Show Me the Horizon
Chapter 18
Will surfaced several feet away from the sinking Banshee and started swimming strongly away from it. When the ship finally submerged, there would be an undertow that would pull him along if he didn't get far enough away.
"There!" called Elizabeth. "There he is!" Cotton turned the helm so the ship moved closer to the swimming man. "Throw him a line!"
The line splashed down a few feet in front of Will. Stretching his arms out he grasped it and was hauled dripping onto the deck of the Black Pearl. "Will!" exclaimed Elizabeth, as she dropped to her knees and embraced him.
"Elizabeth," he breathed, wrapping his arms around her.
"What about Annamaria?" asked Gibbs.
"She was taken over to the Catalina," answered Will, getting unsteadily to his feet. He looked in that direction and saw that the Catalina was obviously sinking. "I hope she got off."
--
"Run up the white flag, Commodore," Jack said. "We need to talk to the Pearl."
Norrington answered with a curt nod and called the order out to Markson. "Lieutenant, take a boat over to the Black Pearl. Invite the Turners and Captain Sparrow's officers over to the Dauntless. Free passage guaranteed both ways."
"Aye, sir," answered Markson and he strode off down the deck.
"Come down to my cabin," invited Norrington. "I could use a brandy, and I'm sure you could too."
"Norrington, if we're going to be working together, you'll need to start stocking rum."
The Commodore smiled his wintry little smile. "Just for you, Sparrow. Just for you."
--
Jack yelped as Gwen wiped a rag soaked in wine over his wounded arm. She merely flicked him a quelling look, then started organizing the supplies she'd filched from the ship's doctor. First she threaded a needle with a piece of heavy cotton thread, and then held the needle in the candle flame for a moment. Jack pressed back in his chair as far as he could, a grimace of apprehension on his face. "Are you sure that's necessary, luv? Perhaps just a bandage...?"
Gwen didn't bother answering such a ridiculous question. "Hold still," she said, starting to insert the needle. Jack yelped again and flinched. "Stop that!" Gwen snapped at him. "I'm trying to concentrate." She took a firmer hold on his arm and ruthlessly began stitching. In the background, Annamaria started snickering.
"Where the devil did you learn how to do this?" Jack panted.
"I used to help my mother a great deal," answered Gwen absently, taking another stitch.
"I thought you said she was a midwife," protested Jack. "What does stitching up a man's arm have to do with delivering babies?"
"You'd be surprised what delivering babies involves," Gwen answered. "Stitches are something you need to know how to do."
"I don't understand," Jack started to say. Annamaria began laughing out loud.
Gwen stopped stitching for a moment and looked him in the eye. "Do you want exact details?"
Jack thought for a moment, and said weakly, "No, I don't suppose I do."
"Good." Gwen serenely continued her work. Jack gritted his teeth and stared at the ceiling, while Annamaria laughed until tears streamed down her face and Commodore Norrington cleared his throat loudly and pointedly ignored them all.
Gwen had finished stitching and was wrapping a bandage around Jack's arm when Markson escorted Will, Elizabeth, Gibbs and Cotton into Commodore Norrington's cabin. "Jack!" exclaimed Will, his eyes lighting. He glanced around and exclaimed again. "Annamaria! You're safe!"
"Will! I'm so happy to see you!" said Annamaria, coming forward to give Will a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. "I was afraid you'd gone down with the Banshee."
"What," said Jack flatly, "were Annamaria and Will doing on the Banshee?"
"Jack," asked Elizabeth, "what are you doing on the Dauntless?"
Norrington gestured the newcomers to chairs. "It seems we have a great deal to discuss."
--
Much later, the crew of the Dauntless waited to lower a boat containing Gibbs, Cotton and Annamaria into the water. Jack stood nearby talking to Will and Elizabeth. "Look after her for me," he said. "She's had a rough time."
"Of course," said Will.
"I'll follow you to Port Royal to be sure you get there safely. The Dauntless is going to need some repairs."
"Stay a while once you get there," Elizabeth said.
"I've the business of the bloody letters of marque to deal with," shrugged Jack. "Don't know how long that'll take. You're not inviting me to tea at the Governor's house, are you?" he asked with a sardonic arch to his brow.
"We'll come see you," laughed Will. "You can stay in my old quarters above the blacksmith shop."
"Aye, I'll do that."
"Sparrow!" called Norrington, walking over. He handed Jack a package.
"What's this?" asked Jack.
"Your new colors," said Norrington. "Fly them." He shot Jack a sardonic look and strode away.
"Bloody hell," Jack muttered as he pulled some of the paper away to show the Union Jack. He winced, the shrugged philosophically. He clasped Will's hand warmly and kissed Elizabeth on the cheek. Looking up he saw Gwen watching them. He nodded to her briefly, then climbed aboard the boat and was lowered out of sight.
Chapter 18
Will surfaced several feet away from the sinking Banshee and started swimming strongly away from it. When the ship finally submerged, there would be an undertow that would pull him along if he didn't get far enough away.
"There!" called Elizabeth. "There he is!" Cotton turned the helm so the ship moved closer to the swimming man. "Throw him a line!"
The line splashed down a few feet in front of Will. Stretching his arms out he grasped it and was hauled dripping onto the deck of the Black Pearl. "Will!" exclaimed Elizabeth, as she dropped to her knees and embraced him.
"Elizabeth," he breathed, wrapping his arms around her.
"What about Annamaria?" asked Gibbs.
"She was taken over to the Catalina," answered Will, getting unsteadily to his feet. He looked in that direction and saw that the Catalina was obviously sinking. "I hope she got off."
--
"Run up the white flag, Commodore," Jack said. "We need to talk to the Pearl."
Norrington answered with a curt nod and called the order out to Markson. "Lieutenant, take a boat over to the Black Pearl. Invite the Turners and Captain Sparrow's officers over to the Dauntless. Free passage guaranteed both ways."
"Aye, sir," answered Markson and he strode off down the deck.
"Come down to my cabin," invited Norrington. "I could use a brandy, and I'm sure you could too."
"Norrington, if we're going to be working together, you'll need to start stocking rum."
The Commodore smiled his wintry little smile. "Just for you, Sparrow. Just for you."
--
Jack yelped as Gwen wiped a rag soaked in wine over his wounded arm. She merely flicked him a quelling look, then started organizing the supplies she'd filched from the ship's doctor. First she threaded a needle with a piece of heavy cotton thread, and then held the needle in the candle flame for a moment. Jack pressed back in his chair as far as he could, a grimace of apprehension on his face. "Are you sure that's necessary, luv? Perhaps just a bandage...?"
Gwen didn't bother answering such a ridiculous question. "Hold still," she said, starting to insert the needle. Jack yelped again and flinched. "Stop that!" Gwen snapped at him. "I'm trying to concentrate." She took a firmer hold on his arm and ruthlessly began stitching. In the background, Annamaria started snickering.
"Where the devil did you learn how to do this?" Jack panted.
"I used to help my mother a great deal," answered Gwen absently, taking another stitch.
"I thought you said she was a midwife," protested Jack. "What does stitching up a man's arm have to do with delivering babies?"
"You'd be surprised what delivering babies involves," Gwen answered. "Stitches are something you need to know how to do."
"I don't understand," Jack started to say. Annamaria began laughing out loud.
Gwen stopped stitching for a moment and looked him in the eye. "Do you want exact details?"
Jack thought for a moment, and said weakly, "No, I don't suppose I do."
"Good." Gwen serenely continued her work. Jack gritted his teeth and stared at the ceiling, while Annamaria laughed until tears streamed down her face and Commodore Norrington cleared his throat loudly and pointedly ignored them all.
Gwen had finished stitching and was wrapping a bandage around Jack's arm when Markson escorted Will, Elizabeth, Gibbs and Cotton into Commodore Norrington's cabin. "Jack!" exclaimed Will, his eyes lighting. He glanced around and exclaimed again. "Annamaria! You're safe!"
"Will! I'm so happy to see you!" said Annamaria, coming forward to give Will a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. "I was afraid you'd gone down with the Banshee."
"What," said Jack flatly, "were Annamaria and Will doing on the Banshee?"
"Jack," asked Elizabeth, "what are you doing on the Dauntless?"
Norrington gestured the newcomers to chairs. "It seems we have a great deal to discuss."
--
Much later, the crew of the Dauntless waited to lower a boat containing Gibbs, Cotton and Annamaria into the water. Jack stood nearby talking to Will and Elizabeth. "Look after her for me," he said. "She's had a rough time."
"Of course," said Will.
"I'll follow you to Port Royal to be sure you get there safely. The Dauntless is going to need some repairs."
"Stay a while once you get there," Elizabeth said.
"I've the business of the bloody letters of marque to deal with," shrugged Jack. "Don't know how long that'll take. You're not inviting me to tea at the Governor's house, are you?" he asked with a sardonic arch to his brow.
"We'll come see you," laughed Will. "You can stay in my old quarters above the blacksmith shop."
"Aye, I'll do that."
"Sparrow!" called Norrington, walking over. He handed Jack a package.
"What's this?" asked Jack.
"Your new colors," said Norrington. "Fly them." He shot Jack a sardonic look and strode away.
"Bloody hell," Jack muttered as he pulled some of the paper away to show the Union Jack. He winced, the shrugged philosophically. He clasped Will's hand warmly and kissed Elizabeth on the cheek. Looking up he saw Gwen watching them. He nodded to her briefly, then climbed aboard the boat and was lowered out of sight.