Authors notes: more character definition & background.
Summary: Jack fries his brain. Alcohol poisoning is an ugly thing.
Chapter 15 - Oops, there go some brain cells.
Jack stumbled down the street with a blinding headache. (Where was he supposed to be? Hotel?) Someone was waiting for him but he couldn't remember whom. He drank the rest of the wine and dropped the bottle. Bloody hell his head hurt and now his stomach was starting to rival it. Jack staggered to an alleyway. Oh God not now, just a few more feet to the hotel. But a few more feet were just a few feet to far away. He fell to his knees and everything in his stomach came out in the alley. He couldn't stop. His head hurt so bad he couldn't move. He lost control of his bladder & bowels as he dropped to the ground. "Oh God help me! He cried out." Jonathan Sparrow, son of one of the most powerful men in Jamaica, was terrified as he lay in his own waste and vomit on the filthy ground of a Port Royal alley whimpering like a wounded animal and calling for his mother. A hungry dog growled as it guarded the remains thrown down by a butcher shop. Rats scurried to claim their share. Jack welcomed unconsciousness.
He woke to a sharp kick.
"Stop it I'm sick" he gasped pleading. (Couldn't she see he wasn't pretending?) " Get Adam. Please get Adam."
She didn't respond.
"Anna Maria Pleaaase.." he sobbed. "I'm sorry." He couldn't lift his own head.
"Get out o here Gypsy I'll sell you I will " the butcher threatened. Jack felt the sting of cold water, which started his body on the journey into shock. He tried to force open his eyes but all he could do was to lay on his back unable to move even an eyelid.
"I'm (he gasped for breath) not.."
He started to vomit again. Unable to move, the matter expelled by his stomach obstructed his airways. He couldn't breathe. He was choking.
The butcher looked at the crumpled boy in the filth. He wore a red scarf around his head and jewelry in his hair. But the clothes were wrong. This young man was too well dressed to be a gypsy slave. He rolled the boy over to search his pockets inadvertently allowing the contents of his mouth and throat to spill onto the ground in the next round of vomiting. The man couldn't believe his good fortune as he pulled the gold out of his pockets and satchel. The unconscious man started to convulse as the butcher walked back into the shop. He sat at the table counting the sudden windfall. He surveyed the small fortune the dying boy had provided. 10 gold pieces, some silver, a watch, the rings and other jewelry he had taken off him. The butcher looked at a hotel note among the gold. "The Grand" it said.
Sparrow? Could it be a kin to James Sparrow of Montego Bay? That would mean one hell of a reward if they boy didn't die before they got here. The butcher called his son around to run to The Grand and inquire into the situation then ran back to attend to the young man choking on his own vomit in the alleyway.
"Ye ain't gonna be much use to me dead son."
He said aloud as he lifted James Sparrow's son and brought him into his shop sitting him on a couch in the living quarters upstairs. The boy reeked of alcohol. His eyes opened and closed. He tried to talk but overtaken by another convulsion he fell to the floor.
Two fair-haired young men were shown into the butcher's living quarters.
"Your name?" Charles demanded making the question sound like the mere presence of the man was offensive to him. Adam elbowed him in the ribs. They weren't in the position to be making this man their enemy.
"Neither o ye be James Sparrow" the man stated suspiciously while making a point of caressing his gun. "I'll be the one askin' the questions 'ere boys." The brothers introduced themselves. The older man hesitated. "Excuse me" Charles spat out the word "Sir." "Either you give us our brother now or we come back after he's dead have your shop burned to the ground, throw your family into the street and watch you and your bug hunting son hang for murder. Which is it then?" Adam started to hyperventilate and thrust a bag of gold into the man's hand. "Please Sir. I think he needs a doctor."
The butcher looked into the bag and gestured toward Jack on the floor. He spoke to Charles. "Ye be brothers do ye? Don't look nuthin like." He turned to Adam. "What the hell happened to you?"
Charles and Adam carried their unconscious sibling to the hotel. They propped him up in his bed and tried waking him. Nothing. Charles left Jack in Adams care as he left to get the doctor. Jack's skin was cold and clammy, his breathing slow and uneven. He looked blue. Adam was scared. He started to pray.
Jack made a gurgling noise. Adam jumped to his aid. "Don't die Jack. I shouldn't have left you last night. I'm so sorry" he said miserably. Jack vomited again. Adam panicked and tried his best to clear his throat. "Wake up!" He rolled his brother to his side as he started to gag again, fought for breath and lost. He pulled him back up and started to shake him.
"No! Jack wake up. Please wake up."
"Dad it hurts." Jack choked the words out.
Adam pulled him up and continued to shake him. "Talk to me Jack. . Its you an me mate."
Jack's eyes opened. "Don't kick me." He whined
"I won't" Adam responded unsure of what he meant.
"Adam...my head. Go get Adam."
His head fell back and his breathing stopped again as Charles and the doctor entered the room. The doctor sent the brothers into the sitting room to wait.
"Should we contact Dad?" Adam looked at Charles his eyes pleading for an answer that solved everything.
"Lets wait and see what the doctor says" Charles put his arm around his brother's shoulder trying to be supportive.
"Do you think he's in Montego Bay yet?" Adam was trying hard not to break down. If there was one thing their father beat into them it was " Women get emotional. Men act like men." Emotional breakdowns were not acceptable and unfortunately for Adam, it always a struggle to keep his composure.
"No, about another day." Charles pulled Adam to face him. "Adam the little bastard won't die." he said trying to sound strong and sure.
Charles' confidence calmed him. He thought a minute. " He will if Dad has to come down here."
NEXT: A Healing Spell
Chapter 15 - Oops, there go some brain cells.
Jack stumbled down the street with a blinding headache. (Where was he supposed to be? Hotel?) Someone was waiting for him but he couldn't remember whom. He drank the rest of the wine and dropped the bottle. Bloody hell his head hurt and now his stomach was starting to rival it. Jack staggered to an alleyway. Oh God not now, just a few more feet to the hotel. But a few more feet were just a few feet to far away. He fell to his knees and everything in his stomach came out in the alley. He couldn't stop. His head hurt so bad he couldn't move. He lost control of his bladder & bowels as he dropped to the ground. "Oh God help me! He cried out." Jonathan Sparrow, son of one of the most powerful men in Jamaica, was terrified as he lay in his own waste and vomit on the filthy ground of a Port Royal alley whimpering like a wounded animal and calling for his mother. A hungry dog growled as it guarded the remains thrown down by a butcher shop. Rats scurried to claim their share. Jack welcomed unconsciousness.
He woke to a sharp kick.
"Stop it I'm sick" he gasped pleading. (Couldn't she see he wasn't pretending?) " Get Adam. Please get Adam."
She didn't respond.
"Anna Maria Pleaaase.." he sobbed. "I'm sorry." He couldn't lift his own head.
"Get out o here Gypsy I'll sell you I will " the butcher threatened. Jack felt the sting of cold water, which started his body on the journey into shock. He tried to force open his eyes but all he could do was to lay on his back unable to move even an eyelid.
"I'm (he gasped for breath) not.."
He started to vomit again. Unable to move, the matter expelled by his stomach obstructed his airways. He couldn't breathe. He was choking.
The butcher looked at the crumpled boy in the filth. He wore a red scarf around his head and jewelry in his hair. But the clothes were wrong. This young man was too well dressed to be a gypsy slave. He rolled the boy over to search his pockets inadvertently allowing the contents of his mouth and throat to spill onto the ground in the next round of vomiting. The man couldn't believe his good fortune as he pulled the gold out of his pockets and satchel. The unconscious man started to convulse as the butcher walked back into the shop. He sat at the table counting the sudden windfall. He surveyed the small fortune the dying boy had provided. 10 gold pieces, some silver, a watch, the rings and other jewelry he had taken off him. The butcher looked at a hotel note among the gold. "The Grand" it said.
Sparrow? Could it be a kin to James Sparrow of Montego Bay? That would mean one hell of a reward if they boy didn't die before they got here. The butcher called his son around to run to The Grand and inquire into the situation then ran back to attend to the young man choking on his own vomit in the alleyway.
"Ye ain't gonna be much use to me dead son."
He said aloud as he lifted James Sparrow's son and brought him into his shop sitting him on a couch in the living quarters upstairs. The boy reeked of alcohol. His eyes opened and closed. He tried to talk but overtaken by another convulsion he fell to the floor.
Two fair-haired young men were shown into the butcher's living quarters.
"Your name?" Charles demanded making the question sound like the mere presence of the man was offensive to him. Adam elbowed him in the ribs. They weren't in the position to be making this man their enemy.
"Neither o ye be James Sparrow" the man stated suspiciously while making a point of caressing his gun. "I'll be the one askin' the questions 'ere boys." The brothers introduced themselves. The older man hesitated. "Excuse me" Charles spat out the word "Sir." "Either you give us our brother now or we come back after he's dead have your shop burned to the ground, throw your family into the street and watch you and your bug hunting son hang for murder. Which is it then?" Adam started to hyperventilate and thrust a bag of gold into the man's hand. "Please Sir. I think he needs a doctor."
The butcher looked into the bag and gestured toward Jack on the floor. He spoke to Charles. "Ye be brothers do ye? Don't look nuthin like." He turned to Adam. "What the hell happened to you?"
Charles and Adam carried their unconscious sibling to the hotel. They propped him up in his bed and tried waking him. Nothing. Charles left Jack in Adams care as he left to get the doctor. Jack's skin was cold and clammy, his breathing slow and uneven. He looked blue. Adam was scared. He started to pray.
Jack made a gurgling noise. Adam jumped to his aid. "Don't die Jack. I shouldn't have left you last night. I'm so sorry" he said miserably. Jack vomited again. Adam panicked and tried his best to clear his throat. "Wake up!" He rolled his brother to his side as he started to gag again, fought for breath and lost. He pulled him back up and started to shake him.
"No! Jack wake up. Please wake up."
"Dad it hurts." Jack choked the words out.
Adam pulled him up and continued to shake him. "Talk to me Jack. . Its you an me mate."
Jack's eyes opened. "Don't kick me." He whined
"I won't" Adam responded unsure of what he meant.
"Adam...my head. Go get Adam."
His head fell back and his breathing stopped again as Charles and the doctor entered the room. The doctor sent the brothers into the sitting room to wait.
"Should we contact Dad?" Adam looked at Charles his eyes pleading for an answer that solved everything.
"Lets wait and see what the doctor says" Charles put his arm around his brother's shoulder trying to be supportive.
"Do you think he's in Montego Bay yet?" Adam was trying hard not to break down. If there was one thing their father beat into them it was " Women get emotional. Men act like men." Emotional breakdowns were not acceptable and unfortunately for Adam, it always a struggle to keep his composure.
"No, about another day." Charles pulled Adam to face him. "Adam the little bastard won't die." he said trying to sound strong and sure.
Charles' confidence calmed him. He thought a minute. " He will if Dad has to come down here."
NEXT: A Healing Spell