Thanks to Julie for beta reading!!!
Chapter 10. Out of the frying pan
"What is going on here?" The forceful yet elegant tones of the dashing Commodore Norrington filled the room. Did the man even have a tone other than the, bored-done-it-all-seen-it-all-I-am-in-control-here-and-everything-is-as-it-should-be, voice he used so often? Or, did that tone of voice only emerge when dealing with a certain pirate captain?
Jack wondered if he should be flattered or insulted.
But only briefly.
Time to focus, there was a slightly more pressing concern, and it centred on a stuffy British doctor nervously waiving a gun around at everyone. What worried Jack the most was that it was no longer a matter of if the Doctor would fire the weapon; it was a matter of when. If everyone was lucky, the bullet would crash into a wall or something equally as lifeless as Norrington's wig, but since when did luck ever run on Jack's side?
Where was luck when the demon took residence in his head?
I am not a demon.
"I don't give a damn what the bloody hell you are, just shut up."
"Excuse me?" Apparently, the threat of nervous and hyperventilating Doctors waiving guns around weighed less than an implied insult where the Royal Navy was concerned.
"Not you." Jack replied. Norrington looked towards the pirate captain with unconcealed contempt, which was, Jack realized, the only look the Commodore ever afforded him. In light of that fact, he decided not to take it personally.
Another concern rested towards Anamaria, and the mystery of the unanswered pregnancy question. If she were pregnant, that would mean a lot of things. It would mean either losing her as a first mate, or taking an infant aboard a pirate ship, which didn't seem like all that wise a choice to be choosing. If he kept Anamaria and the child, then shouldn't all his men also be allowed to bring screaming, puking, pooing, smelly babies, and screaming wives with them? And what kind of pirate ship would that be?
Not much of one.
On the other hand, he'd gotten somewhat used to having Anamaria around to fight with, and fighting without her didn't sound like as much fun at all.
Jack took a step towards the crazy Doctor. Having any of the people now in the room shot was out of the question. If Norrington were shot, the rest of his marines would run in and predictably arrest the pirates for the murder, and result in a couple hangings. Not good. If Will Turner were shot, that would result in a shrieking death at the hands of Elizabeth Turner. Again, not good. If Jack were shot, obviously that would put an end to his pirate captaining, what with probably being dead afterwards and all, and Jack certainly didn't want that to happen. Last, but not least, if Anamaria were shot that would mean having to find another first mate. Bloody inconvenience.
Not that Jack thought he'd have trouble finding a replacement first mate, Gibbs would do just fine if it came to that, but he'd really rather just keep Anamaria alive and breeding… no er um... breathing… for as long as possible.
Speaking of which the pistol now aimed her way yet again.
"Ah mate, you really don't want to waste yer shot do ye? That's the problem with threatening someone with just a pistol. They only carry one lead, once that is spent, it leaves you with no defence."
In answer, the pistol shifted his way.
Brilliant plan, Jack, let's be the hero and get shot for fun.
Jack grinned in response to the outraged words in his head, and the doctor looked even more nervous than he had before.
"And why not, eh?" Jack was getting used to hearing the extra voice in his head, and he understood that he didn't have to say the words out loud to have them understood. By saying the words out loud, however, Jack knew the demon would hear him. "Seems as good a plan as any."
The gun wavered once more as the Doctor frowned. "You want to be shot?"
"Nothin' else to do today." Three steps backwards and Jack pressed his back against the door for support. Being shot would certainly be the epiphany of an already terrible day, but there were worse things. "No one would blame y' if ye did, mate. Bein' a pirate an all- who knows what weapons 'r tricks I could be hidin' up my sleeves. An' ye said it yer self earlier; at least it'd be a death with meaning, aye? It's bound t' end either like this, or a short drop in the gallows, an' I've no wish 't do that again.
"They'll give you a medal, most likely." With his voiced hushed down to a whisper, Jack spoke directly to the Doctor as though they were the only ones left in the room. "Think about it- here you are, up against a pirate, and naught but one shot t' take 'im down with. Ye'll be a hero, mate."
Whether or not any answer was given in return was lost in an outraged howl coming from Morris Ettie, and Jack could only hope the battle going on in his head couldn't be seen on the outside. He kept his back pressed firmly against the door, and closed his eyes while nausea and vertigo threatened to send him falling over. Who was to say that even if he did kill the Doctor, Morris would leave him alone? Who could promise him that if the demon got his way this time, he'd not try it again sometime later? Not that Jack intended to let the Doctor get away with what he'd been doing, but his old friend deserved a good kick in the arse as well.
He wondered what would happen to Morris Ettie if his current nest were to be taken away form him.
"I bet they'll even give ye the body t' play with afterwards. Can't be any worse n' the others ye took without permission, can it? At least this one'll have an interesting bullet in it for yer students to look at."
"I purchased those bodies! They're mine."
"Just one question though, mate, did they know they were going t' die t' serve a higher educational purpose?"
"Does a scientist need to tell the rat what experiment they'll be using it for?"
Jack opened his eyes. That was it. The man confessed to the killings, did he not? Norrington had to have heard it; everyone heard it.
Kill him now! Morris Ettie screamed yet again. There must be justice.
Pirates do not mete out Justice, if Jack were to kill the man; it would be nothing grander than murder. This pirate would rather see Morris Ettie in hell than be used as a puppet, no matter how deserving the Doctor may be.
Sound filled the room, deafening in the confined quarters. At the same moment what felt like a fist hit Jack in the ribs, but rather than being pushed backwards, he fell sideways. The pressure came down yet again on his chest when he hit the ground, crushing from both directions. The force of the blow knocked out his breath, and in the aftermath, his ribs refused to expand to allow fresh air in.
In dazed confusion, his mind swam against the sea of pain and lack of air as he struggled to comprehend what just happened. The stuffy brit Doctor had been wielding a gun, threatening everyone in the room. Everyone? Anamaria, Norrington, Will… and Jack.
Don' forget me, ya bloody idiot!
Not likely would Jack forget Morris. The demon's rantings filled his head, dominating all other sounds. Not even the gun shot could penetrate it much…Gun shot?! The shattering sound had filled the air and… a rush of heat followed, encompassing every inch of skin, turning to ice moments later. The chill reached deep, but there was no pain, nothing more than the crushing pressure weighting down on his chest.
There was a timeless moment of no sound, no movement, and no sight. That was when the panic began to set in. On one level he understood that he was not alone, he knew Anamaria and Will were in the same room as him, but as a fire began to build in his lungs from lack of air, he'd never felt so alone in his life.
He couldn't even understand what had happened to him. It stood to reason that he'd been shot, but this didn't feel like being shot. This felt like being punched in the gut and stepped on by an elephant all at once.
Well, Jack, ye bloody fool. Ye gone an' got yer self killed. Now you'll know how I feel.
There were any number of witty comebacks Jack was just dying… or um… wanting… to say, but he couldn't find the breath to say them. And it finally occurred to him that Morris might be right.
Nevertheless, Jack felt one other thing while gasping for breath. He felt free. Apparently, Morris Ettie didn't like the idea of getting caught in another dead body. The demon was gone. Of all the things Jack regretted at the thought that this might be his end, being rid of Morris Ettie gave him a measure of peace.
Authors note: TBC.
And it is amazing sometimes how feeling like you're about to fall into a crevice, if you simply jump in you find you were already at the bottom anyhow. You weren't in risk of falling- but of being carried back up!