Chapter Thirty: In Sickness and In Health

The smugness which oh-so plastered his face began to drip away, sliding in globs down his cheeks and falling to his coat, staining it-this perspiration of anxiousness only made the wicked grin which sat upon my lips grow, stitching ever farther into my cheeks. His eyes fell wide, until his gleaming muddy irises were completely surrounded by a moat of white. I inched closer to him, carefully dragging the tip of my rapier over his slightly pudgy cheek-his eyes followed where my rapier traced, and by the spreading vermilion which took over the paleness of his skin, it was completely obvious, even to the most foolish of eyes, that his breath was hitched in his lungs. "I've killed men for far less.." I trailed off, almost dreamily beginning to slice into the flesh of his neck, just below his ear. "-Of this, you know. But-your life will be spared, which, I cannot say for most of your extremities." I finished, a dark chuckle shaking from the pits of my chest, twirling about my vocal chords.

Bending down to his level, I kept my rapier hard pressed to his throat, where only a few droplets of blood oozed out onto its shiny, unforgiving surface. "Let's make a deal" I snarled, my grin morphing, at a moment's notice, into an unscrupulous smirk.

By the way the physician stared at me, I believe he completely thought I was Satan incarnate! He dared not scurry away from my unerring hand, for he knew the consequences he would meet would be far worse if he did.

**He had just administered the correct medicine to my Captain, who groaned softly in a wakeful slumber, his eyes were glazed over with indispositioning malady, their gaze was faint, but in their own way-shrewd. He observed the doctor calculatingly, the doctor's every movement not going unnoticed by my Captain's keen constitution. However, every so often, as I would oogle down at my Captain, his eyes would meet my gaze, and I would instantly become awash with pity. His gaze was intelligent, he knew what was happening by one glance at my posture-he knew something was terribly awry.

But, he kept his lips sewn shut, he knew better than to anger me, especially in such a state as things were. The doctor turned to me and gave the nod of his head. "The Captain should return to health in a matter of days-weeks, possibly, depending upon how strong his immune system is, as well as his will to become healthy again."

"My will is iron" the Captain replied, his voice was beginning to get stronger, however, it wasn't back to it's deep, commanding richness just yet. "Besides that, my motivation to health is extraordinarily much..." he trailed off, his gaze turning to me before to the doctor, playfulness taking over his demeanor. "...I'm getting to make a son" he finished, winking to the doctor before letting out a chuckle, directed at me. I gave a half-hearted smile, brushing my fingers through his hair.

"Whatever you wish, my Captain." Replied I, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, which burnt beneath my lips! Apparently, my lips felt cool against his hot skin, for he let out an unconscious sigh at my kiss, chasing a blistering chill through his veins, for, when I looked to him again, his skin glistened a feverish diaphoresis, as the ocean shines in the moonlight when diamonds tango and tumble upon the waves, laughing in the breakers. I did not even pretend to shield my anger at the doctor; my eyes traveled from my lover, to the doctor, spiting cobalt flames at him from my irises. "I would pray to whichever deity you believe in, doctor, that the Captain heals speedily-for your sake." I growled, my voice low and resonating from deep in my chest.

The doctor nodded quickly, as fast as I've ever seen anyone nod!

"Now, the crew will be awaiting your arrival on the deck-do not fight them." I advised as he stood and frantically made for the door, slamming it shut behind him. I moved quietly and placed a chair to the Captain's bedside, plopping into it and allowing a decompressing sigh to wiggle through my lips.

"What are they going to do to him?" My Captain asked from beside me, sneaking his hand into mine and intertwining our fingers.

"I don't know-I just told them to come up with the most grotesque ways to torture someone-but not kill them-and act all of it out upon the doctor." Answered I with a sickly sweet smile to him, he only let out a chuckle before sighing as I had just done.

A light silence ensued, and in that silence, being carried upon the wind we could faintly hear the doctor's muffled screams, which sent a cringe up my spine! My Captain saw this and squeezed my hand. "Do you enjoy being Captain, my love?" He asked genuinely, pushing himself, gently, up upon his elbows. I shrugged.

"I don't...I don't think so. I love the power that comes with it but I...I don't think I can handle it!" I said, exasperated, to which he let out a laugh and pulled me into his arms, his fingers braiding themselves in a few strands of my hair.

"It's not an easy job." He replied, his lips pressing gently against the top of my head.

"You can say that again!" I laughed.

"It's not an easy job." He repeated, to which, my laughing continued, and I turned to him, pressing kisses to his cheeks, but, he pushed me away, gently. "I don't want you to catch whatever I have-besides, you're the one who's going to be carrying our child as soon as I'm healthy enough for you to use my bottom half to your satisfaction." He replied, and a blush, like a spiderweb, overtook my cheeks, my once wicked grin was now a shy, genuine smile.

"If we're doing that, I'm going to use all of you" I replied, my fingers catching on the open bit of his shirt, brushing against the vulnerable skin of his chest, a smug smile took over his lips and contorted them slightly, but it was a good contortion.

"All of my co-" He tried to say, before being interrupted by the door slamming open, and the first mate standing in the threshold, smiling and covered in the red elixir of life, which, I hoped with all of my heart and soul dripped steadily from the doctor. "What?" My Captain snarled, his grip of me tightening, which, surprised me, considering in what a state he was in!

"W-We're p-ported, sir." The first mate answered, meekly, wiping the smile straight from his lips; with the nod of his head, my Captain gave the man the freedom to depart, to which he closed the door afterwards.

My Captain rubbed his face, which was unmasked now (as it often was nowadays-which I had no quarrels with at all! In fact, I loved it ever more when he left it), and my hand ghosted over his back, rubbing it softly as I held him close, pressing soft kisses to his arm and shoulder. "What's the matter, my love?" I asked quietly, my eyes attentively sticking to his features.

"Being sick" he paused, groaning. "I don't like it, it makes me feel...inferior, I can't even captain my own damned boat." He hissed, his hands focusing on rubbing his now bloodshot eyes. My lips touched his cheek gently, and this time he didn't press me away.

"Everyone gets sick, my Captain, and everyone can't be rough and tumble pirates all the time...sometimes you have to give up the reins of being tough to someone else for a while, even if that someone realizes they get too drunk with power." I replied, to which he turned to me, a grin on his lips and he shook his head, a laugh kissing his lips. With that, he leaned over and pressed a quick peck of a kiss to my cheek, before attempting to stand.

**With help from a walking stick and his arm wrapped around my shoulders, I brought my Captain to a clinic, at first, they weren't going to take him-until I pointed a gun to their heads.

They agreed willingly afterwards.

They pumped even more healing drugs into my Captain, and reported that the waiting time for his health was diminished to two days.

Two days!

I let out a sigh of relief and jumped into the nurse's arms, squealing and hugging her as hard as I could, before I began to weep, the only legible word leaving my lips was 'thank you'.

**The next two days consisted of innuendos, soft kisses, and lots of napping. Napping, I was told, is when the human body heals best, since we do not use our bodies when we sleep, everything has a chance to recharge and replenish itself. Whilst my Captain napped, I most usually laid by his side, in the bed, where his arm was thrown around me and my head was tucked against his chest, which rose and fell softly. This was one of those such times. My arms were curled around him and the warmth that radiated from him kept me warm as well! Though, I was more fidgety than normal.

"Go to sleep" my Captain whispered to me groggily, his fingers brushing mildly through my curls, straightening them out, unintentionally.

"I can't" I whispered into his chest, my voice muffled; he groaned, but his eyes remained closed.

"Why?"

"I can't stop thinking"

"About what?" He asked, his groggy tone never changing as he spoke into the pillow.

"Our future" I answered, and, the idea of his and my future did weigh heavily on me, we had not only Blackbeard to contend with, but the problem of a home, and knowing that we both wanted children and the fact that children, normally, need a solid foundation of two parents, scared me. I didn't want to be without my Captain for any amount of time-but months?! And, the thought of raising children on a pirate ship was out of the question! So, for the most part, either I would be forced to raise the children while he plundered, or he would have to give up pirating.

He hushed me softly and kissed my head, his fingers moving from my hair to ghost over my arm, making goosebumps arise and sending chills of delight all over my body. "Don't think of that yet...don't, we've got a while-at least nine to ten months."

**The afternoon, the Captain felt infinitely better! He even stood and strode about the room for a few moments! I clapped and he puffed out his chest, bowing for me. "That was one of your surprises" he said, and I paused. Surprises? What ever did he mean?

"What do you mean?" I asked, shifting in the plush chair I sat in.

"I mean, you have more than one surprise! They're discharging me today, and you will receive the other surprise shortly" he answered, to this, I giggled and my cheeks heated, why, I hadn't gotten surprises in a while!

After they discharged my Captain, he took me, arm-in-arm to a quaint little green. The sun sat upon his gold throne of clouds high in the sky, burning the aqua canvass free of any puffy clouds which could've loomed to become depressed and shower the earth in their tears. Trees were the greenest I'd seen them in a while, and the grass-why, the grass was a plush carpet provided for comfort by mother nature! It had never felt so soft before! For more than a while, my Captain and I laid together, myself sitting upon his lap, beneath the shade of a great oak tree, who's fingers spread upwards in a position which looked as if it resembled a gymnastics pose. A light breeze blew beneath the tree, cooling my Captain and I off, while it snuck through the leaves of the trees, tickling them with its wispy fingers.

"Do you remember" my Captain began, his gaze settled upon a tree upon the other side of the green. "When you painted me?" He asked, and I gave a nod; to this he grinned. "I never got to paint you." Finished he, and I paused, that's right! He never did get to paint me! At seeing my look of surprising realization, he chuckled and held me closer. "It's quite alright, my love, I will later tonight-there's one more surprise you need before that." He said, his gaze finally dropping down to me, it was soft and caressed my features as it floated over them.

"What's my surprise?" I asked excitedly, a joyful smile taking up a home on my lips; he held up his finger and rummaged in his pocket, giving a cry of discovery when he found it. Tapping me, he stood, forcing me to stand as well.

"Close your eyes" he instructed first, to this, I did. "Hold out your hand" he said next, and I did, he held it palm down, in his own hand, and I felt him lower, then, I heard something squeak-like, hinges! "Open your eyes, my love.." he finished, almost breathlessly, and before me, he was kneeling upon the ground, his hand holding my own, while the other held a small, black box, a diamond the size of his thumb nail set into it.