Chapter Three

"This is most unfortunate, Mr. Hornblower."

Horatio, still standing at attention in the captain's cabin, nodded. "Aye, sir, it is."

Sitting behind his desk, Pellew studied the chart in front of him, unconsciously drumming his fingers on the edge of the finely polished cherrywood. It was bad enough that Indefatigable was for all intents and purposes dead in the water, now he had to deal with this on top of it. His brow knit in concentration, he didn't realize that several minutes passed while he was thinking. It was only the sound of something being dropped up on deck that seemed to bring him back into the room.

Looking up, he noticed Hornblower still standing at attention. Waving his hand at his lieutenant, he said, "At your ease, Mr. Hornblower."

Horatio relaxed slightly, but kept his place across from his captain. Immediately after leaving Archie in the surgery, he had hastened to Pellew's cabin to give him the update on his acting lieutenant. His report had been brief and to the point. Mr. Kennedy was physically fine, but his memory was gone.

"Unfortunate and unusual, I'll wager," Pellew said. "And most unwelcome."

"Sir?"

Pellew sighed. "We are aboard an injured ship, lieutenant, and the loss of one of my officers is damned inconvenient right now. Mr. Kennedy's services are needed, if we are to reach London in six weeks."

Bristling slightly, Horatio kept his voice calm. "Well, sir, it is not as if Mr. Kennedy planned this..."

Pellew whipped his head up, anger crossing his face. "That is not what I meant, sir, and it would do you well not to presuppose you know what I am thinking."

"My apologies, sir. I meant no offense."

"Hmm," Pellew replied, his anger - always quick to rise - abating. "Very well. My thinking was that Indefatigable needs to be in London in six weeks for a very important appointment."

"Appointment, sir?" Horatio kept his voice level, wondering how a captain could be so removed from his men that he would think a mere appointment was more important than the health and well-being of one of his officers.

Pellew suppressed a smile. He knew what was in the boy's heart right now, and he could see the dismay that Hornblower was trying to hide, dismay that his captain could be so unfeeling toward one of his own. Well, he would have to learn sometime that friendship did not come into play when one was in command, that the safety of the ship and all of her crew was what mattered. However, now was not the opportunity for that.

"Yes, Mr. Hornblower," he said. "You see, Mr. Kennedy is scheduled to take his examination for lieutenant at that time."

Horatio looked up in astonishment. "His exam, sir?"

"You sound surprised, sir. You do not think him ready?"

"Oh, no, sir, that's not it at all. It's just, just....well, he never mentioned anything to me about it, sir."

"I'm not surprised. He doesn't know yet himself."

"Oh," was all Horatio could think to say. He knew Archie was ready, knew that he was slowly developing the confidence in himself and his leadership abilities that were so necessary to pass the exam. Or at least, he HAD been ready. He looked up, to meet Pellew's eyes across the desk.

"And now he's lost his memory," Horatio said quietly. "It's quite..."

"...unfortunate," finished his captain.

"Unfortunate," agreed Horatio, with a small, sad smile. Archie had worked so hard, had spent all his free time studying, and now he would not be able to take the exam. It could be a very long time before he would have another chance. Life just did not seem to be very fair to Archie Kennedy.

"Well," Pellew continued, his voice brisk and businesslike. "Six weeks is a long time. Perhaps Mr. Kennedy will have recovered sufficiently by then to attend the exam."

"I truly hope it to be so, sir."

"As do I. In the meantime, I think it best if you speak to his men, and tell them his condition. I'm sure they will be concerned. Even Mr. Malley."

Horatio looked up at that. He wasn't aware that Pellew knew of the animosity Malley felt for Archie, but obviously he did. A twinge of unease passed over Horatio. He knew that Archie had been trying to work this out on his own, not wanting to bother the captain with such a trivial matter, but if Pellew knew of it, he obviously hadn't been doing enough. And now, heaven knew what would happen.

"Don't look so surprised, Mr. Hornblower," chided Pellew. "A good captain always knows everything that is happening on his ship." He stared intently at Horatio. "And I do mean everything, lieutenant."

"Aye, sir," Horatio said, coming to attention again. "I'm quite sure all of his men will want to know how he fares." Nodding his head, he left the captain's cabin and headed aft. Archie's detail would be working on repairing the sails.

The sun shone on his face as he came on deck, and small white clouds lazed across the wide blue sky. All around him, men were working steadily on their repairs. His own men were helping repair the topgallant mast, and he watched them for a few moments, proud of the sailors they had become. Once upon a time, they, too, had been termed by Pellew as an "undisciplined rabble" and yet they were now men he was proud to serve with, capable and strong. There might just be hope for Malley and Fuller.

He continued on down the deck, taking note of all the repairs going on, and making sure all the men were doing their utmost to help, and not slacking off. His gaze found Lt. Bracegirdle, and the older man shot him a questioning look, but all Horatio did was nod back to him. The first officer would find out soon enough what had befallen Archie this time, and Horatio had orders to speak to the men of Archie's division first.

He found them repairing the sails, as expected, and he held back for a moment, studying them as they worked.

Walters, the oldest, had quickly become Archie's right-hand man, proving himself to be almost another version of Matthews. Pressed into service just a few years earlier, he had fallen in love with the sea and his place aboard ship, and he always had a quick smile upon his grizzled face, or a joke for everyone. Wiry but strong, he had a wife and four children ashore. He was extremely loyal to both Archie and Indefatigable.

Working next to him was Whitney. Young, wide-eyed and idealistic, he had joined the Navy for adventure and excitement, lured by the promises of prize money and glory. Still very new to sea-life, the landsman worshipped all officers, and took whatever they said as gospel, which oftentimes got him into trouble. Archie loved to tease the boy whenever he got a chance, for Whitney would believe anything Archie told him, no matter how far-fetched it may be. Reality and disillusionment had not yet set in for the young man, and Horatio knew that Archie always wanted to protect that part of him. Horatio suspected it was because Archie had never been able to keep that part of his own life - it had been ripped away by Jack Simpson when he was far too young.

His gaze turned next to Malley, working across from Walters, or barely working, rather. Stabbing viciously at the sail, his dark red hair glowing in the sun, he was muttering to his companion all the time. Big and hulking, Malley hated serving aboard ship, and never made a secret of his feelings. Not overly bright, he spoke of his hatred for all officers loudly and often, and his hatred was especially directed toward Archie, who had made it plain from the outset that he would take none of Malley's attitude, and expected him to pull his weight with all the other men. Malley belittled him constantly, though after several punishments, he now at least had the sense to restrict his comments to times when the officers weren't around. He was, to put it simply, mean through-and-through. A character best left alone unless absolutely necessary.

Next to him was Fuller, his constant companion and fellow troublemaker. Barrel-chested, dark-haired and swarthy, he rarely spoke. He followed Malley without question or comment, and the two of them were rather an interesting contrast, especially standing side by side, for while Malley was a big man, Fuller was very short. A fine hand with the lines, he nevertheless often had to be pushed to do his duty.

And that left only Haversham, the wild card. Nothing was known about him, except that he had joined the Navy on his own, reputedly to escape an unpleasantness of some sort. With sandy-brown hair and dark chocolate eyes, he was ruggedly good-looking, with an air of danger about him that ladies found absolutely fascinating. His exploits on shore leave were well celebrated, but no one knew anything about his life before he came aboard Indefatigable. A man of mystery, thought Horatio, not for the first time. And no one, including Archie, was quite sure where his loyalties lay.

"Men," he said quietly, but with enough force to carry to them. All five looked up, and Walters rose to his feet.

"How is 'e, sir?"

Horatio stood next to them, taking in all their expressions. Concern from Walters and Whitney, indifference from Haversham, and outright disdain from Malley and Fuller. He focused on Walters and Whitney.

"He has suffered a blow of some type to the head. Physically, he seems to be fine, though a little weak." Blast, he thought as Malley snickered. Wrong word to use.

"That ain't exactly a s'prise," Malley sneered. "He always were weak."

"That's enough, Mr. Malley," Horatio said sharply. "Mr. Kennedy is suffering a bit from dizziness due to the head injury, but that will soon pass. However, there is a bit of a complication."

"What kind of comp'cation, sir?" It was Whitney, looking very worried.

Horatio took a deep breath. "It seems that Mr. Kennedy has lost his memory."

The men all stared at him for a moment, disbelief on all of their faces. It was Malley who broke the silence, guffawing loudly.

"Lost his mind? Ha ha! I heard it ain't the first time! So it's Bedlam for him, is it? 'Bout time, I say. "

"Silence, Malley!" Horatio roared. How in heaven's name did Archie deal with this man? "He has not lost his mind. He has merely lost his memory."

"I don't get it, sir," said Whitney slowly. "How is that possible?"

Horatio fixed his dark gaze on the confused young man. "I am not a doctor, Mr. Whitney, so I cannot give you an explanation. I do know that it happens occasionally, following an injury to the head, but other than that, I cannot tell you more."

"So is it permanent?" asked Haversham curiously.

Horatio shrugged slightly. "No one knows for certain. Most likely it is only temporary, but how long it will last is anyone's guess."

"Can we visit 'im, sir?" asked Walters hopefully.

"I am not sure if that is such a good idea right now, Walters. He won't recognize you, and seeing so many new people might only serve to confuse and distress him." He smiled at the older seaman. "Give him a few days, and then we'll see."

"Aye, sir," said Walters, then turned to the rest of the men. "Let's get this sail repaired, men, so we can get the Indy underway."

Horatio watched as the men turned back to their work, Malley and Fuller grudgingly continuing on with their chore. He turned to look about the deck for Lieutenant Bracegirdle, wanting to fill him in on Archie's condition, but the first lieutenant was just leaving the deck and heading below. Most likely he was reporting to the captain, so Pellew would fill him in. Sighing, Horatio headed over to his own division. Matthews, Styles and Oldroyd had served with Archie for quite some time, and they would want to know his condition. Matthews, especially, had become rather protective of Archie over the past year, wanting to make up for his not protecting the boy from Jack Simpson and his like, and there was now a definite respect between the two of them.

"Afternoon, Mr. 'Ornblower, sir," greeted Matthews as Horatio approached the group. His division was now back on deck, checking the lines to the foresail. Horatio quietly filled them in on what had happened to Archie.

Matthews' face was solemn. "That sounds pretty bad, sir."

"It may well be," Horatio said honestly. "The doctor has no idea whether this will be a permanent condition, or if Mr. Kennedy will recover his memory in a matter of days. Unfortunately, there is just no way to know."

"But 'e'll be fine, right?" said Oldroyd anxiously. "Mr. Kennedy allus comes out all right, don't he."

Horatio smiled at him. "Yes, Oldroyd, he does seem to always land on his feet somehow. I imagine he will this time, too."

"Sure hope so," said Styles quietly. "Boy's been through enough." He and Matthews exchanged glances, and Oldroyd dropped his head. The three of them knew of every one of Mr. Kennedy's struggles, all right, since they'd served with him from the day the boy first set foot upon Justinian.

"Very well, men," Horatio said, grateful for their concern. "Carry on."

"Aye, aye, sir," said Matthews as they all turned back to their duty. Horatio watched them for awhile, and then began walking the deck, looking for any missed repairs that needed to be finished.

By evening, Indefatigable was patched together well enough to set sail. Midshipman Masters was put in temporary charge of Archie's division, and the ship turned for Portsmouth for more comprehensive repairs, where she would stay before then making a short sail to Gibraltar, and then back to London in time for Archie's exam. Horatio, like all other officers, remained on watch until it was apparent that she would be able to sail without any unmanageable or noticeable problems, and then he headed down to sick berth, armed with the well-wishes of his men, three of Archie's men, Mr. Bowles, and the other lieutenants.

"Good evening, Mr. Kennedy," he said as he reached his friend's side, a smile upon his face. "How are you feeling?"

Archie glanced up at him. "Good day, Mr. Hornblower," he said politely. "I am fairly well, thank you, except for this blasted headache."

Concerned, Horatio drew up a seat next to the bed and sat down. "Your head still aches? Has not Dr. Hepplewhite given you anything for it?"

Archie looked at him, feeling rather uncomfortable. He did not know this man, and he wasn't sure just how much he should share with him. He studied the face across from him, wondering if maybe it was just another officer, trying to help a fellow officer recover. The concern on his face seemed real enough, though, so he tried to put aside his trepidation and act as if he did know him.

"He has, but feared giving me too much would harm instead of heal, so it is only in small doses. It really is much better, though. I just wish he would let me out of this place. I grow weary of lying here alone." He sighed. "He is also quite angry with me, for earlier, I escaped and ventured up top. Unfortunately, he captured me before I got on deck."

Horatio smiled. Yes, that was Archie, impatient as always. It was only when instructing his men that he showed much restraint - in everything else, he always wanted to move ahead, keep going, throwing his heart ahead of his head and going full-flung into life. An image flashed into Horatio's mind - Archie, face and uniform splattered with blood, brandishing his sword after his first real hand-to-hand battle, his face shining, his eyes sparkling - he'd been so alive that day. So ready to face the world, and never look back. At least he tries, thought Horatio sadly. There are just some things he can never seem to escape.

"I see your injury has not increased your level of patience, sir," he teased. "I'm certain sure that Dr. Hepplewhite will release you when he sees fit."

"Well, he'd better see fit soon," grumbled Archie, "or I'm going to fight my way out of here. Have you a cutlass to hand? I may need to borrow it."

Horatio laughed lightly, something he never seemed to do around anyone except for Archie. He already missed having his friend up on deck beside him, or conversing with him in the ward room, or in their quarters for the more personal discussions.

"Sorry, Archie," he smiled, and saw Archie tense up at the familiarity. "I'm afraid I do not. You'll just have to remain here until you are released." Trying to turn the topic, he told Archie of the well-wishes of his friends and division, and saw Archie begin to relax a little.

"Walters, Whitney and Haversham?" he inquired. "Those are my men?"

"Yes," Horatio answered. "And fine men they are - you've done a wonderful job with them."

Archie was frowning slightly. "Three is too small for a division aboard a ship the size of Indefatigable. Were some lost in the fighting?"

Horatio paused. Archie knew the size of his ship, and how the complement of men was divided? Was his memory returning already? Not wanting to raise Archie's hopes, and aware that Archie hadn't even realized what he was saying, he proceeded carefully forward.

"There are two others, still alive and with us. They are simply not…demonstrative men. To show emotion is quite foreign to them." So, it was a lie. Archie did not yet need to know the animosity Malley and Fuller felt toward him.

"I see," Archie said, nodding. "That is quite understandable. Like it or not, there is a division between men and officers, a line best not crossed. Can't have discipline falling through the planking, can we?"

"No," answered Horatio slowly. That was not like Archie at all. He usually broke all the unwritten rules in regard to officer/crew interaction. He spent time with the men, and considered Matthews to be a true friend, not just a subordinate. He oftentimes went ashore with them, spending time in pubs with them, at least those times when Horatio had to remain aboard and couldn't join him. He was one of the most popular officers because of it, because he treated them as men, and as regular human beings, not as slave labor aboard ship.

Noticing how tired and pale Archie was beginning to look, Horatio rose to his feet. "I should leave now, Mr. Kennedy. I do not wish to overtire you."

"Thank you," Archie said, looking up at him. "And I thank you for your kindness in visiting me, sir. It has been quite…lonely… down here."

"It is my pleasure, sir," he replied softly. "It is nothing less than you have done for me when I have been confined here. Your memory will return, Archie, I have no doubt. Rest now, my friend. With your permission, I shall return to visit tomorrow."

A slow grin spread across Archie's face. "I believe I should like that, Mr. Hornblower. Thank you."

His heart rising with hope, Horatio left the sick berth and headed to his cabin. The visit had been extremely enlightening and positive. There were things Archie remembered. Size of his ship, strength of a division, etiquette between officers and men - who knew what else could be lurking there, just below the surface? Tomorrow, he vowed to himself. Tomorrow we shall begin to explore just how much he does know.