"Pain and foolishness lead to great bliss and complete knowledge, for eternal wisdom created nothing under the sun in vain."
-Kahlil Gibran
Chapter Ten
Chester quickly removes his jacket and presses it to my chest. My breath is coming in heavy painful bursts, and my hands are shaking wildly. I can feel all the color drain from my cheeks.
"Can you get up?" Chester asks gently.
"We can't leave," I look at him like he's crazy and crush the fabric to my bust even harder. I'm losing a lot of blood, and fast. I know we should leave, it'll be better for me if we leave now, but I can't leave Jack here. I just can't.
Chester's eyes weigh in on me. "Andie, what's wrong with you? You can't be thinking about waiting for him to come back, you could die!"
I glare at him. "I've been shot before, Chester," I breathe, wincing as the weight of my hand sends a sudden sharp pain through my veins. "And it didn't kill me then. I'll be fine," I press.
He shakes his head, anger on his face. But I know he's just worried about me; and I'm thankful for that. But I'm still not going to leave Jack. "Andie, shot wounds may not be more than a thorn in your side, but you're losing too much blood. And that's something that you can't just brush off!"
I'm suddenly silent. I don't know what to do!
"You can't save him if you don't save yourself," Chester warns me quietly. And he has a point.
"Okay," I utter, "Let's go."
Chester tries his best to help me up gently, but any movement is painful. "Can you walk?" he questions with worried eyes.
"I think so," I say, as he wraps a secure arm about my waist. This will be the longest walk to anywhere in my life.
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The moment we walk through the back doors of the tavern, people turn to stare at us. Thank God that it's late and most all the barmaids are sleeping soundly in their rooms.
I let out a painful cry as I almost trip over my own feet, too tired to walk any further. I can't tell how deep the bullets are, but my blood is everywhere.
"Robin?" Mercy rushes to me and cups my cheek.
"Hi, Mercy," I breathe, "How's it going?"
She takes a look at me from my old boots to my bloody clothing, my stained hand clutching my boss's jacket to my wounds, and my damp hair sticking to my skin. "What the hell happened to you!" she exclaims, while helping Chester aid me to the washing room.
"It's nothing," I say.
But they both lay me easily onto the cool surface of the small oaken table in the corner of the room, placing me so my back and head are flat against the tabletop. Mercy takes Chester's jacket from my slack hand and orders him to fetch a pot of boiling water.
"And tell Sadie to bring in some rum and linen, as well!" she shouts after him.
"Jack's still back there," I say, feeling more than guilty for leaving him. I know he can make his way back to the tavern, but he went after that man by himself. What if there is more of them? What if this was my opportunity to help him, the entire point to the mission, and I've failed? "He went after him."
"Who?" she asks, trying to undo the bodice of my dress with nervous fingers. I whimper as she hits a particular raw spot, and she apologizes quietly. The top of my dress is completely soaked.
"The man who shot me," I breathe. Sleep is starting to sound really good right about now, and my eyes begin to flutter closed.
"No, stay awake," the blonde orders, "Tell me what happened."
Suddenly the door opens and Chester walks in, a pot of steaming water in both hands.
"Is Jack back yet?" I question him.
Chester shakes his head. "Don't worry about Jack, all right? He'll be fine, I guarantee it."
Mercy finally gets my ebony bodice undone and motions for Chester to turn his back. He does so without a fight. My friend peels it off, earning a cry from me, although I try my best to be silent. But considering I hurt like hell, it's a bit difficult.
There's chatter outside the door as my friend quickly wraps a towel around my chest. Chester goes to the door and swings it open, revealing Emmet and two other barmaids.
I close my eyes, ready for sleep to take me by the hand.
"Close the door," Mercy tells him. "And tell them to hush. Flustering about isn't going to help any."
He does what she says, but right before the door clicks shut, a strong weathered hand pushes it back open. Jack shoves his way through Emmet and the girls, and immediately rushes to my side. "How is she?" He asks Mercy.
"She'll be fine if we can get these bullets out and stop the bleeding." She tears the linen into long strips and then tosses them into the boiling water.
"She can hear you," I state most sarcastically. I can also hear Chester trying to calm everyone down as he slips from the room.
Jack tenderly pushes the hair back from my face. "What can I do?" he questions.
"Keep her awake," the blonde replies.
I clutch a hand to the collar of his coat. "This is worse than a fever," I confess.
Jack smiles. "Aye, 'tis."
"Where is Sadie with those linens?" Mercy angrily wonders aloud.
I start to feel drowsy again, but Jack doesn't let me slip. "Keep those eyes open, darling," he orders. I've never heard his voice sound so tender yet nervous.
"Did you catch him?" I suddenly ask.
He knows exactly who I'm speaking of. "I got 'em," he says with a grin. "He should be in some help for your mission as well."
"Good," I breathe. But Mercy is suddenly dabbing at my wounds with a rum soaked cloth and I cannot help but hiss and dig my nails deeper into his deep blue coat. "Bloody hell, that hurts!" I cringe.
Moments later, my eyes begin to flutter shut again, the pain becoming too much. "Look at me," Jack directs, taking a gentle hold of my chin so my hazel eyes meet with his. "Talk to me, savvy? Ye have to stay awake."
Mercy leans over me with something unseen in her hand. "Hold her down, Jack."
"Hold me down? Wait a secon-" I cry out as a stinging sensation and white hot pain rushes to my chest as she works to remove the bullets, prying and poking at the flesh.
"Talk to me about what happened, Andie," Jack directs his hands strong on my arm and shoulder. "Ye got shot in the exact two places that I did the last time I was here. That's a little strange, wouldn't ye agree?"
"Remember when you said that your stop here had nothing to do with my mission?" I ask, gasping as Mercy's ministrations are nothing but adding to the pain.
"Yes, I remember."
"Well, you're a bloody idiot, Sparrow, because I was right."
I'm not even sure if Jack responds to my quip because suddenly a tight burning sensation fills me from my chest to my toes. "Got one," Mercy announces quietly. "Almost done, Robin. Just one more. Hang in there just a bit longer, okay?"
Suddenly Sadie bursts in, carrying two bottles of rum and an armful of white linen.
"It's about time!" Mercy says, "Where have you been?"
"Getting the things you asked for, of course." She said smartly, setting down the bottles and such. Helping her boss without being asked, Sadie gathers up my crimson stained clothing and holds them up to my face. "See what I mean, Robin? Tainted."
I start to launch at her, but Jack holds me back as she walks out the door, smiling and swinging her hips.
"Ignore her, darling," Jack tells me, still holding me down with strong arms while Mercy leans over my form once more.
I continue my strangling grip on Jack's clothing, whimpering as the pain is absolutely unbearable. "Jack, I'm going to get the drunkest I've ever been after this," I confess, "And you're going to get drunk with me."
He laughs. "It's a plan, love."
And a moment later I let lose a strangled cry as the second and last bullet is practically torn from my chest.
"Got it!"
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Emmet has closed and locked the door to the tavern. No more customers today!
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Mercy asks as I enter through the back double doors.
"I'm not tired," I reply. But even after a few long hours of sleep, I'm still feeling a little fatigued. Would I mention that to her? Of course not.
There's a man strangely tied to a chair in the corner of the room, hands held behind his back and feet roped together, thanks to Jack and Emmet. And I have no doubts to who he is.
Jack must see the peeved and determined look on my face as I approach the man, silent and a little sickly looking, because the pirate jumps down from his seat on one of the tabletops. "Andie-"
But I ignore him. I waltz right over to the guy and send a hefty punch right to the middle of his face. "You're lucky I don't pull a pistol out on you!" I snap. "What was that for, anyway? I didn't do anything to you!"
A blot of bright red blood glistens on his plump bottom lip as his mouth opens to speak.
"We're not gonna get anythin' done if ye beat the shit outta him," Jack comments.
"Do you suggest we do it your way?" I ask sarcastically. "Do you even have a way?"
He grins suggestively. "I don't have this reputation for nothin', love. I have many ways." And I know he's not talking about his pirating skills.
"You're in the wrong profession, Sparrow," I say, and then turn back to the man sitting miserably quiet in front of me. "What's your name?"
"Knox," he replies. I don't ask his last name simply because I don't care.
"All right, Knox, you wanna tell me why you bloody shot me!" He looks at me for a long moment, to Jack, and then back to me again. I sigh. "Don't make me go get a sharp object."
Knox cringes. "I'm supposed to keep people away from the cottage."
I scoff. "So why did you only shoot me? There were three of us there."
"Usually everyone else runs off after the first shot," he explains.
"Better yet," Jack cuts in, "Why are ye keepin' people away from that cottage?"
Knox stays quiet and stares lifelessly at his shoes.
I raise my fist, more than willing to pound him once more, but Jack catches me tightly by the wrist.
"Robin," Mercy says from behind us, "You can't just hit him in order to get all the answers."
I look at her as though she is insane. "Sure I can!"
But Jack doesn't release his hold on me. "Ye don't want me to let 'er go, do ye, mate? Cause she can be a real hellcat when she's angry, trust me. If ye think that was a skull breaking punch. . . well, I'd hate to see what she'd do to ye next."
Knox grows a bit more nervous, but still says nothing.
"Fine, do it your way," Jack submits.
I smile happily before hitting Knox again, right in the jaw, but he still refuses to talk. "My hand is getting kind of tired. You want to hand me your knife, Sparrow?"
"With pleasure," the pirate replies, and reaches towards his right boot.
Thankfully, this is enough persuasion for Knox. I suppose some people just have a low tolerance for pain. "Because they can't afford for anyone to interfere."
I shoot him a questioning glance. "Interfere with what?"
"Rasing the dead."
He's got to be joking! "If you're lying to me, I swear. . ."
But Jack seems to catch on right away. "I think he's telling us the truth. Think about it, Andie; didn't ye say the Phoenix represents resurrection?"
"And life after death," I complete. "Dammit, why can't I have a normal mission for once?"
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By late afternoon, I feel great. The blistering pain in my chest is gone, and I'm itching for a good fight. There is such an advantage to life when you heal so fast. Most supernaturally fast. And after getting enough information out of Knox, I excuse myself from the main tavern to venture up to the attic.
I remove the sash from my waist and slide the shirt I'm wearing off easily and toss it nonchalantly onto the bed. I dip a rag into the small water basin sitting on my desk in order to clean off some dried blood and such from my flesh, when I hear feet coming up the steps. A mischievous smile takes my lips.
Jack doesn't knock on the door, but instead walks right in. Even with my back to him, it's clear to the both of us that I am not fazed by his impolite entrance.
Still smirking, I cover my chest with one arm and look at him over my shoulder. He stares back at me, not saying a word. "What's the matter, Sparrow?" I tease, "Cat caught your tongue?"
Jack swallows hard, his gaze quite ablaze. "You need help with that?" he asks, but his husky voice isn't as suggestive as I had expected.
The pirate prowls stealthily over to the desk and takes the crisp white linen from my hand, his fingertips brushing mine. His eyes don't meet mine but I can see how the deep brown irises have grown darker, almost black. Jack gently, almost too gentle, brings it to my chest, seemingly ignoring the fact that I'm topless, the only boundary between himself and my bare breasts is my arm.
But the rum doesn't sting. In fact, the only thing making me uncomfortable about the sensation is the cold temperature of it, and overall, the sexual tension between Jack and I. He feels my hazel orbs on him, the heat of my gaze on his skin, and looks up to match his eyes with my own. I subconsciously wet my lips, needing to feel his mouth on mine, but Jack doesn't comply. A small grin lifts at his lips; he's teasing me.
His eyes lower once again to his hand, gently cleaning the blood and grime from my skin, but something causes him to go still. I look down, only to see that the open wound has completely closed and cleared up, leaving nothing, not even a scar in it's wake.
Jack raises his hand, running fingers over the bare flesh, clean, thanks to his gentle scrubbing. His eyes are so surprised they appear almost bewildered. When he looks up to question me, I smile.
"I heal fast," I explain.
"Andie, you were shot twice last night. Shot. And those were not shallow wounds." He looks at me like I'm crazy. And I am. I'm completely insane.
"Flesh wounds are nothing. Remember how I told you about the Signs of Athena?" I ask. "This is part of that. Cuts heal up within minutes, while deeper wounds take only hours."
He looks upon the unblemished skin for a long moment, and then his eyes meet mine again. "Ye, darling, are the strangest, most unusual woman I have ever met." His face moves closer to mine as he tosses the rag back into the small wash basin without even looking. The material soaks up the surrounding water instantly, just as I want to absorb this pirate before me. I want him to take every part of me, every unusual attribute and sarcastic quip, and I him.
I smile most seductively. "And that's why you're attracted to me, Jack Sparrow."
He raises an eyebrow. "Is it now?"
I nod. "It's a certain ora. There's something about it that draws people to avail." As I speak, I watch his lips, so inviting as he does the same.
Jack leans forward, his mouth only centimeters from mine. He's so close that I can feel the heat of his skin and the breath from his lungs. "I don't think so," he says, "I think it's just ye."
God, I love this story! I can't stop writing! I can't stop updating! And I know it's probably driving all of you nuts because you can't keep up, so I'm sorry. But I'm so excited! If I have a pretty set idea of what I'm going to write, I lock myself in my computer room, sit down, turn on some great music, and I'll write for hours. And considering it's Spring Break, I have enough time to write a chapter a day, practically. I like to stay up late as well, which is always a great time for new ideas to develop.
I hope you all are well.
P.S. Send me a review, please!
Cap'n of the Deep: Haha thanks for posting your review within a review. I've never read "The Alleluia Files", but you're right, the quotes are pretty similar Maybe I'll think about checking that out. Is it worth it? And no worries, your review made perfect sense!
AJ-Sparrow: Haha I liked her reaction to. I love this character, she's so much fun to write with all her sarcasm and strange behavior.
Funkyflamingo, SuperMonkey289, Istani, & Crystal Blue Dry Ice: Enjoy, my lovelys!
CaptainMarySparrow: Your reviews aren't lame, they make me laugh!
A Depp Girl: Haha and I enjoy being a tease! Thanks, darling.
Orlando's Hot Chick: Alright the reliving thing; Five months ago Jack and his crew stopped in Helena Port (the port their at right now in the story), and he was shot twice in the chest. And I think I said it was a week or so before they docked there, he had also caught a really bad fever. Considering that Andie both caught the same fever and was shot twice in the same two places, this insists that something very important happened to Jack and in Helena Port. It's sort of guiding her to the right place with the right people. Considering her job, this means that whatever this thing is, needs her attention. It's what she's meant to stop. Does that make sense?
LoLoMo: Thanks for noticing the details about the Phoenix, I worked really hard on that lol.
Lyra Potter: Haha, yes, she is very smart! I suppose she's just used to it, considering her job. Yeah, I think the Phoenix and it's many backgrounds are really cool. I'm glad to see that you also know a bit about them. And no worries, I am planning on revealing Andie's real name; have been since the beginning. I'm just waiting for the opportune moment, as Jack would say. And about the profile thing; I noticed that a lot of authors were posting a longer description for their stories, along with a few quotes from their reviewers. I thought it was a pretty nice idea. You should feel special!