Beginnings Beyond Endings (A Sanditon Fanfiction)

The Trouble with Laudanum

The previous days events had ended abruptly following the accident. Sidney had been placed immediately into a carriage by the sailor who had hauled him out of the water and taken immediately home, an ashen and silent Eliza clutching his hand and little Thomas left in the attentive care of his aunt and uncle. Tom and Mary followed with their nephew and were gratefully accepted Charlotte and Esther's offer to watch their own children that evening that they might be with their brother.

Doctor Fuchs was sent for and arrived at the Parkers Sanditon home with all due haste to assess the seriousness of the injury. He determined Sidney to have bruised and possibly fractured ribs and concussion. This news was received by the family with much relief that no more serious injuries had been sustained and a bone setter would not be needed. Sidney would recover completely so long as he followed the physician's advice.

His ribs were wrapped and his wife, family and household instructed to remain with him until he woke and to change the compress over the wound on his head twice each day. His concussion would be resolved once he regained consciousness and laudanum added to his fluids to manage any pain while his injuries healed. Under no circumstances, they were told, should he engage in rigorous pursuit for at least a month complete.

Doctor Fuchs departed confident in his assessment of his patient and the doctoring administered but burdened the family with the importance of sending for him once more if the gentleman had not awoken in two days or if his condition seemed to take a turn for the worse.

Tom and Mary remained a few hours more but returned to their own home when evening came to relieve Charlotte and Esther of the care of their own children. It was agreed that little Thomas would stay with them until his father awoke to avoid frightening the boy and to allow Eliza to see to Sidney's care.

Charlotte was quick to ask after Sidney when Tom and Mary arrived home late that evening after the children had been put to bed and their worries over their uncle temporarily soothed. The four adults were sat in the drawing room, Esther and Babington having departed immediately upon their return to take their own child home and retire to bed themselves. As Mary assured them that Sidney would be well.

"Doctor Fuchs is confident he will make a full recovery providing he regains his awareness in a timely fashion, though we are sure poor Sidney will be in a good deal of pain for some time."

"We are pleased to hear it. But Laudanum, Mary? Does not Sidney despise the stuff?" Charlotte frowned as she posed the question. "Perhaps we will pay them a call tomorrow and I can take some the tea my brothers take when they are injured. They do injure themselves so frequently that it would be terribly expensive to be always replacing a stock of the stuff and the herbs in the tea are truly much better for one's health and more affordably obtained."

Charlotte and George did not remain much longer and were eager to be home after the excitement of the day. They did not eat upon returning home, having been provided with adequate refreshment by the Parker's cook, but retired immediately to their bedchamber and the waiting embrace of sleep.

The second day of the Regatta was tame by comparison. Sidney and Eliza were absent from the festivities and Tom and Mary had brought their children and nephew to enjoy the lawn games and treasure hunt that had been planned for that day.

George and Charlotte spent their morning playing a game of pall mall in one Sanditon's public gardens with the Parker children while their friends and family watched from the shade of the trees that lined the park's walkways. Jenny Parker won the first game but lost the second to her sister Alicia; George proved himself an inadequate player but took the teasing from his wife and family in good faith, promising that had it been a fencing or boxing match he would have won every time.