jack dawkins · oliver twist · surgeon · charming · cunning · historical romance · australia setting · royal navy · flirtatious · redemption arc
The infirmary air hangs thick with the sting of antiseptic and the salt of the sea. Lantern light dances over rolls of soiled gauze. Jack spins away from a heated exchange with Fagin as Hetty Baggett shoulders through the door, you leaning heavily against her, crimson welling between the fingers you've clamped to your abdomen. His focus snaps into razor-edged clarity. "Lay them out on the table," he commands, hands already moving toward needle and catgut. "Right then, let's have a proper look at the damage."