Chapter 6
Kennedy landed on the street with a grunt, his feet slipping in the ugly mixture of slime and mid-March slush. He got up, swearing profusely, and more disoriented than ever. He glanced around the busy streets hopelessly, at once trying not to get robbed by thieves, run over by carriages, and trying to remember where Horatio's house was. Exhausted from literally hours of running, seemingly in circles, around the streets of Portsmouth, he leaned back against the brick wall of the Pirate's Cave tavern and closed his eyes. As he took several deep breathes, he remembered last night's conversation with the captain as well as the ghastly look on Pellews face.
Mama. I see Mama.
Pellew's eyes met his, perfect white circles around the irises. He thought the captain looked as scared as he felt. Not once in their long years of friendship, had Horatio ever called his mother Mama. On the rare occasions that he mentioned her at all, it was Mother. Or my mother.'
Pellew rasped.
I don't-I don't know,sir. At that point, he was beyond caring that Matthews, Styles, and Oldroyd were hanging on his every word, while doing an incredibly poor job of pretending they were not. She died, that's all he's ever told me.
Horatio shrieked again. Mama, talk to me. Don't ignore me! Matthews reached over and tried to calm his flailing.
Easy, sir, easy. Gonna be all right, et is. Frettin' bout it don't help none. Don't recommend it, frettin' , if ye ask me, Matthews said.
Oh, God! Pellew yelled. Why, oh, why do always get stuck with the most bloody awful ships' surgeons in the profession? At the very least, it would be nice to have one who didn't disappear to get drunk somewhere even though he had a patient who he claims is at death's door!
He'd asked after Pellew had finished his mini tirade.
Yes, what is it?
Horatio's father lives in Porsmouth, sir.
What the hell has that got to do with anything?
And that, Archie now reflected, had led to what had to be the strangest part of the evening. Even now, he couldn't figure it out. What the hell has that got to do with anything?
What was even stranger than the question-shouldn't, he remembered thinking incredulously, Pellew have barked an order at him to go let Horatio Sr. know that his son was ill? was Pellew's whole demeanor after he'd answered.
Well, sir, you see-well, Hora-I mean, Mr. Hornblower's father's a doctor, quite a good one. I met him last Christmas, sir, he knows what he's doing.
Incredibly, a pained look crossed Pellew's face, but it was gone so quickly that maybe he'd imagined it. Of course he'd imagined it. What would-
Mr. Hornblower's father's a doctor? Pellew had asked gruffly, face now turned away from him.
Yes, sir.
A sigh escaped the captain's mouth as he said Well, you'd best go get him, then, Kennedy, if you remember where he lives. I despise a man who won't keep a promise, and we promised Hornblower we'd make him well. With a bitter laugh, he said And Hepplewhite certainly isn't helping.
Yes, sir.
At this point, it wasn't just Archie who was eying Captain Pellew with more than a little curiosity.
WELL, DON'T JUST SIT THERE, FOR GOD'S SAKE, GO GET HIS FATHER!
Captain Pellew's voice was still ringing in his ears long after the door had slammed behind him.

Startled by the use of his first name, Archie's eyes snapped open. A near-exact copy of Horatio, albeit several decades older was staring at him from the window of a carriage that had stopped in the middle of the street.
Mr. Hornblower, sir!
Indeed. And what, pray tell, are you doing in Portsmouth Archie?
Well, sir- How was he going to do this? He'd never thought about actually breaking the news to Horatio's father before.
Archie, what's wrong? A frown crossed Hornblower Sr.'s face.
Bloody hell.
Sir, it's Horatio.
What's wrong with him? Mr. Hornblower asked in alarm.
Well, sir, it's a bit complicated, but to make a long story short we were in the Canary Islands, we drank some water, Horatio's got typhoid-
The door of the carriage banged open.
Get in, the doctor said bluntly. No boy of mine is dying because of a fever and no-good ships' surgeon.