16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
Stephen was already in the sick-berth with a
sleepy Martin and a half-dressed Padeen
when West was brought down, followed by
half a dozen foremast hands, two of them
walking cases. 'A severe depressed fracture on
either side of the coronal suture,' said
Stephen, having examined West under a powerful
lantern, 'and of course this apparently
meaningless laceration. Deep coma. Padeen,
Davies, lift him as gently as ever you can to
the mattress on the floor back there; lay him
face down with a little small pad under his
forehead the way he can breathe. Next.'
The next man, with a compound fracture of
his left arm and a series of gashes down his
side, required close, prolonged attention: sewing,
snipping, binding-up. He was a man of
exceptional fortitude even for a foremast jack
and between involuntary gasps he told them
that he had been the larboard midship look-