Chapter Thirty-Five

Feeling only marginally better, Emma bent her head and focused back on the journals. She hadn't had time to give them more than a skimming glance and now took the opportunity to delve deeper. Deck hands worked all around her, mostly ignoring her for which she was grateful. Emma wrapped her coat tighter around her, choosing the relatively peaceful if chilly night air over the oppressive tension inside. The cold wasn't so bad once one got used to it, and besides her mind wasn't focused on the chill in the air. She leaned against one of the masts and searched for the pages containing the late doctor's notes on Archie Kennedy. She came across her husband's pages first and they held her attention.

He'd joined the service at the age of seventeen, as he'd told her already. Serving aboard The Justinian before transferring to The Indy. She slid her gaze down to the notes the doctor had made on the times Horatio had been in his care. Colds, hypothermia, a myriad of broken bones including a twice broken right leg. Dislocated shoulder. A broken nose. Bruises, black eyes. Dozens of cases of upset stomach, especially in his earlier years. By this entry the doctor had put 'sea sickness' in brackets. Welts of broken skin from a flogging. Beside this he specified that this was a punishment for falling asleep on watch. There were two more instances of floggings but beside these were 2 question marks. Why? Emma wondered. Had the doctor not known what other offences Horatio had committed. There were small notes that both instances had resulted in infection due to late treatment. Why late?

Unless it hadn't been an official punishment. Jack Simpson. Damn his eyes! Emma seethed. There were also burn marks as well. The doctor noted that these had been from a cigar. She knew her husband did not smoke. Emma closed her eyes against a wave of hatred. If Jack Simpson had been in front of her, she didn't like to imagine what she would have done to him.

What on earth could have happened to the man to make him so cruel? Her father had taught her that no man was born evil. Emma had a very difficult time imagining Jack Simpson as an innocent child.

"Mrs. Hornblower. What are you doing out here?" Captain Pellew asked stepping in front of her, rubbing the end of his nose.

"Reading, Sir." Emma replied holding up the journals.

"I can see that, child. Why are you doing it out here? Haven't you noticed the substantial cold?"

"In truth, for the last little while, I hadn't." Emma admitted. Anger could be a good source of heat beneath one's skin. Now she registered that the captain may have very well sought her out to inform her that she was being dismissed. "I just came out for a bit of air." She added, a nervous lump in her throat.

"Very well, but you'll do no one any good if you catch your death so if you'd return below decks, if you please, Mrs. Hornblower." He ordered.

"Yes, Sir." Emma nodded with a small surge of relief that he wasn't going to bring up her dismissal now. She wanted Horatio near when he did.

"And Mrs. Hornblower?" He called when she had walked a few steps. Emma stopped, her stomach dropping down into her feet.

"Yes, Captain?" Emma asked slowly.

"It has come to my attention that you may hold yourself responsible for the men that we lost due to the French attack." Oh dear. Here it comes. Emma lifted her chin with as much dignity as she could muster, ready to accept his decision.

"Yes, Sir. I regret that my skills were lacking and I was not able to save them." Emma sniffled, refusing to cry even as her eyes shimmered with tears. Maybe he'd think they were due to the cold.

"Now, Mrs. Hornblower. Not all wounded men can be saved. I dare say our departed Dr Hepplewaithe lost his fair share of men. Such is the price of war."

"Yes, Sir." Emma said, her throat tight.

"Your husband has informed me that you are to stay with the good Doctor Hornblower pending my decision." This was a most unexpected and unwelcome piece of news and the surprise must have shown on Emma's face because the Captain's eyes widened and then he rushed on. "I'm sure it was just a precautionary measure. One can't fault the man for being practical." One most certainly can! Emma thought, but kept silent. "Unfortunately it seems that your husband's foresight was well founded." Emma clenched her teeth. She would not cry! "We'll be pulling into port tomorrow morning at which time I've decided that it would be best if you were to stay with your new father-in-law. In the absence of your own, your place is with your husband's family."

"Yes, Sir." Emma repeated blinking. Captain Pellew hesitated.

"Good night then, Mrs. Hornblower. It has been a pl-" Emma watched the captain choke on the lie. "Most interesting having you on board my ship." He admitted more honestly.

"Goodnight, Sir." Emma said, her voice shaky. She didn't trust herself to say more. She was both too disappointed and too angry to speak.

The men in her husband's cabin had all accompanied Horatio on his mission. Emma found little consolation in the fact that she'd be having her first peaceful night's sleep since she'd come aboard.

She wished her dear husband so she could give him her most severe tongue lashing. The nerve! Going behind her back and making arrangements for her inevitable failure. It hurt her deeply. But any venting would have to wait until Horatio returned.

Emma checked in on the men in the sick berth one last time and returned to Horatio's cabin and climbed into her husband's hammock. The scent of him both soothed and infuriated her. She opened one of the journals again and tried to distract herself with the notes on dear Archie Kennedy.

If she'd thought Horatio had had a rough time of it, Emma was unprepared for the doctors notes on poor Archie. He'd entered the service at the age of fourteen. The youngest son of a Scottish father and an English mother. His record for the first few months was routine. Broken bones, cuts and bruises accumulated through various duties. It was halfway through his first year when the question marks began dotting Archie Kennedy's pages. Lashes across the back and legs. Four unexplained instances of broken arms. Two broken noses. A stab wound in the thigh. Bruising on the neck similar to attempts at strangulation. Emma gasped out loud as she counted over forty noted instances. The enemy shot at you or pierced you with a sword, but strangulation? Perhaps if they'd been disarmed and there were no ready weapons to hand. But it was the regularity of it that arose Emma's suspicions. Throughout these injuries were noted occasions of Archie's fits. A neurological disturbance of some kind. Emma made a mental note to look through the doctor's and her own medical texts to learn more. Continuing through the notes on Archie were broken fingers including a pinky that had never quite set right. Emma tried to picture Archie's injured hand and then remembered that the small finger in question had been on the other hand. Cracked ribs,...Mercy. How was the man even walking upright? Emma marveled. Then something caught her attention and drew her eyebrows together in concern. Tearing of the rectal muscle. The words confused her and involuntarily made her clench her bottom in reaction. How on earth could some one injure themselves in that way? Going back, Emma noted that the term came up a few times and were usually followed by question marks. Emma stopped reading and stared off in contemplation. Bad food perhaps? Constipation that would make the muscles tear in the exertion?

She could think of no other explanation for such an uncomfortable injury and was surprised that the doctor had not investigated further. And for Archie, the instance was almost always followed by a fit. Poor man. If letting their doctor examine him for something so obviously personal caused Archie to have fits, she supposed she could understand his dismay at letting a female examine him. And truth be told, for all her bravado and attempt at professionalism, Emma felt herself blush at the idea.

A.N:

Camreyn:

I think Emma is very much like Archie so when those two butt heads it can get pretty interesting as they're both very stubborn. (laughs)

Finch was the little old man who was Bunting's friend who got sick and died in The Fireships.

Yep, Matthews definitely knows more than he lets on. He's a good secret keeper though which will come in handy in the later books of my series. (winks)

And yes, the men are terrible to Emma. That's gratitude for ya. I think Styles is unconsciously coming around. He still wants her off the ship though but a tiny part of him is getting used to seeing her around. I'd even say he wants Emma off so that he doesn't actually come to like her! Heaven's forbid Styles should give in to what he assumes are womanly wiles trying to soften him up.

As you see here, she finds proof of something...she just doesn't understand what it is. (laughs)

And relax(giggles), this story is almost finished but like I said before, it's only this book. Horatio, Emma and Archie's story will be continuing on in the next book.(smiles) I'm no where near done torturing these poor souls.

Thanks so much for your feedback, it makes the Baby Horatio and Baby Archie's jump around in a happy dance.

Sweet A.K:

Matthews has always been one of my favorite characters too. He and Emma are gonna become very good friends. Speaking of which, Archie, Archie. (shakes head) I thought it would be just like him to go behind Emma's back if he's made his mind up to do something. Horatio is much more duty bound and logical than Archie is.

Add Archie to that list of ears to be boxed. (laughs)

And I could tell you what Pellew will do, but do ya really wanna know? (grins)

Emma will not take Archie's disappearance well. Jack Simpson, be afraid. Be very afraid. (wicked grin)

Thanks for your great feedback. (hands you a happy dancing Archie)