Jubilation of the Heart

As Opposed to the Mind

Chapter 2

By   Aldesina

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Aboard The Lara 15 days later

            Chase blinked and shook her head trying to clear it, was it still dark out? Why did her bed rock and what was that God awful smell? What the hell had happened? She reached out a hand trying to pull back her bed curtain when it hit solid wood. Chase jerked her hand back in surprise.

            It all came back to her, the three men, the fight, and the needle.

            "Bloody hell" Chase swore, yes that goddamn needle. Chase twisted around a bit and found herself encased by six walls, her head was still throbbing.

            Am I in a box? Chase began to panic.

"Hello?" she whispered, "Hello? Is anybody there?" Her voice was trembling and she could feel the tears going down her cheeks. What the hell happened to me? What did they do to me? She ran her hands down her body; no bruises, no broken bones. Her nightgown was still on; she couldn't feel any rips or tears. Her dressing gown was untouched as well. Most comforting however was the fact that her breeches under her nightgown were still tied firmly on, the money was in her back pocket, and the knife still strapped to her thigh. They didn't search me then, or touch me for that matter. And with that thought in mind she began to slowly but steadily calm down. She felt horrible, as though she had hit her head repeatedly against the wall. Must be a side effect of whatever was in that needle, she rubbed her arm gingerly and was shocked to discover more then just one puncture wound. They had been drugging her constantly, Chase thought, she shook her head, it was still foggy. She vaguely registered that she was extremely hungry, and had little or no memory of whatever happened for the past odd number of days. She was also parched, and felt as if she had been shouting for a long time. However none of these things were important. First thing's first, she thought, I have to find out where I am and how to get out of here. She put her hand out again; still wood, and still a box. Inwardly she chastised herself for being stupid, what did she think, the box would magically disappear? Chase shook her head at herself, no but boxes all have an opening of some sort, a cover; hence there was a part weaker and easier to open then the others.

Chase ran her hands down the side of the wooden box, it wasn't all that sturdy, but it was well made enough so that she couldn't escape, and it smelled, God it smelled. It took her a second to realize that the smell wasn't coming from the box, but from her instead. How long have I been in here? Chase estimated that the box was about four feet cubic squared and made out of hardwood, it was denser then the usual softwood pine boxes and harder to crack Whoever had been planning to do this to her had been planning for a very long time. Chase suddenly found herself thrown to one side. The box she was sitting in was rocking quite harshly from side to side, and through her own stench Chase could smell salt. Am I on a boat? What in the world would I be doing on a boat?

Suddenly the box lurched to the side again, crashing violently and sent Chase crashing right along with it. She heard shouts above her and started to bang on the box yelling for anyone to hear her. The box lurched again, this time sliding across the floor and crashing itself into the ship's wall. The box cracked and Chase could see a bit of light from it. She quickly braced herself and began kicking at the crack in the box. She had to get out. From the way the boat was rocking she could only guess that they were in a storm, and it was a violent one. She wasn't getting very far, and another wave must have hit to boat because the box Chase was trapped in lurched again, hitting the wall and banged another crack in itself. Good, Chase thought, just let the storm keep coming, it'll help me get out of this blasted box. She soon got her wish as she felt the box begin to slide again gaining speed before it hit the ship's wall

Bang!

Chase shook herself trying to relieve the headache she got from the blast and looked around; the hole in the box was almost big enough for her to climb out of, just a little further. She braced herself on her back and kicked upward and outwards slamming as much of her bodyweight into that side of the box as possible.

It came off.

Chase almost wept with relief. That must have been the top of the box. She got up as quickly as the rocking boat allowed her and climbed her way out the box, looking tentatively around. It was dark, and the only light source that she could see was coming in from one small window, she could also see that it was daylight. Chase gingerly put a foot down on the ship's floor and gasped, the water came up to her ankles. She looked back to the box she so recently vacated and realized that it was floating, she quickly got back in.

The boat it sinking! She thought frantically to herself, do they even know that the boat is sinking? The shouts she had heard above her head had now mostly died down and what was left was being drowned by the howling wind. Then she heard it; an ominous cracking sound that she hoped she would never again have to hear while on a boat. She turned her head toward the noise and saw a tear in the ship's hull; water was coming in faster then ever and was beginning to flood the cargo hold. Chase gasped as she saw the crack become a hole and the hole become a gaping black void. She lost all sense of dignity and propriety and began to scream.

            "Help! Dear God somebody, anybody! Help me please!"

            Unfortunately while Chase was so busy crying out for help she failed to see notice that her box was quickly being drifted out of the hull and into the open sea. She was so busy crying for help that she failed to see the hull as the box came rushing toward it. She was so panicked in her cry for help that she barely even registered hitting her head on the hull as her box slammed into the crack in the hull wall knocking her into sweet oblivion.

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            "Commodore!" James Norrington was sitting in his office trying to ignore the storm outside and attempting to do work. He was startled when he heard a loud bang and looked up from his desk to see a very drenched, very stressed looking Gillette come running toward him.

            "What is it?" He asked, a frown appearing on his brow.

            "It's The Lara sir! The merchant ship from NY that was supposed to come in today. It's headed straight for us."

            "Well I don't see why you would be so distressed about that just direct them to a port and…"

            "No, sir, you don't understand, she's been horribly damaged by the storm and she's going to crash into us."

            That got him moving. James grabbed his hat from the table, jammed it on his head and headed straight for the door. He knew what it meant to have an uncontrollable ship come into port. The storm had started up early this morning; it was nothing special, a few winds, a bit of rain. Nothing that they hadn't experienced before. However by the time the afternoon had hit, the storm had gotten violent and James had ordered the ships and boats all tied up more securely then usual and sent most of the troops on home placing the fort under minimum watch. No sense in making everyone stand out in this miserable weather. Besides, the only ship coming in today was a small merchant vessel, that that would probably be delayed from the storm. Oh was he ever wrong.

            "Which part of the port is she coming into? Can you see her crew; is her captain at the helm?" James barked out questions and Gillette answered them as they came. Both of them swiftly made their way down to the docks, ignoring the rain and yelling over the wind as much as they could.

            "She's coming in all over the place sir, there are bits and pieces floating all around and we're trying to get them in as much as possible. I can't find most of her crew, yes the captain is at the helm and I think the boat seems to be sinking as it gets closer." Gillette was shouting as loud as he could, fighting against the wind and the rain. James had never seen such a storm so close to inland. For The Lara to come in on a day like this was truly a misfortune.

            "Do you see any row boats out?" James reached the docks and looked out toward The Lara, whipping out a telescope and trying to hold it steady in front of him. Blast this weather; they couldn't do anything to help her when it was blowing like this. Not without risking too many men.

            "Shall we launch the boats sir?" Gillette asked from behind him. James was torn in the decision, on one hand he wanted to help bring the merchant ship in, on the other; he couldn't needlessly risk his men's lives. He raised his telescope up to eye level again sighting around the dying ship looking for row boats that might have started out with the boat's crew.  

            Yes, There! There were five row boats coming his way, all packed with people each so weighed down that it looked like they might sink.

            "Launch five small boats Gillette, and have them aim toward the five row boats that contain The Lara's passengers."

            "Sir!" Gillette saluted smartly and made his way over to the row boats the navy had tied up in the docks, they were all knocking against each other violently in the storm.

            James looked down at the retreating back of his first lieutenant, he's going to have a difficult enough time getting the boats out to meet them, but yet at the same time if they didn't, people could die. James raised his telescope again and tried to look for the captain of the ship. He found him, still at the helm and battling his way into the port. They were almost there, almost to land, yet still further away then the rowboats that he had launched. Good captain, James thought to himself, the man put others in front of himself.

            "Commodore, look!" A sailor who was standing next to him pointed out to the edge of the dock they were standing on. James looked down and saw an open floating box.

            "Ignore it for now, sailor, go help launch the boats and try to rescue the people"

            "I think there's a person inside there sir."

            "What?" James looked turned to the box again, but couldn't see anything, "Drag it in then, hurry." The sailor ran off to find a hooked pole to bring the box in. James turned his head over to Gillette again, he had managed to launch the row boats and now they were steadily making their way over to the five passenger boats from The Lara.

            "Sir!" James turned around again and saw several sailors all pulling on a hooked pole trying to drag the box in. He himself grabbed a section and helped his men pull. If there was someone in there he hoped that they were still alive.

            The box soon came within arm's reach and James reached for it, pulling it up onto the deck along with three other men. He looked down inside of it and to his amazement saw a girl.

            "Madam?" James asked, shaking her gently, "Madam?" He touched her forehead, there was a slight bump on the back of her neck, and her head was slightly feverish.

            "Help me get her out." The sailors that had helped pull the box in carefully helped their commodore to tip the box over allowing James to pick up the woman from inside. She was light, a lot lighter then a healthy woman of her age should have been, and her body temperature was higher then normal. James removed his coat and wrapped it around her. It seemed as if the storm had caught her unguarded. She was still dressed in her sleeping attire and dressing gown, her hair was in disarray and her complexion was awfully pale.

            "Inform me at once when Lieutenant Gillette gets back to shore," James said hefting the unconscious woman in his arms as carefully as he could. He then turned and made his way as quickly as possible over to the medical ward. It was obvious that this girl needed medical attention, and she would need it quick. James then stopped short, he couldn't bring her over to the navy's medical ward, it was unseemly. He looked down at the woman in his arms and headed for his office, at least there she could be warm. He would figure out what to do with her later on after the storm had died down, besides it was also closer then the medical ward, and cleaner and smelled better. He looked down at the bundle in his arms; she was sodden in sea water and smelled of day's old salt. Poor girl, how long has she been afloat out there?

            When James reached his office he felt immediately better. It was warm in there and he was once again sheltered from the wild winds and rain. He walked over to the cot that he kept in one corner and gently laid her upon it. James then proceeded to go over to the fireplace and restocked the fire, adding in extra logs, making sure that the room was good and warm. He then went over to the closet where he kept an extra set of clothes and a couple of blankets. He occasionally slept in his office when he was working late at night and it was too late to go back to his home. He put on his extra jacket, and brought the blankets over to the young lady who was still sleeping on his cot, laying them over her.

            "Commodore!"

            James turned around to see Gillette running toward him again for the second time that day.

            "We got most of the passengers, but we've lost sight of the captain."

            "Well then we should go out and find him, James said, straightening up and heading toward the door again.

            "Sir?" James stopped and looked at Gillette who was standing there in the doorway with his mouth open. His eyes seemed to be looking at something behind the commodore with complete disbelief.

            "What ever is the matter man?"

            "There is a lady on your cot sir."

            James rolled his eyes; yes he was well aware of that.

            "She came from the ship, floated in, in a box no less. She seems to be ill as well"

            "Oh" Gillette seemed to consider this for a moment "Then why not bring her to the medical ward."

            "Because she is a lone woman and it would be unseemly."

            "Of course sir." Gillette looked at him funnily from the corner of his eye, nevertheless, he didn't say anything, but instead followed his commanding officer out the door in search of the merchant ship's captain. He did wonder who that girl was though, and why didn't she get in the passenger boats like the rest of the people aboard The Lara? He would investigate later, right now there was only one thing for him to concentrate on, and that was keeping James safe.

James had once again decided to launch the row boats to look for the captain, this time with himself in one of them; they steadily and carefully rowed their way over to the half sunken ship. James had immediately boarded and told his men to stay put, despite protests from Gillette, and went on a search for the captain. He didn't want any of his men aboard in case the ship sank while he was on it. It wasn't that he didn't think them incapable, he was merely afraid that the ship wouldn't hold any more excess weight. He found him in the same place that the captain had appeared in the telescope; at the helm, hands still gripping the steering wheel, face set in grim concentration, as if he could wait out the storm through sheer will power.

            "I'm not leaving this boat." He said upon seeing Norrington.

            "Oh yes you are sir. Your crew and passengers have been brought into shore and the only person left remaining out in this weather is you. Come, we have a row boat waiting for you."

            "But my ship."

            "We'll salvage her when the storm dies down. Right now my main concern is getting you alive off of it" James held out a hand, "This way, hurry!"

            The captain had a look of longing sadness, but he finally let go of the wheel and stumbled after Norrington in the storm, and the two made their way back to the rowboat.

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Author's Note: And there's the end of that chapter, Chase is finally going to get to meet Norrington. Quite frankly after looking around I find that there is little to no Norrington/ female character fics. What's up with that? Since I couldn't find one to read, I decided to write one of my own. Hope you enjoy the read another chapter coming up soon.

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