"Cap'in," came Gibbs' voice. Jack was standing at the helm and it was nearly nightfall. "Have you heard anything from the prisoner yet?"
"No," said Jack.
"Did you torture her then?" Jack felt his heart freeze, and he nodded.
"Yes." Gibbs could tell he was not proud of it, but he knew as well as Jack that it had to be done. He didn't know that Jack already knew her though. Will hadn't told anyone, under Jack's request. "I'm going down to try talking with her tonight, see if I can persuade her with words. And if she still doesn't talk I'll do the same routine tomorrow, savvy?"
"Aye," said Gibbs. "You know I couldn't do what you did this mornin' Jack. Must be one reason why you're stronger than me." Jack looked at him and thought to himself that there was no way that what he had done made him any stronger than Gibbs. He left the helm to Gibbs and went back down to Em. She was leaning against the bars of her cell, looking up at the window, the monlight shining on her face. He looked at her left hand and saw the bandages on her fingers. It had to be incredibly painful, but it had effected him more than it had her. She sighed and looked at him.
"Are you going to interrogate me again, Jack?" she asked.
"Not like this morning," he said unlocking the cell and stepping inside, clsoing the door behind him. He had the key with him, so he wasn't worried about being locked in. "I just want to talk. I'm torturing you again tomorrow if you don't talk, and I'll be bloody honest with you, I don't want to do it, savvy?"
"I know," she said, looking at him and forcing a smile. "That's what matters, doesn't it? That I know you're doing this against your will and not out of revenge for the madness I put you through when we were young?"
"That was a long time ago, mate." He sat down next to her and looked at her hand.
"It doesn't hurt so much anymore," she said, looking at his face.
"Why do you allow yourself to go through this everytime you're captured when all you have to do is tell me where to idle is and how to get to it?"
"You don't understand, Jack," she said, looking at him with sad eyes. "That idle is protecting the people in that village. If you take it out, women and childeren will die. Pirates used to attack their villages so much, trying to take it over as their own. They killed the men, raped and slaughtered the women, and did God only knows what to the childeren. That's why I helped to put the idle there. After that, they were protected and they still are. Jack, do you think I'd rather endanger them again, when I can die instead and keep them safe?"
He stared at her for a minute, then nodded, understanding now that he'd never be able to get her to talk. The thought of torturing her again made him sick, but he knew he had to. Once the crew would realize she wouldn't talk, they'd make him kill her which made him feel even worse.
"I have to do things to you, luv," he said, looking at her. "Things that I don't want to do."
"I know," she said softly. "But it shows you're still human, Jack, and not like those monsters at sea."
"I hope so," he said softly. She leaned her head against his shoulder and he closed his eyes as tears threatened to form again.
"It'll be alright, Jack," she said, looking at his sad face. "Even if you can't see it yet, things will work out. Everything happens for a reason." He looked at her.
"I can't see a good reason for why I'm made to torture you." She took his hand with her good one.
"At least, we get to see each other again." He nodded as a film of tears passed over his eyes.
"Yeah," he said, sniffing a little and blinking them away. She got on her knees and turned, laying her head on his shoulder, and he put an arm around her. They stayed like that until he had to leave, and he barely slept that night as he thought about what he had to do the next day.
Light up, Light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you, dear...