"Horatio"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any brothers or sisters back home?" Caroline asked in her innocent voice, leaning on her elbow against the table; Horatio nodded,

"An older brother, Matthew"

"Where is he?"

"At law school, father wanted him to grow up to be a Law student, and he wanted me to grown up a sailor"

"I'd take the latter if it was my decision" Cleveland intervened, looking up from his card game, "If I had a choice in the matter"

Caroline smirked, "And you'd miss you on all this fun?" Cleveland chuckled a bit, then turned back to the card game that he was stuck with.

Caroline went back to drinking the remnants of her grog and leaning on Archie's shoulder so she could read Shakespeare over it. Which Archie had no problem with whatsoever.

Horatio also was reading a book, that Morry's Seaman Ship he had said something about. Caroline had never heard of the book before, and figured that there wasn't anything you could learn in a book that was better then the real thing.

Clayton was playing in violin and Andrew was finishing up him dinner of soup and moldy bread, (Which was hated by everyone)

Then he came in.

"I've been thinking, Gentlemen" Simpson walked into the room, something in his right hand that he held carefully, "Time to reconvene the proceedings of inquisition". The man stopped about two feet from the table, all the heads were turned and looking at him, including Horatio who was directly in front of him.

"Well there can only be one candidate" Simpson sighed "who else but the Captains favorite?".

Caroline's hand began to shake, Captain's favorite? The preceding of inquisition? They all had Caroline Rebbecca Finny written all over it. She was the Captains Favorite.

Simpson continued, "Hornblower--Cleveland, Heather take him"

"Jack-"

"Do it unless you want to take his place!" Simpson roared, shaking something at them. It was a cat-o-nine tails.

With this new card in play, Cleveland and Heather quickly swept ed the table clean, knocking everything-cups, plates, cards-onto the floor. Everyone jumped from the table to avoid the brutality, Caroline fell back and landed on the ground. Archie helped her to her feet and quickly got her over to the hammocks.

"Let me go!" Hornblower yelled, his voice muffled by the table.

Simpson smacked him across his bottom, hard. Hornblower continued to struggle, kicking thin air and yelling.

Archie had placed Caroline against one of the poles, he kneeled down next to her,

"We can't just sit here" Caroline said quietly, she knew Jack's brutality, and she wasn't going to sit by and watch him beat Horatio into a bloody pulp.

Archie looked over at Horatio,

"There's nothing we can do, Caroline, you know that"

"Your a bit of a Dark Horse, aren't you Snotty?" Simpson smiled down at Horatio's form. "showing yourself up in front of the Captain", He looked over at Heather and Cleveland, "Turn him over".

They rapidly flipped him over onto his back.

"Now" Simpson said leaning over on him, there faces almost touching. "The purpose of the inquisition is for me to get to no you better. See I know these dogs, I know what gnaws at their souls at night. Things they'd rather no one knew of" Caroline felt like he was starring right at her as he spoke, oh God did he know what kept her up at night, because it was him

"So, what's your dirty little secret?".

Hornblower replied by banging his forehead into Simpson's face. Simpson realed back and Hornblower broke free, he had just sat up when Simpson regained his footing and whacked Hornblower across the gnaw, grabbed his hair and banged his head on the table time after time. Then threw him on to the ground. Everything bang made Caroline flinch and make harder fists.

She was feeling suddenly very brave.

"Come on Snotty" Simpson taunted, "Get up" He kicked Horatio in the side.

Heather bravely stepped in,"You won Jack he's finished".

"This little bugger" Simpson said as he whipped and kicked Horatio, time after time "Needs to learn respect for his betters"

"Stop it Jack, you'll kill him!" Cleveland suddenly felt the bravery of Heather.

Jack finally stepped back, no one was sure why, maybe he was waiting for something. Either way, him stepping back was a good thing

"Stay down boy, for your own sake" Cleveland warned Horatio, who was at the moment standing to his feet, slowly and painfully.

"Stop" Caroline's voice was but a whisper, she couldn't talk any louder, she couldn't stand to watch Horatio being beaten with such brutality.

Meanwhile Simpson knocked Hornblower back down on the ground and whipped him again. He was going to kill him.

"Stand off".

Caroline looked up at Clayton, who was standing but a foot away from Simpson, pistol to the man's head.

"Clayton, my bold friend. I have no quarrel with you."

"Stand off Jack, or I swear, I'll trim the wall with your brains.". Clayton's courage surprised Caroline greatly, he was one of the ones who was the most scared of Jack, now he was threatening him with a gun?

Jack calmed down, his hands fell helplessly to his side.

"Take him to Doctor Hepplewhite" Clayton ordered Heather and Cleveland. They both hesitated, the carefully lifted Horatio and walked from the room.

"My" Simpson's found his brave voice once again. "How bold you are with a pistol in your hand" With that he flicked Simpson's hand and knocked the gun out of Clayton's; it flew across the table and rolled onto the floor. Clayton froze then stepped back, Caroline couldn't see his face, but she could imagine with it looked like.

"But I know you for the coward you are don't I?" Simpson smiled as he wrapped the whip around his hand, preparing for the second victim.

"Pass the word for Mr Simpson" a voice wailed from above, the voice of a angel to Clayton, saving his life from certain demise.

Simpson glared at Clayton, then shoved past him, knocking the man into a post, the stomped out of the room, coat and whip in hand.

Caroline leaned back against the post and looked up,

"Thank the Lord" She said quietly,a smile on her lips

"I'll go see how Horatio is doing" Kennedy spoke, standing to his feet and walking from the room without looking back.

Clayton had fallen down the pole and was sitting in almost the same position as Caroline, his left hand in his face.

Caroline asked, "You alright?"

Clayton nodded slowly, not daring to speak, because if he did, his voice would break.

()()()()()

Today was a good day.

The smile on Caroline's face was one that was trying to be concealed, she didn't want to smile, she wanted to act impartial; but she just couldn't seem to get that smile off her face. She was getting the splint off today.

She had been swinging in one of the sick bays hammocks for about half an hour doing nothing, but did she care? No. She just though about how she was finally going to be able to walk around freely, to run...to run away from things. Away from someone.

It had been five days since the beating of Horatio, things had been pretty 'quiet'. If 'quiet' was the way to put it. When he didn't have watch, Jack was drinking himself silly, and screaming things that made Caroline's cheeks blush. From horrid embarrassment. She really didn't like Jack at all.

"Miss. Finny" Dr. Hepplewhite said, walking up; he didn't look her in the eye, "I believe its time to take off that splint of yours"

Caroline smirked, partly at the thought, and partly at Doctor Hepplewhite himself. The man was sort and plump, with a thin layer of brown curly hair and a pair of brown eyes. His cloths just barely fit his chubby form, and the mans voice.....

"Yes, Sir" She said obediently, swinging her other leg over the side of the hammock. The Doctor just sighed, he never did like her very much, ever since he had discovered she was actually a girl.....that was a very awkward day.

"Right then" He said, "Swing it up here, come on! Don't dally!"

Caroline lifted her leg up on top of a table and lay back on the hammock, her head dangling off the side so that she was looking upside down.

The Doctor sighed at her behavior but didn't say anything, Caroline smiled anew,

"Come, now, Doctor" Archie's voice put in, "You can't be angry at her for her excitement, can you?"

Caroline lifted her head a little to see Archie leaning in the doorway, a grin on his face.

"Mr. Kennedy" Caroline said, then leaned her head back again, "what might you be doing here?"

"I am here" Archie said quite epically, "to keep you company in your hour of need"

"Yes, this is my hour of need, isn't it?"

"Can't imagine how I could get any worse"

The doctor was mumbling something about behavior as he undid her splint and bandages. Caroline began to hum a little tune and Archie soon joined in. They could tell the doctor was quiet releaved when he was finished, glad to be rid of his company.

"Right, Miss Finny, you should be 'ship shape' now" He said quickly, then turned around and walked away, "If you'll excuse me, I have other patients to watch"

Without bidding the Doctor much heed, Caroline carefully sat up and slid her leg off the table and onto the floor. Then, under Archie's watchful stare, stood to her feet.

She wavered for a minute, then regained her balance, took a step and fell side down on the floor.

Archie began to chuckle.

"Oh, Hell, come on" She smirked, Archie smirked jokingly back and helped her to her feet, across the floor then down the hall to the midshipman berth.

Ah yes, a good day indeed.