*Thanks to all you cool reviewers!!!
The diagnosis
"So, let me get this straight," Doctor Brown said slowly walking out of his office door while Jack had his pistol in his back. "You want me to go to your pirate ship and diagnose a crewmember.
"Yes," Jack answered. When no response came from the doctor Jack said in a low desperate voice, "I will be pay you any sum of money you want, just please acquiesce." Then he said in more steady tones, "Do not make me shoot you!"
"I wouldn't dream of it!" Doctor Brown replied in a shaky voice. "Lead me on."
"Good," Jack said grinning, "I knew we would come to an understanding!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I've brought the Doc, how's Anamaria faring?" Jack asked as he lead the doctor across the deck to his cabin.
"She's taken a turn for the worse," Gibbs answered.
"Oh, Lord!" Jack cried bursting through the cabin door.
Anamaria lay there like one dead. She was pale and sweaty and her breathing had become shallow. Doctor Brown knelt down beside her and felt her forehead, took her pulse and inspected her wound. Throughout that time Jack stood by awkwardly, peering over the doctor's shoulder every once and a while.
Finally Doctor Brown stood up with a sigh.
"What? What was it?" Jack asked, getting into his face.
"Well," the doctor said, turning his face away from Jack's rum tainted breath, "the wound weakened her ability to fend off diseases that might come her way."
"So . ."
"She has scarlet fever."
"Scarlet fever . . is that bad?"
"Oh, very bad, indeed!"
"Hmm . ." Jack stroked his gotee in thought. "What should I do?"
"Well, I suggest you feed her plenty of fruit and broth, and keep wiping her head with a cool rag."
"Awright! Well, we are going to be in port for a couple more days, do ye think ye can be stoppin' by to check on her for those last two days?"
"Of course," Doctor Brown answered with a smile.
"Thank ye, good doctor, thank ye!"
Nightfall found Jack in his cabin tipping a bowl of broth into Anamaria's mouth, which he was glad to note that she was taking.
"Sir," Stubs said, coming in, "aren't ye going to shore? I heard tha' the island is not as respectable as they let on. They got a house at the other end of the island, right next to a tavern." There was no response from Jack. "Well, aren't ye goin'?" He asked again.
"No, Stubbs. Not tonight."
"Well, considerin' I'm on shore leave now, I am. Would ye like me to bring you back some grog?"
"I'd 'preciate tha'."
Then Stubbs left Jack alone in his cabin. As Jack sat there feeding Anamaria the broth, words began to come into his head, things he should have said, things he should have done. He found himself beginning to talk to Anamaria knowing she could not hear his words.
"I'm sorry about your boat. I know it was wrong of me to force you to jump off and leave you there swimmin' after it like a dog. I bet you knew I was going to try to nab it didn't you. That's why you poked a small hole in it, you clever girl. You would rather have seen it at the bottom of the ocean then in anybody's hands but yours. But, then if you knew, why did you let me on board, eh?
"You're a confusin' lass. But, you're a different confusin' lass. And I love you . ." Jack sat back on his heels surprised by his words. The revelation had struck him. That was why he had been less happy in the company of Tortuga then in the past. All the time he was with them, one lass kept coming to his mind and he couldn't get her out. That lass was now in his bunk, lying sick with scarlet fever. Why hadn't he realized it earlier! She and Jack shared a love that bound them to one another as no other woman of Jack's ever had. A love of ships, and the sea.
Anamaria understood Jack's love for the Black Pearl, he never had to explain it to her, like he had to so many other women, and in her own way she loved the Pearl too.
Jack looked down at Anamaria and saw that a droplet of broth was resting upon her lower lip. He leaned down close to her face. "I hope you feel this, love." And with that he kissed the droplet ever so gently off her lips. To Jack's pleasure he felt Anamaria's lips respond weakly. Jack broke the kiss and stroked the side of her burning face.
"Please don't die on me, Anamaria."
The diagnosis
"So, let me get this straight," Doctor Brown said slowly walking out of his office door while Jack had his pistol in his back. "You want me to go to your pirate ship and diagnose a crewmember.
"Yes," Jack answered. When no response came from the doctor Jack said in a low desperate voice, "I will be pay you any sum of money you want, just please acquiesce." Then he said in more steady tones, "Do not make me shoot you!"
"I wouldn't dream of it!" Doctor Brown replied in a shaky voice. "Lead me on."
"Good," Jack said grinning, "I knew we would come to an understanding!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I've brought the Doc, how's Anamaria faring?" Jack asked as he lead the doctor across the deck to his cabin.
"She's taken a turn for the worse," Gibbs answered.
"Oh, Lord!" Jack cried bursting through the cabin door.
Anamaria lay there like one dead. She was pale and sweaty and her breathing had become shallow. Doctor Brown knelt down beside her and felt her forehead, took her pulse and inspected her wound. Throughout that time Jack stood by awkwardly, peering over the doctor's shoulder every once and a while.
Finally Doctor Brown stood up with a sigh.
"What? What was it?" Jack asked, getting into his face.
"Well," the doctor said, turning his face away from Jack's rum tainted breath, "the wound weakened her ability to fend off diseases that might come her way."
"So . ."
"She has scarlet fever."
"Scarlet fever . . is that bad?"
"Oh, very bad, indeed!"
"Hmm . ." Jack stroked his gotee in thought. "What should I do?"
"Well, I suggest you feed her plenty of fruit and broth, and keep wiping her head with a cool rag."
"Awright! Well, we are going to be in port for a couple more days, do ye think ye can be stoppin' by to check on her for those last two days?"
"Of course," Doctor Brown answered with a smile.
"Thank ye, good doctor, thank ye!"
Nightfall found Jack in his cabin tipping a bowl of broth into Anamaria's mouth, which he was glad to note that she was taking.
"Sir," Stubs said, coming in, "aren't ye going to shore? I heard tha' the island is not as respectable as they let on. They got a house at the other end of the island, right next to a tavern." There was no response from Jack. "Well, aren't ye goin'?" He asked again.
"No, Stubbs. Not tonight."
"Well, considerin' I'm on shore leave now, I am. Would ye like me to bring you back some grog?"
"I'd 'preciate tha'."
Then Stubbs left Jack alone in his cabin. As Jack sat there feeding Anamaria the broth, words began to come into his head, things he should have said, things he should have done. He found himself beginning to talk to Anamaria knowing she could not hear his words.
"I'm sorry about your boat. I know it was wrong of me to force you to jump off and leave you there swimmin' after it like a dog. I bet you knew I was going to try to nab it didn't you. That's why you poked a small hole in it, you clever girl. You would rather have seen it at the bottom of the ocean then in anybody's hands but yours. But, then if you knew, why did you let me on board, eh?
"You're a confusin' lass. But, you're a different confusin' lass. And I love you . ." Jack sat back on his heels surprised by his words. The revelation had struck him. That was why he had been less happy in the company of Tortuga then in the past. All the time he was with them, one lass kept coming to his mind and he couldn't get her out. That lass was now in his bunk, lying sick with scarlet fever. Why hadn't he realized it earlier! She and Jack shared a love that bound them to one another as no other woman of Jack's ever had. A love of ships, and the sea.
Anamaria understood Jack's love for the Black Pearl, he never had to explain it to her, like he had to so many other women, and in her own way she loved the Pearl too.
Jack looked down at Anamaria and saw that a droplet of broth was resting upon her lower lip. He leaned down close to her face. "I hope you feel this, love." And with that he kissed the droplet ever so gently off her lips. To Jack's pleasure he felt Anamaria's lips respond weakly. Jack broke the kiss and stroked the side of her burning face.
"Please don't die on me, Anamaria."