BLADES CROSSED AND SHIPS TO RAID
By Josei no Yoru
Chapter four: Storm
After few days, we encountered a fierce storm. Jack was tied to the helm, our lives practically in his hands. And I trusted him completely. We reefed the sails and helped the best we could, sleeping in turns. But Jack got no sleep at all. After two and a half days the storm turned to a strong breeze, and the rain to a drizzle. The skies cleared, and Barbossa, the first mate, took over the helm. Jack stumbled to the captain's cabin, numb from the cold rain and lack of sleep. I worried about his health, but right now he needed his sleep to much to fuss. Gibbs, who was the doctor aboard, came out of Jack's cabin with a worried look on his face, when he had decided to check on him after the second day.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Fever. And not a small one, that is."
"What herbs do you have in your medical kit?"
"Herbs?"
"I take that as none. That's bad. Is there tea aboard or only water and rum?"
"Tea?"
"How much experience do you have with fevers and such?"
"Not much, I'm here rather for dagger- and shot wounds."
"Bugger. Go try for tea anyway."
"How do you know so much 'bout illnesses?"
"In the village where I used to live, I treated all the people that couldn't afford a doctor."
"Oh." And he went off, looking for tea.
I was about to enter Jack's cabin, when Geronimo stopped me.
"Wha'd'ya think ye're doin, missy?"
As much as I hated to answer, this was the first mate, and I had to listen. "Checking on Jack. He's got a fever."
"And why be you checkin' on 'im, not Gibbs?"
"'Cause I used to treat the poor people in my village, and know a lot more about illnesses."
He then let me go, but I had the impression he was holding back a smile. Like Jack being sick was something to laugh about.
Jack had indeed a bad fever. When Gibbs came in with tea, in which he had put some rum as well, knowing his captain, I sent him away again to get cloth and cold water, while I sipped some tea past Jack's lips. When Gibbs came back with the water and cloth, he told me he had heard Geronimo and some men talking about mutiny. I asked him to get as many men at our side as possible, in case it came as far as a fight. In the end, there were six of us. Against eighteen mutineers. That night, Jack's fever reached its breaking point. He was mumbling.
"Querida… Inferno… Yamete!"
Three languages. Great. Just me to be sarcastic in these situations…
Either his fever would break, and he'd be fine, or he'd die. I'd just changed the wet cloth on his forehead, when I heard footsteps below. I took my sword and crept just out of Jack's cabin. There I found the five men Gibbs had gotten on our side.
"Everything alright?"
"Not sure,-"
he then was roughly cut off by a gunshot that hit his left shoulder. He fell, and the rest of us charged the two men that had crept up on us. They died a swift death. We ran upstairs, to defend the stairs, so nobody could advance on us from above or reach Jack. When everybody was occupied fighting and mostly dying, nobody noticed me climbing up the mast with two pistols and extra ammunition. When high enough, I held myself with my legs, to have my hands free for the two pistols, loading them. And few of my shots went amiss, for nobody suspected an attack from above. When only five enemies were left, since most were either unconscious, dead of incapable of fighting anymore, I was forced to come down to help Marty. He was fighting very bravely, and had slain another man in the time it took me to come down. In the end, he was fighting against Geronimo when I hit the only remaining other overboard. Just then Marty took a critical hit. I only just managed to put my blade between Geronimo's blade and Marty's neck. We were the last ones fighting on deck, careful not to step on unconscious or dead bodies. but to no avail. I stumbled over Murray's body, and Geronimo took his chance to hit my side. Clutching my side, I sunk down on one knee, the only injuries I had suffered before this being a cut across my cheek and the bullet in my upper leg I ignored. I closed my eyes, knowing I had little longer to live. But my death didn't come. The sound of a gunshot vibrated through the air. I opened my eyes and saw Geronimo fall. I looked up, and I saw Jack holding himself up on the wall, with a smoking pistol in his hand. Behind him the sun showed her first rays. During the night his fever had broke. I saw he was very pale, and was about to tell him to get back to bed, but the only words I managed before I fainted were "Thank you, Jack…" and I fell after two pained steps.
