DISCLAIMER: I think we all know the truth. But for those who want to know, here it is: I do not claim ownership of anything you recognize. They belong to whom they belong and those people know who they are. Savvy?

Summary: For years Jack has kept his darkest secret close beside him. However, he is forced to tell Ana the truth when a mysterious figure confronts Jack and claims to know the answers Jack seeks. J/A. Rating for some violence.

Half-Life

Part 11

The sensation of cool water being forced slowly into his mouth brought him into semi-consciousness with a start and he reflexively moved away from the pursuing cup.

"Easy lad, easy. Don't fight it, you'll 'urt yourself further."

As the cup finally stopped its seemingly relentless pursuit the words began to coincide with a memory.

Bootstrap?

Fever-glazed chocolate eyes opened and took in their surroundings: a candlelit cabin onboard a ship. In Bootstrap's place sat Gibbs and Thomas, freshly engaged in an argument. Their incessant bickering soon drove the annoying throbbing in Jack's skull into a pounding headache. It had to be stopped.

"Gibbs, wha's goin' on? An' speak quietly, man!"

Gibbs and Thomas both jumped at the sound of their captain's voice; neither had noticed his awakening.

"Jack! Thank Heaven you're awake!" Gibbs breathed as he set down the cup he had been holding.

Jack nodded his acknowledgement of Gibbs' statement and dragged himself up, bracing his weight back on his elbows and instantly regretting it. The movement sent pain through his body and he grimaced. That too had a painful side-effect embodied in four deep spots of fiery pain on his cheek. "Bloody bad idea," Jack breathed roughly, the statement followed by a hollow cough.

"Captain Sparrow, you need to rest. You're much too weak to be moving around," Thomas said carefully, knowing that his captain was a difficult patient.

"Tha' depend, lad. 'ow long 'ave I been out? Gibbs, don' lie." He added the last when the elder sailor opened his mouth quickly, indicating a fib was on the way.

Gibbs closed his mouth quickly and silently calculated the amount of time his captain had truly spent unconscious. "Well sir," he began formally, "we found you an' Ana-"

Jack lurched promptly upright at the mention of his first mate, completely ignoring his body's protests. "Ana! Is she alright?!"

Gibbs and Thomas each pressed a hand gently to one of Jack's shoulders, pressing him back to the mattress without much difficulty; Jack was very weak from his blood loss and fever.

"Take it easy, Jack," Gibbs soothed as he leaned forward to ensure Jack's attention was focused on him.

Gibbs and Thomas exchanged slow looks and their hesitation to answer sent a chill of fear through Jack despite the raging heat of his fever. The two came to a silent decision and Thomas rose, which frightened Jack all the more.

"I won't 'take it easy' Gibbs! Now answer!" Jack snapped as he sat up again.

Thomas returned and handed a fresh cup to Gibbs before finding the floor a very interesting thing to stare at, which drew out Jack's suspicions and fears.

"'ere lad, 'ave a drink; you're burning up." Gibbs coaxed the cup into Jack's hands after a short exchange of threats and denials.

Jack looked down at the liquid reluctantly. Gibbs had just said that he would tell Jack all he wanted to know regarding Ana's health if he drank at least half of the mug's contents. He looked the cabin over slowly, hoping that he would see his lover but his search was inconclusive. With a final protesting glare at Gibbs he upturned the mug and took a hearty gulp.

Rum.

That fact alone helped to lessen the anger pointed at the Pearl's quartermaster.

"Alright Gibbs, your turn," Jack growled, handing the mug back to Gibbs.

Gibbs looked over his shoulder and managed to draw Thomas' gaze away from the floor. The young surgeon briefly examined what remained in the mug and nodded shortly before returning his gaze to the floor. It was then that Jack was alerted to the extreme uneasiness of the younger man. What was he so nervous about? Jack wanted to know.

"Jack,"

Jack's assessing gaze darted away from Thomas and fixed itself on Gibbs.

"Ana's fine enough. Although the poor lass has a nasty slice in 'er side, she'll live."

Jack nodded lethargically, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open—much less to concentrate—as Gibbs continued. As his strength drained away he sank back onto the pillows and half-heartedly listened to the blathering quartermaster. He was so tired…

Finally he was too weak to fight the imposing weight of darkness laying upon him and he drifted into a deep, quiet sleep.

zZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZz

Gibbs fell silent moments after Jack's eyes closed and stayed shut. He looked his captain over with an experienced eye and concluded that the younger man would have at least a half-day of peaceful rest.

"Mr. Gibbs, sir," Thomas said softly, almost fearfully.

"What is it Thomas?"

"Are you sure that was…wise? I mean, won't he be upset that we drugged him?"

"Upset is putting it nicely lad. He'll be furious." Gibbs turned to face the young man as he finished and was both surprised and amused to see how much his words had shaken him: Thomas had gone suddenly pale, almost as pale as Jack, and stood rigidly. The old salt rushed to make amends. "No worries, lad. Jack's a good man even though 'e does 'ave a temper at times. 'e'd never do anything drastic, though 'e does like 'is revenge…" Gibbs trailed off as he realized that his 'reassurances' had only furthered Thomas' anxiety. "But 'e only seeks revenge for big things… No matter, don't worry. Just keep out of 'is way for awhile and I'll tell 'im you were acting under my orders. All will be well, you'll see."

Thomas forced a small smile and nodded. "Or, if things are not well, I know to make the best of the next few hours." His voice held a joking tone and a smile shone on Gibbs' face as well.

"Well said lad!" the older sailor concluded with a wink.

zZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZz

Unfocused hazel eyes opened lethargically and were greeted by a small room lit by the warm light of a single candle. The creaks and groans of the ship's timbers as well as her smooth rocking motion welcomed the exhausted pirate back to the world. Jack blinked several times to focus his vision before lifting his head from the pillow with great effort. To his surprise no one pushed him back and told him to rest. In fact, there was no one at his bedside, which surprised him all the more. Whenever he was bed-ridden, Ana would surely be at his side…

Ana.

With a sharp pang of guilt and remorse he remembered that Ana, too, was injured and it was all his fault. He should have done more to discourage her…

With a saddened expression Jack sat halfway up and looked to the other side of the room. When he saw a dark figure sleeping peacefully on a cot pressed against the wall his heart leapt.

Despite his body's protests Jack forced himself to sit up and drape his legs over the side of his bed. After taking a series of deep breaths to belay the pain his aching muscles felt he pushed himself away from the bed and stood albeit shakily. His knees threatened to give out but his sharp-opinioned mind kept him on his feet. Collecting all his focus he stepped forward and continued to push himself step by painful step toward Ana's cot.

Three quarters of the way there his left knee gave out unexpected, dropping him to an ungraceful pile on the floor. Despite the fact that he bit in the cry of pain his fall created a muffled thud that seemed to echo through the cabin. Jack clenched his teeth and took hissed breaths, trying to regain his composure.

The sound of Jack's fall and his labored breathing roused Ana immediately, but it took her a few moments to realize that the sounds came from her captain who was now huddled on the cabin floor. When she spotted her injured captain she jumped out of bed and made her was over to him quickly.

"Jack, what're you doing up?" Ana demanded as she crouched down beside him and laid a gentle, almost hesitant, hand on his shoulder. She knew to be mindful of his wounds. "Here Jack, let's get you back to bed. You really shouldn't be up." She carefully slung one of his arms over he shoulders and, wrapping right arm around his waist, she helped him stand and walk over to his bed.

Once he had settled on the mattress and was taking calm, even breaths once more, the fact that Ana seemed unhindered by the wound in her side sunk in. "Ana, I'm so sorry."

This caught Ana off-guard. "Fer what, Jack?"

"He 'urt you. An' it was all my fault."

Ana shook her head with a scowl at the unpleasant memory. "No Jack, it was my choice to follow you. Therefore it's my fault that I got hurt. I reality I should be blaming myself about your injuries. I could have done something-" Jack's gentle finger on her lips silenced her and her gaze met his.

The two sat in silence for several minutes, each lost in the other's eyes. Both were thinking back on the events of their time in the carriage house and both were sifting through the innumerable regrets they had regarding one another's injuries.

Ana was the first to break the silence. "I'll be right back. We can talk then." Before Jack could argue she stood and left the cabin, closing the door quietly behind her.

Jack settled himself deeper into the mattress and pushed his head back against the pillow. Unintentionally, his eyes drifted shut as the minutes ticked by and he waited for Ana's return.