author's note: I'm back from holiday with a new chapter. Thanks to my only reviewer so far
ellenar: thanks a lot for your review. It really means a lot to me as it was you who inspired me to write this. Even if no one else reads my story I'll go on as I have to (I didn't go on holiday with a two kilo weighting dictonary for no reason at all, aye?)
3. The rescue: a few problems
"You want me do to what?" Gibbs gasped.
The Jewel Star had anchored at a beautiful Jamaican bay with a river flowing into and now they stood on a beach at its mouth surrounded with nothing but jungle. Scarlett looked at Marris in a faked state of bewilderment.
"Ups, have I changed into Cantonese again?" She turned back to Gibbs, staring at him coldly. "Now, mate, which part of 'we'll take a walk through the jungle' you didn't understand?"
"Got it all." Gibbs reassured her without feeling any better. "But why to we have to walk through the jungle? Why don't we just..."
"...sail right into Port Royal and bomb the whole place into pieces?" Scarlett finished his sentence sardonically. "Ah, brilliant idea- but why not sending a letter to Commodore Norrington that we're about to free the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow?"
"Um..."
"Mr. Gibbs, you've wanted to come with us- it was neither that we've asked ye to nor that we ever wanted ye to. But as yer here with us now, I recommend that you'd better keep your mouth shut and do whatever I'll tell ye 'cause I know precisely what I'm up to, savvy." Her eyes were close to freezing point when they fixed his. "Should you therefore favour to stay aboard the Jewel- well, it's up to you. Luckily I've no reason to doubt my crew's loyalty as I know damned well that they'd never let ye sail away with me ship if I'd ever fall behind."
She continued to make her way without looking back, following a hidden path that lead straight into the jungle The dim twilight of trees that stood like a cathedral's colonnade crowned with a roof of green leaves high above soon swallowed her. But the jungle certainly lacked the reverent silence of a cathedral as there was a cacophony of different background voices, a permanent crackle, hustle and bustle of startled animals scurrying away in the undergrowth when they walked by. The never-ending rustle in the branches of squawking birds and irritated chattering monkeys accompanied them on their way to Port Royal, yet all drowning it was only the monotone orchestra of chirping cicadas.
After several hours of hard march through the jungle and most of the time walking up and down ranges of hills, they finally reached the top on a hill overlooking Port Royal. The sun was already sinking behind them. Resting for a moment Gibbs struggled for breath and enough courage to get something sorted out with Rowan Scarlett.
"One thing, Captain Scarlett, I'm not a mutineer, never was- and despite the fact that I'd kept to a code without considerin' the consequences for Jack, I've spent most of last year's time trying to make up to him as I really like me Captain. I've tried me best to keep away all these troubles he'd liked to run into by all means of his typical high-handedness, tried to change his crew from a bunch of scabby dogs into a hard working 'n loyal one to avoid him getting into more problems than he could arouse by just being himself- if you know what I mean."
"Guess I know." she had to admit with a smile, tapping his shoulders. "You're cute, Mr. Gibbs. Though you think I'm the personification of frightful bad luck you still want me to have a better opinion of you. How's that? Is it 'cause the skies won't haven fallen yet?"
"It's only for Jack, to save him." he mumbled but shook her hand when she offered it to him.
"Well, we're all here for the same reason, aren't we?"
-
The bell of St. Paul's rang ten times when Scarlett, Gibbs and Marris finally entered Port Royal after they'd spent some time at that hill waiting for the night to fall deeply over the town. Now it was almost quiet with a few distant noises occasionally drifting by from the harbour.
Suddenly they heard the harsh footsteps of soldiers on patrol and hid in the shadows of a large bougainvillea-bush to seek shelter. However, the soldiers just walked by chatting as if there wouldn't be any reason to be on the alert. Didn't they expect any escape attempt of their most infamous prisoner? Or did they just refuse to believe that any pirate would try to break Captain Jack Sparrow out of jail by land?
Rowan wondered about that, and she wondered even more when she saw a bill sticking on the walls of Fort Charles announcing next Sunday's executions. Jack's name was not in the list. But why does Commodore Norrington keep a secret in capturing the most wanted fugitive of the Caribbean when he should be proud enough to boast about? She didn't know.
They waited a while to be sure all was save before heading for the jail. Of course, they couldn't just walk in straight, passing the keeper and asking him politely for Jack but there was also no need to violent things as there always was a back entrance to everything. This special one to the jail was situated unguarded in an alley, just waiting for them to enter; so they did.
It was easy to find the dungeon, as they'd only have to follow the smell of soaked straw and unwashed bodies of people penned up in cells like cattle. And, there were many people imprisoned though only a few had committed serious crimes, most were just held for minor offences. Where laws were unjust, it was pretty easy to break them. Therefore, the atmosphere was as gloomy as it could be; torches threw fleeing shadows on the walls, painting it all in a dim twilight.
"Look for Sparrow, quick!" Scarlett ordered shocked while she went in search of keys. It probably won't take long and the noise of outraged prisoners begging for help would bring the keepers into the arena.
It was Gibbs who finally found Captain Jack Sparrow. He was held captive in a dark hole at the end of the corridor, so tightly locked in chains that he didn't have the slightest chance to move.
"Jack!" worried about his Captain's well-beings he rattled at the bars of his cell though it seemed very unlikely to open them without a key. "We'll get you outta there, Captain, I promise."
Jack slightly lifted his head, blinked an eye and closed it again as the flickering torchlight caused him pain. He tried to remember what Will's once said about the construction of these cells.
"Half. Half planted... no... plugged, progressive..." Forgotten. Frustrated he mumbled." ...an' the bloody keys probably run off again..."
At that moment, a pitiful yelp was to be heard and deceased the same time. Scarlett came round the corner, an evil grin in the corners of her mouth, holding a blood-dripping cutlass in one hand and in her other a tinkling set of keys. She pushed herself past Gibbs, opened the door and stepped into the cell.
"Oh... lovely red-wine fairy from Tortuga hastenin' to rescue me!" Jack Sparrow gasped in utterly surprise, surely not expecting her to be here but dealing the situation in his own special way. "Didn't know you'd miss me that much... 'n I'm surely awfully sorry, luv... but I've had no chance to take a bath yet."
"Well, I'm willing to take the state you're in as an excuse."
"Yer so sweet. But, now. Please. Be so kind..." Rattling on his chains he reminded her that she'd come for his rescue and not for small talk. "...Royal Navy's hospitality isn't what it's used to be."
She could perfectly imagine a cheeky smile flashing up his face when she had to outstretch against him to reach the locks of his chains and free him with her body pressed tightly to his own. Of course, he misused the moment to sink right into her arms.
"Captain Sparrow!" she snapped in expectation of just another ill-considered attempt to take advantage of the situation before she caught sight of the chains she'd just released him from. A shiver crept down her spine. It was more than evident that they didn't like pirates in Port Royal and wanted to see them all swinging at the gallows- but this surely didn't include chaining an already doomed man that tightly to the wall that it could've been seen as an act of torture. Therefore, Jack might have been too weak to stand on his own feet. Her voice became softer. "Are you all right, mate?"
"Hey, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, luv." he said and collapsed right into Gibbs arms who apparently didn't know how to deal with that.
It was then when she noticed that there was blood on her hands, it felt warm, fresh, and sticky. She looked at Jack and saw blood dripping through his torn shirt.
"Jack Sparrow, you daft damned idiot! Why didn't ye say yer wounded?"
"Captain." he corrected. "It's Captain Jack Sparrow- 'n I'm just fine... just havin' a few scratches."
Scarlett clenched her fist. His coolness strained her nerves. It was no wonder that his behaviour might have blown the fuse of someone, and got that one in an urgent desire to whip the bloody smile off Jack's face. However, that was still no reason in torturing a man, even if that man was Captain Jack Sparrow, and it was obvious that he had been tortured. A few scratches didn't cause this much blood on his back.
"I'm okay, luv." he stressed again, trying hard not to stumble and fall. "Off we go, aye. Very inhospitable this place, don't ye agree? Now, Mr. Gibbs, if you'd be so kind to take me back home to the Pearl..."
Stop! ...there was something concerning the Pearl... he tried to remember but the thoughts slipped away the moment he tried to get hold on them. All was twisting in his head and the ground under his feet had started to sway as if being on a ship sailing stormy seas- though he wasn't.
"Um... Captain... there's a little problem. There was an attack, d' ye remember? And the Pearl..." Gibbs didn't even dare to look into Jack's face now, feeling guilty without having a reason for it. He surely wasn't to blame for everything that has ever gone wrong, that's why Scarlett hurried to take his place in explaining.
"...the Pearl's as safe as Santiago's promised. And I've promised him to get yer head out of the noose so we'd better find a way out of this shit as I like keeping me word, savvy? Let's go."
After all, the noise down here had stirred up some keepers; she could hear their heavy boots on cobbled stones. Well, it had been much too easy until now but she'd never expected it'd be Jack to spoil her plan. They didn't had the slightest chance for a quite retreat into the Jamaican hinterland and back to the Jewel with him being too beaten to walk properly- so time to think of something new was what she needed first.
To gain time the principle of spreading chaos had always proved successfully and what would suit better for causing a nice little chaos than initiate a jailbreak? She took the keys and threw them right into the neighbouring cell.
"Go 'n help yourself, guys."
Within minutes, even the last man was freed and headed for the way out. An outraged crowd of partly unjust condemned men ran up the stairs to freedom meeting a troupe of Soldiers on their way down, and hell broke loose.
Scarlett listened, shrugging her shoulders with a sigh. "We'd better take the back entrance."
Gibbs looked at her in disbelief, gaining more and more the conviction that this woman was nearly as mad as his captain was though he couldn't decide whether it was meant as a compliment or not.
The bright moonlight soon revealed that it really was impossible even to think about keeping to her former plan. There was simply no way of walking though the jungle with Jack in a state like this. Though he didn't complain nor tried to show any sign of pain or weakness, he couldn't hide the sweat on his face- and that wasn't due to the warmth of a Caribbean night. It was plain to see that he was fevering. However, Captain Jack Sparrow kept on pretending that everything was fine with him because it was impossible that a Captain Jack Sparrow could feel sick. Bloody fool. Scarlett thought. Please, do a favour to all of us and faint...
Of course he didn't. Instead, he staggered his way more swaying than he did usually, being so graciously to accept at least Mr. Gibbs offering him a helping hand from time to time. In addition, Gibbs had become as lavishly caring as possible without making it too obvious that he really cared. It was ridiculous to watch the two of them. They would have gotten faster to wherever if Jack's bloody pride hadn't slowed their pace.
Scarlett felt an urgent desire to knock him off as it won't take long and guards would realize that the most wanted fugitive of the Caribbean slipped through their fingers once again, and then the whole Royal Navy would be after them. They had to hide somewhere... but where? Gibbs seemed to have an idea but he didn't tell her- of course not, might have been bad luck. He only gave her a look that said, I know damned well how to care for my Captain.
Well, she wasn't sure about that. She would have preferred to hide in the woody hills as no one would suspect a fleeing pirate to go that way, but Gibbs and Jack Sparrow himself had different plans. Instead of keeping away from the town, they staggered right into it.
-
The house was situated at an imaginary border of rich and poor, close to the posh domiciles of Jamaica's high society but close as well to the maze of small, dark and dirty alleys of downtown Port Royal. It was a one-floored, whitewashed cottage build of solid stone with a veranda in front that was overgrown with wild jasmine; its sweets scent filled the night.
Gibbs banged the door heavily.
A fine young lady with nicely done light-brown hair opened, looked wide-eyed at Marris and Scarlett, and then narrowed her eyes in dislike but without showing any fear.
"Get off my door you bloody pirates!" She tried to slam shut the door but Jack managed to get a foot on the threshold.
"Elisabeth, luv', is't a way to great an ol' friend?"
"Jack?" She opened the door a little again, staring at him in disbelieve. No doubt, it was Captain Jack Sparrow- though he looked worse than she had ever remembered him. "Good Lord, what has happened to you?"
"Ah, just a friendly welcome to Port Royal by your former fiancé, Commodore Norrington. It's his special way to make the gallows look tasty..." he said with only a hint of his usually big gestures, leaning weakly yet still boastful at the doorframe. "...but he forgot that I'm Captain Jack Sparrow..."
"Who'd forgotten that he didn't escape by his own means, and speaking of escape- can we come in now, please?" cutting Jack off, Scarlett forced the lady at gunpoint to give way. "We don't have time to gab away all night long."
"No!" Jack made a face and waved his arms to stop her from doing what she did. "Don't do this!"
One minute later Scarlett knew what he was about as an angry young man pointed a pistol at her. He had soft brown eyes and a face of glass that couldn't hide any emotions. He did not want to kill her but he would do it in order to protect his wife and at the same time, he seemed to be very delighted to see Jack who tried to calm down his quick-tempered young friend.
"Hush, whelp. Nothing to worry 'bout. Please don't do anything stupid, aye?" He stumbled into the house and sank right into a big, comfortable armchair taking a good look around. "Ye've got it quite nice here, whelp."
"Jack! Do not tell me you've just dropped by to tell me that you like the way I live now. What's going on?" Nearly a year had gone since they had met last time, and no matter how often he had wondered what had happened to Captain Jack Sparrow wishing to see him again, he would have preferred different circumstances. Better ones. Without Jack being in trouble once again. He repeated his question. "What's going on?"
Jack sighed. "There's no hospitality in Port Royal anymore. Now, why don't ye offer a drink to an ol' friend 'n let this ol' friend of yers introduce ye to some other good friends before being too hasty with questions?"
The young man stared in bewilderment from the pirate in the armchair to his companions, reluctant to recognize Mr.Gibbs but eyeing suspiciously at the two others who stood in his living room. Meanwhile Elisabeth proved a more practical sense and placed a tray with a decanter and some glasses on the table next to Jack, pouring him a drink. He swallowed it.
"Now, Will... ye surely remember Mr. Gibbs, do ye? Ye know he's a good man as goes for the rest o' 'em 'xept for Captain Rowan Scarlett who's in fact a fairy woman... ne'er seen hair like this... 've you?"
Will looked at Scarlett, finally realizing that she was in fact a woman though she was dressed like a pirate. She wore trousers, knee-high boots, and a shirt- all in black- and her hair was hidden under a scarf wrapped tightly around her head. Only when she turned a little he could see that a thick braid of unusual red hair hung down her back. It was really a strange colour but this didn't explain anything he had asked Jack. It just proved that he was mad.
"Well, guess that's just Sparrows way..."
"Captain!" it barked from the armchair, but Marris ignored this comment and continued smiling. "...saying how glad he is that we've freed him from jail and giving you a little hint that this might not stay unnoticed for very long. The Royal Navy will soon be after him."
"Is that true?" Will whirled around as frightened as if Commodore Norrington himself would already knock his door and that caused Sparrow to laugh a little.
"Quick-tempered as always, young Turner, aye?"
Suddenly the scales fell from Scarlett's eyes and she started to curse. "Turner? Will Turner? Bloody hell! Damned, should've thought 'bout that! You even look like Bootstrap Bill Turner when he was younger."
"He's his son." Jack noticed without need, as this was as evident as anything could be.
She looked at him with dangerously sparkling storm-clouded eyes. If someone else hadn't tried to beat the wits out of him, she'd loved to do it now. "Ye proud, boasting, daft, damned fool! Just where do ye think the Royal Navy and 'specially the Commodore would look for you in the first place if not here? Go to the devil, Captain Sparrow."
"Ah, wouldn't like to waste yer effort in savin' me, so don't worry, luv. We'll leave soon enough. Just couldn't come to Port Royal without visiting Will 'n Elisabeth." He tried to rise from his chair but failed; it was evident that he wasn't to go anywhere that soon. Captain Jack Sparrow was knocked out.
Scarlett sighed in relief- at last. Finally, she could examine these few scratches that turned out to be bleeding weals of whiplashes forming bizarre patterns on his back. Nevertheless, it looked worse than it was- if the fact that they did torture men in the colonies wasn't worse enough- and it even wasn't the reason for having a fever. That was caused by an older, badly healing and purulent wound where a bullet had struck his shoulder still sticking in the flesh. She cursed heavily, raging at this stubborn idiot, but even more at the bloody Royal Navy for chaining and whipping a wounded man.
"Good Lord!" Elisabeth gasped in utter shock, turning away from the sight of blood and towards Will. "Be quick, go and get a doctor. Jack is wounded!"
"NO!" Scarlett yelled impatiently. "No doctor! Bloody hell, they're either incompetent quacks or serving the Royal Navy. Unless you don't have a very good explanation why you're hiding a fugitive who is doomed for the gallows- go ahead, call a doctor. Otherwise, you better leave it up to me and risk Jack's life a little less. Savvy?"
Will and Elisabeth nodded whereas Gibbs didn't seem to be convinced. He'd rather not leave his Captain in care of this witch as it became more and more evident that she must be a witch indeed. No 'normal' woman could be as she was. However, there was no other choice to consider. He shot a wary questioning look at her. "So you'd do to cure him?"
"Aye." she answered without hesitation though it really was a very good question. In fact, she didn't know.
"Well Captain- lemme see if I got it right. Ye need to cut a bullet out of Jack but can't do it here, aye?" Marris summed up catching her eyes and pointed with a nod of his head first out of the window and then to Elisabeth. "Now tell me, d' ye think the same I do?"
She followed his gaze, understood his hint and rewarded him with her most warm-hearted smile. From here, one had a gorgeous view at the governor's residence. "Marris, cutie, what would I do without you?"
"So I've got yer permission to do whatever's necessary to be done?"
"Aye my dear."
No one else in the room knew what they were about until Marris gripped hold of Elisabeth pointing a pistol at her temple. Will tried to raise his sword but Scarlett held him at gunpoint.
"Hush whelp. Don't start causing troubles when there's no need to..."
"But you offend my wife!"
"No. Actually it's my first mate offending your wife although he's not really offending her as it's only done for Jack's sake, and we all care for Jack- don't we. So, as we all agree to this I recommend we move our nice little gathering to a more exclusive place. I'm sure Governor Swann will be very pleased to welcome an infamous pirate as Captain Jack Sparrow is in his modest home."
Will stared at her confused swinging his sword from one hand to the other without knowing what to do. Finally, he hissed coldly. "Do any harm to Elisabeth and you're dead, pirate- and I won't care if you're a man or a woman."
"Darling calm down. I don't think they will hurt me. They are using me as leverage to get into my father's residence, am I right?" Elisabeth said gazing ambiguously at Scarlett. "And they are doing it for Jack, for his safety."
Scarlett avoided to meet her eyes for not throwing doubt upon her idealistic and romantic beliefs, and turned to Will Turner instead. "Now, whelp yer wife seems to be much smarter than ye are. She sees which way the wind's blowing and that the only place no one'd ever search for a wounded fugitive is her daddy's private chambers. Savvy?"
"Why don't you just ask for help? We'd help Jack of your own free will without the need of a pistol." the young man grumbled discontent with the situation.
Scarlett smiled at him conspiratorial. "Oh, the pistol's in fact for your own safety. Nobody has to know that once again you make common cause with pirates, aye."
-
The Governor of Jamaica was paralyzed with fright when a large gang of pirates stormed his bedroom awaking him with the most terrible sight, the worst nightmare: his beloved daughter was taken hostage by them. Next, he saw her useless husband unable to protect her- he really should not have permitted her to marry a blacksmith with pirate-blood in his veins. That is what happens when tolerating the folly of a love-match far below her rank. If she had married Commodore Norrington this surely would not have happened.
And he would not be cast out of bed in the middle of the night completely deprived of his dignity. Not only lacking his wig and fine garments but also dressed in a long white gown and a nightcap he looked quite ridiculous. In addition he behaved.
"Please, if you may consider that this is finest Chinese silk." he said choked when the pirates carefully laid down their wounded crony in his bed.
"Indian- it's Indian silk." Scarlett corrected as if it would have mattered but she knew the difference and couldn't resist. "I'm sure Captain Jack Sparrow will appreciate it though."
"Sparrow?" the Governor gasped stepping closer to have a better look at him then turned away again when he saw the blood, one hand to his mouth in a state of shock. "Oh my God what is he doing in Port Royal?"
Scarlett shook her head in disbelief and stared at the Governor reflecting if she should tell him now or let him have at least one guess.
"Who did this to Sparrow?"
No, he really can't be that stupid- he might be a bit naïve but he certainly isn't an idiot. But that would mean that he didn't know about Norrington capturing Sparrow. What's going on here? Why's the Commodore not sharing this triumphant moment in his career?
"Captain Sparrow...," it groaned over from the bed.
"Oh- you're awake, how nice..." Scarlett made a face 'cause that was something she probably needed as much as a hole in the head. She addressed to the Governor. "I need boiling water, dressing material and rum."
"I am thoroughly sorry for having to disappoint you. Nevertheless, I am not keeping a single drop of rum in my household. It is a dreadfully evil beverage..."
"Bloody hell! Just give me something comparable strong and put on a kettle of water!" she snorted impatiently and grew even more impatient when this task seemed to be expected too much of the Governor. If Elisabeth hadn't intervened by taking the kettle and showing her father how to boil water, Scarlett would probably have left. Sorry Santiago but they really, really wrecked my nerves...
The next point should be easy though. She had to get Jack drunk and drugged enough to poke around his shoulder for a bullet without making it to painful for him. However, this wasn't as easy as she had thought. Somehow this wretched pigheaded fool got what she was about to do and thankfully declined to have any more of that fine Cognac she was trying to pour into him.
"No need to get me drunk luv as yer company's as well a pleasure bein' sober."
She rolled her eyes in despair before telling him straight what she had to do. He seemed to comprehend, even managed to give her a serious look but still insisted on his decision. There was nothing she could do but give him the painful way he wanted. Maybe he'd beg for booze 'n more when she started to clean his wounds. First, he flashed a cheeky smile when she tore the remains of his shirt off his shoulders.
"Didn't know you like to rush things that much..."
Scarlett bit back all she wanted to reply when Elisabeth handed her a kettle with boiling water and some clean cloths. She as well resisted her urgent desire to smack a wet cloth at his back though he might have deserved it. Instead, she carefully cleaned his wounds.
She had to admit that he was tough. Though he clawed a pillow no sound passed his lips, and she had seen really tougher men crying out in pain when Santiago had cleaned their wounds. But he only groaned once and that was because of Governor Swann.
"Elisabeth I must protest. It is not proper for a lady of your rank to look at a half-naked man. Please have a sense of decency."
Scarlett stopped her work fixing the Governor with eyes that could even freeze the Caribbean. "Decency? You've got a nerve speaking 'bout decency! Look what the decent Royal Navy had done to Jack. Now, is there any need to torture a wounded man in order to break him before bringing him to the gallows?"
All fell silent. Jack Sparrow forgot to remind her that he's used to be called 'captain' because somehow he liked the way she calls him 'Jack'- sounds more familiar, aye?- and Governor Swann was simply lacking words. Not for very long though.
"I... I explicitly recline torture and I definitely detest any form of unnecessary violence. I am going to have an earnest word with Commodore Norrington concerning this regrettable incident." he stated then but that infuriated Scarlett only a little more if possible.
"Yeah, great idea! Go 'n tell Commodore Norrington that ye couldn't stand the sight of blood on Sparrow's back when he was lying in your bed."
Jack couldn't help but laugh though Scarlett had continued cleaning his wounds more fiercely than it was intentional due to still raging fury.
"If you think that's fun just wait till I poke your shoulder with my dagger." she warned him before her voice became softer, almost begging. "Please Jack drink that bloody Cognac. No use in playing the hero only to prove yer a fool. This'll gonna be really very, very painful."
He looked at her with determined dark eyes that told her to do whatever's necessary without caring about causing him pain. For one moment she wished she could hit his head with no-matter-what just to knock him off. Then she realized that it was neither pride nor folly that made him act like this but a suspicious distrust. He didn't trusted anybody enough that he could afford to loose his senses at a place he figured to be unsafe. She sighed.
Gibbs got that wrong. "You sure know what you're doing, Lady...um, Captain Scarlett?"
"Aye." she answered though she's all but sure. She'd never done anything like this before only watched Santiago doing it and assisted him from time to time. Unfortunately, Santiago wasn't here so she had to do something or Jack would die of blood poisoning sooner or later. She knew that and he knew it too. Scarlett turned away to heat her blade in the glowing coals of a fire that the Governor usually kept burning all night despite the fact that he lived in the Caribbean now and not in England anymore.
She took her time, thought about what she had to do and tried to remember how the Spaniard used to do it when suddenly Marris touched her shoulder handing her a small bag with something round and solid in.
"Santiago gave it to me before we left, somehow foreseeing you might need it."
She knew what it was without having to look into the bag- Santiago's wonder-cure-all. Raising her eyes to the ones of her first mate, she saw an imperturbable belief in his clear blue gaze that she'd handle it. Nevertheless, she merely shrugged her shoulders before going back to work.
Once again she asked Jack if was sure about not wanting some more Cognac, and again he said no. Then she beckoned Will Turner and Mr.Gibbs to help her by ordering them to hold Jack down- no matter what's happening- as she had a nasty job to do. She tried to feel for the bullet before she placed her blade in position to make a stab. Blood gushed and pus poured from the wound but Jack didn't utter a sound. He didn't cry out nor did faint- like Governor Swann. She just saw him tensing his muscles when she dug the blade deeper into his flesh, and she knew that it wasn't easy anymore for Will and Gibbs to hold him. Finally, the point of her blade hit something solid, a round piece of metal. With a skilled looking yet more instinctive twist of hand, she flung it out. Elisabeth handed her more clean cloth to apply a pressure bandage, and it was only then that it occurred to Scarlett that the bullet had hit his back. He was shot from behind. Considering that he was all but a coward, she slowly began to understand why he didn't want to get drunk or drugged. But he must rest and sleep now to recover, she thought.
"Already done?" Jack mumbled and made an effort to smile at her but this time he didn't manage more than a contorted grimace. His face was wet with sweat.
If the end justifies the means as they say, she had to put an end to this now.
"Oh yer such a brave 'n strong guy." she chirped looking at him as if she had just fallen in love with him. She took a cloth to wipe the sweat off his face gently, toying a little with the beads in his hair. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Though he looked really sick, he grinned suggestively. "Ev'rythin' ye want luv... 'cept pesterin' me with 't little dagger o' yers again."
She kissed his cheek then reached for the decanter to fill a good glass of Cognac, had a mouthful and handed it to Jack. "Yer sure ye don't want some?"
"Well...if ye ask me that nice."
Carefully she helped him to sit up and drink. Will, Elisabeth and Gibbs changed astonished glances, unsure what to think about this unexpected situation. They even looked more surprised when Scarlett leaned forward to kiss Jack- except for Elisabeth whose face lightened in notion of a romantic scene. Only Marris saw an ironic sparkle in the corners of Rowan Scarlett's eyes and had to bite his lips not to burst into laughter. Governor Swann meanwhile was not amused at all.
"I am not sure whether I can tolerate these immoral manners of indecency and lasciviousness under my roof."
"But 't was... only... little kiss..." Captain Jack Sparrow mumbled with sleepy contentment, then his head sank heavily into the pillows and he passed out.
"Sorry Jack. It's this thing with the end justifying the means." Rowan whispered giving the unconscious pirate a thoughtful look, before shrugging her shoulders. "Never thought it'd work that fast though."
Gibbs gasped in sudden realization that something was very foul. He saw this ring on her finger, a silver one with ornamental engravings and a back onyx on top that was lifted up. She didn't even try to hide this little venomous thing, just slowly closing the lid. He feared the worst
"You bloody bitch! What have you done to my Captain?" He grabbed the empty glass, sniffed at it and turned in a desperate outburst of raging frustration to Captain Scarlett. Will Turner had to interfere and prevent him from attacking her. "You've poisoned Jack!"
"Drugged." she corrected calmly, not at all impressed with neither his anger nor his worries. "I've drugged him."
"Well, is there any difference?"
Scarlett rolled her eyes; abruptly feeling tired and definitely pissed off with arguing as much as with Gibbs himself. She refused to answer this question.
"Mr. Gibbs, I can't image that she's saved Jack only to poison him." said Will.
"You're right boy." Marris agreed before affectionately turning to Scarlett. "Now, take a rest Rowan. I'll handle this." Then he looked at Gibbs and Will who both seemed to be eager for an explanation. "Okay guys. First, you'll know the difference if you'd try both in the right order- unfortunately you still won't be able to share your experiences afterwards. Second, no one would pay for being poisoned but people do spent money to get drugged and Jack Sparrow got it all for free. So don't grudge him his sweet dreams, aye?"
"But why did that witch do that to Jack in such an insidious and malicious way?"
"Because Captain Scarlett is much cleverer 'n smarter than a superstitious old seadog like you are. She knows that your Captain's been badly wounded and needs time to recover. Now, can any of you imagine Captain Jack Sparrow lying quiet in a bed, doing nothing but regaining strength No? Well, neither can I. So it was crucial to put him to a rest somehow, 'cause otherwise we'd all freak out by time. Besides, if ye ever call her a witch again I'd kill you. Savvy?"
"No need to exaggerate things, my dear." Scarlett told her mate sluggish. "I really don't bother what he thinks about me."
"Well, but I do. Anyway, I guess all of us could use a little rest 'til sunrise, can't we? I'll take the first watch."
-
In the twilight hour before sunrise the Governor's chamber was almost quiet except for Governor Swann himself who was snoring in an armchair near the fire. Gibbs couched half-asleep on the floor next to the bed, Marris guarded the door, and Will and Elisabeth sat together in comforting embrace on a small sofa. However, now and then the young man rose his eyes to look somehow thoughtfully at Captain Rowan Scarlett who sat cross-legged on the bed, back leant against a bedpost, eyes closed though she wasn't sleeping.
"What's troublin' you, lad?" she quietly asked after a while.
"I... um, you've mentioned my father, Bootstrap Bill Turner." he burst out with what's been preying on his mind ever since she had brought up the topic a good while ago. "You've said you knew him when he was younger."
"Aye."
"Well, can you tell me something about him? I mean, except for the things that pirates usually say?"
"But I'm a pirate meself, didn't ye get it yet?" She focused him with calm green eyes, a little bit amused. Nevertheless she could see an urgent desire in his eyes desperately wanting to find out more about his own descent. She sighed, beckoning him closer, and he rushed to her side eagerly followed by Elisabeth. "So, what do ye wanna know?"
"My mum's always told me he'd been a good man. Then I've found out that he was a pirate and not a merchant sailor who obeyed the law. Nevertheless, all pirates I've met claimed that he was good pirate- and a good man. Knowing Jack I also know now that these things can coincide sometimes though I still wonder..." Insecurely he looked at her, a big question mark in his face. "But why do good men turn into pirates? Why?"
"Maybe 'cause they're good men," Scarlett seriously replied not mocking him at all. "Now, young William Turner you haven't seen much of the world yet if you still believe that law and justice are one and the same. I can tell you a little story proving that these two things have less in common than bein' a pirate and a good man, and that laws can only be as just as the person who enact them. It's the story of a man who saw a young lady in distress rushing to protect her from three obtrusive guys. Bad luck for him that these guys were the sons of some highly-respected Lords and the 'lady' was only an unnamed maid belonging to the household of one of these Lords. That changed the situation drastically, as the man who only wanted to help was now the man to be in charge for attacking and insulting three 'gentlemen'. He was sentenced to serve the Navy for five years, an attempt to send him far away until enough grass was grown on this 'regrettable incident'. Do you think that's fair? Well, and I'm sure you've never been aboard a Royal Navy's war-ship, have you? I haven't been either but I can tell you that there are more friendly sharks in the entire seas than fair captains in the Navy- and at least sharks don't consider any rules of hierarchy. The Royal Navy does. A bunch of highborn and so-called noble people oppresses the underlings by all sorts of means that occurred to their stuck-up noses, especially young boys who were pressed in duty by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. They were treated like scum, like doormats for the egos of Captains. They were the ones who were sent to the tops of the masts to drop canvas when a storm broke loose tough it was cruel, but losing one of them caused as much pain as the prick of a pin. Only the man who was sentenced to serve the Navy for five years felt pity with them and that got him in conflict with the law once again, as you have to obey any orders the Captain gives no matter what or how unjust they are. However, he disobeyed a given order and helped one of these little boys who was simply too frightened to climb the rigging in a raging storm, so therefore he was punished The narrow-minded Captain made him to whip the boy but he didn't get away with this and soon it was his turn to be whipped. The Captain ordered fifty strokes- luckily some pirates interrupted this spectacle. The man joined them. Tough they were called lawless they had put up their own laws which were more suitable and fair to him, and though he never regretted his choice, he most surely regretted not being able to return to England again to see his beloved wife and his little baby boy. He stayed with us for a while until he met Jack Sparrow; I guess they became something like friends- and then one day everything went frightfully wrong due to that stinking piece of shit called Barbossa. When I've met Bootstrap Bill years later he's only a shadow of himself, being eaten away by a grievous pain for not having cared enough 'bout you and me and Jack; for having sent this medallion to you and for not being able to avoid the mutiny."
Will needed a few minutes to understand, to understand the full meaning of what she was saying. He looked at her in disbelieve. "What are you talking about? My father's dead, he died when Barbossa sent him to Davy Jones locker... or maybe later when the curse was lifted..."
"No. He survived, and he was at least party alive when I saw him in one of Shanghai's worst opium holes, trying to kill all emotions and all that's still left of him. Santiago took him out of there to a Buddhist's monarchy some miles away from Shanghai."
"Oh." was all Will Turner could say.