CHAPTER 8

Rain pattered relentlessly against the window of Horatio's small room as the young Lefttennant winced at the harshness of the sound of his heavy travelling case being dragged across the room. The heavy material of his uniform lay awkwardly against his skin, making the many raw scars still covering his chest and abdomen itch and burn uncomfortably, and as he looked up at Archie, who stood opposite him on the other side of the room, he struggled to disguise any subtle signs of his growing discomfort. His friend aimed a concerned glance in his direction, before resuming packing many of Horatio's meagre positions into the wooden trunk.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Archie asked him as he began emptying a chest of draws of their contents – which consisted of a couple of spare uniform shirts, once a delicate white although now an ugly yellow hew from the many weeks of neglect, and a pair of dirty brown gloves fraying at the fingers.

"Tired…" Horatio responded drowsily, his eyelids heavy with the permanent exhaustion which still persistently afflicted him. "But glad to be seeing the back of this place." He smiled as he glanced contentedly around the small room which he had come to know as 'home' throughout the past few weeks, whilst he'd been recuperating.

The news that he would in fact be returning to the Indefatigable before the week was out had come as an unexpected deliverance to everyone close to the young Lefttennant – who had all grown increasingly concerned that, his body already weakened, his mind may eventually go the same way if he was left to linger, alone, on land.

Archie smiled. "It will certainly be refreshing to see the interior of a ship again." He responded as he loaded the last of Horatio's belongings into the trunk before firmly locking the heavy lid into place.

"Good old Pellew." Horatio sighed cheerily as his friend drew up a seat and sat down next to where he was perched precariously on the edge of the bed. "It must have taken great powers of persuasion to convince the panel of officials to permit me aboard, even as a known wounded officer, when I fear I am going to be a burdensome liability for some while yet."

He seemed somewhat consumed by guilt – or perhaps it was some form of regret – although certainly not ungrateful for the Captain's efforts on his behalf, as he aimed a silent contemplative look in Archie's direction, before turning away.

Indeed there would be many an occasion throughout the following weeks when the young man would have cause to put the question to his Captain as to whether he'd ever regretted bringing him back aboard his ship, an invalid.

But Pellew's answer was always to be the same.

"Mr Hornblower, you are growing in strength every day. Only a few weeks ago you could barely sit up, and now here you stand. Your mind is active and with that it was my hope that it could only aid your physical recovery. You are no invalid and you cause no burden, as you seem to fear, to this ship's crew – whom through your heroism and at great risk to your own life you have saved more times than most care to count. Many are in your debt, a debt which they are only too eager to repay. Your knowledge has been invaluable these past weeks."

"You're one of the best." Archie said, gently patting Horatio reassuringly on the back. "Besides, you're growing stronger by the day."

"I can barely walk three paces across the room unaided." Horatio growled in frustration.

"Which is two better than a few days ago," Archie reassured him, refusing to allow his friend to become downhearted so easily, "and you can't expect recovery to come so readily after all you've been through. Your body needs time to readjust… I don't know how you managed it, but it's a miracle you even came through long enough to get this far."

"I know." Horatio nodded sadly, considering his friend's words seriously. "I thought so much about death during those few brief moments of consciousness that all this now… it just seems so impossible."

"Well impossible or not," Archie laughed, "you're an example to us all." He clapped Horatio heartedly on the knee. In that moment Horatio looked as though he may have been about to respond to his cheer but a knock at the door cut them both short, and Archie rose to answer it.

The creaky protest of rusting hinges screamed out as the young Lefttennant carefully eased the door ajar before hastily ushering a somewhat jubilant Mathews into the room, closely followed by Styles. Their cheeks were flushed from the cold air outside, although their step was purposeful as they rubbed their blackened fingers vigorously in an attempt to restore the restricted blood flow. Horatio smiled contentedly at the site of his two loyal friends.

"The Captain's sent a carriage sir." Mathews explained through bouts of shivers. "The driver's waiting downstairs."

"Thank you Mathews, Styles." Archie smiled in gratitude, turning to each of the men in turn. "You both look frozen." He observed.

"Argh, it's nothing sir." Mathews brushed off Kennedy's concern with a gentle wave of his hand. "You get to live a life at sea as long as I have you soon become immune to the cold… there's always some poor sod out there worse off than yourself." He smiled dismissively, although his body language significantly suggested otherwise.

"We'll just grab Mr Hornblower's sea chest." Styles interjected. "Not long left on this stagnant land now." He said, before moving to help Mathews lift Horatio's luggage, as Archie closed to door behind him.

"I'm afraid I never expressed my gratitude to you both." Hornblower muttered weakly as the two men aimed a concerned glance in his direction – their attentions immediately diverted towards his uncommonly fragile form. "I am truly indebted to you for all that you have done for me."

"A minor servitude sir." Mathews reflected as he addressed his superior.

"Even so it would have been a bitter victory for you Styles," Horatio continued, turning to the middle-aged seaman, "to have saved my life only to have me fall at the second hurdle."

"I always knew you'd come through sir." Styles forced a meek smile, before returning to the task in hand.

At that moment Horatio made a sudden effort to ease himself from his current resting position on the edge of the bed, flinching from the pressure as he felt the weight of his heavy uniform against his frail body.

"Don't push yourself too hard too soon." Archie eased, his soft tone reassuring as he made his way over to his friend's side. "There's no hurry. Captain Pellew was explicit, your place aboard the Indefatigable is secure. All you need to focus on is getting better."

The two men exchanged a smile of mutual understanding.

"Sir, the Captain's waiting." Mathews informed them. "We'll send on ahead that you're on your way." He said, before he and Styles finally left, the heavy thump of Horatio's sea chest audible as they dragged it down the stairs outside.

After, the pair continued to sit in silence for a while, seeking comfort in each other's company, and the knowledge that they were about to return to their life at sea.

"Well are you ready?" Archie smiled, turning to Horatio as, to his peace of mind, he observed the contented expression upon his still pained and tired face.

Horatio nodded.

"I'm ready." He responded.

"Then it's time." Archie smiled as he removed a large blanket from the end of the bed, before discretely placing the rolled-up bundle under his arm.

The pace was slow as Archie struggled to support Horatio as they descended the steep staircase down to the pavement below. An icy breeze swept up the narrow stairwell as they neared the bottom – Horatio's body contorting in spasms as it caressed his fevered skin, making him shiver. As they neared the bottom Archie could just make out the silhouette of a horse-drawn carriage as its driver made to join them. The ageing man's gait was unsteady as he stumbled up the last few steps to help Archie with his friend, before assisting the two men into the welcoming womb of the coach. Once comfortably seated Archie draped the blanket gingerly over his friend's bony knees.

"Thank You." Horatio whispered weakly.

"For what?" Archie raised an eyebrow in question as a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "It's only a blanket."

But Horatio had already drifted off into an easy and contented sleep – the stairs having evidently exhausted him after so many weeks confined to bed.

The rest of their journey was passed in silence as Archie continued to keep a close eye on his friend as he slept – now fully convinced that Horatio would eventually make a full recovery. He closed his eyes for a brief moment himself before turning to glance out of the window thinking about everything they had come through together – and all that was still destined to be – and as the coach came to an abrupt halt after only a few minutes he recited a silent prayer to God that at last they were going home.