Chapter Nine: Lightning Bolts

Disclaimer: Own no one except my own characters.


Just as he touched the wooden deck, however, a crack of lightning echoed around them, followed by the snapping of wood as the top of the foremast broke off. Razor sharp splinters mixed with the rain that pelted down around Jack and Mary and all Jack could think of was to protect the child, his precious cargo. He huddled around her, reaching out to find a bearing, unsure of if they were sliding off the deck of the 'Pearl herself.

'This bloody rain makes everything dissimilar,' he cursed. As he reached out though, the bulk of the top of the mast came down, slicing the length of the man's forearm. Jack gritted his teeth at the excruciating pain and, adrenaline pumping, ran towards his cabin door, which was, at that moment, closer than the stairs leading below deck, blood pouring out the deep gash in his left arm.


The rain subsided as did Mary's hysterics and everything went back to normal, as normal as it could be, on the now-damaged ship. Auburn was the first into the captain's cabin to check on the child, all formalities forgotten in his concern. Jack, feeling light-headed and drowsy from the loss of blood, hid his arm best he could from the two and gave Auburn orders to set sail for the nearest port. "There's an island a few leagues away. With good winds, we should reach it by morning for repairs. Make haste, boy!"

Mary toddled over to Jack, concern writ all over her face. "Mr. Jack, yer bleedin'."

"I'm quite well aware of that, Miss Mary." Jack replied through gritted teeth.

"I can fix that, ye know."

"Mary, dove, this ain't some coat corner you can just sew up."

"What's the difference?"

Jack paused, mulling over the innocence of the question. He didn't really want to do it himself but he had been preparing to do so anyways with a doctor not readily available on board.

With a sigh he agreed. "Alright Mary but get me a bottle of rum first to ease the pain."

She skirted off to get it along with the needle and thread necessary. Grimacing, Jack examined the freely open wound that was his forearm now lying in a useless, bloody mess on his leg. He was surprised that he could still move his fingers; surely a slash such as that would have clipped all the nerve endings and blood vessels, delaying death only a few hours at most.

Mary returned with two bottles, handed one to the captain and dipped a cloth in the other. "I seen Tia do this all the time with boys who went off to battle and come back worse than you. It'll only hurt a little, promise."

Jack smiled at her concern for his well-being; he knew what was coming. He took a deep drink from his bottle as she patted the open wound, trying not to choke at the pain. After the rum had begun to successfully numb the pain, she began to sew the extremity up, beginning by his wrist, pulling the two sections of skin tightly closed. It hurt, no doubt, but Jack wouldn't let Mary see his pain, he took it in stride and let the strength of the rum wash over him and send him into a warm, drunken state. The captain was still amazed that the girl could stand such a gory sight.

"There all done," Mary said, smiling as she patted the newly stitched wound with one more douse of alcohol to sterilize it.

"I'm proud of you, Mary." Jack commented as he lay back onto his bed, ready to fall asleep.

"I seen it done many times with Tia; t'ain't nothing."

"Better get some sleep, luv, we'll be going ashore in the morn."

"That'll be a pretty scar, Mr. Jack. I'm sure one day you'll tell your little dove or lass about how you got it."

"Maybe so, Miss Mary, maybe so," Jack murmured before dropping into a dreamless sleep.

Mary watched him fall asleep and cleaned up the mess that had been made in the entire ordeal, pondering to herself what was going to happen now.

'Lily told me that he was going to take me home. I wonder if this is home," she thought, gazing out at the port steadily coming into view, basked in another sunrise. 'I wonder if this is Aubie's home too.


Jack awoke as he felt his ship dock in the port and knew what task lay ahead of him. He still felt weak and dizzy from the events of the night before but he also knew the sooner he got Mary to… where ever she was supposed to go, the sooner he could find his treasure.

Such a special occasion called for fresh clothes so Jack changed out of the bloody rags his clothes had become and donned new, fresh(er) ones before going out on deck.

"Mr. Gibbs, Miss Mary, Mr. Auburn and I are going ashore." He announced.

"Cap'n, the two youngin's have already gone."

"What! Why did you let them go?"

"Because Auburn wanted to get Miss Mary some proper breakfast and I didn't see a problem with it. T'is a small port, sir, how far could they go?"

Jack rolled his eyes and spat out orders to his crew as he scuttled down the gangplank in search of the two children. "Anyone who so much as sets one foot off this ship, save Gibbs to fix her, will get a beating the Dread Pirate Roberts would be afraid of!"


Auburn had taken Mary to a small tavern to get a nice, warm breakfast.

"Aren't you going to eat, Aubie?" Mary queried, eating her hot porridge happily. It'd been ages since she'd had a good hot meal.

"I ain't too 'ungry, Miss Mary. After yer done, we're goin' on an adventure."

"Ooh really? Where?"

"Up top o' the hill. We're meetin' someone impor'ant."

"Who Aubie?"

"Surprise, Miss."

"Will I like 'em?"

"I'm sure ye will." He smiled, a dark secret hid behind his eyes.


Well, next chapter will be my last and that's where the twist comes in. I hope ya'll enjoy it! I know it was kind of short and rushed; sorry about that!

Cheers,

Puck