CHAPTER 8: Don't Leave Me
Long after Elizabeth had finally gone to bed Katherine still sat at Jack's side. His fever had risen and he raved incoherently in his sleep. Exhausted, Katherine had almost drifted off when Jack started yelling his body thrashing violently on the bed. Katherine cried out in alarm and leapt to her feet. "Jack? Jack calm down!" she cried dodging his flailing arms and legs. Within moments Will and Elizabeth burst into the room and seconds later Governor Swann joined them wigless and looking quite startled.
Will and Swann grabbed the pirate's arms and legs restraining Jack so he couldn't hurt himself but it only seemed to make him more frantic. "Let me go," he roared, "I won't let you!" Suddenly Jack's tone turned pleading, "Let me go, please! I'll do anything. Barbossa . . . don't! No! Stop! Please," he whimpered pathetically.
Katherine's heart broke to hear Jack sound so afraid. She pushed past Will taking Jack's chin in her hand. "No one is going to hurt you," she reassured him gently. Jack shook his head his eyes shut tightly. Katherine set her jaw. "Look at me!" Her voice was sharp and commanding.
Jack's eyes snapped open in response to her command and it was clear that he was delirious with fever. Even in his fever induced delirium however he recognized the face above him. "Katherine?" he croaked. Jack's eyes darted nervously around the room, "Where am I? Where's Barbossa?" Jack looked back up at Katherine. "Katie? You're real aren't you, luv?"
"That's right Jack," she murmured her voice loosing its momentary bite and becoming soothing, "Will and Elizabeth are here too. You're safe."
"Will?" he echoed.
Will's face floated into view. "I'm right here, Jack."
Elizabeth joined him. "You're at my home," she told him, "No one will harm you."
Jack whimpered pathetically. "Why won't they let me go?"
"Because you were thrashing in your sleep. We didn't want you to hurt yourself," Katherine explained calmly, "But if you keep still they'll let you go."
Jack nodded and Swann and Will released his limbs. Jack reached for Katherine's hand and she clasped his firmly. "Hot. My shoulder," he moaned.
"I know. You've been hurt. You have a fever, Jack," she mixed some of the medicine the doctor had left with some water and held it to his lips. "Sip it slowly, darling," she instructed, "That's it."
When he had finished the glass Jack subsided weakly back against the pillow keeping his grip on Katherine's hand. "Don't leave me," he whispered his eyes pleading. If Katherine left Barbossa might return.
"Ssshh. I'm not going anywhere," she soothed, "Rest, Jack. I'm right here."
Elizabeth and Will watched as Katherine coaxed Jack into obeying her every word using nothing more than a soothing voice and gentle hands. The two lovers shared a knowing look. Katherine Darcy was deeply in love and the trust Jack placed in her was amazing considering that Jack didn't really trust anyone completely. Not since he'd lost the Pearl all those years ago.
Katherine smiled weakly at the other occupants of the room. "I believe that we shall be fine now."
Will nodded, "I'm right down the hall if you require assistance."
Katherine nodded absently all her attention was already focused on Jack. Will saw how Jack leaned into her touch as she brushed his hair back and smiled. The Governor ushered Will and Elizabeth from the room leaving Katherine alone with her patient.
Katherine stroked Jack's damp hair trying to lull him back to sleep. She was very encouraged however that he'd woken at all delirious or not. Jack had not opened his eyes since he had collapsed. Jack tugged weakly on her hand. "What is it, Jack?"
"C'mere," he whispered.
"Jack-"
"Please?" he looked up at her with pleading eyes. Sighing Katherine allowed him to tug her into bed with him resting her head upon his good shoulder.
"Sleep now, Jack," she whispered kissing his cheek.
Jack's grip tightened around her before falling back asleep. Katherine sighed and allowed the steady beating of his heart sing her to sleep.
*AUTHOR'S NOTE
That's it for tonight. I'll post more soon. Remember to read and review!
Long after Elizabeth had finally gone to bed Katherine still sat at Jack's side. His fever had risen and he raved incoherently in his sleep. Exhausted, Katherine had almost drifted off when Jack started yelling his body thrashing violently on the bed. Katherine cried out in alarm and leapt to her feet. "Jack? Jack calm down!" she cried dodging his flailing arms and legs. Within moments Will and Elizabeth burst into the room and seconds later Governor Swann joined them wigless and looking quite startled.
Will and Swann grabbed the pirate's arms and legs restraining Jack so he couldn't hurt himself but it only seemed to make him more frantic. "Let me go," he roared, "I won't let you!" Suddenly Jack's tone turned pleading, "Let me go, please! I'll do anything. Barbossa . . . don't! No! Stop! Please," he whimpered pathetically.
Katherine's heart broke to hear Jack sound so afraid. She pushed past Will taking Jack's chin in her hand. "No one is going to hurt you," she reassured him gently. Jack shook his head his eyes shut tightly. Katherine set her jaw. "Look at me!" Her voice was sharp and commanding.
Jack's eyes snapped open in response to her command and it was clear that he was delirious with fever. Even in his fever induced delirium however he recognized the face above him. "Katherine?" he croaked. Jack's eyes darted nervously around the room, "Where am I? Where's Barbossa?" Jack looked back up at Katherine. "Katie? You're real aren't you, luv?"
"That's right Jack," she murmured her voice loosing its momentary bite and becoming soothing, "Will and Elizabeth are here too. You're safe."
"Will?" he echoed.
Will's face floated into view. "I'm right here, Jack."
Elizabeth joined him. "You're at my home," she told him, "No one will harm you."
Jack whimpered pathetically. "Why won't they let me go?"
"Because you were thrashing in your sleep. We didn't want you to hurt yourself," Katherine explained calmly, "But if you keep still they'll let you go."
Jack nodded and Swann and Will released his limbs. Jack reached for Katherine's hand and she clasped his firmly. "Hot. My shoulder," he moaned.
"I know. You've been hurt. You have a fever, Jack," she mixed some of the medicine the doctor had left with some water and held it to his lips. "Sip it slowly, darling," she instructed, "That's it."
When he had finished the glass Jack subsided weakly back against the pillow keeping his grip on Katherine's hand. "Don't leave me," he whispered his eyes pleading. If Katherine left Barbossa might return.
"Ssshh. I'm not going anywhere," she soothed, "Rest, Jack. I'm right here."
Elizabeth and Will watched as Katherine coaxed Jack into obeying her every word using nothing more than a soothing voice and gentle hands. The two lovers shared a knowing look. Katherine Darcy was deeply in love and the trust Jack placed in her was amazing considering that Jack didn't really trust anyone completely. Not since he'd lost the Pearl all those years ago.
Katherine smiled weakly at the other occupants of the room. "I believe that we shall be fine now."
Will nodded, "I'm right down the hall if you require assistance."
Katherine nodded absently all her attention was already focused on Jack. Will saw how Jack leaned into her touch as she brushed his hair back and smiled. The Governor ushered Will and Elizabeth from the room leaving Katherine alone with her patient.
Katherine stroked Jack's damp hair trying to lull him back to sleep. She was very encouraged however that he'd woken at all delirious or not. Jack had not opened his eyes since he had collapsed. Jack tugged weakly on her hand. "What is it, Jack?"
"C'mere," he whispered.
"Jack-"
"Please?" he looked up at her with pleading eyes. Sighing Katherine allowed him to tug her into bed with him resting her head upon his good shoulder.
"Sleep now, Jack," she whispered kissing his cheek.
Jack's grip tightened around her before falling back asleep. Katherine sighed and allowed the steady beating of his heart sing her to sleep.
*AUTHOR'S NOTE
That's it for tonight. I'll post more soon. Remember to read and review!