Author's Notes: Just wanted to say thank you to all my lovely reviewers, and to let you know this story is coming to a close. And don't worry, Will, Jack or Elizabeth are NOT dying. But there will be a character death. Say it's more, an OC death. Thanks again to all of you people out there reading this, and not just the reviewers! Oh yeah, and this is the last chapter :D
OH, WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE SOMETHING FROM AWE. TIA DALMA IS NOT, I REPEAT; NOT, CALYPSO. TIA IS STILL TIA SOLEY FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS STORY.
Elizabeth coughed again into the tissue, showering it in blood yet again. John said they'd have to do a complete examination in Tortuga when they could stay put for a while. Elizabeth took a wrenching breath, finding it hard to retrieve any oxygen from the air around her.
Jack and Will were "talking" outside.
"The baby's mine," Will stated.
"Will, how could it be, you didn't make love to her on that island, I did," Jack argued.
Will raised a fist to hit Jack, but he stopped him. "You wouldn't want to be doing that, mate."
Will snatched his hand away and glared at Jack. He merely smiled in return.
"Cap'n!" called Gibbs.
"Yeah?"
"I have some news."
"Really?"
"Yes," Gibbs said. Then in a low voice, "Miss Elizabeth is pregnant."
"Elizabeth is a woman of high honour, and as she is pregnant, I suggest a marriage," John told Jack and Will.
"Oh really?" Jack said. "And to whom might this marriage be?"
"Well, me of course. The only person here worthy of her."
Jack and Will looked at one another. They both had the same thoughts.
Throw him overboard.
No one decided to answer John's calls for help from the sea and they sailed away.
Lizzie was coughing once again into a clean tissue when Jack entered the room. He looked sadly at Elizabeth. They'd docked at Tortuga the day before and Elizabeth was in an inn on the island. The Doctor at Tortuga had just given him the news.
The bad news.
"What is it?" Elizabeth croaked, struggling to use her voice.
Jack sighed. He walked over to Elizabeth and sat on the bed. He took her hands in his and refused to look her in the eye.
"Jack? Tell me, now."
"Lizzie… you're pregnant, but there's no chance the baby can survive," he mumbled.
"What?" Lizzie's spare hand flew to her stomach. "But why will it not survive? What is wrong with it?"
"Nothing's wrong with it," Jack replied. "There's something wrong with you."
"Beg pardon?" Lizzie breathed.
"You've… Lizzie, I love you, you know that, right?"
"Yes Jack, but you're avoiding the question. What is wrong with me?" Elizabeth asked.
"You'vegotconsumption," Jack said quickly, looking at the floor.
"Jack I couldn't understand a word of that."
"You've got… got… consumption."
Will and Gibbs could hear Elizabeth's soft muffled sobs through the door of the inn. They felt sorry for her, but in a way glad that a child would not be born from her and taken aboard the Pearl with them. If it ever was, of course, they'd love it dearly, but the bad luck it would bring…
"We'll take her to Tia Dalma," Said Will.
"Aye," Gibbs agreed. "Hopefully she'll be able to heal the poor lass. We'll just have to hope we get there in time, before she dies…"
The door opened and Jack came out.
"Gibbs, ready the ship," he ordered.
"Aye Cap'n," he replied, already knowing where they were headed.
"Will, I want you to take Lizzie to the ship. Be gentle with her, and don't press questions. She's in no fit state to be interrogated."
"Of course Jack," Will replied. Jack made to leave but Will stopped him. "Jack?"
"Aye?"
"I just want you to know that you were always like a bother to me, and even after this, you'll still be close, even if I am jealous."
"Aye Will… aye."
Elizabeth lay in Jack's cabin, on the bed, spluttering her guts out.
She's tried to fight the disease, stop herself coughing, stop the blood spilling, stop the fainting, but it was no use. She just couldn't help it.
They were to reach Tia's in a few hours, and already hope was bubbling inside her.
Tia would help. She always helped.
"Consumption, aye?" Tia drawled, looking at Elizabeth's pale complextion. "Come thorugh here."
Elizabeth followed Tia though the curtain at the back. A door was closed over it so the crew couldn't see what was happening.
Elizabeth fell into another coughing feet, drawing in huge breaths, but gaining no air. Blood splattered her hand, as darkness took over. Tia caught her before she fell and placed her on the bed. She muttered some strange incantations, and Elizabeth's breathing returned to normal. She placed a hand over her abdomen, and smiled.
Slowly, she left the room.
Jack sat nervously, wringing his hands in his lap. He stood up when Tia returned.
"Jack Sparrow… you're darlin' Elizabeth is fine… resting to regain her health… and my, I must say, ye goin' to be a father Jack Sparrow… the illness did not affect the chil' at all…"