Jack looked up when he heard Ven cheer above deck. He had stayed below deck with Aqua, as Terra ordered. Her health was slowly starting to deteriorate. He could tell that she was putting on a strong front, but it was giving her considerable pains to even keep conscious. He silently cursed whomever had put the poison in the wine. This was no humane way to kill someone. It was going to send the woman through agony until her last breath or until they could get an antidote in her. It was a race against the clock. Her willpower was the sand in the hourglass. The fact that she appeared to be of the prime of her health would likely help in factoring in how much time she had left. He had to do something to distract her from the possible end.

"Oh boy," he said, giving Aqua a mischievous smile, "Ven's cooking up trouble again."

"Trouble?" Aqua asked.

"He likes to veer us off course of missions to have fun. Sometimes I help."

Aqua nodded quietly. She looked towards the tiny window her 'cabin' had. He frowned. So that hadn't worked. He was nothing if not determined. The least he could do was take her mind off the pain. His crewmates had told him time and time again how annoying and distracting he could be. Time to put that to the test. It would be an ultimate show if he could make her comfortable enough.

"Don't stop on my account." She tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I don't think I have the energy for 'fun' right now."

"Don't worry," he assured her, "We'll take of you first."

It was then they heard a clunk on the stairs. They both looked up to see Terra in the doorway, frowning as he looked over them. Aqua had gotten progressively worse in the last few hours. A sweat had broken across her brow and she felt nauseous in a way she knew wasn't your average sea sickness. Jack wasn't a doctor or anywhere near versed in medical know how as their own ship doctor. But Terra had wanted to run with a tight crew. An in and out sort of job with stealth. Taking the entire ship would have been a bit excessive for a small time job. So he had branched off, leaving the main ship and crew on an island they had claimed for their own. He said he would be back in three or so weeks. Jack knew Terra was likely regretting the decision now.

"How are you two holding up?" Terra asked.

"Terra! Um… Well, she's been coughing mostly."

Terra reached towards her, putting a hand on her forehead. Aqua squirmed slightly, clearly discomforted by the 'tender care' from her captors. She didn't trust them. It was frustrating but understandable considering how many people she watched die on the deck of her last ship just so the pirates could get to her Queen. Jack had his work cut out for him if he was going to get her to relax at all.

"Fever is setting in... We'll be at the island in the morning if we sail all night," Terra said, "We might have to."

Jack wrung a clean rag into the water. He knew she could tend to herself but he had a feeling her pride would prevent her from asking for help if she truly needed it. She wouldn't want to rely on the people who held her 'prisoner' on their vessel. Because they were at the high seas, even if she wanted to run away, she couldn't. But instead of putting it on her head himself, he passed the damp cloth over to her so she could. And she did wipe her face, which was a relief. She could have been extremely petty and fought off every comfort they were trying to provide.

"Luckily the course is short and quick. We're too far away for any interceptors."

"There's the tea that Sandy left in the galley," Terra said. "It should help her sleep through this."

Aqua looked away guiltily. She didn't want to accept their help, but she had no choice if she wanted to live. She couldn't leave this to Elsa to handle on her own. But she also ached something fiercely. She didn't remember hurting this much before in her entire life. It reminded her how extremely sheltered she had been as a child because her father made sure she never went through hardship and after his passing, the King and Queen took her in as Elsa's maid. She owed the royal family her existence.

"Okay. How's Elsa?" Jack asked.

"Ven likes her so much he suggested going to a tavern once Aqua recovers," Terra chuckled.

"Oh, that's what he planted in your mind," Jack said.

Jack grinned unrepentantly. Aqua blanched. She knew Elsa better than anyone. The mere thought of Elsa in some unclean bar in the ends of the kingdom made her stomach twist uncomfortably. Elsa's parents would have been horrified. But… if Elsa would want to go? Who was Aqua to stop her? Every single thing Elsa had ever wanted to do was shot down. She was reprimanded and scolded for even thinking of such things. Aqua opened her mouth to say something but she broke down into a coughing fit shortly thereafter. Jack gently pat her back and offered her a flask. The first few times she had pushed it away, but now she reached for it. To her surprise, it was water, not alcohol.

"Elsa can take care of herself," Jack assure her.

"And if anyone needs an unpoisoned drink after this, it'll be you," Terra said.

Jack snorted as Terra chuckled. Both of them were trying to make light of the situation, she realized, so that she wouldn't panic. She wasn't sure whether to thank them or remind them that she didn't want their sympathy. It was because of them that she was in the situation in the first place. If they hadn't destroyed the ship onsight perhaps they could have looked for an antidote. Now her life hung in the balance of their decision.

"If I drink again it'll be too soon!"

"You're among pirates. You're going to drink again."

Jack gave Aqua a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. He pointedly ignored the way her nose wrinkled in distaste. There wasn't much Jack could do to change her mind but continue doing what he was doing, he supposed. Normally, he didn't care if a woman thought little of him. He would just move on to the next one. However, the situation with Aqua and Elsa was different. They needed to at least get a long so they could take Elsa back home and be done with the whole rescue mission. Aqua's health became a side trip and would cost them time. Also, if the two women liked them and trusted them, they wouldn't try to run away the moment they reached dry land.

"You and Elsa are guests on this ship. We won't force you to do anything," he told her.

Terra was quiet as he watched his first mate trying to comfort Aqua. It wasn't like Jack, but he had given the orders to look after her. They could only hope that the maid would make it through the night. Otherwise, Elsa may be distraught enough to try to escape. It was a careful game they played. Everyone trying to earn trust without giving it themselves. Something would have to give one way or another. So it was a waiting game.

"Jack, you're going to be relieved of duty tonight. You just make sure Aqua doesn't disobey orders," Terra said with a smirk. "Ven and I can cover your shift on watch."

"I thought it was Moana's turn for watch duty?"

"We need her rested for navigation tomorrow," Terra informed them.

"You know you'll fight Ven for it though," Jack said.

"They have separate shifts for a reason."

Aqua looked between them. Clearly she was missing out on some inside joke. However, she bit back curiosity. The banter wasn't helping her any. It made them appear human. But she knew they weren't. No one could walk onto a deck of a ship, kill everyone on sight and still be human. She had to think of them as the monsters they were. Demons in human skin. Otherwise, she would start to sympathize with them. Or worse, start to like them even and agree with their line of thought.

"We take turns with watch when we go on missions," Jack explained when seeing her confusion.

"It's easier with the entire crew, but we have to make due right now."

"We have a lot of members back on the Wayfinder."

Terra sighed. "It was a bad idea, not bringing Namine... She's our ship's doctor."

Aqua paused, wondering why they would want a doctor but then realized it was for her. She winced and looked away. She kept telling herself it was so they could keep her alive for a ransom. Well the joke was on them. No one would be paying a ransom for her. Her father was gone. Their job was only to save Elsa. They would return the Queen but they would get nothing for saving Aqua's life. Anna would perhaps pay, but perhaps not. The council might not let her for a life so meager as Aqua's. But they would pay for Elsa's safe return. If only so they could try to find a more suitable match for their Queen.

"We didn't know they would try anything like that, Terra. It was supposed to be a simple job."

"We're lucky that's all they tried."

Aqua shuddered. She wasn't sure whether it was the poison effecting her or the thought of what was worse than poison.