Chapter 45:

*** Jack and Alaina both stood completely shocked at the sight around them. The smell of gunpowder and fire still hung in the air. Bodies were lying strewn all over the Pearl's deck, and blood pools were seen everywhere; giving them a small taste of what went on.

Slowly they began to make their way around the deck, checking to see if the people were anyone they knew. Jack went to one side and Alaina to the other.

"Oh god," Alaina said out loud as she saw Ana Maria lying on the deck covered in blood. The woman's eyes were closed and her hand was resting on a pistol.

"Carrick!" Alaina yelled dropping by Ana Maria's side, immediately the woman's eyes shot open than blinked as her sight began to fade.

"No, I'm fine," Ana Maria disagreed swatting the girl's hand away. Her entire body felt like it was on fire, especially her shoulder, but she wasn't about to admit it. Her pride would never let her.

Jack heard Alaina cry out Carrick's name and went over to see Ana Maria lying on the deck, her shirt covered in blood and he stopped dead in his tracks. He wasn't used to his crew being on the side that was injured, but from the looks of everything both sides lost a lot.

"Captain Sparrow," Carrick said from where he was helping carry Will. "You get her, and I'll take him."

Jack nodded quickly and strode over to where Ana Maria was and gingerly began to pick her up. "Put me down Jack," She commanded, although somewhat relieved that he was helping her. Jack ignored her and carefully led her down below to her room as Carrick and Hans led Will to Jack's quarters.

"Alaina your hurt!" Jill cried coming up to her friend to see the blood that was seeping through the back of her shirt.

"Not that bad," Alaina assured with a wry smile watching helplessly as her father was carried into Captain Sparrow's cabin and the door was shut.

"Come on Alaina," Jill said gently taking hold of her friends arm. Alaina sighed but allowed herself to be led following Captain Sparrow below.

"He'll be all right," Jill assured as Alaina turned to look at the closed door again. "Carrick's taking care of him." Alaina nodded but in her heart knew that nothing could save him.

***

By the time Jack got down to her cabin Ana Maria had already passed out. "Come on luv," Jack said setting her down on the bed and gently tapping her face, trying to wake her up. Ana Maria didn't move. Looking her over he noticed the blood coming from her right shoulder.

Hesitantly he began to unbutton her shirt but stopped and decided just to rip her shirt on that side, knowing that if she woke up to find herself shirtless, he would quickly become deprived of his manhood.

So as gently as possible he ripped off the corner section of her shirt to find a bullet lodged there. Thinking quickly he whipped out the short knife he knew she had in her belt and in seconds pried it out. Ana Maria immediately woke up, gave a small cry of pain and tried to sit up.

"Its all right," Jack said soothingly throwing the knife away from them and gently pushing her back down. He saw her eyes begin to fill with tears. "It hurts," she cried biting her lip. "I know," Jack assured ripping off a section of the sheet and pressing it firmly where he had just removed the bullet.

He watched sympathetically as Ana Maria gasped in pain and closed her eyes again. "Ana Maria," He said gently. "You're going to be fine,"

***