Merry belated Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a most wonderful Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, or just had a happy holiday in general.
Okay since this is a long chapter and you've all waited patiently for this, I'll just answer the reviews, then everything will be good. Okay? Good.
Smithy – Okay, I hope everything you said was in a good way. I'd hate to think that I'm being to cruel and callous with an issue that's sensitive for you. If I am, I apologize deeply.
Saharan Sparrow – I take the fifth. I'm not telling anyone how this turns out. Sorry, but you'll just have to read and find out.
Goma-Ryu Immortal Vampire – Yes, he's alive. The question is whether or not he'll stay that way. Mwahaha. Milk and cookies? Yay! (Like I really need the extra sweets right now. I'm going to wind up able to sell myself as a blimp.Haha.)
Sanguinedarkness666 – Another chapter. Yay! And we are close to the end. So sad. Oh well, with this new semester comes new, fun classes. Note happy face.
SpufFan – Well, the thing with fevers is this: Fevers are you bodies natural defense against disease and infection. So basically, while it doesn't necessarily mean that Will won't die of actual injuries, it DOES mean you don't have to worry about him dying of an infection from the injuries. Which means that there's one less thing to worry about. And don't worry, this story will be finished. Only a couple of chapters left in fact. Weeee.
Hawkstra – While slash no longer really bothers me, I just can't see it between Jack and Will. Nope, it's not there. So don't worry about that. Hope You like this chapter. Sorry You had to wait so long.
Williz - #blushes# Awwww, thanks! I'm glad you think this isn't just going on a downhill power slide. Hope you like this chapter. It's extra long!
LadyofCairParavel – And here's another update. Hope it wasn't too long of a wait for you.
Dancin – Oh please don't kill me for making it take so long. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 17.
Daphnebandweenie – Oooooh. I want that soundtrack. My absolute favorite songs are Brother, My Brother and If My Tears Could Bring You Back. I love them. So sweet. And the fanfic she was talking about was taken down from the sight.
MagRowan – Well, I'll forgive you for taking so long to review if you can forgive me for taking so long to update. Fair enough? And the trailer was awesome! I'm really hoping they develop Jack and Will's friendship. That'd be sweet. And I will tell you this: Yes, Jackie will be able to talk to his dad as soon as the "grow-ups" start thinking straight. And yeah, schools pretty good.
Trinilee Greenleaf – Yeah, I know how you feel about the practicing thing. Normally, I play the trumpet in band, but this year my band director switched me to French Horn, so I really need to practice, but sometimes I don't have time, either that or I just REALLY don't feel like it. Sorry it took so long, but here's the next chapter. Enjoy the fact that it's extra long.
And now what you've all been waiting for. Chapter 17. Enjoy.
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BlackSword
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Chapter 17
Four Days Later
Commodore Norrington would have smiled if he hadn't felt it would be undignified. Despite what Sparrow had been expecting, the Dauntless had encountered no delays and the ship was only eight days from Port Bryant, and from the look of it, Will would actually be alive when they got there. That had been a good thing; he had not wanted to be forced to tell Elizabeth that her husband had died.
He glanced over curiously at the Spaniard and the little boy who were currently aiding his crew. The pirate – Miguel, he was fairly certain that was his name – had been surprisingly helpful and cooperative, and he had to admit he had been shocked at Jackie's skills on a ship.
"Commodore," his lieutenant said, approaching him. "We are being hailed, sir."
Norrington turned to the man. "What flag are they flying, Gilette?"
"French, sir."
The commodore stood, debating whether or not to stop for them. The French had long been their enemies, but if there was a chance of rebuilding trust between the two countries…
As he began to give his orders though, Gilette interrupted him, which was quite uncharacteristic of him. "Commodore! They've dropped their flag!"
Norrington quickly turned, instantly spotting the ship the other man had been referring to. To his dismay, he recognized the flag they were trying to raise. There was no mistaking the black canvas with the skull and crossed bones as anything else. The flag may not have been the same as Sparrow's- of course the pirate had made his own flag by crossing two blades behind the skull instead of bones- but there was no doubt it was a pirate flag. "Pirates," he said flatly.
"Commodore?" Gilette questioned, waiting for his orders.
"Bring the cannons out, I want them manned and loaded before we get within firing range. Bring this ship around so we're ready to fire," Norrington ordered loudly.
His crew instantly stopped what they were doing and quickly jumped into action. Miguel took hold of Jackie's wrist and dragged the boy up to Norrington. "Commodore, what's going on?" His eyes were edged with concern.
"Pirates," the commodore replied shortly.
Both the Spaniard and the eight-year-old looked slightly alarmed but not terribly worried. "What do you want us to do, Commodore?" Jackie asked, blinking his large eyes.
By this time the commotion had spread below deck as well. Jack was hurrying toward them, and confusion was reflected in his eyes. "What-"
"Pirates, Captain," Miguel interrupted.
Jack stopped dead and spun, causing his long, dark brown hair to whip around, jingling the beads braided into it. "Pirates? Who are they? Which group is it? Is it-?" He stopped midsentence, "Oh shit."
"Sparrow?" Norrington questioned uncertainly.
"Norrington, get us out of here. Now!" Jack ordered.
"Captain Sparrow?" Jackie asked in growing alarm. He didn't like the look on the grown man's face. "What's wrong?"
Jack didn't answer; he merely turned to Miguel. "Miguel…"
The Spanish man nodded and tightened his grip on Jack's wrist. "Come on, Jackie."
"No! I'm not going!" Jackie shouted angrily. "You always make me leave, but I'm not going this time."
Miguel ground his teeth together and forcefully drug the boy away, despite the child's best attempts to stop him.
"Captain Sparrow, who are they?" Norrington asked.
"Remember how Blacksword died; because of Will and I? Well, unfortunately Blacksword… he had several more crewmembers than could fit on one ship. I would bet Will's life that those are allies of his," Jack's voice carried a tone the commodore had never before heard.
"Sparrow, go below and watch Mr. Turner. It would be a waste if he survived everything he has only to die now."
Jack hesitated, more because of his pride than because he didn't want to. Finally he nodded and ran below deck.
Deep inside, Norrington was furious with Will and Jack; it was because of them the pirates were about to attack. But at the same time he couldn't fault them.
'This is not going to go well.'
Jackie had protested the whole way down, but now, he almost couldn't be more excited. He had been shocked to find out that Miguel hadn't planned on locking him in a room. His fist tightened around the hilt of a dagger he held.
"Thank you, Miguel. I didn't want to stay behind again."
"Don't worry about it," Miguel said. "As long as you stay with me, you can fight." His black eyes told the boy that he was dead serious.
"I will," the boy promised.
"Good."
Nervousness swept through Jack. He knew the battle had just begun; he had jumped upon hearing the first cannon explosion and the first gunshot.
He wanted to be up on deck, in the fight, but he didn't trust anyone else to protect Will.
Protect Will. That thought almost made him laugh. He had never expected to hear that. It was almost ironic.
'Damn it, Will. I wish you could fight without the risk of hurting yourself. Everything would be so much easier.'
He jerked his sword from his sheath and stood in front of the door. No one was going to get past him, not while he was still alive.
The door exploded inward, and a pirate stood at the door, a cold smirk on his face.
"Captain Sparrow, nice to see you. I must admit, I'm rather surprised to see you aboard a ship of the Royal Navy, but no matter. So far they haven't been a problem," the dark skinned pirate said mockingly.
An exasperated look crossed Will's face. "Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?" he asked with a sneer. Without blinking, he swung his sword, quickly gutting the man. Most people would have gotten sick at the sight of another's intestines falling to the ground, but fortunately it was nothing Jack hadn't seen before.
The pirate's body lay on the deck in a small pool of blood. Jack turned away and started away, but a blade slipped around his neck from behind. The edge rested against his throat.
"That wasn't very nice captain," a cruel voice said. A hand clamped onto his arm and he was spun around. The blade remained at his throat the whole time.
Jack had never seen the pirate before, but it didn't matter. The man was clearly an ally of Black Andrew. His eyes were cold and hard.
A second pirate entered the room, barely noticing the body on the floor'How did they get here?' Jack wondered. 'I hope Norrington, Miguel, and Jackie are okay.'
"Well, Sparrow, I must admit, I was rather surprised to find both you and your young friend alive," the first said, face only inches from Jack's. "Don't worry, we'll remedy that."
His hand tightened on the hilt, "If you do anything to Will, I swear I'll kill you."
"I don't think," the pirate said, smiling. Before Jack could react, he felt the muzzle of a gun in his stomach, and the sound of the gunshot echoed through the small room.
Pain almost more intense than anything he'd ever felt flashed through his awareness. It stole his whole world for several seconds.
When his awareness returned, he realized he was on his back at the one man's feet.
"Hurry up, and take out Turner, before Sparrow decides to stop us," the pirate was ordering. The fog in Jack's mind slowly began to lift. 'Kill Turner?' his pain-filled mind wondered. 'Who-?'
Abruptly, Jack remembered everything. His pain almost faded as fear reclaimed his being. He slowly groped for his sword, being careful not to further injure himself or attract the attention of the other two pirates.
Darkness edged his vision, but that didn't keep him from being able to see the man that stood over Will with his blade drawing closer to the young man's vulnerable throat. 'Don't… have bloody time… for this," Jack thought angrily through the haze in his mind. 'Where… is that… damn pistol?'
His trembling hands finally found the gun tucked into his belt. Slowly he pulled it out, forcing himself both to breathe steadily and keep from shaking. Jack swallowed hard, tasting blood but ignoring it; this could not be allowed to continue.
His caramel eyes darted upwards; the pirate standing over him hadn't seen anything. Turning his head slowly back, he forced down his double vision. Raising the pistol in his trembling hand, he aimed the gun at the man close to Will. Pain flared through him, causing him to nearly black out.
The pirates were caught completely off guard when suddenly a gunshot whipped into their awareness. The large man standing over Will dropped backwards soundlessly.
Jack's pain doubled as the pirate kicked him in the pit of his stomach, almost in the gunshot wound itself. While the captain of the Black Pearl laid still, pain leaving him paralyzed, the other quickly drew his sword.
Chest heaving in a desperate attempt to get enough air, Jack's hand finally found his own sword and it closed around the hilt. Adrenaline raced through his veins and he suddenly had a profound new respect for his best friend. How Will had fought Blacksword… respect was almost not a strong enough word for what he felt.
His arm shook as he blocked the downward blow. Narrowing his eyes, trying to focus, he used his other hand to pull out his knife. Blocking one final time, Jack swung his knife into the man's leg, jerking the pirate to the ground. Before he even finished falling, the man had Jack's sword through his heart.
Jack released his sword, then slowly and painfully rose to his feet. He staggered over to Will's side. From his place on the floor, he hadn't been able to see if anything had been done to his friend.
To his relief, there were no further injuries on the young man's body. Adrenaline began to fade from his system and he felt his legs beginning to tremble. Taking a step backwards, he could literally see the room as it started to spin.
Suddenly, he could no longer support himself and he collapsed, face down, on the ground. Consciousness had fled him before he landed.
"Captain Sparrow?" Miguel called. The blade of his sword was covered in blood and he was breathing heavily. "Norrington, do you know where the Captain is?"
Jackie stopped and looked up. The small knives in his hands were also drenched in blood, along with his hands themselves. "Where is Captain Sparrow? I haven't seen him since before the pirates attacked."
"I sent him below to keep an eye on Will. He's probably still down there," Norrington answered. His eyes were full of different emotions. They may have defeated the pirates, but more than half of his crew had died, and the Dauntless had suffered serious damages.
Nodding, Miguel said, "I'm going to go check on him. I'll be back, Jackie."
The Spaniard quickly slipped through the ship. When he came to the door, he was surprised to see that it was no longer on his hinges. That surprise was mild compared to the shock of seeing Jack lying unmoving, facedown, on the ground.
"Captain!" he cried in surprise. He ran to Jack, kneeling down beside him. "Captain Sparrow, are you okay?"
Jack quickly regained consciousness, much to Miguel's surprise. He was alarmed to see the deck of the ship less than a half an inch from his face. "What the…?" He quickly pushed himself up, ignoring the flaring pain in his stomach. "Miguel?"
Miguel sighed in relief. "Captain, are you okay? What happened?"
"I'm fine," Jack lied. "Just… got a little tired."
Doubt showed in Miguel's eyes. "Captain…" his eyes widened as he saw the blood on Jack's abdomen. "I highly doubt that you're okay."
"Oh, that," the pirate captain slowly said, trying to find a decent excuse. His eyes finally fell upon the body of the first pirate he had killed. "When I killed him, he was… standing over me. He… bled on me. I'm fine… honestly."
Miguel clearly didn't fully believe him but he wasn't one to question the captain. He rose to his feet, "Captain, I'll be back later. I want to check on Will in a few hours. Get some sleep. We don't need you passing out on us again."
The pirate left, despite what his medical knowledge told him. He had to just accept what Jack said and hope it was the truth.
"I'm inclined to agree with Miguel."
Jack knew instantly who it was and what they were talking about. "How would you know? You have been unconscious the whole time." He didn't turn immediately to his friend; instead, he debated whether or not to let him know about his injury.
"Jack… I'm sorry. You know I don't enjoy this anymore than you do," Will said softly. He had sat up on the small bunk, bracing himself with his good arm. His right arm was in a sling across his chest to keep him from shifting the bone in his shoulder.
Sighing, Jack turned to his friend, despite his fear of the young man's reaction. As he caught sight of Jack's stomach, Will's fever-bright eyes widened. "Jack, are you… what happened?" his voice had risen in panic.
"We were attacked… by a group of Blacksword's allies," Jack answered almost unwillingly.
"No shit," Will said darkly. "What happened to you?"
"I… don't worry… about it. It's nothing," he began, trying to keep from losing consciousness in front of his friend. He was staring to lose the battle. "As I told… Miguel… I'm fi-" he dropped, losing consciousness, straight to the ground.
"Jack!" Will screamed in alarm. He moved, not caring how much it hurt, and almost literally dropped to the ground beside the pirate. "Jack! Jack! Wake up! Jack?"
There was no response and fear shot through every fiber of Will's body. Pain flared in his healing ribs, but he barely noticed it. Grinding his teeth together, Will forced himself to his feet, using his left arm to support himself.
Staggering slightly, he hurried after Miguel. "Miguel! Miguel!"
The Spaniard had almost reached the deck of the Dauntless. He stopped and turned, and even Norrington heard, and recognizing the voice, quickly entered the belly of the ship. "Will?" both the commodore and the pirate said at the same time.
Will's knees gave out beneath him and he collapsed; he barely caught himself with his good arm. The muscles in his legs weren't used to supporting his weight and his body was far too weak. He may have been out of mortal danger from his wounds, but his body still hadn't fully healed.
"It's Jack…" he started, slightly breathless. Miguel didn't wait for Will to finish, but bolted for the room he'd left his captain in.
Norrington, though, hesitated. He stared at the young blacksmith in front of him as he struggled to regain his feet.
Will finally managed to stand and he started to stagger back to where he had come. Quickly, Norrington slipped up beside him and carefully supported the young man.
The look in Will's yes surprised the commodore. He could see the young man clearly didn't want to accept his help; his pride stopped him from being able to willingly an easily accept any assiatance. Norrington was shocked. For someone of his social class, Will had a very large since of pride.
The boy- at least in Norrington's eyes he was still a boy- started to pull away from him. "I don't need your help," he ground out. It was one thing to admit needing help to Jack, another thing entirely to admit it to Norrington.
Sighing, the commodore released Will. The man almost collapsed, then, after waiting to regain his balance, hurried back to Jack.
By the time Will got there, Jack had regained consciousness. The pirate didn't seem very happy and he was yelling at Miguel. The instant he saw Will though, he stopped and gawked in surprise.
Reaching his friend's side, Will dropped- literally- unceremoniously to his knees. "Jack… are you okay?"
Ignoring the blacksmith's question, Jack turned to Miguel. "What is he doing up? He should be-"
"He did it because of you," Miguel interrupted angrily, voice hard and pointed. "He was worried about you!"
Jack looked down, tanned cheeks turning a light shade of red. He felt guilty for doing that; if something had happened to Will, if he had gotten hurt again, because of him, he wouldn't have forgiven himself. He let his eyes drift up and they uncertainly met Will's.
"Don't worry, Jack," Will said quietly. "We just want to make sure you're okay."
Jack stared at his friend, carefully keeping the pain from showing in his eyes. "I'm fine," he said slowly, emphasizing his words. Pain was filling his entire being, radiating outwards from his stomach, and it was becoming more difficult for him to hide the truth.
Dark brown eyes narrowed slightly and Jack could tell that Will knew, to some extent, that he was injured. As he looked at his friend, he let his friend see deep inside his soul. Mentally he begged his friend not to bring Miguel into this more than he was. After a few seconds, grudging agreement filtered into Will's gaze.
Miguel missed the entire exchange and he continued to glare at his captain. Abruptly, he shook his head. "Captain, I'm going to help, whether you enjoy it or not."
"Help me with what?" Jack asked in a pointed tone. "I'm fine. I don't need any help."
The Spaniard glance at Will, clearly hoping the young blacksmith could force Jack to cooperate. To his surprise, Will said, "Miguel, leave him alone. If he keeps passing out from exhaustion, then the best thing would be for us to leave him alone so he can get some sleep."
Shock showed on the Spanish man's face but he slowly nodded. Standing, he backed away and then left, almost forgetting the door was gone as he tried to close it. He was, quite obviously, upset, but his departure left Will and Jack alone again.
Jack was surprised when Will's eyes suddenly flashed in anger. "Damn it, Jack! You're a bloody liar!" he said, voice filled with barely contained rage.
"Me!" Jack questioned. "You were… the… one who… lied."
"Oh, so you didn't lie?" his voice was edged with sarcasm. Will quickly threw his voice into a fairly decent imitation of Jack's, "Don't worry. I'm fine." His eyes flashed again and he stopped mocking his friend's voice. "Bullshit! You are not fine!"
Caramel eyes flickered in pain and sadness. "Will, you don't understand-"
The pirate almost flinched when Will glared at him. "I don't understand?" he repeated incredulously. "Jack, as of now, I think I understand pain better than you do. How do I not understand?"
"Will… I… it's…" Jack began, stammering uncertainly. "Okay, fine," he finally admitted. "Maybe… you do under… understand. But… I couldn't… tell Miguel. He wouldn't understand."
Again, Will surprised him; this time because of the concern reflected in his deep eyes. "Jack, he can help you. He's probably the only one who can." Gently, he reached forward and touched Jack's stomach. The pirate winced and pulled away. "Jack, what happened?" he asked softly.
Jack finally gave up trying to hide his pain. Will knew him far too well to be fooled by his charade.
"The ship was… attacked… by pirates," Jack said. "One of them pulled a gun on me."
"He shot you!" Will said in surprise. "Are you okay?"
Looking exasperated, Jack said, "Will…"
"Jack, if you're not going to be concerned with this, I'm going to hit you."
Annoyance flashed in Jack's eyes, "I'm sorry, but I don't need Miguel's help. This isn't exactly the first time I've been shot. I've always done fine on my own."
"But Jack," Will protested, "let us help you. You don't have to be alone. We want to help you. Let us."
"Will, I can't help it. I won't let Miguel help."
"At least let someone help."
"I plan to."
Will's dark brown eyes widened. "You are? Who?"
Sighing, Jack said, "Think about… it. I'm... not going to… allow anyone to help me… if I don't trust… them."
"Well, that knocks out a lot of options. Let's see, aboard this ship… people who are capable of helping you and have your trust. Hmm, clearly not Miguel. I know you don't trust the doctor aboard. Norrington… there's no way you trust him enough. The only people you trust enough would be Jackie and myself. Sorry, but Jackie would have no idea about what to do, and I can't do anything…"
The look on Jack's face stopped him. "You… want me to help you? But… I can't…"
"Why not?" Jack asked bluntly. His breathing was labored but his eyes remained focused on Will.
"Jack, my shoulder… or collarbone… is broken. I can't even use my right arm, or have you not noticed?"
"How does that matter?"
Will sighed in frustration. He wanted to help Jack, but he was afraid he would make a mistake. "I'm right-handed, Jack, and I can't use my right arm." He glanced down at the sling his arm was in to emphasize his point.
"Your broken shoulder didn't stop you from killing Blacksword, or holding your own against him."
"That's because it was a fight," Will said. "I've trained to be able to fight switch. But, just because I can fight switch doesn't mean I can use it otherwise." He stared at his friend, hoping to make the pirate understand. "I don't have that kind of fine control."
Jack shrugged slightly, "Then I'll leave it in."
"You can't do that!" Will protested in alarm. "You could die; either from blood loss or lead poisoning."
"Are you going to remove the bullet? Because I can't do it myself and that's the only other option."
Will's eyes were narrow, "You're serious about this, aren't you? I'm the only one you're going to let help you, aren't I?"
Jack slowly nodded. "It's you or… or nobody." He was starting to feel dizzy and darkness had once again edged his vision. His consciousness began to fade in and out and he could no longer remain focused on Will.
Alarm filled Will's eyes, "Jack, are you okay? Jack!"
When no answer came, a slight zing of panic shot up Will's spine. "Jack, come on, say something!"
"What are you yelling… about?" Jack asked groggily
"Damn you and your pride Jack," Will said angrily. "Why are you acting like this?"
The pirate's eyes cleared slightly. "I'm not stupid. I won't allow someone I don't trust to go digging around my stomach with a knife."
"Jack, I don't have any medical training. So what if you trust me? That won't help if I mess up. I could kill you."
His caramel eyes were soft. "I would rather die accidentally at you hand than… anyone… else's."
Will looked helplessly around the room. "Jack… I don't want to hurt you."
"Then… don't worry about… it," Jack said quietly.
The pain reflected in Will's dark brown eyes surprised him. A heavy sigh escaped the blacksmith. "Give me the knife," he finally relented.
"You'll do it?" Shock filled the pirate's pain-leadened voice.
"I'm not going to just sit by and watch you die from lead poisoning. At least if you die because of me, it will be quicker and less painful."
"That's… looking on the… bright side," Jack gasped.
Will's eyes darkened. "Don't make me hurt you," he warned. "After all, I'm the one who's "going to be digging around your stomach with a knife"."
Laughing quietly, Jack handed his friend the knife. Despite the fact that Will had no medical training, he wasn't worried. He trusted the younger man completely.
Holding the knife in his left hand, Will hesitated. Jack, guessing what the problem was, quickly undid his bloody, white shirt and pulled it off. He winced slightly.
A sharp gasp escaped Will. It wasn't just the blood-soaked bandages that prevented him from seeing the wound, but also the scars from previous gunshot wounds, and other various scars from who knew what.
"Where did… those come from," Will asked slowly. He couldn't help but stare at the twin bullet wounds on the left side of his chest.
"A… long time ago," Jack answered. "Are you going to do this or not?"
Nodding quickly, Will tore his attention from the old scars. "Can you remove your bandages for me?"
Instead of answering, Jack simply pulled the blood-soaked bandages off; carefully unwrapping them from around his abdomen.
Swallowing hard, Will's grip tightened on the knife. Jack had done so much for him, this was something he simply had to do. So why did he feel do sick inside?
As he was about to begin his attempt to remove the bullet, he remembered how Jack had taken the bullet out of his arm. It had been a good thing Jack had given him something to hold onto then; it had helped keep the pain from overriding everything.
Quickly changing courses, Will set down the knife. The pirate stared at him in confusion. "Will, what are you…"
He didn't have to finish, because he soon saw- if not understood- what Will was doing. The young blacksmith was quickly undoing the ties on the sling. Once it was off, he carefully shifted his arm, as if testing it.
"You'd best stop it, Will. You're… going to… only make it worse," Jack pointed out around his pain. He had no idea what his friend was planning, but he didn't want him to do anything stupid.
Then, much to Jack's surprise, Will gently reached forward and took one of the pirate's hands, despite the lancing pain in his shoulder.
"What the… bloody hell…?" Jack began.
"You're going to want something to hold onto," Will told him. "Trust me."
A glimmer of defiance flickered through Jack's eyes. "Already told you… once… I've been shot before… it's nothing new. I don't… need…"
"Then do it to make me feel better," Will interrupted. "At least this way, if you're holding on, I'll know I haven't killed you."
Sighing, Jack gave up. He couldn't argue at the moment; he was in too much pain.
Using his good arm, Will picked the knife back up. He was being careful to keep his arm from trembling. Closing his eyes for a second, Will took another deep breath. "Ready, Jack?"
"Just… do it," the pirate ground out around his pain.
Before he could change his mind, Will slid the knife into his friend's stomach, hating what he was doing.
Jack barely managed to stifle his scream and there was no way for him to stop from tightening his grip on Will. Surprise filtered through him when he saw pain flash in Will's eyes. Will, though, just kept digging deeper, hoping to quickly get it over with.
Forcing himself to release his grip, Jack realized how he had hurt the young man. In squeezing hard on Will's hand, his muscles had tightened, pulling both at the injured upper arm- his own bullet wound still throbbed, causing Will no small amount of pain- and at the carefully set bones in his shoulder.
Another wave of pain shot through Jack as Will twisted the knife slightly inside of him. Will winced slightly. "Sorry," he apologized in a pained tone.
"What… are you… apologizing… for," Jack asked.
Will didn't answer but he didn't have to. Finally, he felt the knife brush the lead bullet.
"That's it," Jack confirmed, feeling the scrape of knife on bullet. His voice had risen slightly in pain, despite all his attempts to control his tone.
Carefully digging the knife in around the bullet, Will forced himself not to tremble. He knew how dangerous things were becoming and his fear was continually rising. If he made a mistake, he would lose his best friend, and he would never forgive himself.
"What do you think Jack?"
"Hurry up…" Jack said weakly. "I don't… feel good." The pain was beginning to make him nauseous, and his hand was tight on Will's.
"Just hang in there Jack. I'm almost done," Will said. He wasn't going to say anything about his own pain; Jack hadn't earlier. The pirate's hand clamped harder, causing shooting pain through his arm and shoulder. He could feel the muscles threatening to shift the bone back out of place, but that was the least of his worries.
Quickly wedging the knife under the bullet, Will prepared to get it out. "Brace yourself, Jack," he warned quietly. His friend slowly nodded.
Twisting the knife hard, the young blacksmith forced the bullet back out. Jack forced down a scream, but Will couldn't as agony shot up his arm.
Jack was surprised when Will blacked out, collapsing backwards.
Abruptly, he realized he had caused his friend to pass out. Reaching down, he gently pulled the knife the rest of the way from his stomach.
Leaning forward, he gently shook his friend, careful not to hurt himself. "Will? Will?"
No answer came and he stopped. Picking up a few bandages, he quickly wrapped them around his ribs. Once he didn't have to worry about blood loss, he scooted closer to his friend. Carefully, he placed his hand on Will's broken shoulder, feeling the break and attempting to tell if the bone needed to be reset.
Dark eyes slowly opened and met his, "Are you okay?"
"Thanks to you," he said, smiling slightly. "How could you… risk yourself for me, though?"
Using his good arm, Will pressed himself up. Agony shot through his shoulder as the bone ground against bone. His shoulder may not have been out of place, but the slight movement still hurt. "It was only my arm. Your life was at stake. Even if it was my life at risk, do you think… it would stop me?"
Caramel eyes softened, "No, but it should." He felt better than he had before and he felt greatly in debt to the younger man.
"It was nothing you haven't done for me."
Jack sighed, "Well, not exactly." He shrugged, "Now that… it's over, we… can get some rest."
"I can't," Will said quietly. Pain was almost beginning to show in his eyes. "My body… may be almost fully healed but… the nightmares… they won't stop."
To the young man's surprise, Jack moved closer. "Sorry, but… I need to make sure… your shoulder is still in place."
"It is," Will answered. He knew the pirate was avoiding the subject of Will's nightmares because Jack felt as though it was his fault.
A silence fell between them until Jack asked, "Do you think… if I could convince your… subconsciousness… that I did not… betray you… the nightmares would stop?"
Will started to shrug but stopped as the pain accompanying the movement shot through his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Jack apologized, seeing the way Will stopped abruptly. "That's probably my fault as well."
Carefully shaking his head, Will said, "It wouldn't bother me if I could remember it was broken."
"That's what the sling was for," Jack pointed out. "The sling, you know, the thing you took off. "
The young man's dark brown eyes narrowed. "Jack…"
"Do you need me to help… put the sling back on?" Jack questioned.
Will didn't answer but Jack could see his reluctant agreement. Jack reached over and picked up the cloth that had been used earlier. Will sat in front of him, cradling his arm against his chest. The pain from the gunshot wound had died down to a dull ache, leaving only the pain of the broken bone.
The pirate quickly slipped the makeshift sling under the other man's arm and carefully tied it off. A thought struck him and he chuckled to himself.
"What?" Will asked, having overheard his friend's laughter.
"I was thinking, I feel like an older brother, taking care of you like this," he admitted, unable to control his grin.
Will rolled his eyes, but a slight smile had edged his face.
"So… what do you think? You… want to see if we can get rid of your… nightmares," Jack offered. He had an idea, but it would be… awkward, to say the least.
"What are you thinking?" Will asked slowly.
Jack sighed, "Now, hear me out before you say anything. Your… subconsciousness… seems to think you can't trust me anymore, so we need to… I guess convince it that I didn't betray you."
Will nodded but didn't speak; he would wait for his friend to finish.
"Well… do you think if I were here… it would help?"
Before Will could say anything, Jack proceeded to explain, "I'm only going on what I've been told and some… guessing… but it might work."
Confusion was written on Will's face so Jack elaborated. "When you were a little kid and your mother was still alive, did you ever have nightmares?"
"Fairly often," Will admitted with slight embarrassment.
"How did she get you to go back asleep? How would she make them go away?" Jack pressed.
"Jack," Will said, staring at the pirate, "I hate to tell you, but you look nothing like my mother. I would have to be very drunk to mistake you for her."
"You were getting upset with me for not being serious earlier. Our roles are about to be switched," Jack warned.
"She would stay with me until I fell asleep," Will finally relented.
"Exactly!" the Black Pearl's captain said. "Good, I can do that. It's not as bad as I thought."
Will looked down and Jack knew instantly that there was more. "Oh, no," he groaned. "What is it? I knew it was too simple."
"I don't think you want to know," Will muttered. Sighing, he said, "She would also… hold me 'till I fell asleep."
"Damn, you were a spoiled little child," Jack commented. "I was lucky if I got a bed. Hell, to me, a clean bed was paradise."
"That's nice," Will said, voice edged with sarcasm. "I think I'll leave now-"
"Will, do I look any happier than you about this?" Jack interrupted.
Eyes widening, Will looked shocked. "You… you're not seriously considering this, are you?"
Shrugging slightly, Jack said, "If it will help-"
"No!" This time it was Will who interrupted Jack. "No, no, no. Period."
"Do you want Elizabeth to know about this? About everything that's happened to you?" Jack pointed out.
"No," Will admitted, "but at the moment, I'd give almost anything to have her here instead of you."
Jack almost smiled, "Honestly… I would just about sell my soul to the devil, or Hades, or Pluto, or whatever god people believe in now… for her to be here as opposed to me." Then he did grin, "So don't feel bad, the feeling is mutual."
"Well, as long as the feeling is mutual, it's okay," Will said, voice now laced heavily with sarcasm. His eyes were clearly filled with his unhappiness.
The pirate couldn't help it as his eyes narrowed, "You are very annoying when you're sarcastic, did you know that? I don't like this at all. I…" he shuddered. "You realize I would never, ever do this for anyone but you."
"Jack, no," Will repeated. "It would be bad enough having you sit and watch over me, but to have you acting like my mother… No."
"Then think of me… more as your older brother," Jack tried. He stood up. "I'm going to need a drink. Do you want one?"
"If you're going to do this, I'm going to need more than one," Will said in a depressed tone.
Jack laughed; he almost had forgotten his injury. Almost, but not quite. The drink would help there as well. "I'll be back with your drink," he said as he left."
Miguel paced in agitation. It had been several hours since Jack had refused to allow him to help and he was still worried. Commodore Higsby had told him that he had seen Jack once since then. It seemed the captain had found something to drink that neither Higsby nor Norrington had realized was on board.
He had finally managed to force Jackie to go to bed; that had not been one of the easiest things he had to do in this life. That boy was at least as stubborn as his father and Captain Sparrow, if not more so- if that were even possible.
Sighing, he turned on his heel. He would not be put off a third time. Storming to the room, he then hesitated at the doorway. His resolve wavered but he knocked lightly on the doorframe. No answer came.
Slowly, he leaned around the doorway and glanced inside. He froze as his eyes fell upon the two figures in there. At first, he had been confused but slowly he understood, and he couldn't help but feel touched.
Both Jack and Will were dead asleep, for the first time in weeks. It was almost the same as aboard the rowboat, when Jack had been terrified Will would die. The pirate- the supposedly black-hearted pirate- was cradling Will against his chest.
The young blacksmith's head was resting against Jack's chest. That wasn't what surprised Miguel; it was the fact that the young man was asleep and seemingly without the plaguing nightmares.
Jack, though, was gently supporting the other's body. His head was bowed and resting lightly on top of Will's. He, too, was asleep and Miguel knew it was probably the first time in days.
Backing away, he left the room. Both needed to sleep; he would not bother to check on Jack just yet.
TBC
Long chapter, yes. But it was either make it long or uber short, so I thought you guys would prefer long.
Catch you all next time.