Chapter 10
"Wha's your name?" Bootstrap questioned the girl as Will went about trying to figure the best way to get Jack down without further injuring the pirate captain.
"Chelsea." The girl replied, her voice proving that she was still uncomfortable around the two new arrivals.
Bootstrap looked over his shoulder at his son, who was timidly circling the pirate captain and holding a knife he seemed about to drop.
"Oh fer goodness sake, Will." Bootstrap grumbled, walking over and snatching the knife from his son's hand. He then reached up and put the knife's blade to the rope bindings. "Will,"
"Yes?"
"Get ready to catch." Bootstrap said briefly before beginning to saw through the rope bindings holding the pirate captain up.
"Are you sure this is such a wise-"
Will didn't get a chance to finish as the ropes snapped, dropping the pirate from the hook and onto Will, who was unprepared and collapsed under the weight.
"Dang it Will! I told ye t' be ready t' catch 'im!"
"You try catching a bleeding, half-dead pirate sometime!" Will retorted.
"Wench, you'll be 'appy t' know you'll be joinin' yer cap'n." Bo'sun growled, raising his sword to deliver the final strike.
Before he was able to bring the blade down on her head, a shot rang across the bow of the unmarked ship, causing all on deck to freeze and look to the Pearl. Nothing. No smoke from any of her guns was visible.
"Sail ho!"
The shout caused everyone to look to the other side of the ship, only to find a large man-o-war approaching.
Ana-Maria took this moment of distraction as her chance to slip away from the larger pirate and disappear into the crowd. She would either save this fight for a later time, or let this new ship take care of it.
"There any drinkable water down 'ere?" Bootstrap questioned, grabbing one of the pirate's limp arms and assisting Will in holding him up.
Chelsea nodded and retrieved the glass from the tray she had brought down awhile ago. Bootstrap shifted his share of the pirate captain's weight and threw the limp arm over his shoulder, taking the cup with his newly freed hand.
"Jack, ye awake?" Bootstrap asked shaking the man's shoulder slightly.
A small moan was the only response.
"Jack, we're gonna take ye back t' the Pearl, but first ye gotta drink some o' this."
The pirate's eyes opened ever so slightly and he swallowed dryly.
"Can ye do tha', Jack?"
"Aye," was the extremely hoarse and barely discernable reply.
Bootstrap carefully lifted the cup up to the pirate's dry and cracked lips, then tipped it slightly, sending the liquid into the pirate's mouth. Jack sputtered a coughed as the water entered his mouth, causing him to slump over. Once the coughing fit was over, they discovered that not only had the pirate coughed up water, but blood as well.
Will and Chelsea both took in sharp breaths of concern, while Bootstrap's already solemn expression grew darker.
"Let's git 'im t' the Pearl." Bootstrap muttered, taking the whole of the pirate's weight on himself before carefully slinging the man over his shoulder.
"Wait! Where are you taking him?! He needs medical attention." Chelsea complained, moving forward.
"What he needs right now is to git back t' 'is ship and outta 'ere." Bootstrap corrected sternly.
"Right. We can better care for him on the Pearl." Will agreed as the two men headed for the stairs.
Bootstrap headed up for the deck, drawing his cutlass with his free hand. Will paused at the base of the stairs when he realized Chelsea wasn't following.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Why? So I can be kept prisoner on your ship?"
"It's not my ship—it's Jack's. And we'll see to it that you are treated well. Come on, there's nothing here for you." Will said quickly, motioning for the girl to follow him.
She hesitated, looking down at the floor as if weighing her options. As Will waited for her answer, he noticed Jack's cutlass, pistol, and hat lying on the table.
"Alright, let's go." Chelsea finally agreed.
"Not without Jack's effects." Will said, grabbing the items from the table, drawing his own cutlass, and leading the way up to the deck.
"Ana-Maria!" Gibbs called when he saw her running away from the stairs.
"Gibbs!" Ana-Maria returned the call, jogging over.
"We've got t' retreat! The Royal Navy just joined the fight!" Gibbs called over the scuffling of frays on deck.
"The Navy . . . ?" Ana-Maria asked in a confused fashion. "What about Jack?"
[a/n: Please review.]
"Wha's your name?" Bootstrap questioned the girl as Will went about trying to figure the best way to get Jack down without further injuring the pirate captain.
"Chelsea." The girl replied, her voice proving that she was still uncomfortable around the two new arrivals.
Bootstrap looked over his shoulder at his son, who was timidly circling the pirate captain and holding a knife he seemed about to drop.
"Oh fer goodness sake, Will." Bootstrap grumbled, walking over and snatching the knife from his son's hand. He then reached up and put the knife's blade to the rope bindings. "Will,"
"Yes?"
"Get ready to catch." Bootstrap said briefly before beginning to saw through the rope bindings holding the pirate captain up.
"Are you sure this is such a wise-"
Will didn't get a chance to finish as the ropes snapped, dropping the pirate from the hook and onto Will, who was unprepared and collapsed under the weight.
"Dang it Will! I told ye t' be ready t' catch 'im!"
"You try catching a bleeding, half-dead pirate sometime!" Will retorted.
"Wench, you'll be 'appy t' know you'll be joinin' yer cap'n." Bo'sun growled, raising his sword to deliver the final strike.
Before he was able to bring the blade down on her head, a shot rang across the bow of the unmarked ship, causing all on deck to freeze and look to the Pearl. Nothing. No smoke from any of her guns was visible.
"Sail ho!"
The shout caused everyone to look to the other side of the ship, only to find a large man-o-war approaching.
Ana-Maria took this moment of distraction as her chance to slip away from the larger pirate and disappear into the crowd. She would either save this fight for a later time, or let this new ship take care of it.
"There any drinkable water down 'ere?" Bootstrap questioned, grabbing one of the pirate's limp arms and assisting Will in holding him up.
Chelsea nodded and retrieved the glass from the tray she had brought down awhile ago. Bootstrap shifted his share of the pirate captain's weight and threw the limp arm over his shoulder, taking the cup with his newly freed hand.
"Jack, ye awake?" Bootstrap asked shaking the man's shoulder slightly.
A small moan was the only response.
"Jack, we're gonna take ye back t' the Pearl, but first ye gotta drink some o' this."
The pirate's eyes opened ever so slightly and he swallowed dryly.
"Can ye do tha', Jack?"
"Aye," was the extremely hoarse and barely discernable reply.
Bootstrap carefully lifted the cup up to the pirate's dry and cracked lips, then tipped it slightly, sending the liquid into the pirate's mouth. Jack sputtered a coughed as the water entered his mouth, causing him to slump over. Once the coughing fit was over, they discovered that not only had the pirate coughed up water, but blood as well.
Will and Chelsea both took in sharp breaths of concern, while Bootstrap's already solemn expression grew darker.
"Let's git 'im t' the Pearl." Bootstrap muttered, taking the whole of the pirate's weight on himself before carefully slinging the man over his shoulder.
"Wait! Where are you taking him?! He needs medical attention." Chelsea complained, moving forward.
"What he needs right now is to git back t' 'is ship and outta 'ere." Bootstrap corrected sternly.
"Right. We can better care for him on the Pearl." Will agreed as the two men headed for the stairs.
Bootstrap headed up for the deck, drawing his cutlass with his free hand. Will paused at the base of the stairs when he realized Chelsea wasn't following.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Why? So I can be kept prisoner on your ship?"
"It's not my ship—it's Jack's. And we'll see to it that you are treated well. Come on, there's nothing here for you." Will said quickly, motioning for the girl to follow him.
She hesitated, looking down at the floor as if weighing her options. As Will waited for her answer, he noticed Jack's cutlass, pistol, and hat lying on the table.
"Alright, let's go." Chelsea finally agreed.
"Not without Jack's effects." Will said, grabbing the items from the table, drawing his own cutlass, and leading the way up to the deck.
"Ana-Maria!" Gibbs called when he saw her running away from the stairs.
"Gibbs!" Ana-Maria returned the call, jogging over.
"We've got t' retreat! The Royal Navy just joined the fight!" Gibbs called over the scuffling of frays on deck.
"The Navy . . . ?" Ana-Maria asked in a confused fashion. "What about Jack?"
[a/n: Please review.]