He opened the door and saw her, lying with her back towards the door. She was coughing again, the movements racking her body. She stopped and sighed, already tired of all of this. He frowned, walked over and sat on the bed, putting his hand on her bare shoulder. She jumped slightly under his touch, and looked over her shoulder. She smiled when she saw it was him and turned over tensely.
"Jack!" She exclaimed, sounding like she was starting to lose her voice.
"Hello, darling," Jack said, leaning down and kissing her tenderly. He pulled away after a moment and curled a piece of her hair around his finger, smiling at her lovingly.
"How did everything go?" She said, clearing her throat after.
"Very well, actually. I had a bit of help," Jack said. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, getting her point across without wasting any words. "Dear William happened to be there. He's captaining our ship for us," He said, stroking her face absentmindedly.
"Will?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, Will. He's on the other ship right now, right behind us," Jack said, smiling. Elizabeth looked down, not exactly sure what to say about this new situation. She looked back up at him, shifting her lips to the side.
"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice rough.
"Of course," He said, leaning down and pressing his lips to her forehead multiple times. He didn't want to ask her how she was, because he already knew. He thought maybe if he didn't hear it out loud, in concrete form, it wouldn't be true. He pulled away and looked at her. She was pale, and her breathing was labored. There were rings around her eyes. Seeing it was worse, Jack thought. He had his hand resting on his arm, and he felt the goosebumps come over her when they did.
"I'm cold, Jack," She whispered, looking up at him. His face filled up with concern. He quickly took off his belt, his hat and his boots, and then slipped into bed beside her. She immediately scooted closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her, pressing her to him. He cupped the back of her head and rubbed her back up and down quickly, trying to warm her. She pulled her arms around his waist and pressed her face to his chest, letting out air through her teeth. He reached over and pulled the covers around the both of them, but more around her. He kept trying to warm her up for the next few moments, and finally he stopped when her body felt more relaxed.
"Better?" He asked. She nodded into his chest. He leant down and kissed her hairline. There was a moment of silence between them, the only thing that could be heard was Elizabeth's labored breathing. Finally, she spoke, in the most hapless and tired tone he had ever heard her use.
"This... is going to kill me... isn't it?" She asked him.
"Not if I have anything to do with it," Jack said, resolutely.
"Jack..." She pleaded. He shook his head.
"No, it's not. It might get close, but I refuse to let that happen, Elizabeth. I promise you, I will pull you back from this. I will not lose you," He said, holding her tighter. After a moment, she nodded her head again, not having the strength to fight him. A few hours passed as they lay there, holding each other. Soon, they fell asleep.
