Thank you, those who have reviewed. Some have said the layout is a little difficult to read so I'm going to try and make it clearer, so you'll have to tell me if it's easier to read or if I've messed it up. As I'm writing this I'm watching Titanic and I love Ewan Stewart's performance when they hit the iceberg, he looks genuinely shook up. Anyway enjoy.
Disclaimer: same as before.
SS Medic, 1900
The Medic had arrived at Sydney Harbour, the passengers disembarked, the cargo had been taken off and now the crew had time to spare before the trip back to England. Murdoch and Lights were in the pub enjoying a glass of whiskey.
"What's wrong with the locals?"Lights asked which caused Murdoch to look at him as if he had asked the most stupid question of all time.
"It's the Boer war in South Africa; they have Australian troops over there. Perhaps they're worried about an invasion"
"Invasion? But South Africa is on the other side of the planet; I mean what are the chances of that actually happening?"Lights said looking at the people around him, they looked nervous and uneasy. Lights suddenly had a huge grin on his face. He ordered two more whiskeys.
"Lights, don't you dare" Murdoch said seriously, looking sternly at Lights, whilst drinking his new glass of whiskey and then finished it.
"What? I didn't do anything" Lights said in defence, looking innocently at Murdoch.
"Not yet, you haven't. But that grin on your face tells me you're thinking about doing something, so I'm warning you whatever it is, you need to forget it"
"So not only are you daring me, you're also warning me" Lights said playfully, before ordering Murdoch another drink "Have no fear, William. I have nothing up my sleeve for today" Lights finished off his whiskey and checked his pocket watch "Blimey, it sure is late, William, we should be heading back to the ship". Lights said, putting his pocket watch back into his pocket.
"Since when did you become the sensible one?" Murdoch laughed as he finished his last drink.
"Since you can't handle your drink, come on" Lights walked round the table to Murdoch. He put Murdoch's arm over his shoulders and hoisted him out of his chair and started walking him out of the pub and towards the ship.
"What are you talking about, I'm a Scotsman, of course I can handle my drink" Murdoch argued.
"You're right, you are a Scotsman. A stubborn grumpy old Scotsman" Lights said giggling.
"Old? I'm only a year older than you" Murdoch said as though he was seriously offended.
They reached Murdoch's cabin, where Lights helped him into bed and started humming a lullaby. Murdoch was out like a light, so Lights tiptoed out of the cabin and quietly closed the door. As soon as he was out the room he ran to the crew's mess hall and found four midshipmen still awake.
"Hey boys, how do you feel about playing a little joke?" Lights said excitedly, a wide, naughty grin had formed on his lips.
In the early hours of the morning Lights and the four men rowed, in a small boat, towards Fort Denison and climbed the tower, till they reached the top. Lights hoisted a Boer flag, which he and the men created out of old scraps of cloth, on a lightning conductor before loading a cannon with gunpowder and white cotton waste. Lights then lit a fifty foot fuse.
"Quick, boys, back to the Medic" Lights couldn't help but laugh in anticipation.
They reached the boat deck, waiting for the cannon to go off, but what happened next surprised even Lights. As the cannon went off, the resounding bang blew out the windows of every building near the fortress; Lights could see people rushing to their windows to see what had happened.
"Bloody hell. Scatter boys" Lights said quickly. The five men quickly ran in different directions, in the hope that they wouldn't get caught.
Lights burst into Murdoch's cabin, Lights noticed Murdoch was sitting up in bed; no doubt he had been woken up by the cannon. "Lights, what the hell was that?" Murdoch asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Get a hold of yourself, William. This is no time to panic" Lights shouted frantically, both his voice and body was shaking. Suddenly Murdoch snapped out of his dream like state.
"What have you done?" Murdoch asked worryingly.
"I didn't do anything, William, I swear. Well, ok I admit I was there when it happened and I was the one who came up with the idea. It was just a joke, William" Lights was talking like a mad man, pacing up and down in Murdoch's room.
"What have you done, Lights?" Murdoch asked once again.
"I may have, accidently, made it look like Fort Denison had been invaded" Lights could feel his heart thumping against his chest and could feel a cold sweat cover his face.
"Oh my God, oh hells bloody bells. This is the worst thing you've ever done. You stupid, irresponsible..."
"Let's not say anything we'll regret, William" Lights interrupted.
"Wait a minute, you kept buying me drinks at the pub. You were trying to get me drunk, so I would stay out of the way, weren't you?" Murdoch accused Lights.
"How dare you" Lights said dramatically "You really think that I would get my best friend drunk, just so I could go out and play a prank?"
"Yes" Murdoch stated plainly.
"You hurt me, William. It's like a dagger to my heart that you think so poorly of me, your best friend. Besides I didn't get you that drunk, just drunk enough that you fell asleep at the drop of a hat" Lights murmured and turned around pretending that he was hurt by Murdoch's comment.
Murdoch got out of bed unsteadily; he guessed he was still a bit wobbly from the whisky. He walked over to Lights and put his hand on Lights shoulder.
"I didn't mean it like that, Lights" Murdoch said softly, then wondered why he was the one apologising.
Lights shrugged Murdochs hand off and took a step forward. "Don't, I'm bleeding" Lights said sarcastically.
Just then there was a knock at the door "All officers on the bridge, Captain orders" a voice said from the other side.
Murdoch and Lights rushed to the bridge; upon entering they saw the captain and several police officers.
Lights immediately stepped forward "I did it" he confessed, causing Murdoch to look at him in shock.
Cliff-hanger. Till next time Cheerio.