CHAPTER 10

As the Pearl swung about Amanda was thrown across the cabin. Everything was happening so fast that she didn't know what to think. Suddenly there was a loud boom and the ship jumped in the water. Amanda dropped to the floor clasping her hands over her ears.

It seemed the battle raged on forever Amanda sat on the bed hanging on for dear life. With every shudder of the ship she was sure it was going to sink. She couldn't stand not knowing what was happening that's when she felt the Pearl stagger in the water. Getting off of the bed Amanda went to the door and opened it.

The smell of gunpowder was heavy in the air burning her nose. The deck was a tangled mess of debris there were pieces of rigging lying everywhere, smoke was heavy in the air making it hard to see and making her eyes burn, being dark also helped contribute to the confusion. Through the continuous sound of the cannons she thought she could hear someone yelling for help.

Stepping further out onto the deck she tried to determine where the sound was coming from that's when she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye to her left. Turning she saw a man lying on the deck with debris lying on top of him. Running over to him she kneeled down beside him and that's when she saw his arm move. Quickly moving the pieces of rope and wood off of him she saw that he had a gash across his forehead that was bleeding freely. Reaching down she pulled her shirt out of her pants and tore a strip off and placed it on the wound applying direct pressure to stop the flow of blood.

Looking up she tried to spot someone that could help her. She saw a man run by and yelled for him to stop but he didn't hear her through all of the commotion. Turning back to the injured pirate he had lost consciousness but the bleeding seemed to have slowed. Tying the piece of shirt around his head she got up and dragged him up against the outside wall of Jack's cabin so he would be out of the way and not get hurt any further.

Suddenly all the pirates ran to one side of the ship banishing weapons and yelling at the tops of their lungs. Peering out Amanda could see the Demon; then the Pearl shuddered as the hulls of the two ships scraped together.

Everything started happening at once. Pirates from both ships were swinging back and forth between ships screaming and yelling trying to put the fear of God into their opponent's hearts. Grappling hooks where thrown and once the ships were connected planks were put across the open water to make boarding the other ship easier. On both ships the clang of swords could be heard intermingled with the cries of the hurt and dying.

Amanda was terrified the sights and smells of the battle confused her and she couldn't see Jack anywhere. A sound behind her made her turn away from the battle. The man she had place against the wall had regained consciousness.

Amanda kneeled down beside him, "You be still you've had a terrible blow to the head."

The man squinted up at her, "Ma'am you must get to safety. Go into the captain's cabin and lock the door."

"If I go back into the cabin you are going with me." Amanda reached down to help the man up. She was just taking his arm when she was grabbed from behind and pulled roughly against a hard chest. She started screaming and struggling, the pirate seeing what was happening tried to get up to help her but was immediately knocked out with the butt of a pistol.

"My aren't ya a feisty one. Me captn' is gonna be mighty interested in ya."

Amanda kept struggling and screaming, "Shut up, ya hear me?" The man was big and burly he turned her and holding her out in front of him started shaking her making her head snap back and forth. When she wouldn't stop screaming he threw her against the wall making stars appear before her eyes. Looking up she saw there were now two pirates standing before her.

"Watcha got there Jose'?" asked the newest arrival.

"Don't ya be gettin' any ideas, ifn' the captn' don't want her she be mine."

"Why take her to the captn' we both could have a little fun and no one be needin' to know."

"I be the one that found her, so I be the only one havin' some fun with her."

While the two men were arguing between themselves Amanda was looking for some kind of weapon. That's when she noticed, tucked in the waistband of the man lying beside her, a pistol. Amanda started slowly easing her hand towards the pistol, keeping an eye on the two men.

"Maybe I just be killin' you and then I be takin' the woman, whatcha say to that?"

The man that originally grabbed Amanda lunged and grabbed the other man by the throat. The pirate was clawing at the hands choking him and turning blue. Dropping him on the deck he kicked the man, "Now be off with ya."

While the two men were engaged Amanda grabbed the pistol and as Jose' turned to face her she held it up in front of her aiming it at him.

Jose' stopped in his tracks, "Now put that thin' down before ya hurt yourself," he tried cajoling her. Suddenly he lunged forward trying to grab the pistol and Amanda pulled the trigger. The gun recoiled in her hand making a sharp pain shoot up her arm. The bullet ripped through Jose' left shoulder. Jose' looked down at the blood spreading from the wound and then back at Amanda.

"You shot me, you little…" he lunged at Amanda.

Amanda dropped the pistol and back stepped trying to get away, but found herself falling and landing hard on the deck; she had tripped over debris. Scooting back crab like she was trying to get away when Jose' stopped in his tracks with the tip of a sword at his throat. Looking up she saw Jack standing over her with his sword drawn. Jose' immediately stood up.

"That's no way to be treatin' a lady, mate." Jack said with all seriousness.

The battle was still raging around them it was becoming obvious that the Black Pearl's crew had the upper hand. The Demon's crew was quickly making their way back to their ship.

"Either, you, get off my ship or I'll run you through, those are your choices, savvy?"

Jose' electing to save his life turned and running across the ship grabbed a line and swung across to the Demon. Jack reached down offering his hand to Amanda. Helping her stand he then put her behind him where her back was against a wall and her front was then protected by Jack. Jack kept her in that position until he was sure it was safe.

If you wanted to pick who had won this battle you would have to pick the Black Pearl because it was the Demon's crew that retreated. Jack would have gladly sunk that ship but knew that the Pearl had a lot of damage and he didn't want to risk loosing her by pursuing the limping Demon. Of course Enrique was enraged by the loss and was taking it out on his crew.

As soon as Jack felt that it was safe he turned toward Amanda who was trembling behind him. Gathering her into his arms he held her close pressing her against his chest. He could feel her trembling and was worried that she was injured.

"Are ya hurt?" he turned her every which way, like a rag doll, and started feeling for broken bones.

"No, I'm fine, I was just so scared."

"Why did ya come out of my cabin? You would have been safe in there?"

"I was afraid the ship would start to sink or…oh never mind I now know I should have stayed, I'm sorry."

Jack could see the sincerity in her eyes.

"It's alright, luv. I'm glad I was here to save ya." He gathered her in his arms again, holding her close.

Burying his face in her hair he was realizing how close it had been for her. "Maybe you should go back into my cabin now, luv. The crew and I have some cleanin' up to do."

"Jack let me help, there have to be a lot of wounded, in fact the man over there has a head injury and he tried to help me and was then hit again. I just hope he is alright." Stepping out of Jack's arms she hurried over to where he was still laying feeling for a pulse, she was thankful that she found one.

Amanda looked up at Jack, "Could we clear off a place here on the deck that the wounded could come and then I'll see if I can help them."

"Darlin' I have someone to tend to the wounded, you don't havta'"

"No Jack I want to, please?"

"Alright but some of it's not goin' to be pretty, no let me reword that a lot of it's not gonna be pretty. If it gets too much for ya don't be ashamed to let me know, alright?"

"Alright Jack I won't."

Jack strode off giving orders for the deck to be cleared and all the wounded to come forward. The wounded men started straggling towards the cleared spot.

Amanda walked through the group trying to access who need her attention the most. There were a variety of wounds ranging from broken bones, stab and gunshot wounds. Some were scratches and some were bad. She kneeled down beside one man whose stomach was covered in blood. After pulling aside his shirt and seeing the wound she instinctively knew he wouldn't make it.

"There's no use in wastin' ya time on him, lass, he's good as dead."

Amanda looked up and standing before her was a man with the reddest hair she had ever seen.

"Is there anything we can give him for the pain?" she asked.

"Aye, we have run," he walked over picked up a bottle and squatted down beside her. "It seems the man be gone," he was looking down at the man and then looked over at her and introduced himself, "Me name be Malcolm McKee I guess you would call me the doctor."

Amanda looked down at the poor man and saw the he was right and then looked back to him, "I'm Amanda Andrews…"

"Aye I be knowin' who you be."

"How would you know about me?"

"News on a ship travels fast and news of Captn' Sparrow bringin' a woman on board travels even faster. Time be wastin' are ya here to help me?"

"Yes, tell me what to do."

He looked her up and down, "Ya start workin' on da less injured; patch em' up and get em' on their way."

Amanda set to work; the night passed and when she was wrapping a cut on the arm of the last man the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. Seeing that they were finally done Amanda sat down on the deck brought her knees up to her chin and resting her head on her them she closed her eyes in exhaustion.

McKee seeing her on the deck came and squatted down beside her, "Ya did good lass, thank ya for ya help."

"That's quit alright Mr. McKee it's the least I could do," she replied without opening her eyes.

McKee layed a big burly hand on her shoulder and gave her a pat before walking away. The doctor found Jack below deck helping with repairs on the Pearl.

"Ever'one is patched up, sir."

Jack straightened up from where he was stopped over, "That's good McKee, how many did we loose?"

"We only lost three so far. Hopefully we don't loose more from infection."

"What about Miss Andrews, where is she at this time?

"She be sittin' on the deck, Captn'. That be some lady you've got there. She helped me from da start to da finish with no word of complaint, but she be mighty tired.

"Thank ya McKee. I'll be goin' up and makin' her get some rest." Jack turned and gave some last minute instructions to the crew. As he was starting up the ladder he turned and looked back at McKee, "You best be gettin' some rest, you never know what might be happenin' next."

When Jack got back onto the main deck he looked around trying to find Amanda. It took a moment but he finally found her sound asleep behind some barrels. He reached down and ran his finger along her cheek marveling at the softness of her skin and how pale she was against his darkness. The sweep of her dark brown eyelashes brushed the tops of her cheeks and she had pulled her hair back with a piece of fabric torn from her shirt.

Amanda feeling the touch opened her eyes and looked up, Jack looked into her green eyes, "Why didn't you go into my cabin, luv?"

"To tell you the truth I was just too tired." Closing her eyes she mumbled, "I'll be fine just let me sleep here."

"I would be that white skin of yours would be as red as a lobster." Jack stood up and grabbing her arms lifted her to her feet. She swayed slightly and looked up at Jack with her eyes half closed. With a smile he reached down and picking her up in his arms started walking across the deck.

Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck but protested all the same. "Jack I've told you before that I was too heavy."

"And I've told you before to shush."

He strode across the deck, not going unnoticed by his crew. They all knew she had helped with their wounded and they also knew that she didn't have to and they admired her for it.

When Amanda realized that he was taking her to his cabin she started to protest. "Don't you have someplace else that I can rest? I'm not going to be sharing your cabin with you!"

"Don't you like me, luv?"

"Oh I like you Jack that's just the problem!"

"I don't see how that is a problem at all!"

Amanda looked over his shoulder and noticed that they were being watched by everyone on board, she turned beet red in the face.

"Jack everyone is watching and they will think that…that…"

"Yes luv?" he looked at her with a sly grin knowing exactly what she was thinking.

She slugged him in the shoulder and struggled to get down, "That's it I'm going to go back and sleep behind those barrels."

Her struggling was making it hard for Jack to keep a hold of her so to make matters easier he set her on her feet but before she could react he picked her back up and threw her over his shoulders and kept on going towards his cabin.

"Jack Sparrow put me down this instant!"

"Nope, don't want to!"

Amanda was mad and reached down and pinched Jack's butt hard which made Jack jump and do a little yelp.

"Why you little…" he reached back and swatted her on the butt right before he walked through the door of his cabin.