A Little Sparrow Told Him
Norrington laid Jo gently down on the cot. He anxiously leaned down near her ear.
"Can you hear me?" His inquiry was answered with a plaintive groan.
"Can I get you anything?"
"Yes," she croaked, "water."
"Yes, of course!" James spun around and looked frantically about for his spare water canteen that he kept always in the room. He suddenly stopped short. What was he thinking? Bringing a woman into his quarters and a pirate no less! What would people think? If anyone got wind of this he would be thrown into a nasty scandal!
Suddenly, a cough from the cot brought his mind back to the present and he banished the troublesome thoughts from his head.
James spotted the canteen hanging from the back of his chair by the window. He plucked it off and quickly returned to the pirate maiden's side.
He uncorked the canteen. "I found some water."
Jo tried to lift her head to the canteen he offered, but the effort proved too great and her head fell back on the pillow.
Norrington's heart filled with compassion. "Oh, dear," he said with a small grin,"that will not do at all. Here," he gingerly slipped a hand behind her head and raised it until her lips connected with the canteen's mouth.
After Jo had drunk her fill she tipped her head back slightly to show that she had had enough. The Commodore gently lowered her head until the back of his hand touched the pillow and then he withdrew it.
"Thank-you," she said, her voice a little clearer now.
"Your welcome," James returned, then after a moment he asked, "what is your name?"
The pirate seemed to hesitate before answering, "'Bonnie Jo.'"
"Aptly named," James said, his face all seriousness, "but I would like to hear the name you were born with."
"Josephine Hall." With what strength she had left, she grimaced.
"Well, Josephine, I've called for a doctor to come and look at you. He should be here momentarily."
"Are all your prisoners treated this well?" A slight half-grin appeared on Jo's face.
The Commodore just smiled and left the room to see what was keeping the doctor.
"Her fever is quite high, it could be scarlet fever. I will have to examine her throat." Dr. Wellington coaxed Jo into opening her mouth. "If you would just hold that lamp above her head, Commodore, please."
"Yes, of course."
After a few moments observation the doctor straightened and tsking, said, "white spots." The old doctor sighed. "If you would leave a moment, Commodore, I need to check for one more symptom."
"Why must I leave?"
"Well, the rashes are generally located above the waist, I will have to strip off her shirt to make the necessary examination."
"Oh." James hastily made for the door.
"Wait, I need that lamp."
"Oh, right." He handed the lamp to the doctor than quickly left the room.
James Norrington was pacing back and forth in front of his office door when a sentry approached him.
"Commodore, we caught him!"
Norrington looked up at the excited soldier. "Who?" He asked calmly.
"Sparrow, sir! Harrington and Wells have him right outside."
"Bring him here."
"Do you not want to dress in your uniform and meet him outside, sir?"
"I said 'bring him here.'"
"Yes, sir."
In a few moments a very miserable looking Jack Sparrow was brought before Norrington.
"We caught him the town, sir."
"In the town?" James asked in an incredulous voice.
"Yes, sir."
"Just as I'm sure you have one for not bein' at all in your high-to- do, I have good reasons." Jack said in his usual lazy speech.
"And they are?" Norrington asked, glaring darkly at the pirate.
"I came to see Will and Mrs. Will's first little 'un, if you must know, which of course you must." He then turned to the soldier holding his right arm. "I think that's a good explanation."
James' features softened as he thought again of Elizabeth holding little Abby. Jack noticed the faraway look in the Commodore's eyes.
"Still bearin' the torch for Elizabeth, I see."
Norrington snapped to the present and narrowed a black look at Captain Sparrow. "Were you coming back from the Turner's or on your way when the soldiers picked you up?"
"Comin' back."
"What is the baby's name?"
"You're testin' me aren't you?"
"Just answer the question, Mr. Sparrow!"
"Abagail Elizabeth Turner, lovely name, I think," he then turned to the soldier holding his left arm. "Don't you agree? Let's break out the cigars!"
"Take this man away!"
The soldiers were halfway down the hall when James called them back. "Wait! Bring him back here. I have one more question for you, Mr. Sparrow."
Once Jack was brought back he did give him his question. "Out of curiosity, are you familiar with a pirate named 'Bonnie Jo'?"
Jack's eyes widened for a second, but then he recovered. "I may have . . ."
Norrington rolled his eyes. "Have you or have you not, Mr. Sparrow?" He demanded.
"Alright!" the pirate cried irritably, "yes, I have."
"What can you tell me about her?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because . . ." Norrington stopped. His eyes flicked to his men. "Would you excuse us for a moment, I wish to have a private word with Mr. Sparrow."
"But, Commodore, if we let go of him he'll run off!"
"No I won't," retorted Jack, "I swear by all that's dishonest that I won't run, because this is far too interesting. Go on, Commodore."
James waited until the sentries left then, giving Jack a cold regard, he said, "I want to know because I have her in my office."
"Caught her too, eh?" For a second Norrington thought he saw Jack's casual air falter for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
"Well, yes, but that's not it . . ."
"Why, Commodore, that's a little uncharacteristic of you! I mean, what will the governor think?"
Shock stole over James's face. "Mr. Sparrow, please spare me your bawdy mind! The reason she is in my office instead of in a cell is that she is very ill."
Jack's calm façade instantly shattered.
"Good God! You must let me see her!" He tried to shove Norrington out of the way of the door.
"What? Why should you want to see her?"
"Wouldn't you want to see your own sister if she was deathly ill?"
"YOUR SISTER?!"
If Norrington were the type of man who would faint, he would have expired run then and there.
Ooo! Plot thickens! Review, please!!
Norrington laid Jo gently down on the cot. He anxiously leaned down near her ear.
"Can you hear me?" His inquiry was answered with a plaintive groan.
"Can I get you anything?"
"Yes," she croaked, "water."
"Yes, of course!" James spun around and looked frantically about for his spare water canteen that he kept always in the room. He suddenly stopped short. What was he thinking? Bringing a woman into his quarters and a pirate no less! What would people think? If anyone got wind of this he would be thrown into a nasty scandal!
Suddenly, a cough from the cot brought his mind back to the present and he banished the troublesome thoughts from his head.
James spotted the canteen hanging from the back of his chair by the window. He plucked it off and quickly returned to the pirate maiden's side.
He uncorked the canteen. "I found some water."
Jo tried to lift her head to the canteen he offered, but the effort proved too great and her head fell back on the pillow.
Norrington's heart filled with compassion. "Oh, dear," he said with a small grin,"that will not do at all. Here," he gingerly slipped a hand behind her head and raised it until her lips connected with the canteen's mouth.
After Jo had drunk her fill she tipped her head back slightly to show that she had had enough. The Commodore gently lowered her head until the back of his hand touched the pillow and then he withdrew it.
"Thank-you," she said, her voice a little clearer now.
"Your welcome," James returned, then after a moment he asked, "what is your name?"
The pirate seemed to hesitate before answering, "'Bonnie Jo.'"
"Aptly named," James said, his face all seriousness, "but I would like to hear the name you were born with."
"Josephine Hall." With what strength she had left, she grimaced.
"Well, Josephine, I've called for a doctor to come and look at you. He should be here momentarily."
"Are all your prisoners treated this well?" A slight half-grin appeared on Jo's face.
The Commodore just smiled and left the room to see what was keeping the doctor.
"Her fever is quite high, it could be scarlet fever. I will have to examine her throat." Dr. Wellington coaxed Jo into opening her mouth. "If you would just hold that lamp above her head, Commodore, please."
"Yes, of course."
After a few moments observation the doctor straightened and tsking, said, "white spots." The old doctor sighed. "If you would leave a moment, Commodore, I need to check for one more symptom."
"Why must I leave?"
"Well, the rashes are generally located above the waist, I will have to strip off her shirt to make the necessary examination."
"Oh." James hastily made for the door.
"Wait, I need that lamp."
"Oh, right." He handed the lamp to the doctor than quickly left the room.
James Norrington was pacing back and forth in front of his office door when a sentry approached him.
"Commodore, we caught him!"
Norrington looked up at the excited soldier. "Who?" He asked calmly.
"Sparrow, sir! Harrington and Wells have him right outside."
"Bring him here."
"Do you not want to dress in your uniform and meet him outside, sir?"
"I said 'bring him here.'"
"Yes, sir."
In a few moments a very miserable looking Jack Sparrow was brought before Norrington.
"We caught him the town, sir."
"In the town?" James asked in an incredulous voice.
"Yes, sir."
"Just as I'm sure you have one for not bein' at all in your high-to- do, I have good reasons." Jack said in his usual lazy speech.
"And they are?" Norrington asked, glaring darkly at the pirate.
"I came to see Will and Mrs. Will's first little 'un, if you must know, which of course you must." He then turned to the soldier holding his right arm. "I think that's a good explanation."
James' features softened as he thought again of Elizabeth holding little Abby. Jack noticed the faraway look in the Commodore's eyes.
"Still bearin' the torch for Elizabeth, I see."
Norrington snapped to the present and narrowed a black look at Captain Sparrow. "Were you coming back from the Turner's or on your way when the soldiers picked you up?"
"Comin' back."
"What is the baby's name?"
"You're testin' me aren't you?"
"Just answer the question, Mr. Sparrow!"
"Abagail Elizabeth Turner, lovely name, I think," he then turned to the soldier holding his left arm. "Don't you agree? Let's break out the cigars!"
"Take this man away!"
The soldiers were halfway down the hall when James called them back. "Wait! Bring him back here. I have one more question for you, Mr. Sparrow."
Once Jack was brought back he did give him his question. "Out of curiosity, are you familiar with a pirate named 'Bonnie Jo'?"
Jack's eyes widened for a second, but then he recovered. "I may have . . ."
Norrington rolled his eyes. "Have you or have you not, Mr. Sparrow?" He demanded.
"Alright!" the pirate cried irritably, "yes, I have."
"What can you tell me about her?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because . . ." Norrington stopped. His eyes flicked to his men. "Would you excuse us for a moment, I wish to have a private word with Mr. Sparrow."
"But, Commodore, if we let go of him he'll run off!"
"No I won't," retorted Jack, "I swear by all that's dishonest that I won't run, because this is far too interesting. Go on, Commodore."
James waited until the sentries left then, giving Jack a cold regard, he said, "I want to know because I have her in my office."
"Caught her too, eh?" For a second Norrington thought he saw Jack's casual air falter for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
"Well, yes, but that's not it . . ."
"Why, Commodore, that's a little uncharacteristic of you! I mean, what will the governor think?"
Shock stole over James's face. "Mr. Sparrow, please spare me your bawdy mind! The reason she is in my office instead of in a cell is that she is very ill."
Jack's calm façade instantly shattered.
"Good God! You must let me see her!" He tried to shove Norrington out of the way of the door.
"What? Why should you want to see her?"
"Wouldn't you want to see your own sister if she was deathly ill?"
"YOUR SISTER?!"
If Norrington were the type of man who would faint, he would have expired run then and there.
Ooo! Plot thickens! Review, please!!