chapter 48: Awakening the Dead

Elizabeth watched helpless as Carrick, James and Jack tried to wake Alaina up from her living dead state. But failing each time.

All she could do was stand there and watch as her daughter fell deeper and deeper into an abyss. To watch as her mind wandered away from her body, from this world into the next; as Alaina faded away from grief and loneliness.

Slowly she made her way to where her daughter lay quietly, staring up at nothing. "Alaina," She said leaning over her. "Alaina you have to come back,"

Jack stood back and thought. Something weird was going on, he didn't know what. But something just felt different, not in a bad way, but made what was happening seem less severe than it was. It was comforting as it was familiar, like he'd felt it before.

"Alaina, you have to come out of it. You have to keep on living." Elizabeth told her and reached out to touch her daughter's cheek. "There is more in this life for you, I promise,"

Alaina slowly blinked, than blinked a few more times as she began to see a figure leaning over her. "Mom?" She mumbled almost inaudibility.

But as soon as her vision cleared, the figure was gone and she could see clearly her brothers and Carrick all standing alert at her bed, concern written all on their faces.

"Alaina?" Jack asked taking her hand in his and looking in her eyes.

Alaina nodded and tried to figure out what was going on.

"Are you alright?" Carrick asked glad she was at least responding to them.

Alaina looked at him for a moment puzzled than lifted her hand to her forehead only to stop and stare in horror at them. There was blood on both her hands; it was dry now, staining her with the blood of Alex, her father, Partuse and herself.

"Oh god," She cried remembering Alex's pained face, her father's glazed eyes, seeing her own blood seeping through her shirt.

"Alaina, its going to be fine, dad's going to be fine," James assured desperately trying to get her out of the depression she was in.

"No," She sobbed as new tears streamed down her face and onto the pillow. "He's going to die, he's going to leave us for good."

Jack and James shared a knowing glance. They knew what the other was thinking. They both thought that and now that Alaina believed it their hope was getting dim.

***

"How is she?" Jill asked Carrick as he came up on deck. Carrick shrugged and sank down onto a crate that was sitting nearby. He'd decided to leave her with Jack and James since he couldn't do anything more than what he had already done.

"Is she going to be okay?" Jill asked standing in front of him. Carrick sighed and shrugged again. Jill wanted to shake him and demand an answer from him but instead put a hand on his shoulder and made him look at her.

"Is she still out of it?"

Carrick shook his head and Jill was relieved.

"But she's not the same," He told her closing his eye for a moment. He wasn't used to feeling this helpless, especially when it came to someone he cared about.

"Alaina keeps on changing," Jill told him sitting down next to him. Carrick looked over at her. "You knew her before her mother died?"

Jill nodded and grinned as she remembered all the trouble they used to get in and how Mrs. Turner would shrug it off as normal child behavior.

"She used to be so happy all the time, she never use to keep everything bottled in like she does now."

Carrick was about to say something when Jill suddenly got up and walked off leaving him confused.

"Jill wait," He said quickly getting up and following her as she hurried over to the gangplank that connected the Constance and the Pearl.

Jill ignored him and continued until he reached out and grabbed onto her arm. "What's wrong?" He asked trying to look at her face.

"Nothing," She managed to say keeping her head down.

"You really are just like Alaina," He said shaking his head and loosening his grip.

Her face shot up at his comment and she smacked his arm hard. "Don't you ever say that," She warned her teary eyes suddenly catching a spark.

Carrick stepped back and didn't say anything more as Jill stormed off to the Constance.

***

Alaina slowly sat up in her cot and yawned. She'd dozed off after Carrick left and now wondered what time it was as the room was pitch black.

Shifting herself in the cot so the bottom of her feet were on the floor she sat and dwelled on what had gone on.

Everything seemed so surreal. Alex was dead, he'd given his life for her; her father had killed Partuse, but was mortally wounded in the process; and she'd heard her mother's voice not once, but twice in one day.

'Maybe it was all a dream,' She thought to herself looking at her arm. That thought continued to make her wonder if this was all a dream and her dreams were reality.

A soft knock on the door quickly sent her from her musings and in a few seconds it opened and Jill appeared, the soft light from the hall illuminating her figure.

"Is my father alright?" Alaina asked fearfully being able to make out the distraught look on her friends face.

"He's still alive," Jill told her moving into the room and sitting beside her.

"Are you alright?" Alaina asked not seeing the look on her face change.

"I just miss you Alaina," Jill said looking at her friend as the tears came again. She despised those tears, they showed her weakness but she couldn't stop them. Not this time.

Alaina looked at the floor as she realized what Jill had just admitted.

"Me too,"

Jill bit her lip and brushed away the tear that trickled down her cheek.

"Believe me Jill I want myself back more than anyone." Alaina told her friend piddling with her thumbs. She'd washed her hands, but they were still somewhat red.

"Alex is gone isn't he?" Jill asked after a silent moment.

Alaina nodded, the tears wouldn't come. She'd cried until she couldn't cry anymore. "He died trying to save me," She managed to whisper.

Jill took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Alex did always have a way of making up for something he did wrong. Though this time it cost his life. Something Jill knew he gladly gave. He would've for either one of them.

Jill opened her eyes after a few seconds and was about to say something when their light dimmed.

Both girls looked up to see O'Brien in the doorway staring at them.

"Will's awake now," He informed them quickly before walking away. He felt like he had defiantly intruded on something.

Alaina's stomach turned as did Jill's. Neither one knew if it was a good sign or not, but they both hurried out to see.

***