AN: Hello faithful and new readers! I am very pleased with the amount of hits that I have on this story... but I have only a few reviews. Please make my day and send little 'ole me a review! Thanks to those who put this story up on their story alerts and or favorites :) I have had such a fun time with this story and I even have had a great idea for a sequel (thanks Norrieo). So please, enjoy! A special thanks to my dear friend Svetlana for giving me great ideas and helpful thoughts. Also, thanks Norrieo for your great friendship and thoughts! If you readers like my story, check out her's on her profile. They are really great! So read on!

~Elanor

Captain Norrington set up a tentative schedule that assigned his most trusted officers to look after Miss Kirk for a few hours at a time. For the first day, he had had Doctor Creswell stay with her, but Norrington knew that he would have to let the doctor look after his other patient. The next day, he assigned Lieutenant Gillette to take first watch. Much of his time was spent pacing the room, thinking. This woman whom he had met just yesterday had affected him in a way that he was very unsure of. It would take a lot to discover what these inclinations were, but it would have to be another time to ponder them. His charge was all that he needed to focus on. After a few hours, he had other duties to attend to and Lieutenant Groves took over from there. Groves, being a very compassionate man, felt for the girl as he watched and carefully tended to her. Under Doctor Creswell's direction, he recorded in the ledger any changes to her condition and monitored her intake of water. When Groves thought that she needed to consume more, he would carefully place the cup to her lips and nurse some water or broth into her. It had only been about a day, but she looked so frail. Her troubled sleep concerned him as he sat and read a book to himself. Reading helped get his mind off of the predicament for a few minutes, but his attention drifted from the book making it difficult to concentrate. Finally giving up his attempt at reading, he set the book down and stared at her. A tune came to mind and he hummed a bit, not knowing if she enjoyed music, but he thought that even a cheerful tune could break her out of this reverie.

After Groves' watch, Norrington himself sat for a while at her bedside. He couldn't help but notice her forehead burning with fever. After rummaging about his cabin, he located a basin filled with water and a soft towel to wet and place on her for some relief. He continued to care for her until, to his relief, her fever broke. Breathing a sigh of relief, Norrington sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. It had been a very long, trying day for him. Yesterday and the entire day today was focused on finding survivors, but there was only the sailor, who had yet to wake, and Miss Kirk, who was also unconscious. The wreck contained no clues and the only eye witnesses were his two new passengers. Without a heading, the perpetrators would most likely make better time, and all chance of finding them would be little to none. Norrington opened his eyes again and rubbed them. What time is it? He found himself walking over to his clock to see that it was almost 11. Indeed, it was a long day.

Looking back up over at Miss Kirk, he saw something that made him blink. He thought he saw her eyelids flutter! Quickly making his way over to the bed, he sat in the chair that was put beside her.

"Miss Kirk? Can you hear me?" Norrington searched for some sign that she was awake. And then he saw her eyelids flutter again and then she opened her eyes. He instantly smiled and reached to give her some water. She eyed him curiously and refrained from taking the glass. Cautiously she ventured to speak.

"Sir, I am not sure what is going on. I thought that this was a strange dream that I found myself in. I half expected to wake up to the sound of my professor scolding me. Yet, you are real, and I am real, and this whole, situation, is not a dream, correct?" Elsie's brow furrowed trying to think about what had happened last.

"Miss Kirk, I assure you, this is all quite real."

"Then what is the date?" Her eyes searched his as she voiced her obvious concern.

"It is the 25th of January, the year is 1738." Norrington watched as Elsie paled considerably.

"This is rather… odd… Captain Norrington. I am not sure what trick this is. I am from another time, another place. I am so confused!" Elsie cried in exasperation. But she carefully, with his help, sat up and accepted the glass. After taking a few sips and coughing a bit, her eyes drifted closed trying to make sense of the situation. From her coughing, he grew concerned, but Elsie just waved him off as if it was nothing. Norrington had to smile inwardly. Yes, he thought to himself, she is a different one. "Miss Kirk, I am glad to see that you are feeling better, but you must rest and recover your strength. Doctor Creswell will be pleased with the progress that you have made."

"Yes, I am sure that I have improved. But may I ask, what happened? I scarcely remember a thing, and I don't recall ever being here. Last I remember I was on the deck when…" Elsie struggled to remember what had happened realizing that everything that had occurred was not just a dream, but real.

"You fainted. Doctor Creswell says from dehydration and exhaustion." Norrington offered to try to help spark her memory. After giving his bit of information, he thought of asking about what had happened before the rescue, but thought better of it. She did just wake and needed to not get overly excited. "Miss Kirk, do you think you will be alright for a few minutes while I go and find Doctor Creswell." He was ready for her to say that she wanted him to stay with her, but she again surprised him and said that she would be alright. "Very well. I shall return momentarily, Miss Kirk."

Elsie watched him go as he departed to look for the doctor. Perhaps I have judged this man too quickly. Since her fever had broken, this was the first time that she could observe the cabin that she was confined to. It was large with a bookcase in the corner. A large desk occupied the room which held a slew of maps and other navigational charts. Despite Captain Norrington's neat and tidy manor, his desk did not reflect that aspect of his personality. Papers littered the desk and a great chart hung on the wall with markings of pirate sightings. Elsie was bold enough to venture out of bed, but on shaky legs. Being confined to a bed from illness had taken its toll. As soon as she rose, she looked down at her clothing. The great nightshirt had to have belonged to one of the crew members. Perhaps when the Doctor deems me better, I will be able to find something else to wear.

"Ah, Miss Kirk," Elsie gasped as the door opened and a man with glasses and Captain Norrington entered. The man with the glasses continued to speak as he looked at Norrington with raised eyebrows. "My dear, I am Doctor Creswell. Captain Norrington said that you were feeling much better, but he didn't inform me that you had ventured out of bed. Miss, please come here so that I can have a look." Doctor Creswell gave Norrington one last look as he beckoned for Elsie to follow.

"Doctor, I assure you that I had no knowledge of her leaving her bed. I should have alerted someone to watch her while I was gone." Norrington replied apologetically.

"Doctor Creswell, it is not the captain's fault. I ventured on my own terms and I should have taken closer care of myself." Elsie looked at Norrington as she said those words as if she was telling him that it wasn't his fault. Norrington returned her gaze and nodded always being polite. Elsie smiled a little, but turning her attention to the doctor, she soon brought herself out of her current thought.

"Well Miss Kirk, your fever has broken and you seem to have restored your need for fluids. I am very pleased with how you are doing. It was a great thing that we rescued you when we did, for if it had been a few more hours, you may not be here right now." Smiling down at her he added, "Lieutenants Gillette and Groves will be very pleased to know that you are up and about."

A strange chord rang through Elsie's mind. Unable to place the name she asked, "Doctor Creswell, who are these men you speak of? I don't recall an introduction."

"Why, Lieutenant Gillette is the one who rescued you. He has been very concerned about your safety. Lieutenant Groves is another officer who, now, I am not sure as to how he came to be involved. Captain?" Norrington looked up from charts at the sound of his name being called.

"Lieutenant Groves was the officer who fetched the doctor after the sailor that you rescued came aboard." At the mention of the sailor, Elsie's eyes shot up. How could she forget?

"The sailor, how is he?" Her eyes searched that of the good doctor's and the captain.

"He is… stable. He has yet to gain consciousness, but the wounds that he sustained are mending."

"Yes, the deep lacerations that he had on his back." Elsie spoke softly as she recalled the man. Flashes of the ordeal went through her mind. She saw herself floating in the ocean for days. Then it flashed forward to the time when she saw the merchant ship. Her heart pace quickened and then she saw it; the flag, the ship, the smoke. It terrified her as she saw it in her mind. It was someone else also; the sailor in pain. Elsie was paralyzed with terror. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes tight to try to rid herself of the memory. Silent tears streamed down her face.

"Miss Kirk! Please, are you alright?" Doctor Creswell and Captain Norrington rushed to her side. Doctor Creswell placed his hand on her shoulder and gently pulled her to him. Elsie clung to him as she trembled with fear. After witnessing her putting on a brave façade, now Norrington realized that she was just a scared girl that had endured too much. Feeling rather uncomfortable and not wishing to intrude, Norrington took his leave.

Norrington walked out onto the deck. The moon was full and the men on watch greeted him and continued with their duties. How easy it was to stare out at the stars and try to make sense of the world. Norrington stood by the rail and thought about what had just happened with Miss Kirk. A traumatic event had occurred and it was affecting her. As he thought about it more, the more he felt sympathy for her. As he was pondering all of this, the thump of boots on the deck alerted him that he was not alone. Norrington stayed looking straight ahead, thinking that it was another officer passing by, but he soon found his friend, Lieutenant Gillette standing at the rail with him.

"Captain Norrington, I was sure that you were in your quarters with Miss Kirk." Norrington looked down at the sea and took a deep breath.

"No, Miss Kirk has regained consciousness, but I took my leave once she recalled an event that has left her traumatized."

Gillette felt himself tense. "Was it the attack? And how exactly did she react, Sir?"

"I believe it is from the event of the attack. I don't know if she was on the ship when it happened or what had occurred, but she was very… disturbed. She was stock still and very quiet. I didn't know anything was happening until Doctor Creswell called out to her. She was quite shaken and very pale." Not wishing to say too much, Norrington refrained from telling him how she clung to Doctor Creswell like a small, frightened child.

"So it seems that if we mention anything about the attack, it could spur another episode. We need that information and the other sailor is in no condition to be questioned. What are we to do?"

Norrington thought long and hard. It was going to be difficult to complete their mission if they couldn't track them, but it would be worse for them if they kept Miss Kirk reliving the event that had caused her so much pain. "Gillette, I think that we must let her come to grips with what has happened. If she opens up to us, then we will take her word and act upon it. But for now, we must hope that the young sailor awakes."

"Indeed. Well, I think that it is soon my time to stay with Miss Kirk. Captain." Gillette walked away from the rail leaving Norrington to stand there and look at the sea. Briefly looking at his captain, he made his way to the cabin to assist the doctor with anything that he may need.

AN: Right here is a little button that helps me a lot. Press it, review, and I will try to update as soon as I get a few more... no flames please!

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