Usual disclaimers… oh, if I could have him though!
Just the one chapter today… I don't think Jack could cope with two!
Chapter 28 – An Unexpected Delivery
Bessie's Revenge sailed swiftly northwards, back towards Tortuga. Jack was looking to take supplies on quietly at Tortola before heading westwards to Tortuga. It was nearly noon and Bessie and Jem were working together in the galley, preparing what food they had for their dinner. Suddenly Jack looked up sharply from the wheel as Jem scrambled up the stairs from the galley below.
"Jack!" he shouted, nearly falling over in his haste, but still hurrying. "Jack! Bessie needs you!"
"What?" Jack gasped, flying down the stairs to the main deck, shouting to Mark who was nearby to take over the helm.
"It's started!" Jem gasped. "Her waters have broken…"
"Eh?" Jack frowned, still hurrying the older pirate back toward the galley.
"The babies!" he shouted. "Bessie's in labour!"
"Oh my…." Jack paled, realising belatedly what Jem had been saying. "Now?"
"Yes, now!" Jem shouted, nearly pushing Jack down the stairs in his haste. Jack turned the corner at the bottom, skidding to a halt as he came face to face with his wife.
"Jem said…" he began, reaching out for her.
"I'm in labour, not an invalid," she said softly, wincing as a contraction hit. "Now help me up to the bunk. Jem, I'll need hot water and the cleanest towels we have…"
"Towels?" he blinked.
"Rags, cloths, shirts off your bloody backs!" Bessie barked, leaning against the bulkhead. "I don't' care as long as they're clean!"
"I'll see what I can…" Jack began, but her hand on his arm prevented him from moving.
"Jem can see what there is," she said, taking a number of deep breaths. "I need you to help me…"
"Help you?" Jack gasped.
"Well unless you've a midwife hidden somewhere on board," Bessie remarked sarcastically.
"You want me… to…" He pointed to her stomach, his eyes wide in horrified shock.
"For crying out loud, just bloody help me!" she shouted at him.
Jack let her pass, helping her up the steep stairs and along the main deck to the master cabin. A number of the children were playing inside. "Out," Jack urged, scooping up Emily and handing her to Pearl as she rose. "Go an' find Jem an' don't come back until I call…"
Pearl took one look at her mother and realised what had happened. "I'll ask Joshamee if we can sleep with the crew tonight," she said, hurrying Tabitha and Frances from the cabin. She had seen her mother in labour many times, and knew that it could possibly be many hours before the babies were born.
Jack shut the door behind his children. "What do yer want me t' do?" he asked, turning to Bessie.
"Help me onto th' bunk," she pleaded, knowing she would never make it without his help. Indeed, she only just made it with his help, and collapsed gratefully onto the mattress.
"Are yer all right now?" Jack asked, reaching for the blanket to cover her. He blinked when she pushed the blanket away.
"I need you t' undress me," Bessie said, inhaling sharply. "M' dress an' m' undergarments… now!"
"I… I…" he stuttered.
"You do know how t' undress a woman?" she teased, trying to smile.
"Of course!" he replied indignantly, reaching for her laces.
"Well that's good," she said dryly, moving as best she could to assist him. "When Jem comes, tell him I need drinking water too…" She turned away, arching with pain as yet another contraction hit, hissing and trying to keep her breathing steady to help her through it.
"Are you all right?" Jack asked worriedly, leaning across her.
"No, I'm in bloody labour!" she cursed.
"But…" he began.
"It isn't a bloody picnic!" she retorted, a sheen of sweat covering her body. "For Christ's sake, get m' undergarments off…"
Jack started to do as she asked, stunned to hear her swearing at him. He paused, hearing the cabin doors open. "I thought I told you to…" he began to shout, only pausing when he realised it was Jem, backing in so not to intrude.
"I'll leave th' cloths here," he said, placing them on the deck without turning. "I'll just bring th' hot water…"
"Bessie needs water t' drink..." Jack ordered.
"I'll bring that too," Jem assured him, hurrying out of the cabin and shutting the doors without turning to face Jack, returning a moment later with the hot water and then a large tankard of drinking water. "Shout if yer need anythin' else," he said, dashing out as quickly as he could.
Jack barred the cabin doors and picked up the tankard, taking it across to Bessie. He had never seen a woman in labour before and was surprised to realise that she was in agony. "What do yer need me t' do?" he said quietly.
"Get m' clothes off an' keep me as fresh as you can," Bessie replied, wincing with pain. "When th' babes come, yer'll need t' tie the cords an' then cut them…"
"Cut the what?" he puzzled.
"Th' cords," she gasped, finding all the talk tiring. She decided to try to explain it in ship-talk, hoping he would understand. "Th' babes grow inside me attached with a line. That's what yer belly button is… th' end of the line. You need to tie it before you cut it for it'll bleed…"
"It won't hurt them?" Jack worried.
"Jack," she sighed. "Just do what I tell you, when I tell you and for once, don't ask any questions… savvy?"
"Savvy," he smiled ruefully.
"Now pass me a drink…"
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Day passed to stormy night, and still Bessie struggled to give birth to the babies. The crew kept the other children from the cabin, amusing them as best they could and rigging hammocks below for them when it came time for them to go to sleep. Every man jumped when they heard Bessie cried out, looking at each other worriedly. None but Jem had any experience with women in labour, but as he seemed unflustered, they assumed all must be well.
It was not until nearly midnight when they heard the first wail, followed roughly half an hour later by a second. They looked up eagerly as the doors opened and Jack staggered out, hand shaking as he drank from an open bottle of rum, his face pale in the dark shade. He shut the doors behind him before sitting heavily on the stairs to the quarterdeck in a daze.
"Well?" Jem pressed, turning skeletal as he walked towards his captain. "I take it was twins?"
"Girl… an' a… a boy…" Jack stuttered, taking another long drink from the bottle.
"And Bessie?" Henry asked.
"She's fine…" Jack replied, still clearly dazed. He had never realised that childbirth could be so painful for a woman and had, momentarily, considered never asking it of her again. But it had been momentarily, for he knew that as soon as she felt up to it, he would be unable to keep his hands off her. And from the look in her eyes as he handed their new children to her, he had realised the feeling was mutual. He looked up at them, his eyes finally finding his brother. "Guess yer an' uncle again," he grinned.
"Can we see her?" Joshamee asked.
Jack struggled to his feet. "Let m' see if she's up t' it," he slurred, wishing he was not cursed and could taste the rum he was drinking. He needed to get drunk – and could not. Hand still shaking, he opened the doors, leaving them ajar. The crew crowded close, their skeletal forms becoming flesh again as they crowded around the cabin doors.
"They want t' see yer," Jack said, leaning against the bulkhead as he looked at Bessie. "D' yer think yer are up t' it?"
"They'll not go away until they have," she smiled tiredly, wrapping the blanket as best she could around her naked body. "Give me a hand…" Jack fussed about her, ensuring she was decently covered and then turned back to the doors.
"All right, yer can come in," he said, smiling as eight men tried to pile through the doors at once. They stood by the bunk, looking at the tiny children in surprise.
"Have you named them?" Jacob asked, turning to Jack.
"Aye," his brother grinned. "Rosetta an' Edward…"
"Two more Sparrows t' give th' Navy a headache," Paul grinned. "I'll take th' helm an' let Mark come down…" He nodded to Bessie. "Congratulations," he smiled, before heading out of the cabin to replace Mark who dashed down the stairs as fast as he dared, a broad grin on his face as he saw her with the babies.
"You guessed right," he beamed. "Twins!" He could see that she looked very tired. "Are you all right?"
"I just need to sleep…" Bessie replied, hoping the men would take the hint. For a while though, they just stood there, still enthralled with the babies.
Eventually Jack stepped in. "Go on, get out, th' lot of yer! Bessie needs t' rest! Yer'll see enough of th' babes an' her soon enough… shoo!" He chased them from the cabin before turning back to Bessie and taking the two babies from her, he placed them in the small bunk that Emily and Frances usually slept in. "Yer need t' rest," he said quietly, slipping off his shirt and sliding into the bunk next to her. He wrapped his arms about her, holding her as tightly as he dared. "Thank yer Bessie," he grinned, kissing her tenderly and smiling as she lay her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair away from her face, realising that she was already asleep.
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Reviews?
Oh, and before anybody comments, I have taken Barbossa's comments about food turning to "ash" in their mouths as it having no flavour, no joy, not ash in the literal sense. Therefore, although Jack and the cursed men will eat and drink, there is little appreciation of what they are doing. I would think it would be a slight loss at first, like when you have a bad cold, getting worse as time continues – therefore Jack is affected worst of all. Afterall, if Barbossa had taken a bite into an apple immediately after taking the coins, he would have realised about the curse being true and insisted on all the coins being replaced in the chest before they had left the Isla de Muerta.
And as far as the moonlight part of the curse goes… it isn't every night the moon is bright, nor do pirates wander around looking for a shaft of moonlight to stand in – skulking in shadows is more their line. According to the movie, Barbossa and his men had time to fritter the coins away before they realised about the curse… so it must have been cloudy or something – perhaps the hurricane season?
Well, that is my reasoning anyway… if you have another that is up to you! ;)
