Horatio was
unsure he wanted to open his eyes. If he did, he risked coming awake fully and
not being able to fall back to sleep. He was certain it could not possibly be
morning yet, perhaps not even midnight.
But he heard something moving about the berth and was sure it wasn't just a
rat. So he pried his eyes open and saw William Bush a few feet away.
The man was
already up and halfway through changing into his full uniform for the day. "Good
morning," Bush said gently. "I hope I did not wake you."
This made
Horatio smile. The ship was always loud, even at night, and one of the first
things Horatio had learned as a Midshipman was how to sleep through just about
anything. Sleep was far too precious a commodity to lose because someone was
moving around one hammock over. Now it was only the hammock in-between them as
Bush pulled off one shirt and pulled on another, buttoning up the top few
buttons and the cuffs.
"Water or
rum?"
Horatio
blinked with confusion. "I'm sorry?"
"I am going
to get you one or the other, so which do you fancy? Water or rum?"
Horatio
scrubbed his palm over his face a few times. "What is the hour, Mister Bush?"
"Eight
bells of the mid-watch and All Is Well, Mister Hornblower," Bush replied,
noticing Horatio's surprise at the time. He also noticed Horatio struggling to
free himself from the blankets and extricate himself from the hammock. "Oh no
you don't," he said, placing a hand on Horatio's chest and easing him back
down. "You forget: I was here when the doctor declared that you are to stay in
bed today. You may have performed honorably and saved our necks yesterday, but
you are ill now."
"I only
have a cough and a bit of a temperature," Horatio objected a bit too
strenuously to be believed. He coughed deeply a few times but continued
quickly. "I am not made of glass. It will not kill me to work today."
"No, but I
might," Bush said.
With another
cough, "I don't quite see the logic in that."
"Naturally.
Your mind is off because you are feverish," Bush explained with a kind smile. "There
is already tension and unruliness amongst the men. The last thing we need is
for one of the ship's upstanding lieutenants to pass out on deck... again."
Horatio
sighed, knowing Bush was right. But that sent him off coughing, which shook him
and his hammock. He fumbled about in his pockets to find a handkerchief and
cover his mouth with it. He barely had the energy to hold it in place, and knew
he would be lucky to make it up to the deck feeling like this.
Bush
adjusted his scarf around his neck and grabbed his hat, patting it into place
on his head. "So, I ask you again. What'll
it be: water or rum? And do not avoid the question further."
"I did not
avoid last time--"
"Horatio!" Bush
laughed, the question still largely unanswered.
"Water!" burst
Horatio quickly, coughing again. He waited for the coughs to pass. "However,
there is no need for you to--"
Shaking his
head, he promised, "I will be back within a minute and no longer." He started
away and paused, smiling back at Horatio in the hammock. "If you have need of
anything more before I need to go on duty, I would gladly be your legs. I
expect to find you as I leave you."
Horatio
nodded back, though rubbing at his neck. "Both left and found, I am once again
honored to share a berth with you, William."