Chapter Seventeen

Forcing herself to put the first notebook away, finding herself too

flushed to continue, Emma decided to move on to the journal with the notes on the crew. She'd read up on Styles since he'd be her first patient.......she hoped. When she found his name she whistled. He took up many pages. Gunshot wounds, broken bones, four cases of the clap. "How charming." Emma said out loud with a grimace. Her jaw dropped open when she read the cause of the old scarring she'd noticed on his face. "Rats? How on earth?" Emma asked. She cast a wary glance along the floor to reassure herself that there were no rats to be found in this room. Did Styles sleep on the floor? She made a mental note to ask him about that.

"All settled in, are we?" A sneering voice made Emma jump in her seat. Emma felt a panicked shiver shoot down her spine when she saw who stood in the doorway.

"Can I help you, Mr. Simpson?" She asked shakily.

"Aye, that you can, lass." He replied, cold eyes glinting. He walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

"I'm expecting a p..patient. A Mr. Styles so if you'd please state-" Emma stood up but resisted the urge to run cowering in the corner.

"This won't take long at all. I have a proposition for you, dear."

"I hardly think that is appropriate, Sir considering that I'm a married woman." Emma's voice sounded choked and high pitched to her own ears.

"I told you before that I taught Mr. Hornblower the value of generosity." He said, barely a foot away from her. Emma took a step back, meeting the wall. His finger reached to stroke her cheek and Emma instinctively smacked it away.

"Keep your filthy paws to yourself, Sir!" She snapped. Jack Simpson smiled at her. A cold, evil smile.

"It would not do to deny me, Mrs. Hornblower." His breath was hot and rank against her face. "I see that I am going to have to teach you that." He said.

"I'll thank you to step back, Mr. Simpson." Emma ordered, fighting the panic in her chest.

"Perhaps we should begin our lesson now?" He suggested. The door opened again. This time the doorway was filled with the broad, strong, intimidating presence of her first patient.

"Styles." Emma said, the name coming out in a rush of relief.

"Aye, I'll come back if you've got company." Styles said. He cast her a distasted glare, thinking she was in the middle of some sort of tryst with Simpson.

"No, Styles!" She called out urgently. Grey eyes met hers questioningly. "Mr. Simpson was just leaving." She insisted. The desperation in her eyes must have gotten through to him because Styles walked back into the room, glaring daggers at Simpson. If there was one man who didn't seem the least bit intimidated by Simpson it was Styles. He may not be overly fond of her, but Emma could see that he loathed Jack Simpson. Her estimation of the bear-like man went up a notch.

"I'll be back." Simpson said to her, ignoring Styles as while he walked out of the room.

"Aye and he will too. You haven't got the sense God gave a goat, lass." Styles said scowling. "And Hornblower's got even less bringin' ya?"

"Yes well, let's dispense with the flattery and get to work, shall we?" Emma busied herself flipping through the notebook on the crew's medical notes. "Up on the table if you please." She said pointing to the long examination table. "There's something in here I wanted to ask you about. Ah, here it is. The scars on your face. Says here that rats caused them?"

"They are." Styles replied with a note of pride in his voice that deepened Emma's curiosity.

"How?" Emma asked. "Do they bite you when you're asleep?"

"No ma'm. I bite them while they're awake." He replied smiling. His long legs crossed at the ankles while hers didn't even reach the floor when she'd sat up there before. The notebook fell out of her hand while she gasped with horrified awe.

"Good God." She said.

"Shocking isn't it, lass?" Styles asked. Challenge and disdain in his eyes. Emma forced herself to look away and bent down to pick up the book, giving herself a minute to put the mask of professionalism back in place. She cleared her throat and continued.

"Do you comprehend the parasites and germs carried by rats, Mr. Styles?" She asked. "It's a wonder you're not dead already. Give me your hand." Emma ordered.

"If a bullet ain't got me yet, I doubt a wee rat is gonna do me in, doctor." He added the title with a sneer.

"One germ has killed far more than a single bullet, Sir. You'd do well to remember that." Emma said, counting off the beats of his pulse. Strong and steady. No chance of this one keeling over anytime soon.

"Careful, Mrs. 'ornblower. Been a while since I had myself I good shag. Don't want to cause any ungentlemanly reactions, now do ya?" Her eyes glared at him while her cheeks burned. Oh the nerve of this vulgar! vulgar man!" Emma wanted to slap him silly. Instead she smiled sweetly.

"Take off your shirt, Mr. Styles." Styles visibly startled.

"What?" He asked open-mouthed.

"I can't very well examine you if you have your clothes one, now off with it." She instructed; fighting down panic at the idea of seeing him undressed. Still, it was a part of her job and she would do it.

"I bloody will not!" He insisted.

"What's the matter, Styles. Shy?" Emma countered.

His eyes narrowed. "Mr. Hornblower will have my head if I'm in here naked with you."

"I won't tell him if you don't." Emma purred thoroughly enjoying his discomfort. He opened his mouth to speak but she rushed on ahead. "Mr. Styles, if you think to send me scurrying off with your vulgarity let me disabuse you of that notion. I am here. Here I will stay. I have a duty to perform and it will go much smoother if you and I can come to some sort of respectful truce." She explained. He seemed to be considering her words. Or so Emma thought when an unmistakable sound came from him along with an unmistakable smell. Emma took a disgusted step back.

"Oh you hateful ogre!"

Authors Notes:

Camreyn- Thank you so much for your feeback.Since the story hasn't been around for that long and that it veers a bit from HH canon I'm pretty pleased with the reviews I've gotten. Yours always brighten my day. I get such a kick out of writing Pellew's scenes with Emma. Poor Emma is trying so hard to get along with everyone and get them all to accept her and something just always seems to go wrong as you will see in later chapters. Poor Oldryod just wants to have his fun whenever he can and now he's got to worry about watching his behavior! I'm really glad about your comment on Emma's 'scene' I think it more than anything else showcases the core of who Emma is. She's curious about the world around her and yet it's a kind of internal struggle because she knows she has certain codes of behavior she must follow. I didn't want that scene to come off as sensationalistic or just out to tantalize. This is who she is. Her dream is to be a doctor and her body fascinates her. It's only when her examination becomes pleasurable that we see her struggle. Tasteful is exactly what I was hoping for.

I'm honored you've put me on your page. Do you mean like your profile or do you have a website?

I loved King Arthur! My only complaint was that it was too short. Ioan stole that movie in my opinion. He was fantastic as Lancelot. I have checked out some of the King Arthur fanfic one here and have been really enjoying it.

I think Emma and Horatio deserve a special night indeed and though it won't be for a while, damn Simpson and every other obstacle.(laughs) I hope you'll think it was worth the wait. Thank you so much for your feedback!