Jack Dawkins One Shots

Little Mouse

I took my bag and headed out to the front steps of the Port Victory Royal Hospital, immediately met by the heat that still gives me pause even after all this time here. The sun was beating down without the sweet mercy of a single cloud today so I kept on my hat in an attempt to keep myself from burning. I wandered down the steps and sat my bag beside the tables as Hetty finished setting them up, Sneed was already out here being slimy and smug as usual in his suit. I took my seat at my own table and opened up my book flicking through to the right page taking a moment for my eyes to get the fucking letters in line so I knew where I was and what I was doing. I grabbed my pen and gave it a good shake out of habit before writing in the date. Almost as soon as I did I saw crowds begin to gather, wealthy couples hand in hand to watch and laugh at those who come down, those to the right of our tables from businesses in need of workers, here to collect people up to work them into the ground. And to my left the chain of new convicts fresh off the boat, Captain Gains forcing them to walk in chains to our tables even if we were a good mile from the dock. I felt pity for them, all of them. I know at one time I was them, and I know if ever I came by a man of office or importance I was begging him for mercy.

"Good Morning Doctor Sneed, Doctor Dawkins." Captain Gains smiled he seemed cheery to be sending people to be worked to death, which only made me hate the guy even more. I nodded without a word in reply. "Shall we begin then gentlemen?"

"Yes, let's get through this lot." Doctor Sneed snarled almost viciously, I rolled my eyes at him what would he rather be doing than deciding the literal fate of people's lives, having a nap?

The line moved slowly of course through the various new convicts many of them here for the smallest and pettiest of reasons.

"Barely any labour left in them after these sea voyages," Captain Grains snarked with his men following behind him, "Just sea sores and scurvy," he said as he looked up some older frail men, as he walked he picked out sorry souls for the chain gang. I felt guilty in the pit of my stomach for going so slow I could have been done with those people by now and given them jobs so they wouldn't have to be sent on the chain gang but I know he'd have come and cherry-picked some anyway. I had to take a moment looking away, away from the swirling words on the page, away from the faces of people I was condemning, my elbows on the table as I took a moment to collect my head.

"Cheer up Dawkins, you look as if you've swallowed a lemon," Sneed told me as he hurried through another person simply sending them to the first thing he saw they could be used for.

"Hetty, you mind this... pen's starting to go." I lay sliding the book across a little so she could take it and do the rest of the writing out for me, as the officer unchained the next one and brought them to my table, "Name?"

"Milly Wince." The girl nodded,

"and your crime?"

"I stole clothes for me baby, but... he died on the way over."

I took a second to gather myself after that, it wasn't an uncommon tale to hear on days like this. I know Sneed never listens calls them pity stories, and says the prisoners come up with them to try and milk their way somewhere better. But still, I can't risk the idea of it being true. "What was his name?"

"Benji," She nodded, it was obvious she was close to tears as she said it.

I racked my brain a moment knowing we were getting to the end of the line, most jobs were taken. But I couldn't send her to the chain gang or off down to the docks as a storeroom scrubber. I looked over what jobs were left doing my best to work around the swirling words, "She can help the schoolma'am."

The officer escorting her saluted to me, and began to lead her away,

"But I can't read," She whispered,