-Little Miracles-

Author's Note: Delayed again… Grr! Sorry about that, everyone. Blame this one on my mother and other unforeseen events…

Disclaimer: You already know I don't own anything… Though, unfortunately, I do apparently own a character who, when I was trying to finish up this latest chapter last night, decided that he wanted a completely different look, age, and back-story. I had to change several rather important things, and picking a new model for the character alone took around two hours just for that, so…blame the delay on him as well.

Chapter 14

The back of his head throbbed. The heat beating down from the late-afternoon sun certainly didn't help. He dropped his head to his hands, biting back a moan as the boat bumped up against the docks. Once it was secure, he rose, pushing back the ship's doctor's hands as he swayed. One of the sailors set his things on the dock, while the doctor insisted on helping him onto solid ground before going to speak with Captain Teasdale.

Bereft of his hat and wig, James Norrington felt rather strange and unkempt. It couldn't be helped, however, as the wig had been swept overboard in the storm. His hat would have suffered the same fate if not for its size and shape, the ship's rail and one of the sailors on his way below. It was useless at the moment, anyway, as the knot on the back of his head discouraged any thought of wearing it.

That was not to say his head was completely uncovered. Harrison Burke, the ship's doctor, had wrapped it, though James had no idea why, exactly, since it hadn't bled at all. He had also been relieved of duty for at least a few more days—probably what the doctor was currently speaking to Teasdale about.

"James!" He turned his head sharply toward Mary Kate's voice and, wincing, raised a hand to his head. He found Jacob, Mary Kate and her uncle approaching him. Lily lifted her head almost limply from Jacob's shoulder. "What happened?"

"A storm and a loose block," he replied wearily, looking closely at Lily. She clutched a dirty handkerchief in her hand close to her chest. Her curls were a little dull and limp as well. She extended her hand toward him and he automatically stepped forward. "What's wrong with Lily?" he asked, reaching to take her. He immediately grew alarmed as she settled herself, though. She was noticeably lighter.

"Let's get you home first, Lad," Jacob said. "Do you need to speak with Teasdale before you go?"

"He will go straight home and get some rest," Burke said coming up behind them. "Captain Teasdale has already agreed to continue as he has been until I declare you fit to return to duty. I am taking no chances."

"Let's get you home, then," Arthur Birch said, leading the way from the docks.

He followed without protest, though he could easily have done so. Truth be told, sleep sounded rather lovely at the moment, but not so lovely that he wouldn't wait to find out why Lily was light and listless as she was. He suspected it was his absence that was the culprit.

"Do you need any help getting into the carriage, Lad?" Jacob asked, his tone reminiscent of one he'd heard as a child.

If not for the memory of the concern behind it when he'd been injured or ill, he would have argued that he didn't need any help. As it was, James swallowed his pride, feeling slightly light-headed. He didn't want to risk hurting Lily. "I may."

They reached the carriage rather quickly, and James found that he would, indeed, need a bit of help; mostly with stabilization. Lily refused to be parted from him, even for a brief second, which prevented him from easily pulling himself through the carriage door. They were soon on their way, though, with every single bump and dip of the road only intensifying the throbbing in his head.

It was only when the carriage came to a stop that he allowed himself to relax. Stepping out onto the ground was somewhat easier, though he again needed a steadying hand. It irritated him to no end that he needed such help for so simple a task, but he did, and there was nothing he could really do about it.

Entering the house, he immediately headed for the parlor and tried to decide which would be the most comfortable place to sit. "I would like to have a look your head, if you do not mind," Mary Kate said.

"Mister Burke said it would be well enough in a few days with plenty of rest," he said, his weariness and the persistent drum pounding through his skull obscuring his thoughts and understanding.

"For my own peace of mind and sanity, please humor me, James."

Too weary to contest this as well, he nodded ever so slightly and chose his grandmother's favorite chaise lounge. Stretching his legs, he helped Lily settle more comfortably in his lap. He noticed she was already nearly asleep. "Will somebody please tell me why Lily is lighter and rather lethargic, now?"

The three exchanged glances, immediately putting him on edge. "We have not been able to get her to eat very much at all in the past week or so. It has gotten worse in the last few days alone," Mary Kate informed him quietly.

"And we've given her nothing but her favorites in hopes of enticing her appetite. She's only ever picked at her food. She has nibbled at it, but I know it wasn't near enough," Jacob said. "She's also been chattering less, and I've noticed she plays less with her toys or any of other games we usually do. Again, it has been only this past week, for the most part."

James glanced down at the child. She was asleep, now, clinging tightly to him. He examined what he could of the filthy cloth clutched in her hand. "Is that the same handkerchief I handed to her the morning I left?" he asked, glancing up sharply at Jacob.

"It is. We haven't been able to get her to let go of it. She's also been sleeping more than she usually does—and usually not in her own bed. Cecil and I have been finding her in your bed nearly every single morning."

"If she's anything like Mary Kate was as a child, she'll be well enough in a few days," Arthur Birch said. James craned his head back to shoot an enquiring gaze at the woman in question, wincing as he did so.

"Father always left me on the ship with a governess while he and Mother sought a house or room on shore," she answered, a haunted gleam flashing through her eyes. Glancing toward her uncle, his gaze was snared by the raw grief found there. Whether it was the mention of her parents or the governess, he couldn't know for certain, but it appeared to be too strong a grief for a brother. In fact, it seemed to be a heartache on a level he had seen in his grandfather's eyes after his grandmother had passed, or in Governor Swann's when he spoke of his late wife. "What happened to your promise, James?" Mary Kate asked, swiftly changing the subject. Arthur Birch's expression cleared immediately.

James brought his attention back into focus as Mary Kate began unwinding the unnecessary bandages. "If memory serves—and I am certain it does—I believe my promise was to do everything I could to be careful and to return. As I am sitting here before you, it is obvious I have done just that." He sucked in a sharp breath as she began probing the lump on his skull.

"Did that hurt? I am sorry." The tone of her voice indicated quite the opposite. "Really, though. What did you do to yourself?" she asked, beginning to probe around the injury again, this time with a touch as light as that of a butterfly.

"I did nothing to myself." He paused, wincing as she touched on a particularly tender spot. "I seriously doubt I could hit the back of my own head with enough force to create a knot of this size, much less force myself to stand in the direct path of any object. It was a pulley loosened in the storm that did this."

"I would have thought you would have been paying attention to what was around you," Arthur said.

"I'm certain it would have been easier to do so, had I not just been drenched by a wave, helping a very young sailor find his footing before he was swept overboard. No, I didn't even see it coming."

"Did none of the other lads give you any warning at all?" Jacob asked.

"In hindsight, I think it may have been Gillette who tried to yell a warning over the wind and waves, but I didn't hear much of it."

"Well," Mary Kate began. "Mister Burke was certainly right. All you really need is a bit of rest, I should think. If the pain becomes too unbearable, please tell me, and I shall give you something for it, if you like."

"Thank you. I may just take you up on that offer."

Arthur stood, then. "I believe we should leave them to that rest now, Mary Kate. We wouldn't want to interfere with the recovery of either one of them. They both look like they could sleep for a year."

"I thank you for the ride home," James said.

"It was no trouble at all, Norrington. You just get some rest. Come along, Mary Kate."

"If you need anything, James, please do not hesitate to ask," she said, moving to join her uncle.

"I will. And thank you again."

Cecil appeared out of nowhere, then, and walked them out. James focused instead on prying the filthy piece of cloth from Lily's hand so it could be washed. Though she was asleep, gentle coaxing seemed to work, for soon he was able to hand it to Cecil as he entered the room. "It's about time someone managed to get that out of her hand. Heaven only knows what all we tried." He then all but rushed from the room to take care of it.

"Jacob?"

"Aye, Lad?"

"Will she truly be all right, do you think?"

"You came back, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"There's your answer, then. She's just missed you is all."

James nodded slightly, looking down to watch Lily sleep. Now that he really looked, though, she appeared to be more pale than normal as well. Perhaps it was simply a trick of the light.

"Come, Lad. You need rest before that hard head of yours rolls just right and ends up hurting even more than it already does," Jacob said, helping him to his feet.

James offered no protest. He was weary enough as it was, and as soon as he changed Lily into something a little cooler, he fully intended to sleep through to the end of the week at the very least. It appeared Lily thought the same. She hadn't stirred once since falling asleep.

Making his way up the stairs, he couldn't help but feel like a truant child with the way Jacob climbed the stairs right behind him. It also seemed unusually stuffy in the house this evening. He had a feeling a storm would hit later in the evening. "Would you mind opening some windows, Jacob?"

"Would you like anything else? Perhaps some help getting her ready for bed?"

"No, I'd like to do that myself, if that's all right?"

"Of course it is! I don't know why you'd think you need my permission for that. Do you want me to bring you up something to eat?"

"No," James answered quickly as he settled Lily on the bed. "No, thank you. Food is the very last thing I want at the moment."

Jacob nodded, pulling a small nightgown from Lily's wardrobe. "I imagine you wouldn't." He set the gown on the bed by James, then went open to the windows before leaving the room.

Gently, James slipped Lily's shoes and stockings off, setting them on the floor. He then pulled her into an upright position against his side so he could get to the laces at the back. Limp as she was, exchanging her dress for her nightgown was an interesting task, but one he accomplished easily enough.

Once finished, he settled her more into bed, pulling the light covers over her. Glancing around the room, he realized Ink was nowhere to be found. Before he'd left, Lily had refused to sleep without the little black cloth puppy at her side. Even though she was already asleep, he had a feeling she would still like to have the toy with her.

He checked the small toy chest, but only the little wooden soldiers and a few smaller boats given to her by the men of the fort could be found there, and nothing was under her bed. His search unsuccessful, he was urged to seek his own bed by the throbbing in his head and the want of sleep. Hopefully, she would be able to do without for at least one night.

Trudging into his room, he went straight to the bed where he noticed Jacob or Cecil had already laid out something for him to sleep in, as well as turn down the bed. He suspected it had been Jacob, seeing that the windows were open in this room as well. Sitting down to help quell his sudden dizziness, he quickly changed out of his uniform, opting to simply drop it into the floor this time; he just didn't have the energy to toss it into a chair. As it was, he barely managed to crawl into bed before his eyes fluttered shut.

The windows shook with a crash of thunder. James pried his eyes open as best he could and by sheer will alone, kept them open. He wasn't certain what had stirred him from so deep a slumber, but he knew instinctively that it hadn't been the storm that had apparently settled in for the night.

It took a brief moment for his eyes to adjust and focus, but when he looked around his room, the only thing he saw amiss was the wind blowing the heavy drapes further into the room. Pushing himself carefully out of bed, he walked over and closed the windows, pausing briefly to wait for the light-headed feeling to pass. If not for the water pooling on the floor, he would have left them open to keep fresh air circulating about the room.

He was just returning to bed when he heard something. James quietly walked to his door, trying to hear it better. He hadn't made it into the hallway, however, before he heard a small, yet powerful congested cough. Outside his room, he felt moving air—Lily's windows had been left open.

Now fully alert, he rushed into her room, going straight to her windows to close them before stopping at her side. She had burrowed as deeply and tightly as she could into her covers. Even through them, he could see her shaking with cold. James reached for her, hoping to help her warm up when she coughed again—a deep, chest-rattling cough that made him cringe in sympathy. His hand made contact with her, only to recoil slightly; he immediately pressed it against her forehead in confirmation.

She was burning up.

James went straight to her wardrobe and pulled out the heaviest blanket there. It wouldn't be near enough, he knew, so he grabbed it, her cloak and a pair of stockings and returned to her bed. He was slipping her stockings on when she woke. "Papa James?" she asked blearily.

"Yes, Lily, it's me." He couldn't help but smile at her new chosen name for him.

"Cold."

"I know you are, Lily. We'll have that corrected in a little bit," he said, securing her cloak about her shoulder. He pulled her hood up.

"Are we going somewhere?" she asked as he wrapped the blanket around her as well.

"We are, just as soon as I get us both ready." He scooped her up in her little blanket cocoon and returned to his room. He set her on the bed and quickly pulled on his own stockings, shoes and grabbed a jacket from his own wardrobe, along with his heaviest quilt; one his grandmother had made for him long ago when he was still in a cold climate. "Wait right here, Lily. I'll be right back."

She looked up at him with such a baleful expression. "Don't feel good."

James knelt before her, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I know you don't, Lily. Don't worry, you'll feel better soon." He stood and stepped across the hall to the room he currently used as a study and scribbled out a quick note for Jacob and Cecil concerning their whereabouts. He then returned to his room and pulled on his spare oilskins, then wrapped Lily up in the heavy quilt as well.

Satisfied that she should stay warm and dry enough, he again scooped her up into his arms and tucked her close. He took especial care to ensure that she would be completely covered by the water-resistant cloth. Lily snuggled as close as she could from within her blankets while he made his way downstairs. Through all the layers, he could still feel the heat radiating from her.

Stepping out into the rainy night, he adjusted his grip on her and pulled his cloak closed more securely. After briefly orienting himself to the proper direction, he pulled his hood lower and dashed out into the rain. He paid only enough attention to his surroundings to ensure he was going to the right house.

The Birch estate was somewhat larger than his father's, and even closer to the fort. He had visited Arthur Birch at home no more than three times thus far, and he was rather ashamed to admit that those visits had been during their first few weeks in Port Royal. They had still been settling their belongings at the time. The retired admiral had come to see him at the fort or at his house more often than not, and James only hoped he wouldn't mind this particular visit too terribly.

After what seemed an eternity of running—but was only a short distance—he finally came to the proper gates. Thankful that they hadn't found reason enough to lock them yet, James pushed one open enough to pass through before pushing it closed again. From the other side of the house, he heard a horse's whinny. He couldn't help but feel awkward as he hurried toward the front door. Even though it was to get help for Lily, and he had no idea what to do, exactly, it was still the middle of the night and he would still be rousing them from bed.

He felt rather pathetic—and knew he must appear to be so—standing on their doorstep with rain dripping off of his hood into his face. He had already used their rather elaborate doorknocker, and now simply waited for someone to come to allow him entrance. He thought he heard the sound of a window shutting above him, but he glanced up too late to see anything. Short moments later, however, he could hear light footsteps running down the stairs.

The door was flung open unexpectedly, and he was greeted with the sight of a rather unkempt Mary Kate. He glanced down momentarily, feeling particularly silly all of a sudden, and wondered if he might be overreacting. He looked back up again, trying his best to ignore the fact that she wore only a nightgown and a lightweight sky-blue dressing gown. Not to mention the fact that her ebony hair fell loose to her waist in gentle waves.

Which was a rather easy task when Lily stirred, beginning to shiver again.

"I- I know it's an unseemly hour, and I do apologize for that, but-"

"You have no need for apologies, James," she interrupted, ushering him into the foyer. "Here, come in where it's dry. Standing in the night air and rain will do you no good. What's wrong?"

"Well," he began, fumbling with his cloak's fastener. Mary Kate stepped around him and helped to pull it off, then hung it on a hook near the door. "I feel rather silly, now. Perhaps I'm simply overreacting, but I happened to wake up and found Lily with a bit of a fever. I'm afraid I have no experience in the matter, and can't really tell whether she's too warm or not."

"I should think it would be better to take precaution," she answered, stepping forward to check Lily's temperature herself, while Lily burrowed her cheek into his chest a little. "She does have a slight fever."

"Who's down there with you, Sapling?" Arthur Birch's voice called from above. James looked up to see the taller, dark-haired man leaning over the banister rail above.

"It is only Commodore Norrington, Uncle."

"Norrington? Why have you come so late in the night?" As he strode down the stairs, one couldn't help but notice the quiet dignity with which he carried himself. James thought it to be a family trait of the Birch family, even though he had only met these two. His hair, the same shade as Mary Kate's, appeared to be only slightly touched with grey and his face mostly untouched by wrinkles. Seeing the man as he was now, it suddenly struck James that he knew little of the reasons surrounding the man's retirement—and he was entirely too young for it. James also recalled that Arthur Birch's name had only joined those on the list of junior admirals within the last year.

Lily coughed, then, sounding even more congested than she had in her room. "Hurts," was all she managed to say before a coughing fit took control.

Arthur closed the remaining distance between them quickly, laying a gentle hand on Lily's back. "That sounds far from good." He glanced up and over to his niece. "Mary Kate, hurry and get what you will need. I shall see them upstairs to one of the guest rooms." Arthur turned, to lead the way upstairs, but paused and turned back briefly. James stopped as well. "Would you like me to rouse Rosemary as well?"

"No, I think I can manage," Mary Kate answered. "I would rather she get what rest she can for now. She will most likely need to take over later this afternoon."

Arthur nodded once, then turned back to James and Lily. "How is the head?"

James glanced up sharply, the pain he had forgotten about the moment he heard sign of Lily's oncoming illness suddenly flaring back into his awareness. He gave the other man a wry smile. "Forgotten, but suddenly remembered."

Arthur chuckled, gesturing for him to follow up the stairs. "That is usually the way it happens in cases such as this. Would you like a room of your own, or would you rather stay with her?" he asked, his tone softening.

"With Lily, if you wouldn't mind too much."

"If I did, I wouldn't have asked. In truth, I expected nothing else. Especially given the current circumstances."

James nodded, cautiously now that his head was throbbing again, and followed the former naval officer to a room of dark blue and silver décor close to the top of the stairs. While his host lit candles, James turned down the covers, then eased Lily onto the bed and out of her little cocoon. After a short moment, he laid her cloak at the foot of the bed, only to have Lily pull her blankets back around her a little and reach for him again.

Rather than pick her up as she wanted, he sat down beside her, and eased her onto the pillows. "Lily, you should get some rest," he said.

"As should you," Mary Kate told him as she entered the room with a tray of various herbs and dishes.

"Cold," Lily said as she burrowed down into the blankets even more. James pulled them back down to expose her face at the very least.

Mary Kate sprinkled a little something into the bowl of water on the nightstand, then passed a cloth over to her uncle. Arthur dipped the cloth, soaking it, then wrung it out again and placed it on Lily's forehead. "The lavender might help relax her a little. I will be right back with some tea for her to drink."

"Norrington, why don't you go sit beside her on the other side of the bed? You might find it more comfortable, and it would be much less a precarious position should you fall asleep."

James blinked. "No, I'll stay awake. I wouldn't want the two of you to stay up the rest of the night tending to her. I-"

Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder. "James, you've had a nasty knock to the head, you were roused from what I would guess to be a very deep slumber, and you've just come from a patrol. You're exhausted. You know it, I know it, and you look like you could pass out any second. Let us handle this. I've sat up many nights with Mary Kate when she was ill, and I can do so with Lily now. Don't feel obligated to help just because you brought her here and woke us up." James winced at that. "And don't apologize for that, either. I would have done the same thing were I in your shoes. I would feel better, however, knowing you were recovering as well. Don't force me to ask my niece to sedate you, because I will."

He didn't know what it was about Arthur Birch, but he found it rather uncanny that he could make him feel like a scolded child; just as Jacob was able to, and his grandfather had always been able to do. Having no argument, and, truthfully, too weary to care anymore, he complied. Now that he was in a more reclined position, he found he couldn't keep his eyes open as easily as before.

"Papa James?" Lily whimpered.

James propped himself up slightly and tried to ignore the slight smirk on Arthur's face. "Yes, Lily?" he asked, smoothing some curls back from her face.

Another coughing fit hit her. "Too hot."

"I know, Lily," he said, removing some of her covers.

Mary Kate returned, then, carrying two cups. "Here we are. This is tea made from willow bark. It should help to bring her fever down, and I brought some that is stronger than Lily's for you, James, if you want it. It should help ease your head."

"Thank you," James said, accepting the weaker tea first. "Lily, you need to drink this. It will help you feel better." He helped her steady her cup, but she only took a small sip before she pushed it away. "Lily."

"Icky."

"You still need to drink it. Do you want to feel better?"

"Mmhmm. You first."

James blinked, Arthur chuckled, and Mary Kate smiled. "Very well. Mary Kate?" Wordlessly, she handed him his cup. He took a small sip to test the heat and flavor. It wasn't too hot, but the flavor could definitely be improved. Taking a deep breath, he downed it as quickly as he could, his face twisting to show his opinion of it. Arthur laughed, that time, as did Mary Kate. Lily giggled, but it quickly turned into coughing. "Your turn, Lily." She only nodded once her coughing abated, and she drank it all, though slower than he had.

"Get some sleep, Norrington." Remembering his threat, James lay back with Lily snuggling up against him almost immediately. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax for the first time since he had woken up. He listened to the quiet stirrings in the room, felt Lily shift gently next to him. Within moments, he was asleep.

Like it? Hate it? I'd like to hear from you. :p

Author's Responses:

Again, I'm afraid I don't have time for individual responses this week. I do thank you for all of your wonderful comments from the bottom of my heart. I love to hear what you have to say. I also loved how many of you called me evil and mean and such. I take that as a compliment. :p I do love to indulge in cliffhangers and such on occasion. For my fellow Americans, I hope you've all had a lovely July 4th!

Welcome, Rennie1265, tinkerbell, Kaitlyn, MakomKadosh, and caffinebunny! I hope you are all enjoying this!

Again, I'll try my very best to return this next weekend with the next chapter.

- Gaeruil