Jack Dawkins One Shots

The New Job

I let out a stunted yawn trying my best not to let my yawns be too obvious as it was early and had a long way still to go. But I had been travelling for what felt like years at this bloody point. So much has changed within the last year. Fallen in love, perfected groundbreaking surgery, got arrested for said groundbreaking surgery, got released under servitude, and paid my way out of it, lost the woman I love and... lost Fagin too. But I suppose I had come to think of myself much like a hand on a clock face, I must go forward even if it hurts, even if I carry a weight eight times my own behind me, I must move forward ever forward and never once back. I now sat in a carriage being bustled and bumped along. Staying in Port Victory wasn't an option anymore, too many ghosts. Nothing was left for me there and I needed a blank slate somewhere to start over again. And God knows I haven't got that many more cracks at a blank slate, I've already had more than most. But I managed to weasel my way into a job. With my own home office, a weekly salary, free accommodation and a completely fresh start. A small ocean-side town in the States where hopefully things could be fresh. Even if that meant packing up my life in Port Victory and travelling from Australia to South Carolina. Which... Is not fun. And is long. And hard. And I forgot how dark and cold boats are. You'd think I'd have remembered that... from the Navy, but it still got me.

I sighed for a moment, pulled my letter out from my pocket read through it all again trying to remind myself of things,

'Dear Dr Dawkins,

We are so glad and excited that you coming to our little town. Everyone is extremely excited to meet you and have you here with us. You should arrive on the twelfth all being well. I look forward to your arrival so I can personally meet you and introduce you to the town. We have set up your house and office, it's sitting here waiting for your arrival.

you enjoy your journey to Charleston.

Signed

Mayor Wolton'

I knew it couldn't be too much longer now, Part of me shivered with fear and concern, And yet another part of me couldn't sit still with excitement and anticipation. The carriage bounced and buckled, the roads here were worse now, and the fields seemed to stretch for further than I could even imagine I could see trees and farmhouses miles away across the vast emptiness, the sky a deep grey as the rain slowly drizzled from the sky. The sound of the horse's shoes clicking on the road, the patterning of the raindrops on the wooden roof above me, the fluttering of a window open on the other side, I had tried to shut it but it was stuck worse than my strength could fix. I held my bag tightly protecting the contents within from the movement, I got my pocket watch from my pocket, I clicked it open revealing the face of the watch. I hoped we would be there soon so I had time to get settled.

"Dr Dawkins!" The man shouted over the rain and sounds of horses

"Yes?" I responded, my voice a little hoarse from hardly speaking today,

"We'll be arriving in Charleston soon sir!" he yelled,

"Ohh thank you" I answered,

I looked desperate to try and see something, anything of the place I was going to be calling home but the rain and the small windows allowed me not to see much.

I pushed down my window and almost stuck out my head to try and see more. I could see houses, trees, and at last signs of life.

This place seemed smaller than I imagined. A small town with shops, townhouses, and some basic cottage industry all by the sea but the rain battering everything in sight.

The carriage suddenly stopped so I got out holding tightly onto my bag as I stepped out smelling the sea air turned on my heels to see water being battered by the rain. We had stopped surrounded by an old twisted metal sign,