The Destiny of Jim Hawkins

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Whatever happened to Jim Hawkins of Treasure Island after he returned to England with Captain Flint’s treasure chest of gold?

Rather than choose the safe path, managing an inn with his mother, Jim opts for the adventures of a medical career in Bristol. Jim matures quickly from the tough lessons of the rough, waterfront slave-trade city.

Much of what he learns of herbal preparation is from Livian Adams, a beautiful but deaf linen weaver. Undeterred by her disability, their eventual love will last a lifetime.

After his graduation from the London Company of Surgeons, Jim’s enlistment as a surgeon’s mate in the Navy hardens him to the brutality of shipboard discipline. Despite having dealt with pirates, his tour of duty opens his eyes to the slave trade, naval warfare, and smuggling in the Americas.

For a young surgeon, life-threatening dangers are ever-present. If he thought he’s seen enough danger for one lifetime, he was sorely mistaken.

Excerpt from the book:

Chapter 1 excerpt

Despite the rough-edged, often brutish nature of the town, I, Jim Hawkins, all of 15 years of age, decided to make a go of it in Bristol. I was extremely fortunate to have been taken under Dr. Livesey's wing. Neither of us, me especially, ever wanted to go to Treasure Island again, and even though I was young enough and ably skilled in many seamanship skills, was not too eager to make a career of the sea. There were far too many dangers among the brigands and cutthroats that shipped out of Bristol. And my memory of Black Dog, Red Dog, George Merry, Israel Hands, and of course Long John Silver, was too fresh in my mind to want to make a sailing passage with the likes of them or any of their kind any time soon.

I admired Dr. Livesey a great deal. I had seen his courage, his surgeon's skills, his determination and humanitarian ideals on Treasure Island. When he came to the stockade under a flag of truce and treated the pirates who would have cut his throat in a second, I might have thought him crazy for the risk he took had it not been for the fact that he was merely living up to his Hippocratic oath to help heal those in need no matter the circumstances.

He had told me what his plans were when we landed. We were bringing our belongings from below decks and placing them on the pier to be put into a wagon that the Squire had called for. That wagon would take the gear and us to his town house for food and lodging.

"Jim, I am going to resign my country magistrate’s position and concentrate on the practice of medicine,” said Dr. Livesey. ……. I will spend the majority of the spring and summer there at my farm called Livesey’s Acres and make trips into Bristol as needed. But you see, Jim, and this is where you come into the picture. I will need someone to help me. Someone like you, Jim; someone to help on the farm and here in Bristol. No telling what you may learn, and in time, you may want to apply to be a surgeon's apprentice.”

"A surgeon's apprentice?" I asked excitedly with a great deal of hopeful joy in my voice as I continued to pack Dr. Livesey’s and my gear onto the wagon. "You mean learn to become a doctor, a surgeon like you?" “Well, not right away, Jim.” Dr. Livesey was quick to interject. "It takes schooling, Jim, and a great deal of knowledge."

…….

"Simple elementary schooling is not enough Jim, and as far as your shipboard skills go, they are considerable, as is your bravery and even some would say, heroism. You have showed Captain Smollet, Squire Trelawney and me that you are resourceful and fearless. These are admirable traits. But it's not the same thing, Jim as being a surgeon, a healer of others. There is much, difficult preparation for this occupation.

…..

I interrupted him quickly. "Well, yes, I can read but the books in school were simple to read. They weren't complicated," I replied, not wanting to reveal that there were many, many words I couldn't or didn't understand at all. They were like the deep sea, full of promise, yes, but also layered in mystery and confusion.