Thanks for all those who read chapter 1. I've kinda lost inspiration for this story but I managed to write another chapter in hopes that I will get the urge back. So please try to enjoy this chapter!
"Jack!" Elizabeth ran after the Captain of the Black Pearl as he walked hastily down the steps in no particular direction except away from her, scratching all the while.
"Jack, you have to listen to me! If you care at all about your crew-"
Jack stopped so suddenly that Elizabeth almost ran into him. Jack turned to face Elizabeth, who was panting slightly.
"Look, dearie, I need me crew. But I am not responsible for what happens to them aboard this vessel. And I am not going to confine me self to me quarters. Apart from the rather…uncomfortable…symptom of itching, I am fine. Savvy?" Jack asked Elizabeth, while wiggling around trying to scratch between his shoulder blades. He found a mast and began rubbing up against it, looking very much like a cat at his scratching post.
"Jack, you have to stop. You'll just make it worse." Jack pulled away from the mast, the itch satisfied. He smiled charmingly at Elizabeth.
"No worries, Love. You just leave me poxies to me self."
Jack strode off, leaving Elizabeth fuming. Will came up behind her and watched as Jack once again climbed the stairs to the helm of the Pearl.
"It's a losing battle, Elizabeth." Will said to her. "Better to just let him be and take every precaution we can for the crew."
"Aye." Elizabeth said with a sigh. "But mark my words, Captain Jack Sparrow will come crawling back, tired and sore and sick. And then who's going to take care of his 'poxies' then?"
Will didn't say anything but gently rubbed Elizabeth's arm. He felt bad for her because they all knew that Elizabeth would be the one to do so. After a few moments of silence, Elizabeth pulled away and spun around to face Will.
"The crew."
"Aye, the crew." Will repeated.
"They should bathe." Elizabeth said. Will raised an eyebrow.
"Bathe?"
"Yes, they should bathe."
"Ye do know you're talking about pirates?"
"Aye. That will make it that much harder. But we all need to bathe. The cleaner we stay, the faster this will be over."
"Okay. Baths all around, then. But that's an awful lot of water to haul up and heat." Will gazed around him at the dozens of men scurrying around him.
"I think we're better off landing the ship and then bathing in the shallows."
"Aye. I'll tell Jack." Will volunteered, not wanting Elizabeth to have to face Jack once again. Will bounded up the stairs and came to stand beside Jack, who ignored his presence.
"Jack." Will tried once. Jack continued to stare out into nothing.
"Jack."
Still nothing. Will rolled his eyes; this was not going to be easy.
"Jack…me and Elizabeth…we need to land the ship." Will decided to just spit it out. At least this way it caught Jack's attention.
"No one tells the Captain what to do about his ship." Jack snapped at Will. Will had expected at least this much protest from Jack.
"Jack, we have to."
"No, we don't."
"Yes, we do."
"No, we don't."
"Yes. We. Do."
"No. We. Don't."
Jack and Will were holding each other's eyes hard until Jack had to break his concentration to scratch behind his ear.
"Jack, just listen to me, please." Will's voice was a bit gentler.
"Ye give me one good reason why I should land me ship."
"For yer crew." Will sounded triumphant, knowing that a good Captain would do almost anything for his crew.
"How is landing me ship going to help me crew?"
"Elizabeth thinks that we should bathe in the shallows."
"Bathe? You expect me to land me ship so that me crew can take a bath?" Jack laughed. By this time, Elizabeth had walked up the stairs and had joined Jack and Will.
"Jack."
"You're not going to get after me, again, are you, lassie?"
"Captain Sparrow. If you won't confine yourself for your crew, then the least you can do is land the ship so the crew can bathe and try not to catch the disease."
Jack stared at Elizabeth. As the Captain, he had to consider his crew's life and Elizabeth had given him two ways to do it. Knowing he had to chose one of them, he thought before giving an answer.
Ohh…cliffie! What do you think would be better to read—bathing with the crew or a locked up Jack Sparrow? Also, just as a side note, I had a reader comment on something that I should bring to your attention. This story is incredibly unrealistic for 2 reasons. The first being that in that era, catching the chicken pox meant you were as good as dead. People didn't recover from them. Second, regardless of the era, it's serious business when an adult comes down the chicken pox. But I don't wanna make it that serious so it's a more of a…mild case. That still doesn't excuse the discrepancy but it's the best I can do :D
Please review :D
