CHAPTER THIRTY: SHE NEEDS A NAME
Anamaria was at the helm for the night and Will was supposed to be taking over for her once the sun was up. She was watching for him at the first sight at the light on the horizon, and that's when her eyes crossed the figure asleep in the hammock. Will was just leaving his cabin at that point, and he noticed Jack asleep as well. Smiling, he left him there with his daughter.
The crew began rustling awake soon after, and Jack, too came awake. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and then he shook his head and stood, still holding the baby.
Jack went to his cabin immediately. Gibbs was in the process of checking Sunni and seemed very surprised to see Jack holding the baby.
"How's she doing?" Jack asked, feeling like that's the only question that ever came out of his mouth.
"She's got a fever," Gibbs sighed deflatedly. "You might want to keep the baby out of here, today."
"How should I feed her?"
"Elizabeth will have some bottles."
Jack nodded and left to find his sister-in-law.
After feeding his daughter, he strode around the deck with her, a proud father, displaying the baby for all of the crew to see. It was the first time any of them had seen the girl.
"What are ye goin' ta name her?" Perch asked, stroking her tufts of hair.
Jack shook his head. "Gotta wait til Sunni's better to decide on a name," he said.
The men fell silent, having heard how bad of condition Sunni was in.
"She is beautiful," Harry changed the subject. He reached out with one finger and Jack's daughter grabbed onto it. "Strong grip," he observed.
Jack smiled. "She's a Sparrow, aren't ye, luv?"
"She's tiny," Johnny said, standing on a crate to see. He was no more than a tiny toddler himself, barely balancing on the crate. "I was never that small."
"Oh, yes ye were, mate," Jack smiled, a few of his gold caps glittering in the sun for the first time in a long time. "I remember it very distinctly. 'Twas just afore Sunni an' I were married. Come, give yer cousin a kiss."
Johnny leaned over, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder to steady himself and then leaned over to kiss his cousin on the cheek.
"She's pretty," he said to Jack. "I'll protect 'er."
The men around chuckled and Jack patted his nephew on the back, nearly sending him toppling off the crate.
"It's time for her nap," Jack declared, the men around him groaning. "An' it's time fer ye men ta get back ta work!" They scurried away to return to their chores. Jack took his daughter to the Turner's cabin and then went to see his wife.
Her forehead was wet, but she was awake.
"Hey," Jack called quietly, sitting next to her in bed. "You're eyes are finally open when I'm in the room. I thought it was some kind of evil plan to avoid me."
Sunni smiled. "I think th' fever's breakin', Jack. I think I'm goin' ta make it."
Jack tried not to let his relief show. "Well, there was no doubt in my mind, luv."
"Ye were worried, I know it," she teased him.
"How do ye feel?" Jack asked, his facing turning serious.
"Eh," she shrugged, closing her eyes, tired again.
"How about a little rum, an' then a nap?"
"Sure," she sighed, having trouble keeping her eyes open. "How's our baby?"
"Beautiful, just like her mother."
"Do I have to come close to death to get your to be sweet an' romantic?"
"How about ye never do that again, savvy?" he handed her a cup of rum. "Go on, finish it off. It'll dull yer pain and put ye straight ta sleep."
Sunni barely finished the cup before she was sleeping. Jack just smiled, feeling more confident that his wife was going to recover. He still wished he could actually talk to her for longer than five minutes and she drift off, but he took what he could get.
Jack found himself in Sunni's hammock with his daughter on his chest again after supper. The sun was already sinking below the waves.
"Are ye hungry?" he asked her, when she started getting restless and cranky. There was a jar of smashed applesauce next to the hammock that Jack had brought up from supper. He reached down, sticking his pinky finger in it, and then let his daughter suck it off.
Inside the cabin, Sunni sat up in bed, surprising Gibbs who just walked in from supper. "Ms. Sunni! What are ye doin'? Lie back down."
"Mr. Gibbs, I've been lying on my ass for th' last two or three days. Quite frankly, I'm sick of this room. I feel better, will you please take me outside?"
"No, absolutely not-"
"Gibbs, this is the Caribbean, it's just as warm out there as it is in here. I'm not going to catch my death cold out there, please, I just want fresh air."
"You had a fever earlier today-"
"But it's gone. Please, I haven't been able to see my baby at all today. Let me outside? Please?"
Gibbs frowned. "Ye can't walk. And after examining you, I'm afraid you might be getting an infection."
"So carry me!"
Huffing, Mr. Gibbs threw a sheet over her and then scooped her up. "If th' Cap'n throws a fit, it was yer idea," he told her.
Sunni smiled and nodded.
Outside, Jack was already asleep with his daughter on his chest. Sunni grinned, seeing the two on her hammock. It was such a sweet, serene scene, it almost brought tears to her eyes. Gibbs set his patient on the crate next to the hammock and left to get her some food.
Sunni reached over to stroke her daughter's hair. The little girl awoke and smiled at her mother. Then, she turned to her father and tugged on one of the braids of his beard, as if to say, "Wake up, Mommy's here."
Jack groaned and inched his eyes open. His daughter was on his chest, staring up at him. A slow smile formed on his lips and leaned down to kiss her on the top of her head. That's when he saw a small hand with a diamond ring on his baby's back.
"Hi, Jack," Sunni smiled.
"Yer alive," he observed.
"I'm alive. Alive an' movin'."
Jack scooted over on the hammock, making room for her. "This is th' first time I get ta lie with both my women."
Sunni carefully maneuvered herself onto the hammock, her legs very weak, but making it. Jack wrapped an arm around her and she cuddled into his side, feeling safe and secure for the first time in a long time.
After a long moment of silence, Sunni whispered, "Gibbs fears I'm getting an infection. That's the cause of the fever."
Jack didn't say anything, he just held her tighter. "You're fever's gone," he said after a moment.
Sunni sighed. "I think there is an infection."
"Why?"
"I can't walk."
"You couldn't walk before," Jack pointed out.
"I should be able to without a load on my stomach."
"Give it time, luv," Jack said, kissing the top of her head.
"We need to name her," Sunni interrupted the silence after a while.
"We can't agree on any names," Jack chuckled, loving having Sunni next to him.
"Let's see, we had picked out Karli, Kylie an' Ali, right?" Sunni studied her daughter. "She don't look like any of those."
Jack looked at the baby thoughtfully. "What was your mother's name, luv?"
Sunni was startled. "My mum? Her name was Madison."
Jack nodded slowly. "How about Madeline? An' Marie as a middle name?"
Sunni swallowed. "That's beautiful. . . that's kind, Jack. Very sweet."
"I like it," Jack nodded.
"How about," Sunni said, "how about we make her first name Madeline Marie, an' her middle name Jacquelyn?"
Jack smiled. "Really?"
"Yeah. Tomorrow, we'll introduce Madeline Marie Jacquelyn Sparrow to th' crew."
"What do ye think, Maddy?" Jack asked, holding his daughter's hand. She gurgled. "I think that's a nod of approval."
As the night fell darker, Jack took his daughter back to their cabin, before returning outside to carry his wife back. They slept entwined in each other's embrace all night. Miraculously, Maddy slept all through the night.
"Where's Jack?" Will asked, looking around. The entire crew was gathered on the deck of the ship. Jack had ordered every man and woman to be standing at attention, ready for an important announcement. The Cap'n, however, was nowhere to be found.
"I don't know," Gibbs shrugged, looking around. "He's late for th' meeting he called himself."
A door opened, though, attracting the attention of the entire ship. Jack stepped from his cabin, carrying his daughter in the crook of one arm. His other arm was wrapped around Sunni as she walked out of the cabin as well, fully supported by her husband. A cheer went up across the deck.
Jack allowed it to continue on for a while, until he finally motioned for them to quiet down. Sunni was smiling uncontrollably. "Gentlemen!" Jack called out. "An' ladies!" The noise quieted down. "As th' cap'n of your ship, an' a new father, I have th' honor, as well as my wife, to introduce to ye our daughter."
Sunni took a deep breath, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Madeline Marie Jacquelyn Sparrow to the Black Pearl."
