Hannah lay against the railing, Danny's head resting in her lap. She slowly
ran her fingers through her husband's curly hair, staring off into space.
He still hadn't moved and the only movement was his chest softly raising
and falling. Mike sat beside her with Nina holding onto his arm and Emma
sitting in his lap, clinging tightly to him. Around them, people were
wandering around and tending to those that had been wounded. Some, like
Mike and his family, were tending to family members who seemed to be
unhurt, yet wouldn't wake up. On the other side of the blocked doorway, the
local fire department was working to clear away the debris so that those
trapped on the patio could get out.
"What was that?" Hannah said finally, looking over at Mike. "Those men looked like pirates from the colonial recreation. Then they couldn't be hurt by anyone or anything and now Danny won't wake up..." She trailed off, fighting tears. Mike reached over with his free arm and put it around Hannah's shoulders. She rested her head against his shoulder, biting her lip and closing her eyes as the tears flowed freely. He wasn't quite sure what to tell her. He'd seen what had happened when he'd run that pirate through. Absolutely nothing. Something supernatural was in play and out of his league. Sure, when Jonas Smythe had kidnapped Nina and Hannah, his and Danny's ancestors, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, had come to help them out. But the pirate and the blacksmith were at peace and it was just him.
"I don't know." He said finally. "But we'll find out. Danny will wake up." He said in a reassuring tone. Emma uttered a soft sigh as she slept against her grandfather's chest, wiggling around and grasping the front of his dress shirt tighter in her hand. "Once the door is unblocked, the paramedics will come in and take him to the hospital and we'll find out what's wrong." His eyes fell on one woman who held her still child in her arms, sobbing. His heart broke for her. Nina let go of his arm, getting to her feet. He looked up at her. "Where are you going?"
"We aren't going anywhere. She looks like she could use some comfort." Nina told him softly and kissed him on the cheek. "I won't go far. I just want to help." She turned away from him and walked over to the woman, kneeling down beside her and laid a hand on her back. The woman looked up at her and Mike couldn't hear what was being said but the woman's sobs slowly calmed down. He smiled slightly. That was his Nina. He glanced back at Hannah, rubbing her back.
"Why don't you close your eyes and try to get some sleep? Nothing else is happening at the moment and you've done all that you can for Danny." He told her. "I'll stay awake and keep an eye out." Hannah looked as if she would protest at first, but then she seemed to change her mind and closed her eyes. Mike looked over her head out at the ocean, where the mysterious ship had long since disappeared.
-------------
"Sir? Sir, wake up!" The voice broke through the black oblivion where Danny had been for some unknown amount of time. Slowly he allowed himself to come back. The last thing he remembered was grabbing that pirate's wrist as he stood over Hannah and Emma, and then...what? He groaned, bringing a hand up to his face. He opened his eyes, waiting for his vision to refocus.
Above him, sails snapped in the breeze as the moon bathed the deck in light. He reached out and felt around him. He was lying on wet decks. What the hell is this? Where am I? Wait, I get it. This is one of Ben and Vic's practical jokes, isn't it? Please tell me that's what it is. But he didn't believe it for a second.
A woman dressed in 17th century clothing kneeled over him, a look of worry on her face. "Oh, thank God you're awake. We weren't quite sure what happens when the spirit of a soul doesn't wake up."
"Spirit of a soul?" He sat up, staring at her. "What do you mean?" She looked shock at the hard tone his voice had taken on.
"You're on the ship of the damned, sir. They were cursed to roam the seas forever but they didn't want to do it alone. So they steal souls from their homes and bring them to this ship to be their prisoners. Forever." She explained quickly, shying away from him as though he might hit her for speaking.
Danny shook his head. "No, it can't b..." He got to his feet, looking around. All around him, pirates worked at their jobs, paying no attention to the two spirits on deck. His hands went to his neck and he felt a small string around his neck. Suddenly his hands were grabbed by the woman. He noticed there was one around her neck as well.
"Don't." She told him. "You can't take it off and if you try, they'll hurt you." She whispered. "It's what keeps us bound here. We're all bound to the captain by this."
"I can't be bound anywhere. I need to get back. My wife and my little girl are still back there!" He shouted. The woman grabbed his arm and pulled him away as two of the pirates turned to look at them. She pushed open a door, and he found himself looking at others who had been separated from their bodies, wandering around the room.
"Many of them had families too. But they never got to go back to them. After two weeks of being hollow, the body gives up and dies." She explained. He shook his head and rubbed his forehead.
"This can't be possible. I'm dreaming. I ate bad food and I'm having a horrible, horrible nightmare." He said to himself, trying to convince himself of that. She looked on in pity. In the room, souls from different time periods roamed around, talking to others, children playing games on the floor, some sleeping as if they really needed it.
Suddenly Danny felt faint. He felt real enough, looked real enough, yet he felt so disconnected from life. The memories of looking into the pirate's eyes came back to him and he remembered the cold eyes that had suddenly become the windows to hell and he remembered crying out for help, but no one came.
He was damned, just like the rest of them. The realization hit him hard and he had to lean against the wall, taking deep breaths. Did he even need to take those as well? It was just an illusion, wasn't it? The memories of what had happened on the patio faded and the faces of his family floated into his mind. Mike and Nina, who had raised him since he was three, his beautiful wife Hannah and the daughter he loved so dearly, Emma. He didn't want to leave them, not now.
"You're someone I hoped I'd never see here." Danny froze, snapping out of his thoughts. He knew that voice from his childhood. He turned around and anything he could've said disappeared from his thoughts. Mike had shown him pictures when he was younger and the man in front of him hadn't changed one bit, as if preserved by time.
"Dad?"
--------------------
Mike yawned and shifted slightly so he could look at his watch. It was early in the morning and they were still clearing out the doorway. Nina sat beside him, slowly running her hand up and down his arm as she stared at the floor, off in her own world. Hannah still had her head on Mike's other shoulder, sleeping. Emma was still asleep as well, her grip still firm on Mike's shirt. Then it came to his attention that he had to use the bathroom, badly. He shifted, not wanting to wake Emma or Hannah up. Nina raised her head.
"What's wrong?" She asked softly. Mike glanced over at her.
"I need to relieve myself." He said quietly, raising an eyebrow. She mouthed 'oh' and reached over carefully, opening up Emma's fingers and carefully pulling her over to her lap. Emma gave a little moan, but didn't wake up. Mike turned to Hannah and carefully propped her up against the rail. He got to his feet and hurried over to the railing farthest from all the people. "Thank you..." He said, unzipping his fly and standing at the rail.
Hannah stirred, realizing that Mike was gone. Nina glanced over at her. "Mike had to go take a break." She said quietly, looking at the younger woman in concern. "How are you holding up?" Hannah looked down at Danny, stroking his hair.
"I don't know." She said after taking a deep breath. "I just want to know what's going on. What happened to him, who were those men?" She fell silent, tears coming to her eyes again. Mike returned, pulling the tail of his shirt out of the back his pants. He sat down facing Hannah and Nina. Nina gave him a small smile as she rubbed Emma's back. "Feeling better?" She asked.
"Much." Mike replied, just as people across the patio started shouting. The door had opened up and firemen and paramedics alike where coming out onto the patio. Mike waved a hand. "We have injured over here!" He shouted, catching the attention of one man. The paramedic headed over and Mike pointed to Danny. "He fell during the fight and didn't get back up."
The paramedic knelt, grabbing Danny's wrist and taking his pulse. "His pulse is fine." He pulled a small flashlight out of his bag and opened one of Danny's eyes, moving the light slowly back and forth. "Pupils are dilated though. I'll get someone over here with a stretcher." He said as he got to his feet.
"Thanks." Mike called to him as he left and then turned to face his family. "See? We're getting him help already."
------------------
Mike paced the hallway of the hospital, running his hands through his hair. He'd gotten almost two hours of sleep back at the house before bringing Hannah back to see Danny. Nina had volunteered to stay with Emma, who was still sleeping. The doctor that had tended to Danny had told him that nothing new had been found. The blood work was still in the lab, but he was sure that whatever had happened had been a psychological response. Mike didn't believe him. He had seen what had happened, and he knew his son better than anyone. Something was wrong with him.
Hannah came out of the room, wiping at her eyes. "He's still comatose." She told Mike. "Nothing I say or do will wake him up. I even tried..." She made a rubbing motion that Mike quickly got and decided to repress that he ever saw. "Nothing at all." She sounded defeated. "But I don't want to leave him in case he wakes up."
"Let's go to the cafeteria, get something to eat." Mike suggested, pointing over his shoulder. "It's not far, and we'll be back in no time, I promise." She looked back at her husband's door.
"Alright. I could use some coffee anyway." She said as she fell into step beside him. He rubbed his arms, cursing himself for wearing a T-shirt. The hospital was always cold and he was getting goose bumps. Hannah yawned, covering her mouth with one hand.
Soon they found themselves in the cafeteria. Hannah had gotten a salad that had seen better days and Mike was still pondering how a hospital that preached healthy hearts could serve up such a greasy hamburger. Not quite hungry, he put it back down on his plate and picked through his French fries. Hannah ate a few bites of salad and pushed it aside. "Next time, I'll spring for real food." Mike told her as they got up from the table and walked over to the garbage can, dumping their meals in.
"You're on." Hannah said with the first smile he had seen since the incident. He smiled in return and pushed the door open for her. She walked out ahead of him and began wandering down the hall.
"He'll wake up. They'll find out what's wrong with him and you'll have your husband back soon. Good as new." Mike assured her. She didn't look up at him, instead staring at the floor as they walked.
"I hope so. I can't lose him." He said quietly. Mike knew the feeling. He'd be lost if anything happened to Nina. Hell, he was lost now with his son lying in a hospital bed in some supernatural coma.
"We have to hope for the best." Mike responded. They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they got back to the room, Mike told Hannah to get some sleep in the waiting room and he'd stay with Danny for a while. She finally caved in after he had begged her and went to the family waiting room. Mike made sure she did as she promised before grasping the doorknob, turning it and opening the door. He stopped cold.
"Danny! You're awake!" Danny swung around, knocking over the IV. He lunged and grabbed it before it hit the ground and set it upright. Mike frowned. "Pretty lively for a comatose man."
"Ay...yes I am." Danny said quickly, avoiding his eyes as he tried to work the IV needle loose from all the tape. Mike raised an eyebrow, walking over and knocking the hand picking at the tape away.
"That's supposed to stay on, Danny, until the nurses decide to take it out." He looked his adopted son in the eyes and was suddenly taken back by the look in them. It was the look of someone out of place and very nervous about it. It then struck him that Danny had not come out of the odd coma he was in. In fact, he probably wasn't even present. He raised an eyebrow, trying to prevent himself from showing the worry he felt.
"So, William, to what do we owe this pleasure of your visit?" Mike asked him, trying to sound calm and collected.
Will didn't seem as calm. "Trouble."
Mike blinked. "Oh."
"What was that?" Hannah said finally, looking over at Mike. "Those men looked like pirates from the colonial recreation. Then they couldn't be hurt by anyone or anything and now Danny won't wake up..." She trailed off, fighting tears. Mike reached over with his free arm and put it around Hannah's shoulders. She rested her head against his shoulder, biting her lip and closing her eyes as the tears flowed freely. He wasn't quite sure what to tell her. He'd seen what had happened when he'd run that pirate through. Absolutely nothing. Something supernatural was in play and out of his league. Sure, when Jonas Smythe had kidnapped Nina and Hannah, his and Danny's ancestors, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, had come to help them out. But the pirate and the blacksmith were at peace and it was just him.
"I don't know." He said finally. "But we'll find out. Danny will wake up." He said in a reassuring tone. Emma uttered a soft sigh as she slept against her grandfather's chest, wiggling around and grasping the front of his dress shirt tighter in her hand. "Once the door is unblocked, the paramedics will come in and take him to the hospital and we'll find out what's wrong." His eyes fell on one woman who held her still child in her arms, sobbing. His heart broke for her. Nina let go of his arm, getting to her feet. He looked up at her. "Where are you going?"
"We aren't going anywhere. She looks like she could use some comfort." Nina told him softly and kissed him on the cheek. "I won't go far. I just want to help." She turned away from him and walked over to the woman, kneeling down beside her and laid a hand on her back. The woman looked up at her and Mike couldn't hear what was being said but the woman's sobs slowly calmed down. He smiled slightly. That was his Nina. He glanced back at Hannah, rubbing her back.
"Why don't you close your eyes and try to get some sleep? Nothing else is happening at the moment and you've done all that you can for Danny." He told her. "I'll stay awake and keep an eye out." Hannah looked as if she would protest at first, but then she seemed to change her mind and closed her eyes. Mike looked over her head out at the ocean, where the mysterious ship had long since disappeared.
-------------
"Sir? Sir, wake up!" The voice broke through the black oblivion where Danny had been for some unknown amount of time. Slowly he allowed himself to come back. The last thing he remembered was grabbing that pirate's wrist as he stood over Hannah and Emma, and then...what? He groaned, bringing a hand up to his face. He opened his eyes, waiting for his vision to refocus.
Above him, sails snapped in the breeze as the moon bathed the deck in light. He reached out and felt around him. He was lying on wet decks. What the hell is this? Where am I? Wait, I get it. This is one of Ben and Vic's practical jokes, isn't it? Please tell me that's what it is. But he didn't believe it for a second.
A woman dressed in 17th century clothing kneeled over him, a look of worry on her face. "Oh, thank God you're awake. We weren't quite sure what happens when the spirit of a soul doesn't wake up."
"Spirit of a soul?" He sat up, staring at her. "What do you mean?" She looked shock at the hard tone his voice had taken on.
"You're on the ship of the damned, sir. They were cursed to roam the seas forever but they didn't want to do it alone. So they steal souls from their homes and bring them to this ship to be their prisoners. Forever." She explained quickly, shying away from him as though he might hit her for speaking.
Danny shook his head. "No, it can't b..." He got to his feet, looking around. All around him, pirates worked at their jobs, paying no attention to the two spirits on deck. His hands went to his neck and he felt a small string around his neck. Suddenly his hands were grabbed by the woman. He noticed there was one around her neck as well.
"Don't." She told him. "You can't take it off and if you try, they'll hurt you." She whispered. "It's what keeps us bound here. We're all bound to the captain by this."
"I can't be bound anywhere. I need to get back. My wife and my little girl are still back there!" He shouted. The woman grabbed his arm and pulled him away as two of the pirates turned to look at them. She pushed open a door, and he found himself looking at others who had been separated from their bodies, wandering around the room.
"Many of them had families too. But they never got to go back to them. After two weeks of being hollow, the body gives up and dies." She explained. He shook his head and rubbed his forehead.
"This can't be possible. I'm dreaming. I ate bad food and I'm having a horrible, horrible nightmare." He said to himself, trying to convince himself of that. She looked on in pity. In the room, souls from different time periods roamed around, talking to others, children playing games on the floor, some sleeping as if they really needed it.
Suddenly Danny felt faint. He felt real enough, looked real enough, yet he felt so disconnected from life. The memories of looking into the pirate's eyes came back to him and he remembered the cold eyes that had suddenly become the windows to hell and he remembered crying out for help, but no one came.
He was damned, just like the rest of them. The realization hit him hard and he had to lean against the wall, taking deep breaths. Did he even need to take those as well? It was just an illusion, wasn't it? The memories of what had happened on the patio faded and the faces of his family floated into his mind. Mike and Nina, who had raised him since he was three, his beautiful wife Hannah and the daughter he loved so dearly, Emma. He didn't want to leave them, not now.
"You're someone I hoped I'd never see here." Danny froze, snapping out of his thoughts. He knew that voice from his childhood. He turned around and anything he could've said disappeared from his thoughts. Mike had shown him pictures when he was younger and the man in front of him hadn't changed one bit, as if preserved by time.
"Dad?"
--------------------
Mike yawned and shifted slightly so he could look at his watch. It was early in the morning and they were still clearing out the doorway. Nina sat beside him, slowly running her hand up and down his arm as she stared at the floor, off in her own world. Hannah still had her head on Mike's other shoulder, sleeping. Emma was still asleep as well, her grip still firm on Mike's shirt. Then it came to his attention that he had to use the bathroom, badly. He shifted, not wanting to wake Emma or Hannah up. Nina raised her head.
"What's wrong?" She asked softly. Mike glanced over at her.
"I need to relieve myself." He said quietly, raising an eyebrow. She mouthed 'oh' and reached over carefully, opening up Emma's fingers and carefully pulling her over to her lap. Emma gave a little moan, but didn't wake up. Mike turned to Hannah and carefully propped her up against the rail. He got to his feet and hurried over to the railing farthest from all the people. "Thank you..." He said, unzipping his fly and standing at the rail.
Hannah stirred, realizing that Mike was gone. Nina glanced over at her. "Mike had to go take a break." She said quietly, looking at the younger woman in concern. "How are you holding up?" Hannah looked down at Danny, stroking his hair.
"I don't know." She said after taking a deep breath. "I just want to know what's going on. What happened to him, who were those men?" She fell silent, tears coming to her eyes again. Mike returned, pulling the tail of his shirt out of the back his pants. He sat down facing Hannah and Nina. Nina gave him a small smile as she rubbed Emma's back. "Feeling better?" She asked.
"Much." Mike replied, just as people across the patio started shouting. The door had opened up and firemen and paramedics alike where coming out onto the patio. Mike waved a hand. "We have injured over here!" He shouted, catching the attention of one man. The paramedic headed over and Mike pointed to Danny. "He fell during the fight and didn't get back up."
The paramedic knelt, grabbing Danny's wrist and taking his pulse. "His pulse is fine." He pulled a small flashlight out of his bag and opened one of Danny's eyes, moving the light slowly back and forth. "Pupils are dilated though. I'll get someone over here with a stretcher." He said as he got to his feet.
"Thanks." Mike called to him as he left and then turned to face his family. "See? We're getting him help already."
------------------
Mike paced the hallway of the hospital, running his hands through his hair. He'd gotten almost two hours of sleep back at the house before bringing Hannah back to see Danny. Nina had volunteered to stay with Emma, who was still sleeping. The doctor that had tended to Danny had told him that nothing new had been found. The blood work was still in the lab, but he was sure that whatever had happened had been a psychological response. Mike didn't believe him. He had seen what had happened, and he knew his son better than anyone. Something was wrong with him.
Hannah came out of the room, wiping at her eyes. "He's still comatose." She told Mike. "Nothing I say or do will wake him up. I even tried..." She made a rubbing motion that Mike quickly got and decided to repress that he ever saw. "Nothing at all." She sounded defeated. "But I don't want to leave him in case he wakes up."
"Let's go to the cafeteria, get something to eat." Mike suggested, pointing over his shoulder. "It's not far, and we'll be back in no time, I promise." She looked back at her husband's door.
"Alright. I could use some coffee anyway." She said as she fell into step beside him. He rubbed his arms, cursing himself for wearing a T-shirt. The hospital was always cold and he was getting goose bumps. Hannah yawned, covering her mouth with one hand.
Soon they found themselves in the cafeteria. Hannah had gotten a salad that had seen better days and Mike was still pondering how a hospital that preached healthy hearts could serve up such a greasy hamburger. Not quite hungry, he put it back down on his plate and picked through his French fries. Hannah ate a few bites of salad and pushed it aside. "Next time, I'll spring for real food." Mike told her as they got up from the table and walked over to the garbage can, dumping their meals in.
"You're on." Hannah said with the first smile he had seen since the incident. He smiled in return and pushed the door open for her. She walked out ahead of him and began wandering down the hall.
"He'll wake up. They'll find out what's wrong with him and you'll have your husband back soon. Good as new." Mike assured her. She didn't look up at him, instead staring at the floor as they walked.
"I hope so. I can't lose him." He said quietly. Mike knew the feeling. He'd be lost if anything happened to Nina. Hell, he was lost now with his son lying in a hospital bed in some supernatural coma.
"We have to hope for the best." Mike responded. They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they got back to the room, Mike told Hannah to get some sleep in the waiting room and he'd stay with Danny for a while. She finally caved in after he had begged her and went to the family waiting room. Mike made sure she did as she promised before grasping the doorknob, turning it and opening the door. He stopped cold.
"Danny! You're awake!" Danny swung around, knocking over the IV. He lunged and grabbed it before it hit the ground and set it upright. Mike frowned. "Pretty lively for a comatose man."
"Ay...yes I am." Danny said quickly, avoiding his eyes as he tried to work the IV needle loose from all the tape. Mike raised an eyebrow, walking over and knocking the hand picking at the tape away.
"That's supposed to stay on, Danny, until the nurses decide to take it out." He looked his adopted son in the eyes and was suddenly taken back by the look in them. It was the look of someone out of place and very nervous about it. It then struck him that Danny had not come out of the odd coma he was in. In fact, he probably wasn't even present. He raised an eyebrow, trying to prevent himself from showing the worry he felt.
"So, William, to what do we owe this pleasure of your visit?" Mike asked him, trying to sound calm and collected.
Will didn't seem as calm. "Trouble."
Mike blinked. "Oh."