Lieutenant Croft looked to Lieutenant Musgrove, and both of them looked at the pale, scrawny midshipman who sat opposite them.
"It was a mistake to bring him," Croft shouted, still barely heard in the roar of the Blue Mermaid, "He's still too green!"
"Yes, he does look a bit green about the gills!" Musgrove bellowed back.
Croft thought to correct Musgrove, but decided against it. It wasn't worth the effort.
"Come on, Mr. Norrington, let's have you back to the Terpsichore!"
Midshipman Norrington , just twelve years of age, did not respond.
"Mr. Norrington!"
The boy finally looked up, and more than his eyes were green.
"Sir – I – I -" he stuttered, hands shaking.
"Come on, boy. Out with it," Musgrove growled.
The midshipman promptly lost the contents of his stomach on Musgrove's new sea-boots, and collapsed. Musgrove cursed and stomped his feet impotently.
"Wretched rat! No good will ever come of an officer who can't hold his drink!"
Croft was not convinced, as he hefted the boy. "I rather think he'll make a better man."
The Blue Mermaid was so loud that Musgrove could not hear Croft's rather prophetic words. But Midshipman Norrington outshone them both in time, anyway.
(Written for vivalaliberte's birthday over on LJ, on the prompt, "James goes drinking with the big boys for the first time.")