Chapter 4: In Arrears
Jack awoke once more to Barbossa sitting on his bed next to him, looking at him with a troubled expression. He put a hand on his shoulder when he saw Jack moving and leaned closer, "Jack? Ye were out of it for quite a spell," he said matter of factly, then offered him some water again.
"Ye found the piece?" Jack tried to speak up, but his voice came out all trembling.
"No," Barbossa said gruffly.
"I could point the place out on deck, but I'd need something to eat for strength."
"So would I! I can't give ye any food Jack, ye know why? Cause I don't have any! Been stuck wit ye in here since yesterday when I went fe a little swim, courtesy of ye, then courtesy of ye, Vladmir mutinied against me while I wasn't on board!"
Jack looked at him for a moment, then started laughing, despite the situation, "how did this happen?"
"The loggerheaded dogs are all terrified of his wrath, that's how!"
"We have Captain Vladimir of the Black Pearl, innit?" Jack mused.
Barbossa joined in with the laughing soon, as if manic. He could certainly laugh at things that were not funny at all, but as it became quiet, the air grew heavy between them. It had been better when Jack was unconscious, how are they going to survive each other's company now? They couldn't make up an escape plan, Barbossa didn't think Jack capable of standing up even. Maybe just ignore each other, that's it, he walked over to the furthest wall. And he'd been doing that ignoring quite well for a while when he noticed that Jack was trying to stand up. But why on earth?
"Darn," Jack muttered as he staggered and fell back onto the bed, wondering why his limbs felt so heavy when they were in fact the lightest they've been since he was a child.
"Sorry to pry Jack," Barbossa said sarcastically, "but where the Beelzebub is it ye tryin to run?"
"Ye said they didn't find the piece and unless I don't want to die here wit ye, I need to help them find it."
Barbossa waved him off, "already shouted misself hoarse about it. Vladimir's not one of those who'd listen. Besides, he says he can sense it too it's there somewhere. Some connection of some sort, but he wouldn't leave the ship hisself in case anybody else's got strange ideas. Just out of curiosity Jack, why is it so urgent? What ye going to do next? Cause when he finds it, he'll ask for the next part and when he's got that there's only one direction left fe the compass to point to."
"Who says we get to that part? I've got a plan. I always have a plan."
"And don't ye think we need to work together now that yer incapacitated?"
Jack shrugged, "there's no much to it, but I'll tell ye."
tbc