Pass the Pen

Part Seven -Mayhem and Danger
by Caity

   Jack Simpson staggers closer to the officer in the

white breeches holding his potentially deadly weapon.

Making slow progress across the sickbay, he was barely

noticed amid the ruckus of the injured.  Suddenly, he

stops, his mind full and grossly overactive with the

thoughts, "I don't want to do this" and "Jack's missed

you boy" swirling continuously in his head.  The

madness of his thoughts to do harm to the injured

officer finally overrun all his good intentions and

once more he staggers closer to the man.  "It must be

Kennedy" is now his mantra.  All his actions are

clouded by a hate for this man he doesn't even know

very well.  Finally, he is within striking distance of

the supposed Kennedy.  Lifting his right hand, he

brings the blade down, as in slow motion, and buries

it deep within the man's left thigh.  

    The stab brings the man out of unconsciousness

and gnarling from pain looks up to find the assailant

of this horrible action.  "Simpson!" Pellew growls

out, "you'll hang for this!  What were you thinking,

doing harm to your captain?  Doctor, if you would,

have someone send for Mr. Hornblower and bring him to

me at once!"  With that, he slumped back into

unconsciousness as the pain takes him over.  

         *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

   "Mr. Kennedy, sir!"  Mathews yells out to get his

attention.  

   "Yes, Mathews. What is it?"

   "Sir, we have most of the damage cleared away and

the carpenter has started repairs to the stern and

tiller." he reports to Kennedy.

   "Very good.  What of Mr. Hornblower?  Have you

been able to locate him?" Archie asks as another wave

crashes against the ship.  

   "No, sir.  No one has seen him or any of the

quartermasters that was swept over the side. I'm

sorry, sir."

   "Thank you for your efforts. I have to trust that

we will locate him. That will be all, Mathews."

   "Aye, Aye sir." he saluted and then moved away.

   Archie turned to look out upon the water. "Where

are you, Horatio?" he thought as lightning stiked a

hundred yards away.

     *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

   Meanwhile, a very soggy and cold Horatio

Hornblower grabbed hold of a piece of planking as it

drifted by.  The thoughts rolling through his head

included, "Where am I?" and "How am I supposed to get

back to the Indy?"  The planking was 10 feet by 5 feet

and was large enough for Horatio to climb on top of

and he did thus.  Exhaustion slowly overtook him and

he slid into a deep sleep.

     *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

   Back aboard the Indy, Archiewas starting to worry

about the disappearance of his best friend.  From

below decks came briskly walked footsteps that grabbed

his attention.  

   "Mr. Kennedy, sir!" a little lobolly boy reported.

   "Yes, Nathaniel, what is it?"

   "Mr. Hornblower, sir, have you seen him?  The

captain has requested his presence in sick berth, but

I have not been able to locate him.  You're the next

highest ranking officer left aboard after Mr.

Hornblower, so I came to you."  the boy rushed all

this out on a nervous breath.  

   "Okay, thank you Nathaniel.  My compliments and I

will be down presently to see him after securing an

officer for the watch."  

   "Aye, Aye sir."  Nathaniel turned and left to go

back to the sick berth.

   "Mr. Townsende," Archie sayed to the midshipman

standing next to him, "I leave the ship in your hands

until my return.  If you have anything important to

report, I'll be down in sick berth."

   "Very good, sir."  the thin, pale young man

answered.  

   With this Archie left the deck and started to make

his way down to see what the captain has in store for

him now in sick berth.  

  "Mr. Kennedy, why are you down here?"  Dr.

Hepplewhite asked looking up from Pellew's leg.  

  "Dr. Hepplewhite, I am responding to the request

for Mr. Hornblower's presence.  Unfortunately, he has

not been located and as the next highest ranking

officer came to see what is the problem."  Archie

responded.  

  "Well, then Mr. Kennedy.  The captian has been

stabbed maliciously by Mr. Simpson.  Wait here until

Captain Pellew has regained consciousness once again

and is able to tell you what to do with Mr. Simpson. 

Right now, he has been detained and put under guard." 

  "Thank you, Dr. Hepplewhite for this information. 

Do you have some space you could spare me for my

wait?" 

  "Over there, Mr. Kennedy" he said pointing to an

open bed, "you may wait there until either the captain

wakes up or we are in need of the bed."

  Archie moves away from the doctor and heads

straight for the bed.  He sits down and is now

contented to stay and wait and ponder about what

Simpson is now up to.  

   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

  A few hours later, Archie is prodded by one of the

lobolloy boys with a message.  "Mr. Kennedy, sir."

Nathaniel starts.  "Sir, the captain is awake now and

wants to speak with you." 

  "Thank you, Nathaniel." Archie says and then stands

and starts to make his way over to the captain's bed. 

  "Mr. Kennedy! What is this about?  I thought I

asked for Mr. Hornblower." 

  "You did, sir. Unfortunately during the storm Mr.

Hornblower was washed overboard with several of the

quartermasters. I am the next highest ranking officer

after Mr. Hornblower and thus answered your need for

assistance."  Archie calmy informed his injured

captain of this.  

  "Alright.  What of my ship?  Has repairs been

started?"

  "Yes, sir.  The storm is lessening in intensity and

repairs have been started on the bulkheads and your

cabin.  The tiller has been brought back under control

and inventory has started on all supplies and men."

Archie reported all that he knew about the current

situation and steps being taken to restore the ship to

rights.  

  "Very good, Mr. Kennedy. Now we must deal with the

situation that is before us regarding Mr. Simpson. 

While I was being worked on by the good doctor here,

he sneaked up upon me and stabbed me in the leg.  What

he did can be considered an act of mutiny and thus

brings the harsh punishment of death.  Has he been

detained?"

  "Yes, sir. Mr. Worthington has locked him into one

of the cells in the hold."  

  "Good, Mr. Kennedy.  He will remain there as a

prisoner until we can put into port and convine a

court martial for him.  Also, while there, we can sort

through the problem between him and yourself.  Is that

understood?"

  "Aye, sir."

  "Alright, now get yourself back up on deck and see

to the repairs and finding all the missing members."

  "Aye, Aye, sir!"  Archie knuckled his forehead and

went back on deck.  

    *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

  "At last the storm has ended!"  thought an icy and

sodden Horatio as he started to wake up.  It was now a

few hours after Pellew's and Archie's conversation and

dawn was just breaking over the horizon.  Horatio,

managing to lift his head, looked out around him to

get his bearings.  To his sides and in front of him

were miles of endless ocean, shimmering in the new

day's sun.  However, behind him lay a coast in the

distance.  Noticing that the Indy was not within

sight, Horatio started to grow anxious and concerned. 

"Where the bloody hell am I?" he thought scanning his

surroundings once more.  Seeing the fruitlessness of

just sitting on the planking and doing nothing,

Horatio started to manuever off the plank and began

swimming towards the shore.  

   After an hour of swimming, Horatio finally reached

the unknown beach and decided to go inland to find out

exactly where he was.  However, at that exact same

moment, Horatio heard a yelled "Restez où vous êtes!

Ne vous déplacez pas!" followed by the cocking of many

rifles in the trees.  

   "Bloody hell!" Horatio thought as he saw a company

of French soldiers advance towards him, rifles primed.