Into The Fire
Chapter 6: Fever Dreams
I'll be out of town until the 5th folks, so it might be a little longer between chapters - no worries though - I will still be writing and updating during the trip! ( Thanks, everyone for your input - it helps.
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Jack paced the stateroom, he had long lost count how many times he had covered it's length. Anything was better than sitting in one place though. For the tenth time he hovered near the door to her chamber, fingers twitching midair as he restrained urge to enter.
The chirurgeon, an tiny old man by the name of Arber, had been in there for hours now, with no word in Jessamin's condition. Jack feared to interrupt, he already felt responsible for insisting she stay at the helm while he went below. With a sigh he clenched his hands and reversed direction.
A minute later the door opened and Arber's wizened figure motioned him inside. Jack jumped to follow.
"She rests now, the bleeding has stopped and I can do nothing more to ease her pain."
On the bed Jessamin's still form lay , bandages encased her torso, welts of red and deep purple bruising marred her snow pale skin.
"Will she live?" Jack whispered.
"Aye, she will. Though how nothing vital managed to get damaged I'll never know. She's got a large puncture on her side that caused most of the blood loss, at least a few cracked ribs, surface contusions throughout her chest, and numerous lacerations from flying debris." Arber shook his head. Now will you be staying here then? Someone needs to keep an eye on the petit one."
At Jack's nod he continued.
"Keep her still, if she moves overly much she can tear the wound. That happens, send someone to fetch me from below. Sefu will send someone in with a special broth, try to get as much down her as you can. Other than that - she needs to rest and heal." he instructed.
As Arber shut the door with a silent click Jack pulled a chair close to Jessamin's bed.
"So it's just you and me now darling, whether you fancy my company or not."
He traced his fingers along the tips of hers, but she lay there silent and unresponsive, breath barely rising in her chest.
Sitting there in the silence Jack felt his eyes droop, when was the last time he had slept. Well might as well get a little shut eye while he could. Settling deeper into the plush chair he tipped his hat and relaxed.
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A piercing scream shattered the silence, waking Jack. He jumped up in alarm and searched the room for possible danger. Nothing had changed, the room was dark except for the candles on the bedside table.
"Noooo!" Jess whimpered and tossed in her sleep.
Jack rushed to her side and grabbed her flailing hand.
"Jess, wake up pet, it's just a dream."
"No Stop.. papa I'm so sorry... didn't mean to.. please please!" she mumbled and another scream tore from her spasming chest.
Jack grabbed her shoulders and tried to pin her down, at this rate she was going to tear her wounds open again. "WAKE UP JESS" he yelled loudly into her ear.
"No no no ... make it stop .make it go away ." tears poured down her face and the thrashing eased slightly.
Jack continued to shake her, "Just a dream, come back to me Jess, open your eyes!"
"So dark, so cold. papa, why me?" she whispered. She was just trembling now, tears continued to fall like drops of silver upon her pillow.
"Shh, shh easy now, open your eyes." He stroked her hair and brushed the remaining tears from her face. Slowly the trembling stopped and her breathing slowed.
With a sign her lids fluttered open and twin pools of violet stared back at him. Pain and confusion evident in her gaze.
"What? Where am I?" she tried to sit up and gasped.
"No, stay down. You've got a impressively huge wound in your side and a few cracked ribs. or don't you remember?
"Mmmh, somewhat. How long have I been asleep?"
"Several hours I think, kinda lost track when I took a nap myself. Would've been out longer if not for your raging nightmare." He took her hand in his. "Do you remember any of it?"
She looked away. Did she remember it? Only to well. She wondered how much he really heard.
"If you don't want to talk about it." he soothed. Looked like she was going to shut him out again. "Look, you still need your rest. I'll just go back.."
"No, stay." she interrupted. With an effort she rolled to her unwounded side, glaring at Jack before he could protest. "Trust me, it's easier to breathe this way. " she took a deep breath. "Jack, I."
A knock at the door interrupted them.
Jack moved to open it, it was Sefu with a bowl of broth.
"I heard voices, is she up to eating?
"Yes, I am up. What horrid concoction are you going to try shoving down my gullet today - let me guess, old family recipe?"
Sefu laughed. "Of course it is, and you wouldn't have to suffer through it if you would stop getting into trouble. But I'm not feeding it to you - Jack gets that honor!" he winked and turned to Jack "Best of luck to you, you'll need it." With that he beat a hasty retreat.
Holding the bowl of broth Jack turned and cocked an eyebrow.
Jess smiled weakly. "I am notorious for being a difficult patient, and Sefu's home remedies are exceptionally vile. Though I must admit they are effective." She gestured for him to come closer. "I promise I'll be good - this time."
"Is that a promise then? Cause I really wouldn't mind seeing you misbehave." Jack teased as he sat down on the bed beside her.
"Jack?"
"Yes luv?"
"I'm so tired of fighting." A tear slid down her cheek. "The dreams, they just return to haunt me."
"Hush, I'll be right here." He said as he set the still full bowl on the side table.
"Promise?" She was so very tired.
"You have my word, I'll not leave unless you ask it." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
Jess closed her eyes, her voice barely a whisper "Will you hold me?"
"Anything"
Jack went around to the other side of the bed and lay down with his chest to her back. He let his arm drape over her hip, so as not to put weight on her injured waist.
She snuggled closer, her body warm against his. It wasn't long before Jess drifted back off to sleep.
Jack didn't think he was likely to do the same.
Next: Chapter 7 - Confessions Hey folks - sorry, this one was a little shorter than I intended. I've got to catch a plane but wanted to get this up before I left. The next chapter should be out in a day or so!
I'll be out of town until the 5th folks, so it might be a little longer between chapters - no worries though - I will still be writing and updating during the trip! ( Thanks, everyone for your input - it helps.
-------------------------------------------------------
Jack paced the stateroom, he had long lost count how many times he had covered it's length. Anything was better than sitting in one place though. For the tenth time he hovered near the door to her chamber, fingers twitching midair as he restrained urge to enter.
The chirurgeon, an tiny old man by the name of Arber, had been in there for hours now, with no word in Jessamin's condition. Jack feared to interrupt, he already felt responsible for insisting she stay at the helm while he went below. With a sigh he clenched his hands and reversed direction.
A minute later the door opened and Arber's wizened figure motioned him inside. Jack jumped to follow.
"She rests now, the bleeding has stopped and I can do nothing more to ease her pain."
On the bed Jessamin's still form lay , bandages encased her torso, welts of red and deep purple bruising marred her snow pale skin.
"Will she live?" Jack whispered.
"Aye, she will. Though how nothing vital managed to get damaged I'll never know. She's got a large puncture on her side that caused most of the blood loss, at least a few cracked ribs, surface contusions throughout her chest, and numerous lacerations from flying debris." Arber shook his head. Now will you be staying here then? Someone needs to keep an eye on the petit one."
At Jack's nod he continued.
"Keep her still, if she moves overly much she can tear the wound. That happens, send someone to fetch me from below. Sefu will send someone in with a special broth, try to get as much down her as you can. Other than that - she needs to rest and heal." he instructed.
As Arber shut the door with a silent click Jack pulled a chair close to Jessamin's bed.
"So it's just you and me now darling, whether you fancy my company or not."
He traced his fingers along the tips of hers, but she lay there silent and unresponsive, breath barely rising in her chest.
Sitting there in the silence Jack felt his eyes droop, when was the last time he had slept. Well might as well get a little shut eye while he could. Settling deeper into the plush chair he tipped his hat and relaxed.
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A piercing scream shattered the silence, waking Jack. He jumped up in alarm and searched the room for possible danger. Nothing had changed, the room was dark except for the candles on the bedside table.
"Noooo!" Jess whimpered and tossed in her sleep.
Jack rushed to her side and grabbed her flailing hand.
"Jess, wake up pet, it's just a dream."
"No Stop.. papa I'm so sorry... didn't mean to.. please please!" she mumbled and another scream tore from her spasming chest.
Jack grabbed her shoulders and tried to pin her down, at this rate she was going to tear her wounds open again. "WAKE UP JESS" he yelled loudly into her ear.
"No no no ... make it stop .make it go away ." tears poured down her face and the thrashing eased slightly.
Jack continued to shake her, "Just a dream, come back to me Jess, open your eyes!"
"So dark, so cold. papa, why me?" she whispered. She was just trembling now, tears continued to fall like drops of silver upon her pillow.
"Shh, shh easy now, open your eyes." He stroked her hair and brushed the remaining tears from her face. Slowly the trembling stopped and her breathing slowed.
With a sign her lids fluttered open and twin pools of violet stared back at him. Pain and confusion evident in her gaze.
"What? Where am I?" she tried to sit up and gasped.
"No, stay down. You've got a impressively huge wound in your side and a few cracked ribs. or don't you remember?
"Mmmh, somewhat. How long have I been asleep?"
"Several hours I think, kinda lost track when I took a nap myself. Would've been out longer if not for your raging nightmare." He took her hand in his. "Do you remember any of it?"
She looked away. Did she remember it? Only to well. She wondered how much he really heard.
"If you don't want to talk about it." he soothed. Looked like she was going to shut him out again. "Look, you still need your rest. I'll just go back.."
"No, stay." she interrupted. With an effort she rolled to her unwounded side, glaring at Jack before he could protest. "Trust me, it's easier to breathe this way. " she took a deep breath. "Jack, I."
A knock at the door interrupted them.
Jack moved to open it, it was Sefu with a bowl of broth.
"I heard voices, is she up to eating?
"Yes, I am up. What horrid concoction are you going to try shoving down my gullet today - let me guess, old family recipe?"
Sefu laughed. "Of course it is, and you wouldn't have to suffer through it if you would stop getting into trouble. But I'm not feeding it to you - Jack gets that honor!" he winked and turned to Jack "Best of luck to you, you'll need it." With that he beat a hasty retreat.
Holding the bowl of broth Jack turned and cocked an eyebrow.
Jess smiled weakly. "I am notorious for being a difficult patient, and Sefu's home remedies are exceptionally vile. Though I must admit they are effective." She gestured for him to come closer. "I promise I'll be good - this time."
"Is that a promise then? Cause I really wouldn't mind seeing you misbehave." Jack teased as he sat down on the bed beside her.
"Jack?"
"Yes luv?"
"I'm so tired of fighting." A tear slid down her cheek. "The dreams, they just return to haunt me."
"Hush, I'll be right here." He said as he set the still full bowl on the side table.
"Promise?" She was so very tired.
"You have my word, I'll not leave unless you ask it." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
Jess closed her eyes, her voice barely a whisper "Will you hold me?"
"Anything"
Jack went around to the other side of the bed and lay down with his chest to her back. He let his arm drape over her hip, so as not to put weight on her injured waist.
She snuggled closer, her body warm against his. It wasn't long before Jess drifted back off to sleep.
Jack didn't think he was likely to do the same.
Next: Chapter 7 - Confessions Hey folks - sorry, this one was a little shorter than I intended. I've got to catch a plane but wanted to get this up before I left. The next chapter should be out in a day or so!