Ten Years at Sea
By S.D.
Chapter 4 – Endless Sea
Will Turner finished coiling some spare rope on the deck of the Dutchman. His crew had been slightly diminished in the few weeks since the demise of Davy Jones. Some had been loyal to Jones and had chosen the Locker over sailing under another captain. Will was glad to be rid of those chaps. Some of the others, once released from Jones' bondage, were quite ready to pass on to the life beyond. So Will was down to a bare bones crew of those who were willing to serve their new captain in exchange for a postponement of death. Will found himself doing the work of several crewmen, but threw himself into the work with vigor. Every moment he was working was a moment he didn't have to think about his fate and future.
But now, he stopped short and clutched his chest. He leaned on the rail and stared out to sea, waiting for the pain to subside.
"Is it hurtin' yeh, boy?" A gruff voice behind him asked quietly.
Will turned as his father joined him at the railing. Will grunted and looked away. He'd developed a decent working-relationship with his father, but still felt a certain reluctance to befriend him further, in spite of Bootstraps friendly overtures.
"You shouldn't be working so hard," Bootstrap said. "You're burnin' the candle at both ends, and it'll catch up with you sooner or later."
"There's work to be done, and it's my responsibility to see that it gets done." Will's voice was monotone and emotionless.
"Aye, but there's no cause to wear yourself out, doin' it so fast. The souls will still be there, even if it takes us a hundred years to reach 'em all."
"They shouldn't have to wait that long, they've waited long enough already." Will said quietly.
"You can't right all of Davy Jones' wrongs in a week, son." Bootstrap told him gently. "Give yourself time to rest."
Will shook his head in irritation. "I don't need rest."
"Your body may not need rest, but it'll do you good to take some time off-duty. You've had quite a sudden shock, and you need time to adjust."
Will shook his head and squinted out at the sea. He didn't want to adjust. He certainly didn't want to take time to let his mind wander. And he knew if he stopped moving long enough, he'd have to come to terms with the changes in his life. His scar gave another painful twinge and he touched it gingerly.
"A wound like that don't heal overnight." Bootstrap said quietly, almost as if to himself. Will wondered if he was referring to the actual wound, or the emotional wound of knowing his own father had carved out his heart and doomed him to this slavery. He wasn't likely to heal from either one anytime soon.
Will sighed. "I didn't realize it would hurt so much." He paused. "I thought…"
"You thought that if your heart was gone, you'd have no more pain?"
Will looked sideways at his father, then back to sea. "I suppose so."
"Nah. You're not Davy Jones, and even he wasn't free of pain… That's why he was so cruel. He wanted to inflict as much pain on others as he was feelin' himself."
"Causing others pain won't help anything."
Bootstrap nodded in agreement. "You realize that because you're a better man than Jones ever was."
Will caught his father's eye this time. "Thank you."
"That's no empty flattery, son. It's the truth."
Bootstrap paused thoughtfully. He continued, the gruffness in his voice betraying his emotion. "William, I can't tell you how sorry I am that this happened to you. If there had been another way…"
"What's done is done." Will replied coldly, turning away again.
"Maybe it's too much to ask, but… if you could ever forgive me…"
"For what? For carving out your own son's heart? For dooming me to an eternity on this ghost ship? For taking me away from the one person I've ever loved and who has ever truly loved me?"
"If I hadn't done what I did, you would be dead, gone forever and still separated from Elizabeth. Would you have preferred that?"
Will buried his face in his hands. "I don't know."
"And, William, you may not believe me now, but I'm tellin' you the truth when I say that Elizabeth ain't the only person who loves you."
With that, Bootstrap ambled off, leaving Will staring out at the endless sea.
