world can touch me now."

"Archie…"

"Poor Horatio, so quick to give, so slow to accept even the simplest of gifts. You've done the same for others and myself at risks many times over. Just take what I offer, take it and say goodbye."

"Archie…."

"It is time my friend, I fear I will be here not for long. I have no panic at the prospect of death, though I wish to exceed it, I will not run from it."

"I am honored to have served with such a brave man as you Archie. As I recall you are the one who jumped off a cliff with a man who can't swim and another who's afraid of heights. "

Archie struggled with his emotions for a minute before replying. Sensing to have remembered that moment where they ran from the explosion that had so closely been their demise, where only hours later he would be wounded by the Spanish commander.

"And I to have known you."

And with that Archie's breathing quickened and his hand once again found Horatio's and wouldn't relinquish. His abdomen started to rise and he fought with his useless body to fill his lungs with air. Archie fell back against his bed, his blue eyes stared into nothingness, his hand held by Horatio felt cold though his temperature could not have possibly dropped that quickly.

"Goodbye, my dear friend."

And with that Horatio conceded to cry amongst the din to be heard from above in the ruins of the one peaceful courtroom no one would be able to see young Horatio cry. His once bearable life had just receded back to the days when he could barely make it through the day without contemplating death.

Archie's eyes were still open, staring at the ceiling; Horatio bent over slowly and closed his dead friend's lids. This only aroused a bout of cries to emit from his chest, to fill the sick bay with sadness. He could not even begin to contemplate the pain Archie must have endured, for his was endless and he was physically unwounded. Emotionally he would have pain for years, he would show calm in action, but will always think of how the midshipman could compare to Archie's bravery and strategic thoughts.