Poppies and Pertussis

[eglantine_br]

Title: Poppies and Pertussis

Author Eglantine_br

Word Count 1319

Poppies and Pertussis

“I still don't und---” Archie bent to cough. It was a hollow hack that brought no relief. He held his abdomen in his arms, Horatio noticed.

When it was over there were were tears on his face. He cleaned them from his skin with an impatient grimace.

Comments

[rikibeth]

Oh, this is very sweet.

There's another sort of poppies that would do them all good, right now. COUGH MIXTURE!

[eglantine_br]

Perhaps they have run out. If they had any, I am sure if they had any they would have used it on the child.

[rikibeth]

Poor little fellow. :(

[anteros_lmc]

Awww that's lovely! Really very touching. You really get a sense of how much these men all care for each other, and of love in all its variety, as you so beautifully put it. I'll never be able to look at Oldroyd the same way again! I do hope Archie recovers soon though.

I love that this silly challenge has produced such thoughtful writing :)

[eglantine_br]

This was one of those globs of writing that just came all at once, and easily.

I imagine Oldroyd is very handsome in his fancy underpants. (if you like them young, pale, and just a little stupid!)

[rikibeth]

Just a little?

*braces self for the bucket of water sure to be coming her way*

[eglantine_br]

I can picture old mother Oldroyd sitting at her sewing and thinking of her awesome heroic son! (That is how she sees him.)

[ioanite]

This is really sweet.

And aw, poor Archie. I hope he gets well soon.

[mylodon]

Aw. Lovely. I had whooping cough as a child and can still remember the sheer terror of a coughing bout and not being able to breathe. *pets Archie*

[eglantine_br]

Yes. Thus the 'whoop,' right? Scary.

I am not sure that a ship of grown men would have come down with it so hard-- but you can get it twice, apparently. So I took a few liberties. Maybe the French had a different strain?

It could, for sure, have killed a 6 y.o. powder monkey. Especially if he had a poorly nourished life before the Indy. (I am sure Pellew fed children the best he could.)

I realized, writing this that Oldroyd has hidden talents, as well as hidden underwear. He can read. Well, nor inconceivable that he has a few years schooling?

[charliecochrane]

Oh yes, the "whoop" is terrifying. Quite easily kill a very fit 6 year old. And while I doubt that Oldroyd would have had any formal schooling, some kind soul may have taken him under their wing.

[mashfanficchick]

Oh, poor Archie! And of course Oldroyd and the child, too. But Archie's description if his illness just brought me back so fast to when I had whooping cough a few years ago. (As opposed to now, when I just have the cold from hell, and wish I had a Horatio to take care of me...though I'd be terribly afraid he'd catch it, too.) Thanks for the lovely read!

[eglantine_br]

Hello. I think we have not met.

I am so sorry you had whooping cough. (But I am glad my description felt real.)

I expect Horatio can make an excellent cup of something strengthening. Probably some liquor with egg in it, served hot. He will only catch your cold if he gets really close to you-- oh dear, yes. I suppose he might catch your cold! He had better have a hot egg drink himself!

Thank you for the kind comment.

[mashfanficchick]

Hi, sorry, yeah: I don't think I've posted here before. Consider it a compliment that my first comment was how much I liked your fic?

And as to your comment about Horatio's cures: I will totally admit that, when I made myself a hot toddy before, I was mentally quoting the bit from Hornblower and the Atropos about a cold-stricken Horatio desiring "hot bricks at his feet and hot rum-and-water at his side." So maybe he could make me another of those? *g*

[rikibeth]

Egg and liquor? Posset! My Archie got very tired of posset, recovering from a certain wound.