! Movieverse !
The Way To The Top (and the aftereffects)
"Shall we play?" Stephen asked as he did most nights, and was surprised to see his friend look uncomfortable. He lowered his bow.
"No, I think... I shall retire early this night," Jack said. The doctor felt his eyebrows rise. He put his cello down and gave the captain a stern look.
"What is it? You have been..." he waved an undetermined hand in the air "off… all day."
Now that he thought of it, he found that his friend had been uncharacteristically stationary that day. While a normal day was often spent all about the ship, supervising everything and teaching the midshipmen, this day the captain had spent near the helm, and mostly sitting down.
"Does something ail you, Jack?"
Captain Jack Aubrey stood stiffly under the sharp eye of Stephen Maturin. Receiving no answer or clarification, the doctor thought aloud.
"You are aware that as your doctor I would know of anything that might incapacitate you? Serious ills may seem small at first, you do know this," Stephen said seriously.
No reply. The captain shifted his weight a little, and the doctor's trained eyes detected some discomfort in the movement, as if it ached Jack to stand somehow.
His thoughts went to yesterday, and finally it dawned.
"Jack! Do you have muscular ache?"
"There is no need for you to sound amused," the captain said gruffly. Stephen hid a smile behind his hand.
"Well, you did climb all the way up to the… what are they called? The highest yards."
"The t'gallant yard. And it had been a while since I'd climbed that far up."
"…not to mention that you tried to keep pace with Tom Pullings, who is years younger and stones lighter." The doctor said solemnly.
"Nonsense!" the captain made a stern gesture to add to his words, but quickly lowered the arm with a wince. "…it has nothing to do with that."
"You know, my friend… you should do it more often, climb up there."
"Are you mocking me?"
"No no no!" Stephen schooled his face into perfect seriousness. "It would do you good."
Jack huffed. "You do mock me. A friend would be concerned for my health, not encouraging me to do this more often!"
Stephen could not hold his face any longer, and laughter bubbled up at the indignant face of the captain.
"Then you should not have chosen a physician for a friend, for my concern for your health causes me to encourage you to take more exercise!" he choked out.
"OUT!" Jack bellowed, gesturing to the door with a wince at the motion of his arm. "You have quite outstayed your welcome, doctor!"
Laughing uncontrollably, Stephen allowed himself to be shoed out of the great cabin. The door smacked closed behind him, and he turned back to it.
"Goo-goodnight ca-captain!" he hiccoughed with laughter. Behind the door he could hear Jack break into a chuckle.
"And you, damned doctor."
END
Note: there's not nearly enough friendship/character stuff/life on board stories I feel. I just can't see these characters as slashy, so I'm trying to fill a gap here ;-)
Timeline: I've decided this must have been about a week before the start of the film. Wanted to use the event that is in the film, but there's a storm that night, so this lighter moment didn't seem to fit.
"Shall we play?" Stephen asked as he did most nights, and was surprised to see his friend look uncomfortable. He lowered his bow.
"No, I think... I shall retire early this night," Jack said. The doctor felt his eyebrows rise. He put his cello down and gave the captain a stern look.
"What is it? You have been..." he waved an undetermined hand in the air "off… all day."
Now that he thought of it, he found that his friend had been uncharacteristically stationary that day. While a normal day was often spent all about the ship, supervising everything and teaching the midshipmen, this day the captain had spent near the helm, and mostly sitting down.
"Does something ail you, Jack?"
Captain Jack Aubrey stood stiffly under the sharp eye of Stephen Maturin. Receiving no answer or clarification, the doctor thought aloud.
"You are aware that as your doctor I would know of anything that might incapacitate you? Serious ills may seem small at first, you do know this," Stephen said seriously.
No reply. The captain shifted his weight a little, and the doctor's trained eyes detected some discomfort in the movement, as if it ached Jack to stand somehow.
His thoughts went to yesterday, and finally it dawned.
"Jack! Do you have muscular ache?"
"There is no need for you to sound amused," the captain said gruffly. Stephen hid a smile behind his hand.
"Well, you did climb all the way up to the… what are they called? The highest yards."
"The t'gallant yard. And it had been a while since I'd climbed that far up."
"…not to mention that you tried to keep pace with Tom Pullings, who is years younger and stones lighter." The doctor said solemnly.
"Nonsense!" the captain made a stern gesture to add to his words, but quickly lowered the arm with a wince. "…it has nothing to do with that."
"You know, my friend… you should do it more often, climb up there."
"Are you mocking me?"
"No no no!" Stephen schooled his face into perfect seriousness. "It would do you good."
Jack huffed. "You do mock me. A friend would be concerned for my health, not encouraging me to do this more often!"
Stephen could not hold his face any longer, and laughter bubbled up at the indignant face of the captain.
"Then you should not have chosen a physician for a friend, for my concern for your health causes me to encourage you to take more exercise!" he choked out.
"OUT!" Jack bellowed, gesturing to the door with a wince at the motion of his arm. "You have quite outstayed your welcome, doctor!"
Laughing uncontrollably, Stephen allowed himself to be shoed out of the great cabin. The door smacked closed behind him, and he turned back to it.
"Goo-goodnight ca-captain!" he hiccoughed with laughter. Behind the door he could hear Jack break into a chuckle.
"And you, damned doctor."