Chapter 21 Adam
Charles' attempt to dominate Jack was quickly snuffed out by interference from James. Instead of being First Mate on the Scandinavian job James had made it the maiden voyage of Jack's new boat "The Black Pearl."
Captain Jack Sparrow convinced Bill Turner to accompany him on the voyage to Scandinavia as a member of the crew." Since he had a choice, William decided the impending voyage was far too long to be captive with people he might not like and amassed an able bodied crew of their friends. So, unbeknownst to Charles the floating coffeehouse became a reality. The trip was routine and relatively easy. The immigrants were tolerable and to both Jack and Bill's delight the women were as beautiful as the stories made them out to be. Both men considered submitting a request to take on the job permanently. They arrived in America spent a few days restocking, drinking and whoring then set off for Jamaica.
The Black Pearl left Virginia and headed to Montego Bay. Jack missed Adam and volunteered to bring medical supplies and other necessities to the plantation. Upon arrival found that Adam had been taken to the Naval Hospital in Port Royal with pneumonia. Adam's body didn't have the capability of fully fighting sickness and needed immediate care at the onset of any illness let alone something as serious as pneumonia. It also had increased his fits of falling sickness and Courtney was beside herself. She begged Jack to use his influence to convince his brother to return to England.
He wasn't sure how Adam would take to that. There were major problems between Adam and Anna Maria. But the shipping schedules gave Jack an idea. He left his Mother and went to Adam's office. But try as he may the schedules were nowhere to be found in Adam's meticulously clean and organized desk. The next day the Black Pearl was on its way to Port Royal. William and the crew headed for the taverns. Jack headed for the hospital.
Adam did not look over when he walked through the curtain. He was lying in bed staring silently at the ceiling. "Aye Mate." Jack sat on the bed and touched his shoulder. "'ow ye be feelin'?" Adam's head turned. "I'm good Jack." but his voice spoke volumes as illness and exhaustion betrayed the smile he offered his brother. "I'm so happy to see you."
iThe perpetual smile./i Jack often wondered what it was like to be Adam. It seemed he was born smiling. But from the day he got hurt in the sugarhouse it seemed he worked too hard to avoid being rejected for his scarred face and broken body. It was hard work that was often rewarded by whispers, pointing and down and out cruelty. Jack and Charles tended to be very over-protective, even as adults. As children there were many occasions their father had been called to their school for the boy's violent reciprocation to behavior toward their brother they deemed inappropriate. They thought nothing of violating anyone they thought needed to learn a lesson. So instead of having his two good sons constantly suspended or even expelled from school, James withdrew Adam. He decided to cloister his damaged child and hired a governess and the finest tutors to tend to his needs where he was loved and protected by his family. Thus allowed his strong sons to continue their education uninhibited.
Jack shook himself out of deep thought. He knelt down by the bed to be closer to Adams face.
" Mum wants you ta come 'ome. Ye kin come with me on the Pearl! Captain Jack at your service ! Its you an me mate! Ye seem like a good man to me. I give ye a good price an ye get the 'ole damn boat to yerself!! I'll even carry yer bags!" What sez you to that?" Jack gave Adam an encouraging smile.
Adam looked away. "I don't know. I just.just.."
"Adam, I know about Anna Maria."
Jack thought the look of horror that crossed Adam's face was a strange reaction to his being told that they had broken up, even for the vastly oversensitive Adam.
"You know? She told you?"
"Yes."
"Everything?? She told you everything?
"Yes." he lied.
"Ran to you did she then? She couldn't wait could she? Oh and I dare say your arms comforted her aye? You were right there for her I will wager.." Adam was furious.
"Adam it wasn't like that." ( What the bloody hell happened?) Adam calm down! This ain't good for you.
"You're damn well right it is not good for me. She wants you! "You never told me that you and she .that you, ... that she.. Did you take her to bed Jack? Did you?"
"No!"
"Liar! She was laughing at me wasn't she!.
"No!" He couldn't believe he was being accused of sleeping with a woman he actually didn't seduce.
"She wanted you didn't she? She wanted to take you do bed didn't she"
"No! Adam she don't want me in the same country even!
"Oh God. Why did I even think it would work. I am so stupid. I'm not you!" He buried his face in the pillow clutching it while his shoulders shook.
Jack stood quiet pretending he didn't notice that Adam was breaking the cardinal rule in the James Sparrow code of manly behavior. He sat on the bed and pulled his brother to him helping him sit up as the outburst had completely wiped him out.
"You don't need to be me Adam. Its you an me mate remember? You tell me. I fix it"
Adam composed himself. Agonizingly he told his story.
"uh...." Jack was uncomfortable. "I'm not sure, that..... um.. I kin 'elp ye with that one mate.
I mean... the ole chap never comes up fer air, ever?
He and dropped his had to his lap and grimaced. He regretted every time he mocked Adam's lack of experience with women, every time he had called him a eunich.
"No one can help me. Adam groaned as he crumpled against Jack's shoulder. I will be alone the rest of my life."
Jack tried to cheer him up. " Nah! Ya just ain't found the right girl." He said thinking perhaps Adam's over-sensitivity might make him one of those who needed a girl less experienced than he.
Of course, that girl would probably be cloistered in a convent somewhere. or uglier than sin. How the hell was he supposed to fix this? "No worries, we'll talk to the doctor. We'll work on this"
But before he could finish Jack felt Adam lose conciousness and his body go rigid. He started to convulse violently and uncontrollably. Jack cleared the bed, rolled him to his side and called for a doctor. He watched them care for him as Adam's body held him captive once again.
It was normal for Adam to sleep after a fit. Jack took the opportunity to search his things for the shipping schedules. He found them neatly filed in a binder in Adam's satchel. Jack sat back, pulled out his whisky flask, put his feet up on the bedside table and took his time copying them chuckling as his plan played out in his mind.
Charles' attempt to dominate Jack was quickly snuffed out by interference from James. Instead of being First Mate on the Scandinavian job James had made it the maiden voyage of Jack's new boat "The Black Pearl."
Captain Jack Sparrow convinced Bill Turner to accompany him on the voyage to Scandinavia as a member of the crew." Since he had a choice, William decided the impending voyage was far too long to be captive with people he might not like and amassed an able bodied crew of their friends. So, unbeknownst to Charles the floating coffeehouse became a reality. The trip was routine and relatively easy. The immigrants were tolerable and to both Jack and Bill's delight the women were as beautiful as the stories made them out to be. Both men considered submitting a request to take on the job permanently. They arrived in America spent a few days restocking, drinking and whoring then set off for Jamaica.
The Black Pearl left Virginia and headed to Montego Bay. Jack missed Adam and volunteered to bring medical supplies and other necessities to the plantation. Upon arrival found that Adam had been taken to the Naval Hospital in Port Royal with pneumonia. Adam's body didn't have the capability of fully fighting sickness and needed immediate care at the onset of any illness let alone something as serious as pneumonia. It also had increased his fits of falling sickness and Courtney was beside herself. She begged Jack to use his influence to convince his brother to return to England.
He wasn't sure how Adam would take to that. There were major problems between Adam and Anna Maria. But the shipping schedules gave Jack an idea. He left his Mother and went to Adam's office. But try as he may the schedules were nowhere to be found in Adam's meticulously clean and organized desk. The next day the Black Pearl was on its way to Port Royal. William and the crew headed for the taverns. Jack headed for the hospital.
Adam did not look over when he walked through the curtain. He was lying in bed staring silently at the ceiling. "Aye Mate." Jack sat on the bed and touched his shoulder. "'ow ye be feelin'?" Adam's head turned. "I'm good Jack." but his voice spoke volumes as illness and exhaustion betrayed the smile he offered his brother. "I'm so happy to see you."
iThe perpetual smile./i Jack often wondered what it was like to be Adam. It seemed he was born smiling. But from the day he got hurt in the sugarhouse it seemed he worked too hard to avoid being rejected for his scarred face and broken body. It was hard work that was often rewarded by whispers, pointing and down and out cruelty. Jack and Charles tended to be very over-protective, even as adults. As children there were many occasions their father had been called to their school for the boy's violent reciprocation to behavior toward their brother they deemed inappropriate. They thought nothing of violating anyone they thought needed to learn a lesson. So instead of having his two good sons constantly suspended or even expelled from school, James withdrew Adam. He decided to cloister his damaged child and hired a governess and the finest tutors to tend to his needs where he was loved and protected by his family. Thus allowed his strong sons to continue their education uninhibited.
Jack shook himself out of deep thought. He knelt down by the bed to be closer to Adams face.
" Mum wants you ta come 'ome. Ye kin come with me on the Pearl! Captain Jack at your service ! Its you an me mate! Ye seem like a good man to me. I give ye a good price an ye get the 'ole damn boat to yerself!! I'll even carry yer bags!" What sez you to that?" Jack gave Adam an encouraging smile.
Adam looked away. "I don't know. I just.just.."
"Adam, I know about Anna Maria."
Jack thought the look of horror that crossed Adam's face was a strange reaction to his being told that they had broken up, even for the vastly oversensitive Adam.
"You know? She told you?"
"Yes."
"Everything?? She told you everything?
"Yes." he lied.
"Ran to you did she then? She couldn't wait could she? Oh and I dare say your arms comforted her aye? You were right there for her I will wager.." Adam was furious.
"Adam it wasn't like that." ( What the bloody hell happened?) Adam calm down! This ain't good for you.
"You're damn well right it is not good for me. She wants you! "You never told me that you and she .that you, ... that she.. Did you take her to bed Jack? Did you?"
"No!"
"Liar! She was laughing at me wasn't she!.
"No!" He couldn't believe he was being accused of sleeping with a woman he actually didn't seduce.
"She wanted you didn't she? She wanted to take you do bed didn't she"
"No! Adam she don't want me in the same country even!
"Oh God. Why did I even think it would work. I am so stupid. I'm not you!" He buried his face in the pillow clutching it while his shoulders shook.
Jack stood quiet pretending he didn't notice that Adam was breaking the cardinal rule in the James Sparrow code of manly behavior. He sat on the bed and pulled his brother to him helping him sit up as the outburst had completely wiped him out.
"You don't need to be me Adam. Its you an me mate remember? You tell me. I fix it"
Adam composed himself. Agonizingly he told his story.
"uh...." Jack was uncomfortable. "I'm not sure, that..... um.. I kin 'elp ye with that one mate.
I mean... the ole chap never comes up fer air, ever?
He and dropped his had to his lap and grimaced. He regretted every time he mocked Adam's lack of experience with women, every time he had called him a eunich.
"No one can help me. Adam groaned as he crumpled against Jack's shoulder. I will be alone the rest of my life."
Jack tried to cheer him up. " Nah! Ya just ain't found the right girl." He said thinking perhaps Adam's over-sensitivity might make him one of those who needed a girl less experienced than he.
Of course, that girl would probably be cloistered in a convent somewhere. or uglier than sin. How the hell was he supposed to fix this? "No worries, we'll talk to the doctor. We'll work on this"
But before he could finish Jack felt Adam lose conciousness and his body go rigid. He started to convulse violently and uncontrollably. Jack cleared the bed, rolled him to his side and called for a doctor. He watched them care for him as Adam's body held him captive once again.
It was normal for Adam to sleep after a fit. Jack took the opportunity to search his things for the shipping schedules. He found them neatly filed in a binder in Adam's satchel. Jack sat back, pulled out his whisky flask, put his feet up on the bedside table and took his time copying them chuckling as his plan played out in his mind.