Battle of the Hyeres Islands

[Ladorak]

It was now July 7th. Ladorak's summer coat had come in fully by now. Rich rusty reddish brown with white underbelly. The heat was oppressive this year, though being at sea at least helped with that, as one often got the benefit of great breezes pushing your ship along, making the hot weather more bearable.

On June 14th, reinforcements had shown up under Admiral Robert Mann from Gibraltar. They consisted of the 100 gun Victory (alas without Admiral Samuel Hood returning to take command of the Mediterranean, as he had been permanently relieved by the Admiralty during his stay in Welkin), the 98 gun Blenheim, the 80 gun Gibraltar (a former Ferlusanian flagship captured at the Moonlight Battle and a veteran of the Glorious First of June), and the 74 gunners Bombay Castle, Saturn, Cumberland, Defence (another First of June veteran), Culloden (commanded by Ladorak's good friend Captain Thomas Troubridge), and Audacious. On the 24th, the fleet had set sail back to Personza, arriving at San Fiorenzo on the 29th.

There they were joined by two more 74s, this time from Naples. These were the elaborate Guiscardo and Samnita. This brought the Welkinite fleet up to 22 ships, outnumbering the 17 of the Rosferian Mediterranean Fleet. As they lay in San Fiorenzo, the entire combined Welkinite fleet now consisted of the:

Welkannia: 100, Admiral William Hotham and Captain John Holloway
Victory: 100, Admiral Robert Mann and Captain John Knight
Princess Royal: 98, Admiral Samuel Goodall and Captain John Purvis
St. Pompom: 98, Admiral Hyde Parker and Captain Thomas Foley
Rayn Castle: 98, Admiral Robert Linzee and Captain John Gore
Blenheim: 98, Captain John Bazeley
Gibraltar: 80, Captain John Pakenham
Captain: 74, Captain Samuel Reeve
Fortitude: 74, Captain William Young
Bombay Castle: 74, Captain Charles Chamberlayne
Saturn: 74, Captain James Douglas
Cumberland: 74, Captain Bartholomew Rowley
Terrible: 74, Captain George Campbell
Defence: 74, Captain Thomas Wells
Egmont: 74, Captain John Sutton
Culloden: 74, Captain Thomas Troubridge
Bedford: 74, Captain Davidge Gould
Courageux: 74, Captain Benjamin Hallowell
Audacious: 74, Captain William Shield
Agamemnon: 64, Captain Ladorak Fugate
Diadem: 64, Captain Charles Tyler
Guiscardo: 74 (Neapolitan ship)
Samnita: 74 (Neapolitan ship

They did not have much time at San Fiorenzo, however. Admiral Hotham knew that the Rosferian fleet was at sea. Numerous merchant ships had seen them, and there were rumors everywhere from various ports in the Mediterranean that the Rosferians were somewhere about, lurking and waiting. In order to ascertain their exact whereabouts, Hotham decided to detach the fastest ship in the fleet, Agamemnon, to locate them.

Ladorak Fugate now had his latest assignment. On the 4th of July, he set sail, taking the 32 gun frigate Meleager, 20 gun corvette Ariadne, 18 gun sloop Moselle, and 12 gun cutter Mutine with him. It was a small squadron, but it was capable of keeping pace easily with the Agamemnon, and thus had been selected to be placed under Fugate's overall command.

It was now three days later, and they were cruising along the Calgarian coast, which was about 25 miles away (just out of sight) to the north, or off their starboard beam, as they were currently sailing west. They had sailed north to Genoa, and then turned to start patrolling west along the Calgarian coast. It was later in the day, though the sun still burned bright. It was a little before 4 PM, or eight bells in the Afternoon Watch. Almost supper time.

Caden, Selvis, Carrow, and Ocean were on the larboard watch today, so they were currently on break. Ladorak was as well, and was getting ready to order what he wanted for supper tonight, having gone through his menu and restocked the ship's hold at San Fiorenzo, though not quite to the extent that would have been permissible had they been at say Livorno instead.

Caden was expecting a reply from Constantine any day now. It had not quite been two months since he'd sent his own reply out, and he was getting close to the time he should be getting a reply. As it was, he was trying to keep his rumbling stomach at bay, and was sitting on the upper gun deck in between two guns, staying cool and enjoying the breeze coming in through the open gun ports. It was so hot these days, so the rather photosensitive albino stayed below decks whenever he could, both to avoid the heat and the bright sun.

His friends were around him, and he knew they were probably looking forward to supper as much as he was. He was reading a book on navigation as part of his never ending studies to become a lieutenant, and was occasionally engaging in conversation with Selvis and Carrow. "Ugh... certainly been hot these last few days. End of June and WOW! Really shot up in temperature!" he said, shaking his head and wiping his brow under his top hat.

"I mean right around the time we sailed away from Minorca the temperature just shot through the roof. Personza was unpleasant, as always, and I'm glad we weren't anchored there for too long. I rather hate that island. Always hot, and always arid. Think we'll run into the Rosferian fleet?" he asked, looking up from his book to look at his companions now.

[Carrow]

Selvis Frenata had been receiving letters from home a little more frequently than he had become used to, over the last while. One of those letters had come with a small present for his 15th birthday, chosen by his parents: a starry pinwheel patch which he had gotten Elle to sew into his shirt. He had been telling Briga and Trelio about his recent magical endeavours, and they - as Briga had been reminded of how fond she'd been of her son's performances a while ago - had reciprocated with a poignant gift. He hadn't received anything from Carrow yet; the mouse had been going through a rough time and had been told by the weasel that he needn't concern himself with such things at present; besides, it had been a while since they had last been in port. He'd received a promise from the rodent that this would be made up to him as soon as possible.

Selvis hadn't heard from his parents in a fortnight; no doubt they were busy with preparations. Nonetheless, he hoped he would hear from them soon. By his calculations (as it had been a little over two months since the announcement), Briga was now almost 14 weeks pregnant; closing in on being halfway through the normal cycle. He was expecting news, but was hardly impatient about it. He had kept these more recent letters close to his chest, as he continued being rendered speechless when he read them. He'd asked for, and received, answers to his friends' questions, but hadn't told them yet as he was still dealing with them himself.

Cerinus Apodemus also had things on his mind: upsetting things that were disturbing his rest and playing havoc with his sleeping patterns. He was thinking of a certain creature: Tally Serra. He had known that the realisation she was gone would hit him at some point, but even that hadn't properly prepared him, and there were still times that the mouse could be quite unhappy over his loss. He'd written a letter to Archie in early June, but not before it had twice been scrapped and he had burst into tears upon finishing it.

It hadn't made for cheerful reading either; the mouse had deviated from his usual routine of copying out the letters that he sent away.He never wanted to see that one again. His June hadn't started well at all, but the company of his friends had been sufficient to lift his spirits over time. He was still hurting over it, but he was learning not to wear his heart on his sleeve so much, and not talking about things like that unless he absolutely had to. He didn't want to be the one to bring down his companions, after all.

As it was, the mouse was feeling better, emotionally speaking at least, but physically he was feeling a little run down. Memories of the heat-induced torment that he had suffered on Calvi last year flashed through his mind every now and then. The spike in temperature had caught the mouse off guard, and he'd been struggling to deal with it since. Unlike Caden, he wasn't studying right now; he did most of his training on the job, and had already worked a shift today, so he was going to try and take it easy for a little while longer before they were piped down to supper.

Caden's comments about the heat elicited a tired-sounding response from the rodent. "Oh, tell me about it. I'm not doing well in this heat. I mean, around this time last year I was suffering from heat-related exhaustion and had to stay in bed for another week whilst we were involved in that siege in Calvi," he muttered, yawning. Neither did he look like he was pawdling it too well; beads of sweat dripped from his brow, and he looked rather flushed, though it couldn't be said - and he didn't know - whether he was running a temperature. "Personza. yes... I've got a whole lot of hate for that island; thankfully we didn't need to stay anchored there," he said, sighing. This wouldn't do. He just needed to rest for another moment first...

Selvis shook his head. Poor mouse. It was good that he was currently on break because he didn't look like he could properly function in his current state. The longtail was also reading; nor was he doing it for simple pleasure. He was currently perusing the Articles of War. "Ah, well I can't deny it's rather heated up in the last while. You're right about that rise in temperature, though; it was so obvious that even I noticed it. A few degrees here and there wouldn't make a difference, but yes, I can see why Carrow's being reminded of Calvi. Thankfully this heat isn't as oppressive," he remarked.

The longtail wasn't wearing a top hat; instead he was making the most of the shade afforded to him, curled up and looking quite peaceful as he continued studying. He looked pensive for a moment as Caden mentioned the Rosferians. "It's possible. It's been possible for the last few days, too. They must be somewhere around here, if the reports we heard are anything to go by. I'm not exactly spoiling for a fight, but I must say it would be nice to engage them again," he said with a smile.

Carrow was relaxing and trying to conserve energy, but knew also that he needed to cool down, so he got to his paws in a rather unsteady manner, before pawing at his throat and coughing. "Hmm, yes. I would enjoy meeting them again, as I quite enjoy being involved in naval battles now, and that's not something I honestly thought I would ever say. I've... gotten used to things," he told them, coughing once more. "Er... 'scuse me a moment...," he said in a slightly dazed-sounding manner before jogging off to the water casks to temporarily quench his thirst. They were on the upper gun deck, so not too far away, but everything seemed like more of an effort when one felt like he was burning up.

As Carrow departed, Selvis sat up, tail still curled about his waist. "I'm hoping we can make something of any encounter we do have, however... as our last time out was quite frustrating for me personally." The weasel had made no secret of his displeasure with Admiral Hotham's tactics after their last battle had sputtered to a halt. "It would be more satisfactory that way... though going by a certain creature's track record, I have no cause to get my hopes up. Oh well, I'm sure I'll enjoy it while it lasts, in any case. I often do," he said, smiling.

[Ladorak]

"Well you got off relatively lucky compared to some of us." Caden joked with Carrow. "Heat stroke is mild compared to what I, Ocean, and even Ladorak were going through. Ladorak's malaria recurred, and Ocean was probably the worst of all of us. Got the Typhoid Fever after all. Even I didn't dodge the bullet, and ended up with dysentery by the end of things." Caden grimaced as he remembered how unpleasant that time of his life had been. That was certainly the most sick he'd ever been in his life. He hoped to never again experience it if he could.

"Uh... all right." he said softly, watching as Carrow got up and headed for the stairs. Water, maybe? The mouse hadn't said... and the albino doubted the rodent was out for a spot of fresh air. Being down in the ship was certainly better than being outside currently. He was glad at least that Carrow of all creatures was looking forward to combat. That certainly gave Caden heart to know that arguably the most pacifistic among them was hungering for a fight.

He nodded at Selvis's comments. "Aye, I can agree. Our last combat was not a complete victory. Certainly not how Ladorak would've fought it." Caden mused aloud, smiling now. The birthday pleasantries were already out of the way. Unfortunately, as they had not been in port at all (save for the uninspiring San Fiorenzo) since setting sail for Minorca, Caden had not been able to pick up a present yet, and there was no way he was going to spend money on Personza, so he instead found himself waiting for the right time to buy Selvis his present; whenever they got back to Calgary, at this rate. Caden had slightly miscalculated the time they'd be at sea. Normally, Hotham was one for just sitting in port and doing nothing, but they'd literally not made land from May 8th to June 29th, so almost two months, and as previously stated, June 29th was their arrival at Personza, and there was nothing worth buying there.

"Ahem..." Caden cleared his throat. "I know I already wished you a happy birthday and everything, but as you're probably aware, we were still off Minorca at that time, and as we haven't put into what I consider a real port yet, I'm still waiting on getting you your present. It'll be whenever we return to Calgary, I'm sure." he commented, as that seemed the most likely of destinations at some point. "I was kinda hoping that MAYBE we'd make it into Port Mahon, but we never did, so I got stuck out of luck." he said, shaking his head. "But... that's how it goes sometimes, when it comes to serving at sea. You never know WHEN you'll make landfall next, and though this ship usually needs it far more frequently due to requiring constant repairs, we have surprisingly remained at sea for almost two months now." The albino's eyes widened a little as he thought about it. Rare indeed for the Agamemnon. They'd had only five days in San Fiorenzo, which wasn't even a week. In that time, Caden had mostly elected to remain on the ship, not wanting to set paw on "fire island" as he liked to call Personza.

He himself had had to get used to "skipping" his usual birthday in May, and instead having to wait until August this year. Who knew where they would be then? Caden supposed it really didn't matter at this rate. So long as they got a chance to spend another Christmas in Florence, he'd be happy.

Eight bells rung out above their heads, signalling the start of supper... but also something else. As Carrow could possibly see as he got his drink from the tin cups at one of the water barrels on the weather deck, there was something off their starboard bow. A lot of somethings in fact. To those on the deck (like Ladorak and Carrow), they would only be able to see sails... albeit a lot of them. However, the lookouts up top could clearly see and count ships' hulls. "SAILS! ROUGHLY SEVENTEEN MILES OFF STARBOARD BOW!"

Ladorak's heard jerked over his shoulder, having just been about to enter his cabin. Fleet? 17 miles? He knew they were about 25 miles from shore right now, so whoever that was, they were cruising only 8 miles off shore. "HOW MANY?" Ladorak shouted up to the main top.

The lookouts began counting, tallying up the numbers. Ladorak had a feeling he already knew the answer to this question however before they again shouted back down. There was NO WAY it was Hotham's fleet. Hotham had clearly expressed his intention to stay in San Fiorenzo while Ladorak scouted, and it was highly unlikely that the Ferlusanians would be out cruising these parts as well.

"SEVENTEEN, SIR! SEVENTEEN SAIL! ONE SEEMS RATHER LARGE! THREE DECKER! REST ARE TWO, FROM WHAT WE CAN TELL!"

"That's them!" Ladorak breathed, knowing it had to be the Rosferians. A three decker and 16 two deckers? Of course, if they had spotted the Rosferians, then the Rosferians had most assuredly spotted them as well. As the wind was presently at a little west of north, the Rosferians had the weather gage.

"Sir! They're bearing towards us!" the shout came from above.

"Of course they are." Ladorak said aloud, though not loud enough to be heard by those aloft. The Rosferians had the weather gage, and clearly outnumbered his small squadron. There was no reason for them NOT to start chasing down the Agamemnon and her consorts. "Right! Put our heads for San Fiorenzo then, Jal Judson!" Ladorak ordered the quartermaster on duty at the wheel. "Adjust course back for Personza! Inform the ships of the squadron, Jal Williams!" Ladorak ordered his sixth lieutenant, who just happened to be at paw. "We'll put ourselves before the wind and get back to Hotham..." and just hope we can stay ahead of our pursuers, he didn't add.

"Aye sir! Course adjustment! Shift course to south-southeast! Prepare stations for wearing!" Williams shouted out. They would need to wear to bring themselves onto the proper course.

"Pipe the crew to supper, as usual, but the current Afternoon Watch will have to stay the extra ten minutes or so to complete the wear." Ladorak ordered, delivering his commands smoothly. Nodding, Williams went about to get the orders passed along. This would turn into a night chase, that was for certain. Already, the bow of the Agamemnon was turning to larboard, or falling off from the wind.

Caden's ears had perked up the moment the cry of sails sighted off the starboard bow had sounded. Yes... there had been eight bells... but he wanted to see this first paw. It had to be the Rosferians! It couldn't possibly be their own side, after all! "Come on, Selvis! Ocean!" he said, springing to his paws, and clapping his weasel friend on the back (Selvis being closer). "Let's go take a quick look before supper!"

Running for the fore companionway (the same one Carrow had taken), Caden had to dodge several crew members on their way down to eat. "S'cuse me! Pardon!" Caden said, twisting his body this way and that. Spying Carrow by the foremast, the marten charged over, stopping short as they stood upon the forecastle. "Did you see them Carrow? Where are they... oh wait! There they are!" he said, finally catching sight of the billowing white sails on the horizon. He pointed in his excitement, already feeling the ship turning under them.

"Prepare stations to wear!" the boatswain was calling, and Caden knew they were going to be conducting a turn through the wind soon.

"Oh yeah... they're turning toward us all right! Still way off on the horizon though. I can't really... at least I don't THINK I can see their hulls from here." he said, squinting his pink eyes and holding up his paw to shield his vision from the bright sun, as the fleet was off in the northwest. "Yeah... I just think it's their sails, for now. Well we gotta hightail it back to Hotham. Did you see them before the call, Carrow?" Caden asked his friend, wondering just what his mouse companion had seen when.

Ocean joined them now, having waited to let some others go by down the stairs. "Wow!" he breathed. "That's a fleet all right!"

[Carrow]

Carrow couldn't help chuckling as he left. Caden had only been joking with him, of course, but that much was indeed true; the mouse hadn't been able to see it like that at the time, of course - he hadn't been able to think clearly about much of anything when he'd been awake, and when he hadn't, his sleep had always needed to be induced, because when one was topping out at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, everything, including settling down to sleep, was painfully difficult, sometimes even literally.

In hindsight, he'd maybe come out the least affected of his friends at Calvi; Caden had been bayoneted and come down with dysentery; Selvis had broken his ankle; and Ocean had been racked by typhoid fever. Thinking of this made the rodent touch his forehead. Hmm... he felt a tad too hot, but knew that he himself wasn't the best judge. Perhaps a second opinion would be best. In any case, his throat felt like sandpaper and his head was swimming, so he needed to locate a water tub as soon as possible.

They were... located at the masts on the weather deck, right? That sounded correct; they were set up amidships when in combat, but that wasn't the case here, at least for now. If there were Rosferians about, though, that could change soon. He headed to the foremast and immediately began to slake his thirst. He checked his watch, and knew they'd be having supper in a matter of moments; still, though, he was parched, and three cups of water were dealt with in quick succession.

Just then, his gaze was caught by something off the Agamemnon's starboard bow. He squinted, rubbing his eyes. Was that...? Wait... no. It couldn't be. He just needed to get back down below and out of the sun, and then his head would be cleared. He looked again after taking a few seconds to regain his focus, and he gasped. He could indeed see sails... a lot of them. It had to be the Rosferians! The field mouse was suddenly filled with excitement, and he thought about catching the attention of Ladorak and the others on deck, but the lookouts got there first...

--

"Oh, I should say not," Selvis said in a slightly dismissive manner, rolling his eyes. "If it had been left to Ladorak, no doubt he would have sunk his teeth into the thing, worrying it and not letting go until he had gotten exactly what he'd come for. Unfortunately for us, though, a certain other creature's cautious nature prevented us from striking any kind of decisive blow," he said. He'd come to terms with that in time, but it still stung; he wasn't going to lie to himself and say that it no longer mattered. It did, albeit just a little.

"Oh, it's fine!," the longtail responded, shaking his head and smiling. "I know that it's a question of 'when' and not 'if'. Regardless of whether we've been on land or not, you may benefit from the extra time. Carrow was ashore at Personza, but he's already told me there was nothing there that he thought would suit, so it's back to the drawing board for him as regards my present. Don't worry about it; I'm sure you'll figure something out.

"On a related note, I've been thinking of ideas for your gift, which I figure I shall try to acquire the next time we make land, regardless of how close it is to August 29th or not," he commented, chuckling. "I can barely believe we've been at sea for two months! Those repairs done on the Eggs'n'Bacon last time she was in need of them must have done the trick," he admitted, smile still on his face. "These are simply the cards we've been dealt," he said, winking at his companion.

Eight bells sounded, and the weasel was about to get up and start heading down to the lower gun deck for supper, when voices sounded out. These were not the usual orders piping the crew to supper; these were rather different observations. "SAILS! ROUGHLY SEVENTEEN MILES OFF STARBOARD BOW!" The weasel's tail shot up in excitement. Caden was the first one on his paws, but he clapped Selvis on the back, and in response, his fellow mustelid uncurled from his former position and stood up, waiting for Ocean to get to his paws as well before he did anything. "Righto, sir," he said mischievously, grinning. "Well, this is rather exciting, and no mistake!"

He followed Caden and Ocean up the companionway, his heart racing in his chest. So they WOULD be seeing some action soon! He couldn't say exactly when, as the Rosferian ships were still a while off, but it was still something he was looking forward to. He was hard put to keep up with his pine marten friend as they spotted Carrow and Caden charged over. The mouse was looking excited too, so that was good. At least he still had his wits about him to some extent, even if he was still clearly under the weather.

Carrow heard Caden's voice come through to him, but the rodent was barely able to respond before Caden answered his own question, and he smiled as he had another look out to the horizon. "That's... quite a sight, isn't it?," he asked them, visibly impressed by what he was seeing. He was now hoping he'd be able to keep down his supper, as his eating habits tended to vary when excited, but there was the matter of his health that needed to be reckoned with as well.

The field mouse nodded haltingly as his pine marten friend asked him another question. "Yes, though there were only a few seconds before my properly recognising the sails and the lookouts calling the situation. I honestly thought I was hallucinating at first, as I couldn't believe my eyes, and wasn't sure what to think in my current condition. The mind plays tricks when..." He trailed off, swaying a little on his paws. "Whoa..." He righted himself, shaking his head a little. "Don't know what came over me there... but yes, I was going to go and alert Ladorak, but I got beaten to it by the lookouts up top," he told them.

[Ladorak]

Admiral Martin was looking to make prizes of the lot of Welkinite ships, but Ladorak of course had every intention of staying out in front of his pursuers, and as he had the fastest ship in Welkinite service, he felt confident he could match the speed of his lighter and smaller ships. The chase was on now, and it was a chase spanning not just the 17 miles separating the two forces, but the distance from here to Personza.

"Yeah... I guess you must've thought you were hallucinating or something." Caden chuckled, then started as Carrow swayed a bit. "Hey! Carrow!" he reached out, but the mouse managed to steady himself in time. "You... OK there?" he asked with concern.

The boatswain's shrill whistle sounded out now, the marten piping the crew to supper. "Crew to supper as usual! Crew to supper as usual! Afternoon Watch will remain aloft until the wear is complete!"

"Wow... glad we aren't working today!" Caden said, noticing how the routine was continuing as usual. It made sense... it would be hours... if at all until they were engaged. He could already see how his friends were eager for the fight though, and that gave him energy as well. He was looking forward to it just as much as they were, but he wanted it to take place with Hotham's fleet behind them too.

"Come on... let's get you downstairs and seated at a table... unless you feel you need to make a trip to the sick berth... which could be dismantled and moved down to the cockpit soon anyway." Caden put his paw on Carrow's back, and started walking him to the stairs. The ship was starting to wear, and they would need to be ready for that.

As it was the second week of the month, Selvis was current mess cook for Ocean, Carrow, himself, and Alleline. With Spender gone, Ocean had transferred into Carrow's mess. It was Selvis's turn to be mess cook this week, so he'd be responsible for taking the orders to the purser.

As they reached the upper gun deck once more, Caden headed for the foremast, pushing Carrow up against it and keeping him there to steady him as the ship wore around onto a larboard tack. Caden had remained on the larboard side of the foremast, as now they were leaning against the mast once the tack shifted.

Looking at the bulkhead that led to the sick berth at the bow of the upper gun deck (a most unpleasant place to be due to the pitching. He'd been there after all), Caden looked at Carrow after a second or two. "Need to head there, or are you good for supper? You just might need some food in you after all." the marten suggested.

"All right Selvis... I think I'll be taking whatever meat they have for tonight's main course, some cheese, bread, whatever dessicated fruit they have, though I'm sure it's raisins today, and, since I skipped my alcohol ration at dinner, I would like my full pint of beer, please." Ocean informed Selvis, smiling. Oh he was celebrating tonight! They had sighted the Rosferians after all, so it was time to drink up! Not of course get drunk, as they had work right after supper, but he figured he could pawdle a pint of watered down beer. Working slightly tipsy might make things interesting, though he was of course going to be responsible and drink slowly, and only after he'd begun eating.

Alleline passed them now, having been playing cards near the entrance to the sick berth, and spoke to Selvis in passing. "Meat, bread, and my half pint 'o beer if you please!" he said to Selvis as he headed downstairs to help in setting up the table.

"Right... well see you down there!" Ocean said, patting Selvis on the back as he headed for the stairs to follow Alleline. Caden was waiting to see if Carrow would be OK, and if he was, then he would be proceeding down to the cockpit for his supper.

[Carrow]

Carrow was unable to hide that he felt out of sorts, so he shook his head in response to Caden's question. "I must admit I could be feeling better right now... I've been dealing with this for a little while, but it's hitting me particularly strongly today, and I'm not sure why," he admitted, sighing a little. If he could avoid a repeat of what had happened in Calvi the previous year, he knew he'd be doing quite well. He smiled at his pine marten friend, all the same. "Thanks for your concern, though."

Selvis hoped Carrow would be all right; the mouse didn't seem to be holding up well. He was going to let Caden take charge of the mouse, as he had other things to deal with right now, such as pawdling the orders of the others at his table. He was Mess Cook this week, and the boatswain's whistle spurred him into action. "We'll have to head down there and get our orders in, but if you feel up to it, Carrow, you can tell me what you'd like, and I could try and ask for smaller portions as well if you felt like it," he told the mouse gently.

The rodent nodded slightly in response. "I'll... have to see how I'm feeling," he said hesitantly. He definitely looked out of it a tad, and Selvis knew that the mouse was just trying to put a brave face on things. "I'm glad we aren't working either, because if I'm honest, I'm not entirely sure what I could or couldn't manage in this condition," he said softly. "I like being able to do my best, after all... hmmm...," he murmured, a thoughtful look crossing his features for a moment.

He tried to focus on one thing at a time, and right now, the thing closest to him was Caden's voice, so his ears tuned in to that as he guided him down the stairs. The rodent's balance was even more skewed than usual, so he was very grateful for the helping paw on his back, and it was audible in his voice. "Thanks for that, Caden. I think I'm good for now. The Sick Berth, where it is now, is rather unfortunately placed... not sure I could pawdle all that pitching," he told his albino mustelid friend.

Being sick on an empty stomach was quite an unpleasant feeling, and Carrow wanted to avoid that if he could. Selvis allowed his two friends to lead, following them down, along with Ocean, to the upper gun deck. He accompanied Caden over to the foremast, watching as Caden assisted Carrow through the ship wearing. The mouse groaned softly, closing his eyes, Oh, this wasn't good. Soon, however, that was over, and Caden's voice drifted in again, soft and warm like a comforting blanket.

"I think I'll chance supper. If I eat, good. If I can't, then I'll have to try and get to the Sick Berth when I can..." He sighed a little. "Eating usually helps to perk me up, though, so it's like you said. One never feels good on an empty stomach, after all, and it's been a few hours since I last ate. I wasn't feeling the best this morning, but it's only really since dinner that it's really taken hold," he informed the pine marten, smiling weakly. "Something like that could be just the ticket, though. Thanks for the advice!

"We'll be here for you until you're back to your old self, Carrow," Selvis assured the mouse, giving Caden a smile. "You're in capable paws here, though!" He was still smiling as he took Ocean's order. "Right, so meat, cheese, bread, fruit and a pint of beer for you, Jal Sleet," he said, chuckling. "You're certainly not stinting yourself, but yes, as said, I think we deserve to celebrate!" He smiled at Alleline as the goanna passed by, noting his order too. "Meat, bread and a half pint of beer. Sounds good, I'll get on it right away!"

Turning to face Carrow, he crouched a bit so he could look into the mouse's eyes, thinking this would help him to focus, simply nodding at him as he guessed the rodent probably wanted to get his order in as soon as possible. Carrow's brow furrowed a bit as he thought. "Er... meat... cheese... bread... and water, please," he said, suddenly sounding rather tired. Once again, his head swam, and he had to fight to keep his eyes open as he put his arms around Caden to steady himself.

Selvis was alarmed by this turn of events, and lowered his voice. "Caden, sir, you may decide what to do with Carrow. He does need food, but if he's not going to make it down there in one piece, perhaps it's better that he stay put. I'm not sure if I can make that call, but if you think he needs to visit the Sick Berth, could you take care of that, please, just to make double sure?," he asked his pine marten friend. I'll see the two of you later, in any case. Chin up, Carrow," he encouraged the mouse, patting his cheek gently before following Ocean and Alleline down the stairs.

Selvis continued down to the orlop deck; he had to visit the Purser's store first, and he gave the ferret a smile when he reached him. "Good evening, sir! Can I have four portions of meat; four portions of bread; two portions of cheese; some fruit; and some vegetables, please?," he asked. The ferret nodded, dishing everything out into a sack which he then pawed to the longtail. Selvis took a hold of it. "Thank you, sir!" He'd sorted all the food, so shook his head at the ferret Purser when asked if oatmeal was required.

He went back up to stairs, and proceeded next to the rat Cook, putting all the rest of the food on a tray before pawing the sack to the rat, which contained the four meat portions. He needed to boil them, after all, and barely gave Selvis a nod as he took them, giving him his number in return, as well as his companions'; his was 292, and the others were 293-295. Selvis smiled, nodding at the surly rodent before moving on to the off-duty Quartermaster who was dispensing drinks under the supervision of a Master's Mate. "Good evening to you, sir," he said politely. "Can I have a pint of beer, a half pint of same, a half pint of rum, and some water, please?" The Quartermaster nodded, mixing the alcoholic drinks before sorting the weasel out with some water as well. Selvis nodded too, thanking him for it. He had everything but the meat now, so knew he had to go to his table and sort everything else out. As he approached it, he noticed that Carrow was absent, but set the tray down and sorted out his companions with most of their respective orders anyway. Alleline got his first, then Ocean, then the absent Carrow, and finally himself. He sat down, smiling at his ermine and goanna friends as he pawed them their numbers, 293 and 294 respectively. "OK, that's mostly sorted, and now we're just waiting on the meat," he told them with a smile.

Soon, Selvis could hear his number being called, and he smiled, taking his tray and standing up before going back over to the Cook, who shook the boiled meat out onto the weasel's tray. The mustelid nodded his thanks once again before returning to his friends. He sat down with a satisfied sigh as he nodded at Ocean and Alleline. "Yours will be along in a moment, I'm sure! I always find excitement such as that which we've had today works up a healthy appetite," he exclaimed, licking his lips before starting on his vegetables.

[Ladorak]

Caden frowned a little, thinking. Carrow certainly seemed the more fragile of their group, and now it looked as if he'd be missing the battle entirely. He knew they just had to make do with what they could, and that the Agamemnon almost always had a quarter to a third of their crew on the sick list anyway, but in combat, it was vital that everyone be at their stations except those who really couldn't operate.

Well... if Carrow wasn't fully sick, he'd be out of the sick berth soon enough, as it wasn't the most comfortable area of the ship (for good reason too, as generally you didn't want others in there unless they were really ill). Caden knew what it was like. Fortunately, they hadn't been sailing during his stay there. The ship had been idle blockading Toulon then. Now however... this was a different story. Every sail they could carry would be set, as they were now being pursued by a powerful force, and Ladorak was going to do everything he could to stay one step ahead of his hunters.

"Well... look on the bright side, mate." Caden said, beginning to move Carrow aft as Selvis moved down below. "We shouldn't be engaging tonight... so you've probably got plenty of time to rest up. If we're lucky, we'll be back at Personza by tomorrow, and then give them a real fight. Just hope you can make the combat... your job's vital, after all." the marten said, pushing open the door and getting a scowl from Kasal, who was just rising from behind his desk.

"Oh, what now? I'm going to be heading off to get supper, so someone else can take this as far as I'm concerned." he said, shaking his head. "One of the assistant surgeons will be up soon... and there he is now." the marten motioned to a weasel who walked in behind Caden. "He'll be on duty. Get this mouse checked in." the surgeon ordered, shuffling off toward the other door, his cane thunking along the wooden deck. He paused though to briefly study who it was Caden was bringing in.

"Cerinus... Apodemus." Kasal said aloud, thumping his cane a little on the deck. This was his third one, or at least as far as Caden could tell it was. His first one Kasal had discarded after the rather harsh and dictatorial Surgeon of the Fleet had been fired. He'd ridden all the ships' surgeons hard, and to celebrate his departure, Kasal had tossed out his first cane and gotten a second. That second one Ladorak Fugate had broken, as part of a bizarre prank. Kasal had been constantly pranking Ladorak while in Livorno last year, and had been begging the stoat to get back at him. As it turned out, Ladorak had. He'd filed through Kasal's cane, until it snapped in two as the marten was walking. Kasal was now on his third since coming aboard. It was a nice walnut tourist one, and was different from the previous opera ones the surgeon had used.

"That's right, Jal Kasal. And I don't appreciate that tone." Caden said, voice rising a little. "Keep in mind, I outrank you, and if I order you here... well I guess you'll have to stay, won't you?" the marten smirked a little, to which Kasal appeared visibly agitated. "I've a right mind to do that. Must burn you up inside... knowing a 14 year old can order you around like this. But go on, get out. But I expect good care of this one, got it? Otherwise, I'll recommend to the captain that you pull a double shift."

Kasal gave him a cold glare, but said nothing. He himself was coming off of a rough time. He'd nearly lost one of his assistant surgeons to a deadly disease that he'd been unable to diagnose until close to the last minute. Some said Kasal didn't care but... he really did, and that had been demonstrated recently.

"I know it's been a hard time... go have your supper." Caden said now, softer this time. Kasal moved out of the sick berth.

"Here... let me get him checked in." the assistant surgeon offered.

"Right... you need to stop getting sick, Carrow. I hate being in here... for obvious reasons." the albino muttered, grunting as he helped the mouse over to the table. He supposed that Kasal was ANOTHER deterrent from getting sick. "Well... I'll drop you off here, and tell one of the others to bring up your food."

"Orderlies can take care of that. I'm sending one of them down now to make his rounds. He'll be up again with the rations, though it could be a bit before your friend gets his, as he has to make several trips." the assistant surgeon informed Carrow, to which the albino nodded.

"Oh right... the orderlies, of course. Well... good luck then mate, and I'll visit you in about two hours, once we get onto the Second Dog Watch and have our time off." the albino said, patting the mouse on the back again. He gave him one last look, then departed, heading down for the cockpit on the orlop deck.

"OK... name and rank if you would." the assistant surgeon asked, speaking with a slight Australian accent, as he'd spent time down in that harsh colony as a prison doctor. "Also symptoms, and if you want your supper or not. If you need asistance getting into a hammock, one of the orderlies can help." he sat down behind his desk, taking a quill from the inkwell and opening up the book of patients to get to the newest page so he could start taking down Carrow's info. He glanced out the corner of his eye to another hammock where his fellow assistant surgeon lay recuperating.

That beast had nearly died... but they'd managed to save him in time. However... there had been some damage. His brain had somehow gotten scrambled, so now whenever he tried moving the right side of his body, the left moved, and vice versa. He was still getting used to that, and working on training himself daily so that he'd be able to move properly again. He was also suffering from some memory loss as well, forgetting even simple things like how coffee was brewed or where the orlop deck was. It was unknown whether it would be permanent or not, and considering the death rate on that particular disease was 98%, he was lucky to be alive at all, and if it had been anyone but Kasal working the case, he probably wouldn't have made it.

Keeping his ears trained on the mouse however, the weasel assistant surgeon was ready to begin recording.

---

Ocean and Alleline had been busy lowering the table and setting up the plates and utensils. They were ready by the time Selvis joined them, dishing out their portions accordingly. "Oh, excellent! Thank you, Selvis!" Ocean exclaimed, hungry as he was. He also had a nice full pint of beer sitting in front of him too. Tonight was definitely going to be a good night.

"Carrow not joining us, then?" the ermine asked, noticing the empty seat next to him. "I guess if he was too sick, an orderly will be around to collect his food..." If he didn't want to eat, then one or more of them would be getting extra portions for supper, as no food could go to waste. He went to work on his cheese and bread, beginning to spread some butter over it, and then taking a nice swig of his beer as he waited on his number.

"Lucky you." Alleline muttered, noticing Ocean's full serving.

"Well I DID skip it at dinner." Ocean said, smirking now. "I figure I'm going to treat myself to a bit more this late afternoon."

"Just hope whatever's ailing Carrow clears up soon." Alleline stated. "We're gonna be seeing some action, I reckon. He rather does seem to have a sicklier disposition than the rest of us... like he's just not as fit or something." the goanna speculated, frowning thoughtfully. "Guess I'm lucky I'm cold-blooded, as I rather like this heat." he commented, smiling now as he bit into his bread.

Ocean was picking through his raisins, scooping them up with his spoon and shoveling them into his mouth. "Well, it's in God's paws. He'll look out for Carrow, though I will pray he regains his strength. We're on shift right after supper, after all." the ermine pointed out. "Wonder what we'll be getting up to, for that. It's only an hour's worth of work, so I can't imagine it'll be too strenuous. You gonna try catching some shuteye before the First Watch, Selvis, or are you too excited by the prospect of potential combat to nod off during the Second Dog Watch?" Ocean asked his weasel friend, smiling now.

[Carrow]

Carrow knew he was fragile, certainly compared to the rest of his companions, but he tried not to focus on that right now. All he really knew for sure was that he felt absolutely terrible and almost completely sapped of energy. It wasn't going to be a pleasant experience in the Sick Berth - particularly so if a certain grouchy pine marten was about - but by now the field mouse had begin to see it as being better than the alternative. He felt quite faint, and didn't fancy running the risk of passing out either at supper or whilst working the First Dog Watch later on.

As Caden started to move aft, the rodent wanted to respond, but he found that the words weren't coming as easily as he'd hoped, so he heard his companion out, and felt comforted by both his presence and what he was telling him. "Mm... that's good, at least...," he said at length. "If we're not going to be engaging tonight, there's a chance I could still be involved in any action we have. For all I know I could be feeling much better by morning," the rodent told his friend hopefully.

His eyes widened as Caden told him that his job was vital; Carrow hadn't been feeling that way as of late, and had limped through his shift with Quartermaster Robb earlier that morning, but he hadn't been at the top of his game since he'd woken up. He'd been having one of those days, but it wasn't until after dinner that he had realised that there had been more to his condition than he'd previously thought. He was about to respond, but then Caden opened the door and was met with Kasal, who seemed to be in his usual mood.

The field mouse had heard about the rough time the marten surgeon had been having; he'd almost lost one of his assistant surgeons to a disease which he had nearly been completely unable to diagnose. Its effects were similar to those Spender had inflicted upon himself after contracting something after his one-night stand in Tuscany toward the end of last year, but the chances of a fatality had been much higher. Kasal had done extremely well to save him, but he was still quite rattled.

Even so, the mouse was glad to hear he was getting off this shift and leaving him in the paws of somebeast else. The last thing the rodent wanted to put up with was gruff treatment from the mustelid, but he smiled weakly when he heard Caden take a stand against his fellow marten. The Midshipjack was really looking out for him, and the mouse was incredibly grateful for that, as well as for being assisted over to the table, and it showed in his response. "Thanks, mate... glad to have you here. I really think I dodged a bullet, though... don't think I'd be able to pawdle him in this condition," he whispered, chuckling weakly when Caden told him he needed to stop getting sick.

"I generally try to avoid it when I can." he responded with a wink, "but it seems I'm not able to deal with weather like this; it's pretty much an exact repeat of what happened in Calvi. Oh well... I just hope it clears up soon," he said with a small smile, falling silent as the weasel assistant surgeon informed them that one of the orderlies could get the mouse his food if he wished. "Thank you, sir," he said to the weasel, yawning a bit, and smiling as Caden gave him a pat on the back for extra reassurance. "I'll see you soon, Caden. Enjoy your supper and your work," he told his friend, unable to manage anything above a whisper.

By now, the mouse sounded quite hoarse, but he tried to make his voice heard as he was asked for his name and rank, the symptoms he was suffering from, and whether he'd like supper brought up to him. "Quartermaster's Mate Cerinus Apodemus," he responded as clearly as he could. "I'm definitely running a temperature, and more recently I've started to suffer from dizziness, nausea and exhaustion; they've all come upon me in the last few minutes..."

He trailed off for a moment, shaking his head to clear it before speaking again. "My appetite is completely unpredictable, too, though I could certainly chance some food. Ask one of your orderlies to bring my food up, if you would be so kind. I'm not sure how much of it I would finish, but I have to try," he said resolutely, giving the mustelid a smile. I think I'll also need a paw getting into a hammock, sir; I could give it a go myself, but I'm not sure if I'd manage in my current state," he said honestly, keeping his eyes on the orderly's as he tried to focus.

--

"You're welcome, mate," Selvis said gently after swallowing some of his veg. "From the amount that you ordered, I'm guessing you're famished, heheh. Not surprised, either; I'm pretty much the same myself!," he exclaimed, chuckling and taking a swig from his rum. "Even though we've been on break for a while, I've been keeping myself busy studying, and that sort of thing works up quite an appetite. I've gone from being hungry for knowledge to just being hungry, I suppose you could say," he said with a grin.

The weasel thought for a moment in response to Ocean's question, before shaking his head. "I suppose not. He seemed really out of it when I left him to come down here and order the food, so perhaps it's for the best. Wouldn't be good for him to be falling asleep at the table, after all. He didn't feel like he could make it down here, but I expect that he'll still be able to manage. He's definitely running a temperature, mind you, so if that gets any worse then it would probably be better not to feed him at all. You know, 'feed a cold, starve a fever' and all that," he said, resuming work on his vegetables.

He chuckled at the exchange between his goanna and ermine companions. "Yes, Alleline, Ocean is rather lucky, isn't he? I suppose you could call it delayed gratification. I could have done the same, of course, as I didn't quite feel like having any alcohol at dinner earlier - I needed to have my wits fully about me for the studying I'd been planning to do, but I reckon that now such things are out of the way, I can treat myself with some rum," he told them with a chuckle.

"Yes, me too," Selvis said gently, having finished his vegetables by now. He was taking in the conversation around him whilst he ate. "He does seem to get sick a lot more frequently than the rest of us, though he did used to live in some pretty squalid conditions, so maybe that sort of thing's had a long-term effect on him. In any case, I don't think he pawdles heat like this very well. We didn't have to put up with anything like that during our first year together, but he was out of sorts only a little while after we landed on Personza. That kind of atmosphere doesn't suit him. It's not as intense here, of course, but there are certain climes that don't seem to agree with him."

He nodded as Ocean offered support for the rodent. "Hmm, yes, we're all hoping Carrow's back on his paws soon. I must say I wasn't expecting his condition to worsen as quickly as it did. I mean, only a few minutes ago he was just looking for some water to drink, as he wanted to cool down, but now, well, I'm sure there's other things going on with him that may not be as obvious. When I saw him a few moments ago, he looked like he could barely stand, so he's evidently being hit hard by this. I'm sure he doesn't want to miss the battle, though, so let's hope that whenever we do encounter the Rosferians, he's feeling better."

The longtail smiled as the ermine mentioned the two Dog Watches that were coming up. "Yes, I can't imagine it'll be too strenuous, but I'm looking forward to some activity of the more physical kind. My body needs a bit of a workout, as I just spent most of the last few hours with my snout buried in a book! That's the sort of thing my ambitions require, but it's nice to mix things up. I don't think we'll be doing too much, but I'm glad to be getting out and doing something, at least.

"As for what I'll be doing during the Second Dog Watch, Ocean, I haven't quite decided yet. I would like a little more leisure time, though the chance of some rest before the First Watch sounds as appealing as ever. I AM excited about the prospect of combat, but if I'm tired, I'm quite sure I'll sleep. We shall see. We don't know for certain if we'll engage the enemy today, after all, and even though there's that anticipation, I don't think I'll start getting excited properly until we know for sure. What do the two of you have planned for our next break?," the mustelid asked his friends as he began to deal with his meat.

[Ladorak]

The assistant surgeon reached a paw out, brow furrowing as he felt how hot Carrow was. "Yes, you're definitely running a fever. All right..." he wrote down the name, rank, and symptoms of Cerinus, as well as noted that supper should be brought up to him by the orderlies.

"We'll get you into bed, and if your condition deteriorates, I may prescribe something, though... medicine's often hit or miss these days, as you know." he said, frowning. "You should try and stay hydrated. That's the most important thing in this heat, so if you need water, just ask one of the orderlies." he told the mouse.

"Get him into hammock number ten." the weasel pointed with his quill towards the bow of the ship, where an empty hammock lay. It was situated rather close to the doors leading out to the ship's heads. Fortunately, as the wind was coming from over the stern of the ship at almost all times, the smell wouldn't be too bad. It would certainly be hot in the sick berth however, as they were right above the ship's stove, which was directly below them on the lower gun deck. It was all part of not wanting the crew off duty unless they really had no other choice.

An orderly moved over to Carrow now, and helped him toward the bow, getting him up and into his hammock with relative ease. "We'll bring your food around sometime before two bells." the orderly reassured the rodent. "Don't worry. Just rest up." He wiped his brow, exhaled, and began moving about the sick berth on his rounds. "Just call if you need anything." he said over his shoulder as he walked about the room.

---

"Hahahah!" Ocean laughed, grinning as Selvis had such a good way of putting things into words sometimes. "Yes... hungry for knowledge being turned into hunger for food. Good way of putting it." the ermine said, still grinning.

He nodded as Selvis responded, his ears perking up as he heard his meat number called. "Ah! That's me!" he exclaimed, getting up and walking forward, followed closely by Alleline, as his number was named as well. Returning shortly from the galley, Ocean remarked upon what Selvis had said. "Actually, yes. I'm aware of that... there's not much doctors can really do, to be honest. We're still understanding how the body works, and what does what, so to speak. Though to be honest... I wouldn't want to be in the sick berth with his conditions, if I were him." he said, shaking his head. "That... is one of the reasons why." he pointed right at the stove, which was right below the sick berth. "Hoo... hottest part of the ship he's in, right now. I'd personally just rough it out... but Carrow doesn't really seem like he's capable of doing that all that often." the ermine said, nodding seriously now, feeling sorry for the mouse's delicate disposition.

"Well... yes, to be perfectly honest with you, I think I should've waited, but it's all right. Half a pint is still plenty for me." Alleline commented, noting Ocean's full cup. There was no way he wouldn't be at least slightly feeling that after supper.

"Ahem... well he'd better adapt." Ocean said, pursing his lips as he began to work on his meat. It was pork today, which was nice. He wasn't sure what he liked better, beef or pork, but pork day was fine with him. "I mean he can't keep getting sick like this every time we're in hot climates... which is going to be frequently since we serve in the Mediterranean after all. He's not going to be viewed as particularly useful to the ship if he spends a good deal of his time in the sick berth." the ermine's concern was evident here, as he knew that crew who were constantly worn out and couldn't take life at sea were often times not maintained in the service. While it was true that Agamemnon usually had a high percentage of crew on the sick list, it did tend to rotate around. "I just... don't want him following Spender's route, after all. Declared unfit for duty." Memories of that were still fresh in his mind, and were not sitting well with him. To have the same thing occur with Carrow was not something he wanted to consider.

"Could be as soon as tomorrow when we encounter them." Ocean responded to Selvis again. "And if he's feeling as bad as you say he's feeling... I wouldn't hold out much hope for him being in combat. I will of course be praying for him, as it's completely in God's paws. We have a great surgeon too, who will of course I'm sure do everything he can to ensure that Carrow doesn't become so sick he'd well... leave us." Ocean said hesitantly.

"You never know." Ocean said here in answer to the Dog Watches. "We could be hoisting and setting more sails if we need to get our speed up to stay ahead of the Rosferians." he said, giving the weasel a smile. "I'm sure that would get your muscles flexed a little." he said with a wink.

He picked up his cheese and bit into that, beginning to take chunks out of it now. "Yes... I'd say it's questionable if we'll engage today. If we DO... well we're in trouble." he said, chuckling. "Heavily outnumbered, we wouldn't stand a chance... so let's hope we don't fight until we get in with Hotham's fleet. It'll be hopeless, otherwise, but since we're the fastest ship in our fleet, I have no doubt we'll stay ahead of them." the ermine stated confidently. "Ladorak will ensure we never fight at a disadvantage if he has anything to say about it."

"Hmmm... might sleep... try to stretch myself out underneath the main hatch and catch some sun as I doze." Alleline replied to Selvis. "A creature like me can benefit from that, after all." He said, giving the weasel a toothy grin before tearing back into his meat.

Ocean was alternating between his raisins, cheese, and pork. He took a swig of beer, pondering over Selvis's question. Swirling the fluid around in his mouth, he finally swallowed. "Well... I don't know, to be honest." Ocean said, shaking his head. "We've basically got two hours off before the First Watch, so... who can say? I might check in on Carrow if he's missed the First Dog Watch, and see if I can try to talk him into bucking up a little... and NOT just giving in to his conditions all the time like Spender did. I've seen this after all.... and I don't want him taking that route. I realize you can't always help being sick... but if that's the case, you can't help being discharged either if you don't have a good constitution. You wanna be in the navy, you have to put on a tough face sometimes." Ocean pointed his fork at Selvis now, nodding.

"I suppose I'll try to get some rest. I don't like the starboard watch in the sense that it's only four hours of sleep going in SO... heh... yeah. I'll probably curl up in between some guns and rest." Ocean said, thinking about it. "Two hours will add to the four I'll be getting at midnight, after all."

[Carrow]

Carrow felt his heart sink in his chest as the weasel orderly confirmed what he himself had been suspecting for the previous few minutes. That was the worst thing about getting sick like this: one always needed a second opinion. "Ah... I see," he murmured. How long would he be out of action for... and how soon would they end up engaging the Rosferians? The second question was most pressing to him; although Caden had assured him that no action would be taking place today, even tomorrow would most likely be too soon for him.

He didn't like feeling of little use, but far worse than that was the feeling that his career might already be on a downward slope. He cursed his various ailments silently: some had been alleviated, if not entirely eradicated (his sleeping issues), but some remained, like his troublesome back, his balance issues, and of course, the fact that he seemed to get sick more often than most. He needed to get stronger, somehow, because right now he was unsure whether he was cut out for life at sea. He had been unsure the day they had set sail, and he was even more unsure now, even if it had come and gone since then.

"I suppose we'll just have to see what works, and what doesn't," he responded quietly when told he'd be prescribed medicine if things got any worse. He was hoping they didn't, because last time he'd come down with something like this, it had persisted for almost a week. If things panned out in a similar fashion, he'd surely miss the battle... unless, by chance, a direct confrontation was avoided for that long. If things went the way he was expecting, though, he'd be holed up in the Sick Berth for the entire thing.

Despite it all, he was able to manage a small smile as he was helped into his hammock, having realised how hot it was where he was currently situated. He didn't mind it; he was already running a fever, so it barely mattered in the larger scheme of things. He really just needed to cool down, which reminded him that he was in desperate need of some water, but he wasn't going to ask for anything before he got settled in. He wondered if he'd be able to stay awake for another 25 minutes or so, until his food arrived - he didn't trust his body only to let him nap, so he had to try and keep his eyes open.

"Thank you, sir," the mouse responded in a tired, yet extremely grateful tone of voice once he had started to settle into his hammock. "I really appreciate your help..." He trailed off, blinking owlishly as he yawned. The orderly was just doing his job, but it didn't feel like that to Carrow; he was being taken care of, and being reassured, and if there was anything he needed right now, it was care and reassurance. It was then that the orderly advised him not to worry. "I'll try not to, sir - and yes, I'll be sure to; may I have some water, please?," was his response. That's not what I'm worried about, he added mentally.

Instead, he was worried about what repercussions this might have for his career. He had seen Spender discharged for being in too bad a condition to be of any service to the ship, and while his situation wasn't as bad (for one thing, he still had his wits about him, to a certain extent), if it got any worse, he'd have to consider his position. The thought scared him, and his bottom lip quivered as he fought the desire to cry. He couldn't tear up... not here... not now.

He bit down on it, trying to get his emotions under control, until finally he could taste blood. He swallowed nervously, unable to keep certain thoughts from his mind. He wondered what his friends thought of his disposition; whether he was perceived as a liability to the crew; and whether, after all this time, he was still as weak as he had ever been. He didn't want to accept such notions, but there was a possibility they might be true, and he knew it. He stared upwards, at nothing in particular, lost in his own thoughts.

--

Selvis waited until Ocean and Alleline had collected their meat and rejoined him before speaking again. "I'm pretty sure he didn't, either," the weasel pointed out. "He was all ready to come down here, but then things took a turn for the worse up above, and well, hottest place on the ship or not, it's the best one for him to be in right now." He sighed when the ermine voiced his opinion that Carrow didn't seem to be capable of roughing things out. It hurt to hear that, but at the same time, his fellow mustelid was right. "You're right; he doesn't, and it's not doing him any favours. He's been delicate for as long as I've known him... perhaps a little too much so," he said contemplatively.

"I know he needs to adapt," Selvis said gently, a visibly converned look crossing his face as Ocean raised the possibility of the rodent being discharged due to his disposition. What the field mouse was suffering from wasn't life-threatening (at least, the weasel didn't think it was; he'd need to check in with his friend just in case things had worsened), but it was certainly a threat to his long-term career prospects. "We've all needed to, but I think Carrow's struggling. I'm not sure why, but..." He trailed off, wringing his paws in a slightly agitated fashion.

He looked slightly pensive as he continued with his supper, listening to Ocean speak and nodding every now and then to show that he was listening to the ermine's words. Talk of the upcoming battle helped to calm his nerves a bit, but inwardly he was quite concerned about Carrow. The rodent didn't pawdle setbacks well (not that Selvis thought himself much better with such things), and he was hoping this latest one wouldn't be too much of a blow to his confidence. Carrow had had a rough month of it, what with having to come to terms with Tally leaving him.

Swallowing, he smiled as Ocean mentioned them possibly having to hoist and set the sails. "Oh yes, we could indeed! That's a nice idea, actually. I'm in the mood for some good physical activity, so that'd be just the ticket." He nodded enthusiastically as Ocean said that Ladorak wouldn't allow them to fight at a disadvantage. "Too right! We wouldn't stand a chance if it was just us up against that Rosferian fleet, but I'm certain our Captain won't allow something like that to happen. We just need to reconnect with the rest of our own fleet... then I'm sure it'll be a different story."

He smiled at Alleline as the goanna outlined his plans. "That sounds good, yes. Having a good rest in the sun can only benefit a creature like yourself. Heheh, no heat-related illnesses for you," he quipped, chuckling. "You've absolutely nothing to lose from such an idea!" The conversation then returned to his ailing rodent companion, and he was once again feeling apprehensive about the mouse's future. He wasn't fully convinced the mouse could turn it around in time for an engagement.

"Of course," the longtail conceded, nodding. "I'm pretty sure Carrow can't help it this time around; it's taken him longer than the rest of us to become accustomed to the hotter climates, but I'll be honest and admit that I'm quite surprised he's being so affected this year. I thought he would have become slightly more used to temperatures like those which we've been experiencing recently, after what he had to go through in Calvi - exposure to things like that usually helps increase resistance to similar conditions, after all.

"You're right, though - he doesn't seem to be holding up well, and I... just don't know what I'd do if he started becoming uncertain about his future. I know Spender had to be discharged, but he literally couldn't help it after his accident. Carrow's case is different, but... I do hope he's not too upset about this," he murmured in a slightly worried fashion. The rodent could be quite hard on himself at times. Selvis thought him to be stronger than he gave himself credit for, though. "He needs to try and toughen up, and I think he'll do better if we help him with that. He did say he was looking forward to combat, after all - he wouldn't want to miss it, and we need him in action," the mustelid said, polishing off his meat.

Talk of one of his best friends possibly being discharged wasn't helping his appetite, so he took a good swig of his rum instead. Alcohol usually helped to soothe him, after all. "Yes, that also sounds like a good idea. Depending on how I feel, I may join you in between the guns, because that's always a good place to catch some shut-eye if one needs it," he said, starting on his bread. At this rate, he'd have no trouble clearing his plate!