Disclaimer: Please see previous 48 chapters.

A Sparrow's Shadow on the Sea

Endurance

"This is hopeless, Ruby," Jack said in defeat. He glanced at her distrustfully, adding, "I don't even think you're trying to hypnotize me!"

"Mi dinna need ta try, Jack. Is done," she responded with a sly smile, "Ya take ta it like a fish ta water…must be all dat rum ya drink."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Jack told her, waving his hand dismissively, "I don't feel any different. And I'm sure I'd know if I'd been hypnotized, Ruby."

She shook her head slowly, chuckling at him. "Are ya 'fraid, Jack?" Ruby asked him. She regarded the pirate with scrutiny. "Can ya watch a slimy, bloody babe come out from between ya wo-man's legs?" she questioned more specifically.

"Of course, I can!" he answered confidently, "Nothin' to it. In fact, I resent this coddling of yours! There's no reason why I wouldn't be able to…" Jack's dark eyes grew huge under his raised brows, as the reality of what had just happened dawned on him. "Bloody hell, Ruby, you did it!" he cried, leaping off the chair with such enthusiasm he nearly knocked it over. "I can't believe it! Well, I mean…of course, I had complete confidence in your ability," he said hastily, accompanied by his most charming smile, "But this…is…amazing! I feel perfectly normal!"

"Now ya can help ya wo-man, Jack," Ruby assured him with a nod.

"Thank you, Ruby. You really have no idea how grateful I am," he told her sincerely. He leaned close to Ruby. "And to think, I was concerned you might make me act like a chicken again!" he remarked somewhat tensely.

"Will ya never git over dat, Jack?" Ruby retorted, "Mi did dat only once, a long time past now, an' mi never hear di end of it!"

Jack held up his finger to point at Ruby as he spoke, "That incident has haunted me more than a few times over the years, I'll have you know."

Ruby rolled her eyes at him. "Jack, we was only di pickneys, way back den," she justified, "Ya let it go now."

"Easy for you to say," he protested irritatedly, "You didn't cluck your way all through town that day! And you know well enough what that got me!"

Ruby tried to disguise her slip of laughter by clearing her throat. "Mi sorry for dat," she said earnestly, "Mi not know at di time, ya got di tar beat outta ya."

"Time and tide, Ruby. If it weren't from that, it would've been from something else," Jack said, with a casual wave of his hand, "Can't change the past now." He took a step toward the door, but hesitated. "You always come through for me, when I really need your help," he confided, gazing at Ruby intensely as he paused, "I'm grateful I can depend on you, Ruby. Know that." He turned gracefully, his coat twirling after him, and strolled purposefully from her cabin.

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I had tried sitting in one of the chairs at the table, but found it was too uncomfortable. The pressure being exerted on my pelvis and lower back, while not painful, was somewhat unnerving. I discovered I felt more comfortable sitting on the chest at the foot of the bed. It was closer to the floor and put me in more of a squatting position, which Ruby had mentioned would help alleviate some of the pressure. I hoped Jack would return with Ruby soon.

I was beginning to believe the baby would come sooner than Ruby had said. The contractions were more frequent and stronger, and each one lasted longer as well. Nervousness about the whole thing kept me company, as I sat in the cabin alone. And to make matters worse, I happened to look down and notice my breeches were soaked with blood.

At that very moment, the doors to the cabin opened. I glanced up with a panicked expression to see Jack stroll into the room. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw me, his face turning ashen.

"Oh bugger," he mumbled, staring at me in horror. He stepped backwards a few steps, then turned and ran from the cabin, screaming for Ruby.

As I waited for Jack to bring Ruby, I tried my best to assure myself this was completely normal, and there was no reason to be alarmed. Giving birth is a bloody business, I told myself, and you know this. But, how much blood is too much? I couldn't reassure myself with an answer to that question, having absolutely no idea.

Jack's and Ruby's voices drifted into the cabin from the deck, and I strained to listen if they were coming closer. I was making every effort to ignore the nagging thoughts in the back of my mind that tormented me about the lack of effective treatment for blood loss that was available in this time period. Suddenly, I felt nauseous.

I will never go through this again, I promised myself. There must be some type of effective birth control available, or else I'll never allow that blasted pirate to touch me ever again!

"Won't be much longer now, star."

I looked up to see Ruby watching me, her hands on her hips and her tone matter-of-fact.

"So…this blood…is normal?" Jack asked her reluctantly. He also appeared to be feeling nauseous.

"Is just di bloody show," Ruby explained, "Di babe's getting' ready ta leave di womb an' venture out ta di world. Jack, ya go close di doors. Mi need ta check ta see how open ya are, star."

I watched Jack as he crossed the room to close the doors. Everything was beginning to take on a surreal and dream-like quality.

"Git outta dem breeches, Eve," Ruby advised me, "Ya will no be needin' dem no more. We stay in di cabin 'til di babe come. Will no be long now."

I looked at Ruby as she smiled kindly at me, then I looked at Jack with his expression of anxiety mixed with sympathy. I began to feel slightly lightheaded as I numbly untied my breeches to let them fall to the floor.

Ruby checked the dilation of my cervix once again as I reclined on the bed, announcing, "Ya nearly dere, star, just a bit more 'fore we can start ta push. For a time, di flexin' goin' ta feel mighty strong. Dis di worst part, star, ya no worry."

I raised my brows as I looked at Ruby, just as I was overcome with the strongest contraction I'd had. "Not…worry?" I wrenched out, feeling as if all the muscles of my pelvis and abdomen simultaneously cramped. Instinctively, I huffed and puffed through the intense sensation as I leaned back on my forearms, letting my head loll around because it seemed too heavy to hold up. It felt as if my body would never relax, all the muscles were cramped so tightly. It just kept tightening and tightening!

"Jack, ya git behind Eve an' hold her up!" Ruby ordered, "She dinna need ta waste her strength wit dat."

My mind was reeling from the intensity of the contraction, but suddenly I was aware of Jack behind me. I turned to look at his face next to mine.

"Now, what's a pretty wench like you doing in a predicament such as this, eh?" he teased, flashing me his "charming smile."

A small laugh escaped my lips, and I felt my whole body finally relax. Knowing Jack was there with me and that he would indeed be able to help me through this, made my anxiety vanish. I leaned against Jack's chest, smiling, relieved and happy to know I truly could depend on him.

"Can you see the whelp yet?" Jack asked Ruby eagerly.

"No yet," Ruby answered. "Is best ta take it slow," she explained, "A nice, slow birt' let di body adjust, so dere will no be any tearin'."

"Tearing?" Jack asked uncertainly, "Tearing…of what?"

"Di flesh…as di babe come out," Ruby replied casually as she checked through her supplies.

I felt Jack shudder at her response. "Nice and slow then, luv," he coached, "Definitely don't want to partake in any of that!"

"Ya think, Jack?" I said belligerently as I was seized by another full-body cramp. "Ruby, I wanna push now! Please, can I push?" I implored desperately, as I huffed my way through the contraction.

"Is no time yet, star," she replied calmly, "Mi tells ya when is di time for dat."

"How much longer is this going to take, Ruby?" Jack whined, "Eve might be too weak to push when she needs to."

"Excuse me?!" I blurted indignantly. "What the hell makes you think I'd be too weak? Women are built for endurance, Jack!" I boasted in annoyance, "Why, so far, this has been no more strenuous than a bloody tea party!"

Jack looked at me, then Ruby in consternation. "She supposed to be delirious too?" he questioned Ruby.

"Go to hell, Jack!" I yelled at him, at the same time as Ruby yelled, "Shut up, Jack!"

"Don't think I like this much," he pouted, "Being outnumbered by the two of you!"

"Would you like to trade places?" I countered, "You can try expelling a creature the size of a watermelon from one of your orifices, and I'll just sit back and make snippy comments!"

"No, thank you, luv," Jack said dryly.

"Jack, ya go git mi some boiled water an' clean sheets," Ruby directed.

"Be right back, Eve," Jack said, as he happily left the cabin.

Ruby came to sit by me, a serious look on her face. "Mi know dat Jack was no bein' very helpful to ya, star, but ya no help matters neither," she began, holding up her hand to stop me from protesting, "Mi see too many wo-man in di t'roes of childbirt' say t'ings dey do no mean ta di man who love dem, an' mi no let dat happen ta ya an' Jack." She paused, giving me another serious look for emphasis. "Now, ya listen ta mi, star. Ya Jack, he love ya somet'ing fierce, an' he try harder den ya know ta help ya t'rough dis. Don't ya go messin' it all up by sayin' t'ings ya no mean. Ya got di best man in all di world, an' ya tame him enough ta be devoted ta ya, but still wild enough ta make ya life a big adventure. Is no many wo-man can say dat!"

I stared at her for a moment. "You're ri—ight…Ruby," I said as a contraction hit me, "Thank…you…"

Jack burst into the cabin. "I've got the linens you requested, and Cotton's boiling that water," he announced. He stopped, glancing back and forth at Ruby and me. "What?" he asked, perplexed.

"Is not'ing, Jack," Ruby answered, "Thank you." She took the sheets from him.

"Yes, Jack, thank you," I said sweetly.

He continued to stare at us, then finally remarked "Alright, now the two of you are beginning to scare me."

"Is no true, an' ya know it." Ruby told him with a smile.

"Oh, yes…that's right," he mumbled in a strangely embarrassed way.

It was my turn to look at the two of them curiously; convinced they had some secret between them. Jack just smiled at me. Ruby told me she wanted to check my dilation again. I was beginning to feel the way a Thanksgiving turkey might, when constantly checked by a nervous cook.

"Is nearly time ta git dis babe out, star," Ruby said, spreading the clean sheet out on the bed around me. "Jack, ya git back where ya were, so Eve can lean on ya."

Jack obligingly came to kneel behind me, and I leaned back against him.

"So, are you ready to become a father, Jack?" I asked him with a teasing smile.

"Ready as I'll ever be, luv," he replied with a smile as he held me.

"When ya feel di next one come, star, den ya try ta push," Ruby advised, "But not too hard. Git a feel for it. Pace ya-self, an' give ya body time ta adjust."

This was it, and I felt an overwhelming surge of terror.

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A/N: Sorry, but I couldn't resist my last opportunity for an evil cliffhanger! And I apologize for this chapter being a bit shorter than I'd intended. I wanted to be able to post it ASAP! For anyone who's wondering, watermelons were indeed grown in the Caribbean. I'll get to writing the next chapter straight away. I'm saving the best for last! Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! Thanks also for your patience!