Jack picked up a sword that a fallen man had evidently dropped, putting his pistol away and keeping the sword at the ready. It'd be a good temporary replacement until he got a new sword. He examined it as they trekked through the trees, only to bump into Angelica having not realized she'd stopped.

He looked up from what he was doing. "Why are we stoppin'?"

She pointed ahead of them, through a few layers of trees. "The camp is under attack."

He peered in that direction, seeing soldiers trying to force their way through the line of pirates defending the camp. "Not yet. The soldiers haven't broken through."

"But how will we get through, Jack?" She asked, turning to him.

"Crawl beneath their blades." He smirked thoughtfully. "We might get trampled, but it could work."

"And if they see us?"

"Like ye said earlier, it's our only chance."

"Alright, Jack." Angelica sighed. "Just don't get us killed."

"Aye." Jack smirked again. "Follow me."

He led her to the last layer of trees before the camp. Then, giving her a small nod, they slipped out from their cover and up near the fighting men. He got down onto his stomach, groaning painfully, and she got to the ground as well. They began crawling beneath the clashing soldiers and pirates, dodging feet. He found himself somehow knocked around onto his back. A soldier stepped on his leg by accident, looking down curiously. Then the man scowled, driving a broken sword into the pirate captain's right leg.

Jack let out a cry of pain as the man stabbed the sword deeper and dragged it down through his knee and into his lower leg before letting go. Another fighting man accidentally kicked him in the side of the head, and his vision went blurry. Helpless to flee, he felt a hand grab the back of his shirt and drag him through the fighting men, into the pirates' camp. Breathing hard, he fell back to the hard ground as he was let go of. When his vision finally cleared up, he saw Angelica looking over him with worry.

"Jack…" She murmured. "Are you alright?"

"My leg…" He gasped out.

Then she saw it, her eyes widening. "It's alright, Jack." She didn't sound very convinced herself.

"Is...is it a sword?" He asked.

"Yes, it is." She quickly nodded, before gripping the sword's handle. "Hold on, Sparrow, this is going to hurt."

Jack squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lower lip in order to keep from crying out as she pulled the shattered blade from his leg. He heard it hit the ground and felt her lifting him up again from under the arms. She lost her grip on him and his back slammed into the dirt. He groaned turning onto his side to spit out a mouthful of a salty, warm red liquid. Blood. The pain in his head grew quickly and all he wished for was it to end. All of it.

His vision was blurry and then black spots filled it. He closed his eyes for no reason at all- not that he could see anyway. His head hit the dirt as his breathing became heavy. Pain. It was the only thing he could feel, lying there.

"Jack!" Angelica shook him, only succeeding in making the pain impossibly worsen. "Jack! Can you hear me?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but only blood came out, staining his lips and chin red. He let out a cough, more blood spilling out of his mouth. He felt himself being lifted up by her and dragged again, but he couldn't stay awake any longer.

He blacked out.

*X*

Grogan saw the form of a woman dragging an unconscious, bloody man towards the main tent. Immediately he could tell that the man was injured far worse than most. Having no patient in his side tent, he headed out, walking towards the woman.

"Oi, miss!" He called as he came towards her. She saw him and stopped dragging the man. He reached her, realizing who the unconscious man was. "Sparrow…" He murmured, before turning back to her. "I can take him over in me own tent. He's injured worse than many o' the others."

She nodded quickly in agreement. "Rapido. We need to hurry."

"Aye. If he loses much more blood…" Grogan didn't want to think of what would happen.

I owe Sparrow my life. He saved me once, I should repay the favor.

He grabbed the man's left leg, carefully scooping up the left one as he saw the long gash running down it. A quick glance of the knee worried him. It didn't look good at all. Together, he and the woman carried him over into the small tent and laid him on a wooden table.

"I know ye're worried about him, but for now I think ye should go help the others defend the camp." He told her. "It's for the best."

"For the best?" She narrowed her eyes darkly. "He's dying!"

"I know, but it'll be harder to operate with ye in 'ere." Grogan explained. "The only one I'm allowin' in 'ere is Cap'n Teague."

"Why only him?"

"He's Sparrow's father."

She gave him a skeptical look. "Fine, but I will be back later."

She stomped out before he could answer. He watched her go with curiosity. Who was that lady?

*X*

Captain Teague entered the main tent of the camp, unsurprised to see so many wounded and dying men laying on the ground. He stepped over them as he passed through the rows, curious of who wasn't injured.

"Cap'n Teague!" One of the doctors called to him. "Grogan was lookin' for ye, sir. Says he needs ye in his tent."

He gave a curt nod. "I'll be on my way then."

He went back the way he came, trying not to trip or step on anyone. He couldn't help but to wonder why Grogan needed him. He trusted that the man could do his job alone. Unless…

What if someone he cared for was injured in there?

Who would he call me to see? He thought for a moment as he exited the main tent and headed towards Grogan's side tent. Then, suddenly, he knew. Oh no...Jackie.

Teague picked up his pace, undeniably worried now. If Jack was hurt and he was in Grogan's tent, then his life was clearly on the line. He couldn't let the last of his living family die; not while he himself was still on the face of the world.

He reached the tent and stopped, taking a deep breath before he entered. He spotted the Doc examining the wounds of a bloodied, unconscious Jack. The man's shirt had been taken off to reveal a cut in his ribcage, one that didn't seem to have been from a sword. What looked like a bullet hole went through the man's left hip. Completely through. A huge gash went down the man's right leg too. It was nasty looking and something seemed off about the knee.

"And idea what happened to him?" Teague asked the doctor in a low, seemingly calm voice.

"Well," Grogan sighed,"He's clearly been shot. It went right through him, so I'm not sure what side it came from. And for 'is leg, it looks like the man responsible lodged the sword into 'is thigh and then pushed it in a little deeper before he dragged it down 'is whole leg. Destroyed the knee, jus' by lookin' at it I can tell it won't heal properly no matter the treatment- especially since it's Sparrow, y'know. However about the wound in 'is ribcage, I've no idea how that happened."

"What are ye goin' to do about his leg?" Teague asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Either he can walk around with it screwed up for the rest o' 'is life or we can amputate and replace it. Mock my words, it'll be mighty painful for 'im either way."

The pirate captain nodded gravely. "I see…"

"Which do ye think is best for 'im, Teague?" Grogan asked.

"I say jus' cut it off, Doc." The man told him. "The pain won't last his whole lifetime like it would if ye don't."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Aye, true. But the question is; how will it affect him?"

"Jackie reacts to everythin' differently, hard to say." Teague told him. "But, if I know him, he'll prefer going around with a fake leg rather than a constantly painful real one."

"Very well then." The Doc decided. "Then we'll be cuttin' off 'is leg."