The Call of the sea.
By Latanya
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with the Pirates of the Caribbean or NUMA but I do own Pearl, her yacht "The Black Pearl II" and anything else that I made up. Ah, people, just so you know, I'm not to familiar with terms relating to ships… please don't scream at me about it L.
Rachel Sparrow: Thanks for being such a faithful reviewer, I'm glad you like the story! I just thought I'd say that I have been thinking about sending them back to Jack's time but couldn't work out how that would happen. However, where there is a will, there is a way and no doubt I'll think of something but it won't happen until somewhere later on.
Chapter Four: The HMS Greyhound.
The next morning, Pearl woke up to find herself amid a tangle of sheets and Jack's body. Staring at his face, she blinked a few times before groaning in pain from her still present headache. She managed to untangle an arm and pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead to see if she was running a fever.
"Ye don't have to do that Pearly lass." Jack mumbled, using modern English as she had been instructing him – but only half so.
Groaning again, she let her head collapse back onto the pillow and closed her eyes, "I feel like shit. God, I think I need to see a doctor before it gets any worse."
He managed to prop himself up with one arm and brushed his fingertips over her face, "Yer burning up something wicked. Would be a good thin' to see a doctor I think as well. Do ye think ye can sail this ship-boat-yacht thing of yer's back to where ye can find a doctor?"
"With a bit of help, yes, I think I could but it'll take a while." She let him wrap her in his strong arms again and lift her up. "Please don't drop me Jack Sparrow."
Laughing, he carried her through to the control room and put her down on the chair there. "Now, give me yer instructions about all that stuff out on deck. Do I 'ave to pull anything out of the water?"
"The dingy doesn't have to be pulled out of the water but anything in the dingy needs to be brought up onto the deck. I didn't leave any thing else to be done… I guess it's because I'm so strict about keeping a neat home for myself." Pearl yawned, wanting nothing better than to go back to bed and fall asleep safely in Jack's arms.
He watched a faint smile appear on her lips and smiled to himself. She was an enigma to him but he liked her well enough. To many times had he passed by opportunities to settle down to a steady life free of life threatening situations but this time, if the chance presented itself, he wouldn't left it go without a fight. Shrugging, Jack went outside and leapt easily into the dingy and retrieved the few things that were to be found there. Bringing them up inside after he'd pressed the button to draw the anchor back up, he turned back to Pearl and discovered that she was quite asleep.
"Pearl lass are ye awake?" He mentally slapped himself, "Course she's not Jack ye fool! Can't ye see she's asleep again? Well of course I can but I 'ad to check just in case… ye know, she might be foolin' me around."
The noise must have startled her because Pearl's eyelids flew open and she stared wildly around, trying to piece together where she was. Jack crouched down beside her and placed a calming hand on her arm, trying to 'Shhh' her.
"What happened? Is my yacht alright?" She asked him in a panic.
"Of course she is Pearly lass, nothin's wrong at all. Ye just fell asleep that be all. Remember yer not to well?"
She shivered, rubbing the tops of her arms to try and fight away the chill, "Why is everything so cold…. Please don't tell me it's just me who thinks it's cold."
"Ah well now, ye don' want to know what I think ye think." Jack grinned, "Now how do ye sail this ship… sorry, yacht, of yer's?"
"Sparrow, please try and speak correctly. Since we must leave sooner than I planned, it would be best if you learn to act like a modern gentleman." Pearl attempted to stand up, holding a hand to her throat at the same time. "Can't breath…."
Jack leapt forward and caught her before she collapsed back down again, "That's what Elizabeth always said whenever she 'ad to wear a corset."
"Those things are nasty." She muttered, leaning against him and trying to get her breath back. Shaking her head, Pearl wrapped one arm around Jack's neck and pointed to the control panel, "Take me over there Captain Jack Sparrow. We need to get me to a doctor soon."
Holding her up carefully and gently, Jack watched meticulously as she turned the motors on and prepared the yacht to set off. Noticing how much attention he paid, Pearl started to instruct him on how to operate the yacht. He nodded, distracted for a moment by the intensity of her green eyed gaze.
"And if the batteries fail, we still have the sails so don't worry about getting to the nearest port." Pearl finished her 'lecture' on how to run the yacht. "Sparrow, are you paying any attention at all to what I'm saying?"
"Well you see…." He began but stopped when a smile lit up her lovely face. "What did I do?"
"You spoke correctly! Well done! Thank you!" She laughed, kissing him lightly on the cheek.
He returned the smile, "Anything for a lady like yourself. Besides, the way I see it is if I want to live I'll have to learn to talk like this all the time without thinking."
"Does it take a lot of effort to speak correctly?"
"Just a bit I figure." His brown eyes glittered though his eyebrows were knit in thought. "Are there any ships like me Pearl still in existence or are they all like this pretty yacht of yours?"
Pearl sighed, "Yes there are but they still have motors and they're generally for tourist purposes only. I know there's the HMS Endeavor in Australia… she's a replica of the original sailed by Captain Cook when he discovered Australia."
"Savvy… do you think I could commandeer her?"
Laughing softly, she shrugged and copied his way of speaking, "Good luck to ye if ye try. I wouldn't want to try if I were ye. The Endeavor is a well cared for ship and besides, the defense forces of the world are nothing like those of your times."
He returned the shrug and lifted a hand to ruffle her red hair, "You'd make a good pirate methinks lassie. Ever thought of trying that profession out?"
"When I think about it, I could almost say that archaeologists are pirates. I mean, they pilfer and take things from the sites they are working at. And when I think back over my longish career, I shudder to recall how many ships I have removed items from, whether it be treasure or just simple things." She closed her eyes and tried to fight back the threatening blackness.
Holding her tighter, Jack watched her face carefully for any signs that she was going to collapse again, "Perhaps you'd be better off back in bed Miss Turner? Or at least in that chair over there?"
She nodded, "The chair will do."
Helping her over to the chair, the pirate smiled faintly to her, "You've got to stop throwing yourself at me else you'll start giving me the wrong ideas."
"Oh you despicable!" Pearl growled, resting her head back against the wall. "If I wasn't feeling like shit right now, I'd kick your ass over the side of the yacht and leave you there."
"It was a joke lass, a joke. Now, will this girl be savvy if you're not standing at the helm constantly? I mean, you don't need to be in control all the time do you?" He asked.
Closing her eyes, Pearl felt like she was falling back into the depths of the sea of black that was clouding her mind, "No but she needs to be watched in case she heads towards trouble. I'll be here so she'll be fine."
Jack arched an eyebrow, "Not if you're out flat you won't be. Is there anything I can get you missy? Food, drink, anything like that?"
"If you help me through to the kitchen, I'll get myself some asprin to get rid of this headache." She held out her arms for him to lift her up.
"I don't know if moving you would be such a good idea Pearl me lass. Do you really want to be doing that?" Jack picked her up in his arms.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, "Yes, I think I do want to be doing that Jack me laddie. Now, it's the place where we ate last night… sorry, the night before that. Shit, no wonder I feel so hungry! I'm so sorry Sparrow!"
He shrugged and carried her through to the kitchen; "I found some fruit in here yesterday while you were sleeping. Besides, I've survived for longer without food so it was nothing really. Now, what do you want?"
"A glass of water first." She pointed to a cupboard, "And the box of asprin from in there."
Following her careful instructions, Jack was able to finally sit her down with a glass of water, the box of asprin and an orange while he found himself something to eat and drink.
"Haven't you got any rum at all?" He complained, sitting down beside her.
Popping two asprin out of the sheet, Pearl shook her head, "I detest the stuff. Rum is a vile drink that has been proven to disrupt the mental stability of people and turn them violent. I have seen to many good people drunk, including my own sister."
Watching her swallow the two tablets in a mouthful of water, Jack raised an eyebrow, "Tell me more about your sister? Is she as lovely as you are or more so?"
"Elizabeth is one of the evilest people I know. She's an absolute bitch to me and to her poor husband Henry. I don't know why he hasn't divorced her yet or taken up with some other woman, she'd deserve it. At least I've finally started to stand up for myself when dealing with her… I let her bully me around for too long." Pearl closed her eyes again, hoping the asprin would make her feel better… at least, for a while.
He studied her in a different light this time, noting the wary look to her face and the worry lines around her eyes. He noticed also a faint scar on her temple – a thin line that started at her hairline and followed it along for a centimeter. "Your sister abused you when you were young? What would possess her to do such a thing?"
"She was jealous because I was our mother's favorite and because when mother died, she left me everything. Mother was the last of the wealthy Petrie family and she named me her heir. From the age of ten, I was richer than my sister and my father but I could not touch it until I turned twenty-one."
Listening to her voice, Jack noted the slight waver when she spoke. Reaching a hand out, he placed it atop of hers and smiled, "She can not hurt you anymore Pearl luv, and you're so much better than her. Besides, Captain Jack Sparrow is here to protect ye."
Pearl laughed softly, "Thank you but there is nothing you can do to her that would ever change how she acts. Elizabeth a truly a doomed soul and I can't help but feel sorry for her. She has never known what it is like to be genuinely happy and she probably never will."
"Despite all that she's done to you Pearl, you still love your sister don't you?" He asked quietly, not understanding why there was sympathy in her voice or sadness in her eyes.
"Of course I do for she is my only sibling. Elizabeth is my sister and while I hate her for what she has done to me, I love her because she is my sister." The woman was confused as to why Jack would ask such a question of her.
The pirate shrugged, "I only thought that you might despise her for everything because it sounds like she hates you. Tell me Pearl; if you had been in Elizabeth's position and she had been in yours, do you think that she would have been so forgiving? Do you think that she would have loved you still… even just as a sister?"
Pearl paused, thinking about what he had said to her, "I don't think it would matter for blood is thicker than water and we would still be sisters no matter what. The bond between us is that of sisters who grew up with each other, who know each others weaknesses and their strengths…."
"Yes, I can see that Elizabeth abused your kind and loving nature. Pearl lass, you are to loyal to those around you and it is not always a good thing." He spoke sharply, trying not to notice the look of astonishment on her face.
She stood up suddenly and attempted to walk away from him. Jack watched her sway for a moment before her knees buckled beneath her and Pearl collapsed in a dead faint. He leapt to his feet and rushed over to her, sweeping her limp body up in his arms and holding her close.
"Pearly lass, I didn't mean it." Jack whispered, carrying her through to her bedroom again and laying her down gently on the bed, "Come on beautiful Pearl, ye must wake up."
With a moan, Pearl curled up in a ball on the bed, pressing her knees to her chest. Sitting down beside her, Jack leant over and kissed her cheek before getting up again to go and check on the control room. He didn't have any real idea of how to run this yacht of hers but he would do his damn best to get Pearl to a doctor before she got any worse and….
"No Pearl, I won't let ye die. Will and Elizabeth would never forgive me if I let one of their descendants die or suffer." Jack stared out at the sea through the window.
When Pearl's eyes opened again, she wondered why everything seemed so dark and why she felt so weak. Trying to sit up, she discovered that she barely had enough strength to raise her hand let alone sit herself up. Gasping at the pain in her chest, Pearl breathed slowly and deeply.
Upon hearing noise in her room, Jack hurried in. He wasn't sure how to turn on the lights but his eyesight was fairly good in the dark and his mind was well aware of where everything was in the room. "Pearl lass, are ye awake?"
"Jack?" She whispered, "Why is it so dark? I can't see anything at all."
"I don't know how to turn the lights on lass, can you tell me?"
"There is a button beside the door on the wall. Press it and the lights will come on."
He went over to the wall and searched around for the button she spoke of and when he found it, Jack pressed it down until the lights came on. "Now isn't that interesting. Very interesting. How is it done?"
Pearl looked around for a moment before letting her head fall back down, "I feel so weak and it's like I can't move. Captain Jack Sparrow, in the control room there is something called a radio, you must carry me through to there so that I can try and contact a near-by ship."
"Whoa there lassie, last time I carried you out of your bed, you collapsed on me. Is it really all that important that you go to this radio thing?" Jack frowned at her.
"Yes because it might be the only way I can get any help. You are intelligent I will admit but you cannot possibly sail my yacht to the nearest port without my help and I am afraid that my help is not something I can give you." She spoke slowly, thinking carefully over every word.
"So be it lassie." He picked her up, sheets and all, and carried her carefully though to the control room. "Now what is this radio that you speak of?"
With his help, Pearl managed to stay steady enough to pick up the radio and send out a call for help. "Hopefully there will be a ship near by which has a doctor on it. It doesn't matter if the ship is a navy ship or if it is a cruise ship, so long as it is a ship that can bring me help."
Putting her down on the chair, Jack watched her thoughtfully before speaking, "So long as yer savvy in the end Pearly me lass."
"One would hope I would be savvy in the end for I would not wish to dream of a life where I cannot do everything that I desire or sail upon the ships that give me pleasure or dive under the water which gives me freedom. You understand what I speak of don't you?" She turned her green eyes towards him and sighed.
Several red curls fell around her face and Jack wanted to reach out to brush them away so that he could see her features clearly, "Ye do not belong in this time of yer's rather, ye'd be best in my time."
"Perhaps you are right Captain Jack Sparrow but we would never know for there is no such thing as time travel yet." Her grin was mirrored on his face.
"Well ye never know. If an Aztec curse can keep me alive for a few hundred years then there might be something that would send us back to my time."
There was the sound of a voice at the radio and Pearl flung herself over at it, "Hello, this is Captain Pearl Turner speaking. Who might I have the pleasure of speaking to?"
"This is Admiral Greg James of the English navel ship HMS Greyhound. We received your call for help not too long ago and I was wondering what the problem is?"
She sighed, "I'm a marine archaeologist investigating a site where a ship from the 1700's rests and I've come down with some kind of illness. My assistant is new and hasn't any idea of how to sail a yacht and I can't stand up. I was hoping that there would be a vessel near by that would have a doctor aboard who could have a look at me."
"How many people are there on your yacht Ms Turner? And what exactly is wrong with you?"
"There's just myself and my assistant. As for my symptoms, I'm running a fever, can't stand up let alone move and every time I try to do anything without getting my assistant to carry me, I end up collapsing." She explained, hoping that there was a doctor there with the Admiral.
A different voice came on to the radio and asked her, "How long have you been like this?"
"Two or three days now I think. It just came on slowly, starting with a migraine and it doesn't seem to be getting any better."
"What is your exact position Ms Turner?" The voice without a name asked, "I think I have an idea of what you have wrong with you and it's important that you get help very soon."
She gave him the co-ordinates and thanked him profusely. The Admiral brushed it off lightly and told her that it was the least that they could do for someone in need.
"From what you told me of your position, we should be there by tonight. Perhaps it would be best if you dropped anchor and waited for us to reach you." The Admiral suggested, his voice possessing a tone of command to it.
"Yes sir." Pearl laughed. "I'll be waiting… hopefully I'll be conscious when you get here."
When she was finished, Jack carried her back over to the chair and shook his head. "Well, ye have the help you were looking for Pearl lass, but what about me?"
"Mr Jack Smith will do." She murmured faintly, suddenly feeling faint again. "I feel like I'm being held together by a string."
The hours passed slowly and Pearl decided that she wanted to sit outside to wait for the HMS Greyhound. Jack rolled his eyes and carried her out to a bench where she could curl up on. Once she spotted the navy ship on the horizon, Pearl laughed for joy.
When the HMS Greyhound came up on starboard and the doctor along with several crewmembers boarded the Black Pearl II. Pearl didn't wait for Jack to help her and she attempted to stand up on her own. Jack leapt forward but not before she blacked out again and collapsed into her arms.
Shaking his head, the doctor got Jack and two crewmen to transport her aboard the HMS Greyhound where she could be cared for in the sickbay. "I think it is a lot worse than we thought before."
Jack glanced about and laid eyes on a man who appeared to be the splitting image of Commodore Norrington and gulped, "What do you mean a lot worse?" He asked, making sure he spoke like Pearl would have wanted him to.
"Admiral James, this is Jack Smith. He is Captain Pearl Turner's assistant." The doctor addressed the man who looked like Commodore Norrington. "We're just taking her to the sickbay to be treated."
Admiral James nodded and followed them to the sickbay. When he finally laid eyes on Pearl, he was struck by her beauty and turned to the doctor, "Andrew, I want you to make sure this woman is cared for to the best of your ability. Do what ever you can to make her better."
The pirate looked startled and he sat down beside the bed that Pearl had been laid on, "It's going to be savvy Pearly my luv, it's going to be fine."
