Chapter Ten

He slept.

Emma would lie awake on her bunk and watch Archie's chest rise and fall in the darkness. She waited days, hours, minutes, seconds. Nightmares did not terrorize him into waking. He had not had a fit in weeks. Not since that night.

It had been three weeks since Emma had brought Jack Simpson back from the dead and brought Archie back to her. He still woke with sadness in his eyes, but at least he awoke. She wondered if she'd ever see him smile again. When the sadness and guilt she saw there became too much for her, she was almost glad for the distraction of caring for the other prisoners.

Some were sick. Sick in body. Those, Emma knew how to heal. Apply the right treatment and the fever went down. The coughing stopped. The infection disappeared.

Some were wounded, by bullet or whip. Either brought to the prison in that state, or as punishment for an escape attempt. Apply the right treatment and the lashes healed. The bullet was removed. The wound closed.

Some were sick in the heart. Like Archie. These men wanted to die. Had given up all hope. Waited until their bodies gave in to the will of their minds and just stopped. Like Archie, Emma didn't know how to help them. She did not know the demons these men possessed. Nor did she have the courage to battle them as she did for Archie.

So she sat with them. Talked with them sometimes. Smiled at them and told jokes that sometimes made them laugh. Jokes no lady should know, but she was glad a ship full of male officers and ship's crew had taught her.

"A sailor and a pirate walk into a bar. They sit down next to each other, get to talking and their chat soon turns to their sea adventures. The sailor tells of his days fighting wars with the Navy, and the pirate tells of robbing ships and killing his enemies with the other pirates.
The sailor notices that the pirate has an eye patch, a hook and a peg leg and asks, "How did you get the peg leg?"
The pirate replies, "When I was thrown off my ship and floated for two days until my crew rescued me, my leg was bitten off by a shark as I was being pulled out of the water."
The sailor, impressed, says, "Wow. That's very exciting. But how about the hook?"
The pirate smiles, shining the hook a bit, "When I was sword fighting with a pirate from our enemy ship for treasure, he took it right off.''
The sailor's eyes were wide with awe at how bad this pirate was, and he asked,
How did you get the eye patch?"

"Well," says the pirate, shifting in his seat a bit, "a seagull shite in my eye."
The seaman looks puzzled: "You lost an eye from gull shite?"
The pirate sighed and shook his head. "It was my first day with the hook." That one always got a laugh. When it didn't, Emma knew it would be only a matter of days before the prisoner's body followed his mind and both were lost. She was rarely wrong.

She sometimes sat with Don Massaredo at his table for meals. He liked the company and she got to save half her plate for Archie.

"You do a very good job with the men. Better than our last doctor." The Don said, taking a healthy gulp of wine.

"And of course this surprises you." Emma said trying not to grit her teeth.

"In one so young, yes. And a woman? Dios, save us all. But it is not of the medicine, I speak. You spend time with them. Joke with them. I see the difference."

"I imagine anything in a dress would improve the disposition of men who likely haven't seen a female in a significant period of time." Emma offered, trying not to preen like a peacock at the compliment.

"Doubtless that is true."

She deflated slightly.

"But I see the men look forward to when you come. Men who would willingly let death take them, have some light in their day. You give them that. It's a good thing you do. Though I suppose I shouldn't encourage the habit considering El Ferrol is too full as it is." His voice was stern, but she saw the corners of his mouth lift when he looked down into his plate and broke off a piece of bread.

He ran his prison with an iron fist. But unprovoked, Don Massaredo was not an evil man. The guards respected him. The prisoners feared him as Emma imagined he wanted. What chaos would reign if a prison keeper was a soft hearted man who molly-coddled the prisoners? No. Emma did not like the man. He was much too brutal and seemed to enjoy his power over those in his cages a little too much. But neither did she hate him. He just was. He was a part of her existence now in this world enclosed by bars and stone walls.

He made no move to take advantage of her and Emma was especially grateful for that.

He liked to read. Don Massaredo kept a small library of books in a ragged beige three shelf bookcase in the dining room. The second shelf was missing a bolt so that the books on that shelf titled slightly downwards on the left.

She thought they were all Spanish texts but today she noticed a few English titles as well. One of them Shakespeare.

"I did not know you could read English." Emma said.

"I learned a few years back. One of our prisoners was an English teacher."

"He taught you to read English. Did he earn his freedom in return?"

Don Massaredo took a healthy gulp of his wine before answering.

"No. He was hanged shortly after." He rose from his chair, taking the glass of wine with him and made his way to the bookcase.

Emma blinked in surprise but followed him. She did not even bother objecting to the unfairness of the man dying. Don Massaredo would not appreciate her opinion on the matter. "Could I ask to borrow the volume of Shakespeare?" She felt a small burst of excitement as she imagined the look on Archie's face when she walked in with it.

"You may ask." Don Massaredo said pulling the book out. It was one of a set. The others weren't on the shelf. Emma thought he probably only had the one.

"May I please borrow the book?" Emma narrowed her eyes at him, not amused.

He handed it to her and she hugged it to her chest. If this didn't put a smile on Archie's face nothing would.

When she rushed into the room, Archie lay on the cot staring up at the ceiling as he usually did. Massaredo be damned, Archie needed some time outside. Fresh air, exercise.

"Archie, I have surprise for you." Emma smiled at him, rushing over to his bunk and kneeling beside it.

His eyes followed her hands as they placed the book on his chest.

"What is this?" He asked tonelessly, then his mouth dropped open as he studied the book more closely. "Is this?…" With great effort he pulled himself into a sitting position.

Emma quickly adjusted the pillow at his back.

His fingers ran over the embossed letters on the worn leather cover. "Dear God…" Quickly, he flipped it open and choked on a gasp. "Hamet…Twelfth Night…Taming of The Shrew…Romeo and Juliet…As You Like It… Oh God, Emma." The book shook in his hands and when he raised his eyes to her, the red rimmed gratitude in them brought tears to her own eyes.

"You like it? I asked the Don if we could borrow it. Break up the monotony. Though I imagine you'll have your hands full explaining every other sentence to me. I'm afraid I'm quite useless at Shakespeare." Emma prattled on because the way he was staring at her so intently was quite unnerving. He looked as if she'd just walked in with the keys to their freedom. "Well goodness, Archie. I at least expected a thank you." She said with an attempt at lightness.

He did not thank her with words. His hand spanned the back of her neck and brought her head close to his and met her mouth with his own.

A.N:

ViperVixen 33: Thankie for your lovely feedback. (huggies) Things are getting a bit brighter for those two.

Camreyn: I always love reading your feedback! Horatio won't learn about that night. It'll stay between Archie and Emma. We'll see Horatio later on in the book but for now, I'm keeping things focused in Emma's point of view. Because she and Archie are in such close proximity, sharing a cell together, Emma is going to have to buck up and push aside any feelings about the attack for now. But it won't be easy for her and it will show itself in little ways. It also helps her that she knows Archie would never intentionally hurt her. It makes the forgiving process easier. Because of what they go through together in this book, there will always be a secret under current between Archie and Emma. I'm glad you like the chapter titles! (laughs) I like to add those.

Sweet A.K: (huggies) It's fun to be evil sometimes. Archie is getting the point that Emma needs him to stay alive, otherwise I do think he'd slit his throat after doing that to her. Yep, I will be bringing Horatio and the Duchess into the book later on. Poor boy could really use those chocolates. Thankie! Hope you like this chapter too!

Lady Rheena: Yes, we have Archie Bear! (laughs) Thanks so much for following me over here! Thankie for your lovely feedback. Hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the story!