Chapter 21: Plunge
John found himself on an outstretched strip of land that obviously only connected to the island when the tide was low. He was lying confused and spread out on the sand, the waves lapping strangely calm in front of him for something that was just trying to kill him. The Pearl was nowhere on the horizon. The skies seemed just as calm and clear, offering no protection from the dazzling sunshine, but there was some shadow over him in the form of Gibbs sitting next to him. Surprised to see the first mate, in the middle of pouring the water out his boots, John tried to sit up, resulting in quite a lot of coughing and spluttering.
"Easy lad. Ye were well on yer way to drowning out thither, near taking me wit ye. Ye feeling all right?"
John nodded, then frowned. He didn't like thanking people for things. "You jumped after me," he stated the obvious.
"Some madness upon me, I'll tell ye. But I say fe somebody who'd looked death in the eye before and been on the godfesaken land of Davvy Jones' locker bein marooned be no vexation no longer," Gibbs held, "besides, a few weeks, Mrs. Turner and Jack'll find us. They'll go after the Pearl." He encouraged himself. He trusted them to do so, but maybe he was a bit generous on the time scale front.
"But why did you do it?" John asked with an emotionless voice, so much not in his depth. He expected servants and others to attend to his needs for his money, nothing more. Or maybe people to be in awe with him for his brilliance, like the king. But a selfless act like that was really unheard of. Maybe his wife would do something like that, yes, her.
"Because no man deserves to die, especially not by the senseless hands of Barbossa. Because by what Mrs. Turner told me about ye, by what ye said last night, by what nonsense ye had scribbled all over me maps, it was time somebody thought you about the value of life. Some people just don't know it. It can be thought by self destruction, it can be thought by dying, but it's a bit late then don't ye think?"
"Any experiment of interest in life will be carried out at our own expense."
"If yer daft and want to throw away yer life."
"Life has no meaning," John stated simply, "and I know of the fear and grief of losing one you hold precious in your heart."
"But no by death, aye? Ye think ye should argue wit the men who jest saved yer life? Ye clung onto me half conscious. Ye didn't want to die. Anything else than that is a lie. So grow up son, time to take some responsibility fer yer actions. Yer missin out on true friendship, the one I have wit Jack, impulses of the flesh disregarded, yer missin out on love, love poet ye be! It'll be a sad day when we'll measure that on paper and rhyme."
"That blunt manner! I take it you don't like poetry then? Works like a drink you see, drowning sorrows."
"I tried that son, it doesn't work. I drink to enjoy, not to drown sorrows and if ye do, ye no being fair to yerself there either. And the wenches. What do you need so many fe? Happiness no be in numbers. And since yer life is dear to me as I jest saved it, I don't want ye dying of heat stroke, so why don't we move under the palms for shelter and continue there?"
Tbc