A/N: Spring is here! At least, that's how it feels in London. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, it's a truly beautiful day :D. And to complete the picture, I have finished the chapter! Enjoy.
Chapter 24: A waking nightmare
Sylvia was floating on an ocean of consciousness; in and out she drifted with the tides. She wasn't aware of any pain, just a heaviness of body and mind that stretched on and on through days which had no significance. Jack would talk to her, and he would hold her hand but she was only very vaguely aware of his presence at all. She certainly was not able to respond to him in any coherent way. It was like she was in a deep sleep and could not bring herself to wake. Real events were dreams that were forgotten as soon as they happened, like sparks of light in a great expanse of darkness.
"Jack?" No response.
"Jack?" Nothing.
"Jack?" Jack, heavy lidded and tired, looked up at Gibbs. He looked away again without speaking.
"We'll be in Port Royal within two days, Cap'n." Jack knew all Gibbs wanted was an indication that he had heard but he just couldn't make himself speak. Sylvia had not moved or spoken for over a week, what did two days mean? Gibbs cleared his throat awkwardly which meant he had something else to say but wasn't sure whether he should.
"AnaMaria…"
"I don't want to hear her name and I don't want to talk about her," Jack said sharply.
"Cap'n, I…" Jack glared at him and Gibbs immediately backed away without questioning him any further. Jack watched him go before getting heavily to his feet.
He entered the cabin. The air smelt of sadness and lost hope, a place where people who had a choice would avoid. Jack tried to speak but the sight of Sylvia's closed eyes silenced him. Why wouldn't she just wake up? He had been shot, he had been injured in any number of ways but he had never stayed unconscious for as long as this. If only she would speak and tell him that she was going to be alright. He heard his own voice in his head. 'I'm never going t' let anyone hurt you again.' And then he heard her voice telling the truth. 'You can't protect me from everything.' She had been right. He hadn't protected her at all. She had only been on the Pearl a few minutes and he had failed to stop her from getting hurt. His tears were black and fell heavily, but no one else was there to see them.
Will and Elizabeth were walking arm in arm, Tom was running ahead pointing at the ships and other things that he found exciting. Elizabeth took a deep breath of salt sea air.
"Have we gone too far dear?" Will asked anxiously. Elizabeth laughed.
"Honestly, Will, you fuss more than my father does," she said in a gently scolding voice, "Anyone would think I am ill the way you go on." Will blushed very slightly.
"I just want to make sure you're ok," he said and he gave his wife's arm a loving squeeze, "I don't want you to over exert yourself in your condition."
"I know," she said gratefully. So far her second pregnancy had been nothing short of a delight and she knew this was largely due to the attention Will lavished upon her. Tom had come to a stop by a wall and was standing up on tip toes so he could see over the top.
"Do you want me to lift you up?" Will asked when he got there. Tom lifted up his arms in answer. Will picked him up and placed him on the wall so he could sit up there.
"Keep a hold of him, Will," said Elizabeth unnecessarily. Will was not likely to let his son fall. They were there for some time, watching the comings and goings of the boats in the port. Both Will and Elizabeth waited for the question they were sure would come but Tom made no mention of Jack. It had been some time since Uncle Jack had been mentioned at all, and although they did not assume he had been forgotten, the Turners wondered how often Tom thought about his favourite 'relative'. A cold sea breeze made Elizabeth shiver slightly.
"I think it's time we went home now," said Will and he lifted his son down and watched him lead the way back to the house.
Commodore Norrington had people posted all around Port Royal but no one saw the Black Pearl as she slunk into the Port cloaked by the darkness of a moonless night.
Will was just climbing the stairs after Elizabeth when there was a knock on the door. They both froze.
"Who on earth could that be?" came Elizabeth's voice. Will was wondering the same thing. It was late, no one usually called on them at this hour and if it had been an emergency, wouldn't they have rung the bell?
"Go upstairs, Elizabeth," Will said protectively as he walked towards the door but Elizabeth ignored him. She stayed right where she was at the top of the stairs, her hand on her pregnancy bump. Will walked slowly across the entranceway and reached out a hand to open the door.
"Jack!" Will stepped aside to allow not only Jack to enter but the person he was carrying too, for it was obvious Jack was not alone. Jack said nothing but walked straight into the house as if he owned it. Will and Elizabeth's eyes followed him. He headed into the living room and disappeared from their sight. The Turners' got a fleeting glimpse of the woman in Jack's arms but nothing more than that.
"Who is she?" Elizabeth asked. Will shook his head. He had never seen her before in his life. They looked at each other and then hurried in the direction Jack had taken.
Jack laid Sylvia down on one of the sofas and brushed a lock of hair from out of her face. She had no reaction to this, not that he had expected her to but it would have been nice all the same.
"Jack?" Jack turned to face his friends, who were watching him from the doorway looking confused. He gave them a smile out of habit, something he had not done for a while.
"Missed me?" Elizabeth gave an exasperated laugh.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in a whisper as if she feared being overheard. Jack's eyes widened.
"Are ye saying you don't want me here?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
"Jack, stop it, you know full well how much danger coming here puts you in. And who…" She looked over at her sofa where the body of a pale woman was now reclined. "…is she?" Jack tried to carry on the pretence but he couldn't.
"She is Sylvia," he replied and suddenly Jack's true feelings shone through. He lost his usual easy manner and bright spark; instead it was replaced by a dark cloak of worry.
"What's the matter with her?" Will asked as he looked over at her too.
"She was shot," replied Jack painfully.
"By who?" asked Elizabeth in a shocked voice.
"Her husband," Jack answered dully. He had expected a lot more questions but suddenly Elizabeth took charge.
"Will, get a doctor, someone who knows how to keep his mouth shut. Jack, do you think it's ok to move her? We should take her to room which is less obvious." Will blinked a few times before rushing off to do what his wife had suggested. Jack picked Sylvia up and followed Elizabeth up the stairs.
With Sylvia safely tucked up in bed in a spare room, Jack turned to Elizabeth and noticed for the first time that she was pregnant. She saw his eyes rest on her stomach and smiled.
"Seven months," she said, "I'm surprised you didn't notice before."
"I've had a lot on my mind." Elizabeth's smile disappeared.
"Who is she really, Jack?" she asked, "Why is she with you?"
"If I tell the truth, you won't believe me, and if I lie, you won't believe that either," Jack replied which was probably true.
"You'll have to tell the doctor how she sustained her injuries," Elizabeth said firmly, "So you might as well tell me."
"I don't intend t' talk to any doctor," Jack replied smartly, "So you can do all the explaining you like." And with that he walked from the room.
"Jack?" Elizabeth was hot on his heels. "What do you mean you're not going to talk to the doctor? What are we supposed to say?" Jack did not answer but proceeded along the corridor. Elizabeth, frustrated with his silence, came to a stop.
"This is ridiculous," she said sharply, "First, you barge in here and expect us to put ourselves in danger for you, next you bring in someone we don't even know and expect us to care for her like we do for you!" These words brought Jack to a halt too but he did not turn round.
"You can't expect us to solve all your problems for you, Jack. If you've got yourself into some trouble with this girl then you can damn well fix it yourself!" These words were a lot harsher than Elizabeth had intended them to be but once she had got started she had been unable to hold anything back. She saw Jack tense up.
"I can't fix it," he said quietly with a determined air of calm.
"Sorry?" said Elizabeth who in all honesty had not heard him.
"I can't bloody fix it!" shouted Jack spinning around and facing her. Elizabeth was not frightened by him but the sight of so much pain in his face made her step backwards. He hadn't meant to shout but he hadn't meant to do a lot of things these last few days, it seemed his feelings were getting harder and harder to control. Elizabeth watched him and began to understand. Whatever had happened to the girl, whether it had been Jack's fault or not, he was suffering for it and he didn't know what to do. He had come to them because he thought they would be able to help. That's what friends did.
"Mum?" A door had opened down the hallway and a small person had emerged, sleepy eyed. "Why are you shouting?" Just as Elizabeth had expected, Jack made an effort at pulling himself together before Tom realised who was there.
"I'm sorry darling," she said heading over to her son but Tom was no longer interested in her. He had seen his godfather.
"Uncle Jack!" Tom's feet couldn't carry him fast enough. He hurtled down the corridor and wrapped his arms around Jack's legs.
"I knew you'd come," he said which meant just the opposite.
"Well, I did promise," said Jack but his voice was hollow. Elizabeth frowned but Tom did not seem to notice.
"Have you come to stay for a long time?" he asked raising his eyes to meet Jack's, "Have you, Uncle Jack?" Jack looked at Tom. The little boy was radiating energy and life, all the things that had been taken away from Sylvia. He pushed Tom away, suddenly unable to bear the sight of him.
"Uncle Jack?" Tom asked and his eyes filled with heartbroken tears. Jack turned around and walked away without a word, his own heart very near breaking point. Tom watched him leave then turned to his mother. He wanted to ask her why Jack had walked away, why he had not picked him up and spoken to him like he always did, why hadn't he laughed? Why hadn't he even smiled? But before he could speak the tears started to fall, thick and real. Elizabeth moved to put her arms round him but he wriggled out of her grasp and ran into his bedroom too confused and hurt to be comforted by anything. Elizabeth listened to his anguished sobs for a little while, desperate to consol him somehow, but the sound of the front door opening again distracted her. Will was back with the doctor.
Jack paced the floor of the room he found himself in. He had no idea what kind of a room it was simply because he had not bothered to look around. He told himself that the reason he wasn't with Sylvia while the doctor examined her was because everyone would be safer if he wasn't seen, and while that was probably true, it wasn't the real reason. Jack closed his eyes. He just didn't want to hear that grave tone of voice, or see the look in the doctor's eyes. He didn't want to be told that she was dying.
"She's isn't," he said out loud, "She can't be." He repeated this over and over again until his heart rate stopped climbing. The memory of Tom's hurt face wasn't helping much. He had never wanted to hurt anyone else he cared about but he had done, so easily. Hot prickly tears were gathering in his eyes but he forced them back. He couldn't lose it here, not now. Tom would forgive him, he told himself. He wasn't sure this was really true but he had to believe it. Tom would forgive him and Sylvia would get better. That wasn't too much to ask, was it? It wasn't as if he was asking for a miracle, right? She would get better, she had to get better. She had to.
Will and Elizabeth waited outside the room, their hands held tightly together. This was certainly one of the tensest situations Jack had got them into, and that was saying something.
"She's my cousin," Will had told the doctor, "Arrived on my doorstep this morning being supported by two men who'd found her. Thieves must have left her for dead." Whether the doctor had believed this story was irrelevant. He certainly had not questioned it.
"Did Jack tell you anything more about her?" Will asked as they waited for the doctor to re-emerge from the room.
"No," said Elizabeth, "But…" She paused. "I think she means a lot to him, Will." He looked at her questioningly but at that moment the door opened and the doctor appeared. Both Will and Elizabeth looked at him expectantly.
"She's been shot," the doctor said and Elizabeth had to step on Will's foot to stop him saying, 'Yeah, we know.'
"But the strange thing is," the doctor continued, "The bullet has already come out." He looked at the couple in front of him for a moment but neither of them were giving anything away. "She's lost a lot of blood but I am reasonably confident that she should recover consciousness in the next day or so if given the proper care and attention." Elizabeth let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding.
"However," said the doctor his tone turning ominously serious, "The wound is deep and its location near the spine means her movement may be permanently affected. Time will tell, of course. I will need to visit daily until I am satisfied with her progress."
"Of course," said Will nodding, "Thank you for coming out so late." The doctor gave him a look which clearly said that he minded very much and would rather have stayed in bed, but this look cleared when Will handed over his money.
"We'd better go and tell Jack," said Elizabeth the moment the doctor had left.
"Tell me what?" Jack was standing just behind them. Will jumped.
"I wish you wouldn't…"
"Tell me what?"
"If you are in such a hurry to know what the doctor had to say then perhaps you should have been here when he said it," retorted Elizabeth. She knew it was mean, and the look Will gave her was further proof, but she had just realised they now had a position of power over Jack and if exchanging information was the only way to find the truth about the woman lying comatose in their guest room then so be it.
"You are a very nasty woman, Mrs Turner," said Jack coldly. Elizabeth shrugged.
"Sticks and stones," she said smartly remembering their first exchange of words. Jack held himself back with effort. This wasn't the first time he had wanted to hurt Elizabeth, but wanting to do something and doing it were two very different things.
"Elizabeth, dear," said Will evidently attempting to sooth the current that was building up.
"Hush Will," said Elizabeth and she turned back to Jack, "Now, we'll tell you what the doctor said if you tell us exactly who that woman on our bed is, and what she's doing here." Will looked decidedly uncomfortable with the whole idea but remained silent.
"I already told you her name," said Jack.
"You told us her first name, what about her surname?" Elizabeth was not going to stop until she got her answers, Jack could tell that much but there were two people who could tell him what he wanted to know. Jack turned to Will and ignored Elizabeth completely.
"Will?" he said looking at the younger man who was actually beginning to squirm.
"He said she'll probably wake up in a day or two," Will blurted out.
"Will!"
"Sorry Elizabeth." He hung his head as his wife looked daggers at him.
"Cheers," said Jack who couldn't help smiling slightly, "Now, if you don't mind…" Jack stepped forwards towards the door to Sylvia's room but Elizabeth blocked his way.
"Oh no you don't," she said, "I want to know who this women is and whether having her here poses a danger to my family."
"No more danger than I do," Jack replied. He was growing tired of arguing with her.
"That's not much comfort actually, Jack." Elizabeth sighed. There was just no winning with Jack Sparrow. "If you're not going to tell us anything you might as well know what else the doctor said." The little hopeful bubble which had been floating in Jack's chest shrank as he waited for her to continue. The feeling of power that had momentarily filled Elizabeth had evaporated too leaving her feeling quite drained. She wished Will had said this instead of leaving it to her.
"She might not recover the use of her legs," she said in a bit of a rush, "Something to do with the…" But she got no further. Jack had pushed past her and disappeared into the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.
Will, looking miserable and confused, was about to suggest they tried to get some sleep and figure out what to do in the morning when Elizabeth burst into tears.
"What's the matter?" Will cried his arms around his wife in an instant.
"I don't know," Elizabeth squeaked. She felt cross with herself for crying and yet she couldn't stop. "Jack, that woman, Tom…it's all too much." She sobbed onto Will's chest unable to explain her sudden rush of emotion any better than that.
"It's alright," Will assured her, "I'll sort everything out. Let's get to bed now, everything will be clearer in the morning." As he helped Elizabeth to their bedroom he couldn't help wishing that Jack had not appeared at all. It would have been a different matter if he had turned up injured, but to bring a stranger into their house was something else, especially with Elizabeth in such a delicate condition. Jack hadn't known that though, Will reminded himself as he helped Elizabeth get undressed. Still, he could have told them something about the woman, apparently Elizabeth was thinking along the same lines.
"Who do you think she really is, Will?" she asked as they both climbed into bed. Will thought about this for a moment. He hadn't really looked at her very closely.
"I don't know," he replied lamely, "Another pirate?"
"I don't think so," said Elizabeth, "She doesn't have that look, that…oh, you know what I mean."
"Yes," said Will quickly although he didn't know what she was talking about at all.
"I just hope Jack knows what he's doing," Elizabeth said sleepily. Will frowned at this. Was there ever a time when Jack knew what he was doing? He recalled the encounters with the women of Tortuga.
"I'm sure he does," he said leaning over to give his wife a kiss on the cheek and hoping she believed him, "Good night." She snuggled closer to him.
"I hope Tom's alright." That was the last thing she said before her eyes closed and she gave in to her tiredness.
On the other side of the house Jack was watching Sylvia's chest move slowly up and down, up and down. He tried to remember what she had looked like when she laughed but his memory kept failing. All he could see in his mind was the picture he was seeing with his eyes, a Sylvia drained of herself. He would have made a promise to anyone right then, he would have sold his soul without a second thought just to see her open her eyes. But no one was willing to make that kind of deal with him so he simply sat watching the one he loved until his body decided it couldn't take any more and he fell asleep beside her.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter, you're all wonderful! Let me know what you think of this one. :)
I will be working a lot next week because someone is going into hospital, which means, the next chapter might well be delayed. I refuse to rush chapters to get them out on time so I apologise in advance if it is late.
