Chapter Nineteen

Brightened considerably, Emma made her way up the stairs to the upper deck to find Matthews. So intent on her purpose was she that the man climbing down almost passed without her notice. Emma looked back in surprise and confusion. "Clayton?"

He turned at her voice. "Aye ma'm?" Emma stared at him then back towards the cabins. Her eyes skimmed over him. He certainly didn't look drunk.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

"Why, yes ma'm. Why do you ask?" He replied with a bemused smile. He didn't sound or smell the least bit sloshed. Emma stared back down at the cabins.

"No reason." She answered absentmindedly. Clayton nodded at her and then continued back down the stairs. "Clayton." She called out once again.

"Aye?" He asked stopping and looking up at her.

"Have you seen Horatio?"

"Been about an hour." Where the devil was the man? And why had Archie lied to her?

"Thank you, Clayton." Emma said in dismissal. She took a step back down towards the lower deck, intent on giving Archie Kennedy a piece of her mind, when a loud thud followed by enough cursing to turn her ears pink stopped her. Oldroyd lay a few feet from her, clutching his arm. Matthews, Styles and Captain Pellew were leaning against the upper railing, staring down at him. Emma rushed over to him and knelt by his skinny frame.

"Can you walk, Mr. Oldroyd?" Emma asked.

"Ah goddamn, fucking, Christ! I think I broke my bloody arm!" He howled in pain. Emma turn to Matthews who had made his way down with the other two men.

"Can you carry him to the sick berth?" Emma asked.

"Aye, Mrs. H. Come on, Styles. You grab the 'ead." Matthews instructed.

"I'll need a piece of flat wood for a splint." Emma said to the captain, trying her hardest not to stare at his red nose. He nodded at her and the called out to one of his crew to get it.

"I can..... take...... care of..... it myself!" Oldroyd raged between painful pants.

"Set it yourself, will you?" Emma countered quickly opening the door to let them in. The sick room smelt of spilled castor oil, which made Styles hack and spit on the floor then, cast a nasty glance her way. Emma fought the urge to vomit on him and focused her attention on Oldroyd. "Lay him flat on the table." Emma instructed.

"Keep that bitch away from me!" Oldroyd yelled trying to sit up

"Oy!" Matthews scolded smacking Oldroyd's head. "Watch your mouth."

"It's alright, Mr. Matthews." Emma assured him as she poured a bit of the captain's brandy into a glass. "I'm sure it's only his pain talking and Mr. Oldroyd will be his charming self once again once we set him to rights." She gave Matthews a grin the turned back to Oldroyd.

"That's what you-OW!" Oldroyd cried out when Matthews hit him again.

"Give me your arm. Let me take a look at it." Emma said reaching for it. Oldroyd cringed and tried to turn away from her. Matthews raised his hand to smack the younger man again. Oldroyd whimpered, but offered her the injured arm.

"Here, drink this." Emma gave him the bit of brandy to drink with his good hand. He looked at her with a tad less irritation and downed it in one gulp. Emma winced, remembering the horrid taste and watched with a small measure of awe, as he gave no reaction.

"Here you are, Mrs. Hornblower." Captain Pellew said bringing her a small flat board about the length of a forearm.

"Thank you, Sir." Emma said motioning for him to lay the board down next to Oldroyd. Emma felt along Oldroyd's arm for any break in the bones, gentling her fingers at his cry of anguish. "Does it feel like it's throbbing?" Emma asked. He nodded.

"Like me heart's in there." He said through gritted teeth. The skin beneath her fingers became gradually warmer as she approached the elbow. Except for Oldroyd's occasional grunts of pain, the room was silent. All eyes were on her. Emma made herself focus on the man's arm and not on the nervousness in the pit of her stomach caused by their scrutiny. Oldroyd hissed as she pressed against the hard pit of bone pushing against the skin at his elbow. "Not broken." She assured him recalling what shattered bone felt like beneath the skin and muscle. "Just out of place." She glanced at Oldroyd sympathetically. "I'm gonna have to cause you a lot more pain to fix this. But it'll be over quick." She looked up at Styles and then back at Oldroyd. "Do you want me to have you knocked out before I pop it back?" Oldroyd's eyes went wide. He looked at his fellow seamen and the captain, then shook his head stubbornly. Emma took a deep breath and lifted one of the leather straps hanging off the table. Unfastening it, she lifted it to Oldroyd's mouth. "Bite on this." She slipped it between his teeth. Emma blew at a fallen lock of red hair on her forehead and shifted her shoulders to ease the stickiness of sweat dampening her blouse.

"Styles, hold his shoulders down. Matthews, can you hold his upper arm flat?" Emma pulled the arm towards the edge of the table. Oldroyd squeezed his eyes shut and gave a squeal of fear. She grabbed a hold of the forearm, palm up and felt for the protruding bone with her other hand. Taking a deep breath she gave a short but firm tug and pushed the small bone in with her fingers. She raised the forearm and was rewarded with a soft pop that was almost drowned out by Oldroyd's squeal of pain. His body went rigid and then he stared at her in surprise.

"Bloody hell. It's gone."

"The pain?" Emma asked.

"Aye. Nothin' but a wee throb now."

"Good. " Emma reached across him for the flat piece of wood. Her heart was pounding like mad but now it was with adrenaline of accomplishment as opposed to fear. Pulling out a small length of linen, she ordered Styles to bring Oldroyd up into a sitting position. "But don't move your arm. Keep it elevated. Captain, could I get some ice?" Captain Pellew nodded at her and then opened the door to call out the order. Oldroyd''s face was pale and glistening with sweat as he sagged against Styles.

"Nothin' to it, eh lad?" Styles asked as Emma wrapped the splint tight against Oldroyd's arm and looped more linen into a sling around his shoulder.

"Aye, cause you 'er all 'ere, no doubt." Oldroyd snapped. Emma's head lifted and she had to remind herself that it wouldn't be very nice to bash an injured man's skull in.

"You're very welcome, Oldroyd." Emma seethed, pressing the few pieces of ice wrapped in linen against his arm.

"Alright now gentlemen. Since it appears Oldroyd will survive Mrs. Hornblower's treatment, back to work." The captain ordered.

"Aye, Captain." Matthews saluted. "Mrs. H." he nodded at her then turned to leave.

"Mr. Oldroyd, keep the sling on for at least two weeks. Don't jostle it. Captain, if I may suggest that he be exempt from service for that time?"

"Two weeks? Bloody hell. What the hell am I supposed to do with meself for two weeks?" Oldroyd said, annoyed as he slid off the table.

"Very well, Mrs. Hornblower." The captain said nodding. "Come along OIdroyd. Go rest yourself for a few hours and then we'll see if we can't put you on light duty." Captain Pellew turned to Emma. "If it's alright with the good doctor." He asked with a lift of the eyebrow. Emma startled at his use of the title and she blinked before answering She didn't know if it was sarcasm in his voice or not but she made up her mind to take it positively.

"Ah...yes, Certainly. Though nothing that will require the use of the injured arm." Captain Pellew nodded. He twitched his nose then grimaced slightly and sent her an accusatory glance before clearing his throat.

"Well done, Mrs. Hornblower." Emma fought back the grin that threatened.

"Thank you, Captain."