Several days later Jack wakes up from his drug induced sleep. His whole body hurts and he is having a hard time getting enough air into his lungs. He suddenly looks up to the door, which opens with a squeal. „Jackie, you are awake" ,Teague means as he steps into the room.

Smiling slightly he greets him „Hello…dad…"

„How are you feeling, son? Shall I get someone for you?" ,Teague asks his boy.

He answers quietly „Get …Angelica…" Immediately Teague grants his son's request and is on his way to get Angelica. When he arrives back, he is also followed by Anamaria, Scarlett, Giselle, Gibbs, Elizabeth and Barbossa who are all very worried about Jack's health.

Angelica cries out „Jack! You are alive! You're alright!" Jack only smiles at his wife. Encouraged by this, she walks up to the bed and only now does he make out the tiny bundle in her arms. Awed he asks „Is that…?" But before he can finish his question, Angelica answers „Our son. His name is Jonah."

Jack tries to see his son, but he is unable to even lift his head off of the pillow. Seeing his predicement, Angelica sits on the edge of the bed and shows him their newborn boy. „Anamaria was the one who came up with the name. And she helped me deliver him together with Scarlett and Giselle. They were my midwives and I asked them to be his godmothers. - If that is alright with you, gorrion?"

Nodding his head slightly, Jack clears his throat and gets out in a raspy voice „It…is…alright. – Hello Jonah. – M your…dad…" That's all he manages to say before he ends up having a raging coughing fit, leaving him totally spent and drenched in sweat, his face a grimace of pain. Angelica puts a hand over his „Shall we get a doctor, Jack? Are you hurting?"

At this question from his wife, Jack has to smile even though his cheek hurts from the movement. He is hurting all over, but mostly his chest, especially his ribcage and not to forget his back, which feels like it has been ripped open. But not saying this out loud, he mumbles weakly „M…right. No…doctor. – Give..ol' Jack…a…moment..to…get…his..bearings…dearie." Shaking her head at his stubborness, Angelica gives a sign to Gibbs who understands and leaves to get the doctors. Barbossa, Elizabeth and the three godmothers of Jonah stay, but they keep their distance, not wishing to intrude on this private moment between the couple.

Minutes later Gibbs returns with the two doctors in tow. They send everyone out of the room. But Teague and Angelica insist on staying, not wishing to leave Jack's side. One of the doctors nods his consent „It may be good if someone he trusts is here for him, because the news we have to give him will be life changing. And we don't know how he will cope with that."

Angelica and Teague nod. But curious, Teague asks „What do you mean with that doctor? What is wrong with my boy?" Clearing his throat the doctor answers, while his collegue is checking on Jack

„The internal injuries that your son suffered from were very severe. He had several broken ribs and as we feared they had penetrated some of his organs. The most life-threatening obstacle was his severe punctured and collapsed lung. We had to remove half of it. We also had to repair his liver and stitch a gash in his heart muscle. After we had done that, we realigned the broken bones and stitched his chest close. Before we had to stitch some of the many welts on his back. But we had to leave most of them open, to allow them to heal properly without the fear of an infection setting in. - All in all, your son Teague, is very lucky to be still alive."

Shocked at hearing all of this, Teague finds his tongue again „Are you telling me that me boy has only half a lung now?" The doctor nods „Your son will have to stay in bed for a long while to come. He suffered not only from severe internal injuries, but he also lost a lot of blood. This massive physical trauma is hard to overcome, even for a seasoned and hardened pirate like your son. He needs all the help he can get, especially as of now on, he isn't allowed on open water ever again. – Not in his weakened condition. It would kill him."

Unnoticed the door opens and Barbossa comes in. Hearing those words spoken about Jack, he speaks up astonished „What ye be talking about? Jack should stay on land? As in grass? A farm, milking cows? – He is a pirate like me, he needs the sea as he needs the air to breathe. Force him to stay on land and ye all can say your goodbyes as this will kill him on the inside. Mark me words."

With that said, Hector turns around and with a last worried look to Jack, exits the room. Teague adds „He is right. This will kill me boy for sure. The sea is his life and his ship, the Black Pearl." The other doctor looks up then and says „He is asleep now. I gave him some water mixed with a bit of laudanum. His weakened body needs all the rest it can get. And sleep is the best medicine. He'll be mostly alright again. Just give him time to heal. – If that's it. I'll be taking my leave now. – Arthur, you coming too?"

Nodding to his collegue, both doctors exit the room. Angelica exchanges a worried look with Teague. „How can we tell him that his life at sea is over for good? – He will be devastated at this news. It would break his heart. I can't do that to mi gorrion. I just can't."

Teague puts a comforting hand on her shoulder „You don't have to, Angelica. I will tell me boy about this, as soon as he wakes up and seems more lucid. – Let him sleep for now and go back to our own quarters, eh?"

Angelica nods and stands up, leaving the room after giving Jack a gentle kiss on his sweaty cheek. While Teague goes to his rooms adjacant to Jack's, Angelica walks back to her house, accompanied by Gibbs. Scarlett, Giselle and Anamaria have already gone back home, as they couldn't leave Noah alone for this long with his six siblings.

Over the next two weeks nothing much changes. The four women enjoy life together with their children as much as they possible can under the given circumstances. Gibbs and Teague and sometimes even Barbossa come over to let them know about Jack.

The two doctors visit him frequently to make sure he is doing alright and to follow his healing progress, which is understandably, very slow.

In the middle of the third week, as Teague is coming into his son's room, he is happy to see him awake. „Glad to have ye back, boy. Took a long enough beauty sleep. – How are ye feeling?"

Clearing his throat, Jack motions weakly to the water pitch right beside his bed. Teague gets the hint and fills a glass with the clear liquid. Supporting his son's head with his right hand, he holds the glass to his boys' lips with the other. „Slow sips, Jack. You don't want to get sick, do ye?" Doing as he is told, Jack takes a few slow cautious sips, before nodding as a sign that he has enough. Again he tries to speak and succeeds „How long was I out?"

„For about three weeks, Jack. This time I was damn sure I would lose you forever. – How could ye have been so careless? Handing yeself over to them redcoats? Have ye gone nuts?"

„I did it to save me crew and ship, giving them a chance to get away and therefore a chance of coming back with reinforcements to set me free, savvy. – I didn't really plan on getting whipped and beaten to a bloody pulp. That was just an added bonus, courtesy of that ship's captain, a sadistic bastard" ,he halts as he sees his father's sad, fareaway look and asks „what is that sad and sorry look for, dad? Tell me what's wrong. And don't sugarcoat anything. I want the god's honest truth."

Teague sighs dramatically and speaks „Truth? You want the god's honest truth? – Alright, ye can have that, boy. – The truth is that because of your severe internal injuries, which weren't without consequences, that your life at sea is over. You aren't allowed to set foot on a ship again – never again. – Do ye understand what that means, Jack?"

Totally shocked about his father's words, Jack swallows audibly, tears already glistening in his dark brown pools. „What exactly are you telling me, dad? Why aren't I allowed to go back out to sea, the place where I feel truly at home?"

Grabbing his son's hand in his two weathered ones, Teague answers „It's because of your condition, lad" ,here Teague has to pause and keep his own tears at bay „the doctors told me what they had to do to safe your life." Again he halts, before he goes on softly „They had to remove a part of your lung! It was, as they said, irreparable. Three of your broken ribs had penetrated it! And then all the blood that you lost because of those internal injuries and all those deep welts on your back. – Docs said you'll never regain the strength you once had, because of your damaged lung. And that is the reason you are not allowed to go to sea anymore. In your weakened condition, the next storm out there would kill ye for sure. – Doctor's orders, Jack. You are to stay on land from now on."

Hearing those words, Jack swallows deeply, silent tears running down his tanned cheeks. The sad look he gives his father compells Teague to carefully wrap his arms around his son's still healing body and to hug him tightly. „You are not alone in this, lad. We all will be here for you should it become too much to bear. Especially your wife Angelica, she was very worried about ye, Jack. And we must not forget the other four ladies in your life – Elizabeth, Anamaria, Giselle and Scarlett. They were like frightened mother-hens, who were scared to lose their baby-chicks. Gibbs, Hector and me – we had a hard time to keep them from running into your room, so worried have they all been, while you were lying here unconscious."

Clapping his son gently on his scarred back, Teague adds „And now we should get ye something to eat and I'll send a messanger over to your house to get Angelica, eh?" Jack nods, lying already flat on his back again and closing his eyes. Even a bit of talking has left him out of breath. He tries to catch it and to slow and even his breathing out. Seeing his struggle, Teague assures him „You'll get used to that, boy. Do nothing too streneous in the future and you will live a long life still. Just not at sea anymore."

Again Jack merely nods, but doesn't bother opening his eyes. Teague smiles slightly and leaves the room. Outside Gibbs and Barbossa meet up with him. „How is he doing?" Motioning to the door, Teague explains „See for yourselves, gentlemen. I'm getting something to eat for my boy and I'll send someone to get Angelica. Ta."

Looking a bit confused after Teague, Gibbs and Barbossa shrug their shoulders and step into Jack's room. At the sound of bootsteps nearing him, Jack wearily opens his eyes, blinking them. „Glad to have ye finally back with us, Captain. Ye had us all worried, lad" ,greets Gibbs his friend, sitting down at his bedside. Hector remains standing, but steps closer and says „As I once told ye – I really thought I had ye figured, but you're a hard man to predict. – I never thought I'd see the day on which ye sell yourself out to the British. Any particular reason for such a drastic measure, boy?"

Gazing up to the two men, Jack answers „As I just told me Da, I did it to ensure the safety of my crew and ship. Knowing full well they would come back to rescue me. And rescue me you did. – Thanks for that, mates" ,he halts in his speech, trying to hold his emotions back, before going on „otherwise I'd have left Angelica a widow and seven young children as half orphans. Something I'd sworn to meself I'd never to the woman I love or to our children, should we have ones."

Gibbs claps him friendly on the shoulder and gets an idea „How about me and the crew sailing back to Nassau, give your regards to the good governor and Captain Hornigold and while we are there, I'm getting your horse…ehm.. what was the name – ah, Black Thunder, back home to you here on Shipwreck Island? What say you to that, Captain?"

Jack mumbles softly „M no longer your captain, mate. The Pearl needs a new captain – you Gibbs. – Just promise me to take good care of me dark lady. Even if I no longer am able to captain her, she is still a big part of me, my soul. M still bound to her that way. So I will feel it, if something is not right with her…same goes for the ship – she feels it too if her captain is hurt, going slower, her planks creaking more prominently, sails going slack although there is wind to have…" he trails of, not needing to finish his sentence.

„So you are basically telling me to not sail with the Pearl to Nassau, as she wouldn't give us her best, while you are still lying here, recuperating, is that it, Captain? – Shall I take another ship for the trip?"

Answering his first mate's question, Jack says „Aye, that is exactly what I'm telling you, Master Gibbs."

Having listened the entire time to the converstation between captain and first mate, Hector Barbossa speaks up „If I may present you with another solution, gents? – How about making this voyage to Nassau on my ship, the Revenge? Thanks to the Sword of Triton she is fast too and there is enough space below decks, to safely stow the horse for the trip, without any fear of injuring the animal. – What say ye, Jack? Just say the word and we are off to Nassau."

Contemplating this offer, Jack thanks Barbossa for it, shaking his hand in agreement. With that being settled Gibbs and Barbossa leave the room, promising to be back as fast as possible.

As soon as they have left, his father Teague and Elizabeth come in, both carrying trays with delightfully smelling food and drinks for him. Setting them both on a table beside the bed, Elizabeth comments „You need lots of nourishment Jack and liquids to make up for the blood loss and to regain your strength – at least enough for you to be able to walk these halls, savvy?" Ending the sentence with his most used word, Elizabeth watches Jack's reaction closely. The corners of his mouth turn up and shortly thereafter his rougish, smug smile, that she loves to see, comes out, lighting up his whole face, the gold teeth sparkling in the candle light.

„That's the spirit, Jack. Never one to give up, lad. - I'm proud of you, son. I really am" ,Teague assures his son and smiles at him. Jack says quietly thank you and then asks sheepishly „How am I supposed to eat, while I'm still lying flat on me back, love?" Ever practical, Elizabeth helps him up with Teague's assistance and pushes a few pillows behind him to support his hurt back. Smiling at her, Jack gets out „Thanks, love." She only waves it off „No need to thank me Jack. You're welcome. – But now I'll help you with eating your meal. – And don't say that you don't need help, because you do, Jack. You are still so weak that you can't lift up your arm, let alone hold up a spoon or fork filled with food. So please put your manly pride aside for awhile and let yourself be helped when needed…Captain."

Grumbling something under his breath, Jack relents and allows Lizzie to spoon-feed him the broth and soup and some pieces of mushed hard-tack. Afterwards she helps him drink his fill of water and juice and then she allows him to lie back down. As soon as his head hits the soft pillow, Jack is fast asleep.

With smiles on their faces Elizabeth and Teague take the trays and exit the room, closing the door behind them.

stay tuned for more