A PIRATES TREASURE
Disclaimer:- POTC belongs to the Disney Corporation along with it's characters. I have no claim to any of their work and make no money out of my stories. I have introduced some characters that belong to me to fit with the story.
A Pirates Treasure
Chapter 12
It had been 3 days now since Elizabeth had been brought up from the hell she had endured in the hold, and although Jack had nursed her around the clock, diligently tending her wounds, changing dressings and trying everything he knew to rid her of the powerful infection that gripped her body, she was sinking…fast.
Jack was distraught and exhausted. Her nightmare had been transferred to him and he was, possibly for the first time in his action filled life, terrified. Frightened beyond anything he had ever felt before, fighting like a man possessed to rid her body of the killer within and bring her back to him.
Everyone on board had realised immediately that the situation was dire and that it was imperative they break the infection. Even the new crew members had offered ideas about potions they had seen that might help. So far, nothing had worked and Jack knew that they were running out of time. Her body was giving up to the poison flooding her veins, second by second she was leaving him and he was helpless to prevent it. His world was slowly caving in around him and he didn't know what to do.
Elizabeth lay on his bed, unmoving, and seemed to be shrinking with every passing hour, her usually flawless skin punctured by festering wounds, eyes sinking back into her skull, her un-naturally translucent, pale, waxy skin stretched tight across her bones and her breathing becoming weak, her pulse thin and reedy…starting to falter. Jack feared that she wouldn't live to see the next dawn.
Cotton was The Pearl's un-official surgeon, dealing with broken limbs, gashes and wounds. In fact, he was skilled at mending bones, stitches and the like and wounds rarely became infected. This was something outside his ability, though, the infection had taken hold days before she had been found and, although he had tried, it was beyond his capability to heal her. Jack knew that the man felt a deep sorrow at his inability to help her; it showed in his eyes and his dejected air.
Jack had ordered The Pearl back to Tortuga, in the hope that they could find someone to help in the bustling port, but he knew they would be too late. The wind was against them and although they had the fastest ship in the Caribbean, they were still at least 3 days away. Even if the wind, by some miracle, shifted, Elizabeth would be dead before they reached port. They had to try, though.
Jack cursed his stubbornness, his refusal to allow her to sail with him in case she was hurt or injured. If he had even for one moment suspected that she would do such a foolhardy thing as stowaway on the ship and that this would be the outcome, he would have let her sail with him in a heartbeat. By his side. Not stuck in a rat infested prison where her life was in danger with no hope of discovery.
The very air in his cabin smelt of fear, rot, decay…and death.
Jack had just rechecked Elizabeth's wounds and forced some water through her dry, cracked lips when Gibbs threw open the door. It hit the wall with a resounding crash. Jack barely glanced up before returning his attention to his desperately ill patient.
"Jack! There's a ship sighted. D' ye want t' hold course?"
Jack looked up, "Colours?" he asked disinterested, before his gaze returned to Elizabeth.
"Well, now." replied Gibbs. "That's where it gets mighty interestin'. Tis The Empress."
Jacks' head snapped up. "The Empress? What in God's name is she doin' sailin' these waters?" He thought for a moment. "Shorten sail. Prepare t' come alongside. I'm feelin' a need t' speak with her Capt'n."
"Aye, Capt'n." Gibbs replied and left, his shouted orders clearly audible in the cabin.
Jack's was perplexed. Before the battle with Cutler Beckett, when The Black Pearl and The Flying Dutchman had joined forces to rid the seas of the threat to the pirate way of life, Elizabeth, as named successor to Sao Feng and therefore Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, had also become Captain of The Empress. However, after becoming Pirate King, and leading the pirates to victory, she had sailed back to the Caribbean on The Pearl, leaving The Empress under the command of Tai Huang. It was the last ship he would have dreamt of seeing in these waters. If Tai Huang had sailed all this way, he had a damned good reason and Jack needed to know what it was. He quickly checked Elizabeth, dropped a light kiss on her cheek and joined Gibbs on deck, sending Cotton to attend to her.
Slowly, the two ships closed on each other, until they were broadside and the Captains could communicate by shouting to each other. Jack learned that Tai Huang was searching for Elizabeth and Jack quickly told him what had happened.
Presently, the two ships were lashed together and Tai Huang had boarded The Pearl, bringing with him a member of his crew skilled in the art of Chinese medicine. Jack, Gibbs, Tai Huang and the tiny, doll like man made their way to Jack's cabin. Elizabeth was quickly examined and after an exchange between the two Chinese, a medicine chest was produced from The Empress. The little china man rummaged around in the contents of the chest before holding aloft a large bottle of turquoise liquid and a fearsome looking needle. A smile creased his weather-beaten face as he turned to the bed.
Jack shot across the cabin, his heart in his throat as he realised what the man proposed to do. "No!" Tai Huang grabbed his arm, preventing him from interrupting, as the little man let forth a string of Chinese.
"Let him be!" ordered Tai Huang to Jack. "He knows what he is doing!"
Jack hesitated, weighing the odds, before silently nodding his consent to the strange little man, who immediately spoke to his Captain, looking directly at Jack whilst gesticulating wildly with his hands, chattering all of the time.
"He wants us to leave." Tai Huang said. "It is probably a good idea. His medicine is good but not always pretty."
Jack took a step towards the bed and its precious cargo. "I cant…"
Gibbs stepped forward, placing a hand upon Jack's shoulder. "Tis fer the best, Jack. Let t' man get on w'th what he's good at. Tis yer only hope."
Jack looked stricken, torn between staying with Elizabeth, making sure no further harm came to her and letting this stranger continue alone. He looked, desperately to Cotton, standing silently in the corner of the room looking at Jack. When Cotton nodded to him, he relented.
"All right. We'll leave, but I'll b' just outside t' door. Cotton is t' stay here an' help. An' I'll b' knowin' the moment there's any change in her. Savvy?"
Jack, Gibbs and Tai Huang walked from the room and shut the door leaving the two men alone with Elizabeth.
Once in the gangway, Jack sank to the floor, back against the wall, his head in his hands as he prayed with every ounce of his strength for Elizabeth's recovery, for redemption from the nightmare they found themselves in. His exhausted body fought to sleep but his mind refused, terrified that his precious Lizzie would slip away from him while he slept. In Jack's mind every second passed infinitely slowly as if the whole passage of time had been slowed by some unseen deity. He was dimly aware of whispered conversations between Gibbs and Tai Huang and the noises made by both The Pearl and The Empress as they cast off from each other, but his whole being was focused on Elizabeth, on what was happening in his cabin, willing her to take his strength and use it to fight. He stayed slumped against the wall, silent, unmoving, conserving the energy he willed Lizzie to use.
Hours passed. Around Jack, the crew silently fought to gain extra speed, to battle the wind and help The Pearl speed her way to port. The Empress was in their wake, following their course, but slowly falling behind, not having the sleek shape and inbuilt speed, or the desperation, that surrounded everyone on board The Pearl. The whole ship was cocooned in an atmosphere of pre-occupation, a heavy mantle of fear and hope mixed together like a sorcerer's potent brew. Every man on board knew the probable outcome but with every breath battled to do what they could to aid their Captain and save their Pirate King.
Still Jack sat unmoving, feeling cramp like pains grip his body as his muscles protested at their inactivity…welcoming the pain that kept his mind from closing down and falling into the abyss of sleep, patiently waiting for the news that he dreaded, news that he knew was inevitable.
Many, many apologies for the delay in posting this new chapter. Work has been manic and I have also not been well.
Anyway, I have a whole week off next week and am off to sunnier skies (hopefully) for a much needed break. I will do some more writing while away.
PLEASE review and let me know what you think. I PROMISE that I will get some more chapters uploaded when I get back.
Thanks for your patience.
