A/N: Hey everyone!!! This chapter was painstakingly hard to write. I think you'll know why after you read it. Enjoy and please try not to roast me with your angry reviews!!!

Chapter 18

Payment

Izzy was excited and terrified when the Black Pearl weighed anchor. What if there wasn't a doctor on this island? What if something horrible was wrong with Tommy's leg? She couldn't think about that right now. She had to be strong for Tommy. He'd been relying on her these past few weeks for her to help him. She wasn't going to let him down.

Because of this promise, Izzy jumped of the ship as soon as it landed so she could go and find a doctor. After walking many blocks, she finally found one. Izzy entered and heard a little bell ring as the door opened. A small stout woman appeared behind the desk.

This must be the secretary, Izzy thought.

"Hello," the woman said. "My name is Lillian. How can I help you?"

"You see, the ship I was on just landed here to resupply. While we were at sea, a young friend of mine got caught in the ropes climbing down from the crow's nest. He broke his ankle. I've managed to bandage it in the right position to have it heal. I think it's healing, but not in the way that I set it. I really need someone to look at it."

"Would you like to make an appointment?" the woman asked.

"Yes I would, when is the earliest I can bring him in?"

"Hmm…"

Lillian shuffled through papers and found a small leather book. She opened it and skimmed and flipped through pages.

"The earliest is three weeks from today."

"Three weeks from today?" Izzy shouted. "Listen, this boy is fourteen years old, and scared to death that he'll never walk again. This is an emergency."

"I'm sorry, miss," the woman said. "But the only time slot I have open is then."

"But he needs a doctor now!" Izzy said.

"I'm sorry."

"What is the problem, Lillian?"

A man a little older than Izzy entered the room through a door across the room.

"This woman says she has a fourteen year old boy who was caught in the netting of a ship. The boy broke his ankle. She wants a doctor to look at it now. I told her the earliest opening we had was three weeks from today."

The man looked Izzy over from top to bottom.

"Why don't you come into the back room so we can talk Miss…" he fumbled for her name.

"Just Izzy," she said. She followed him into a doctor's office

"I'm sorry there are no chairs," he said. "But why don't you sit on this."

He motioned for her to sit on the sick patients table. Izzy sat and watched him stand only a few feet away from her. As he surveyed her, she studied him.

He looked to be about six feet. He had sandy blond hair and stormy gray eyes. He had sharp facial features, but was somehow decently good-looking. When he smiled at her, the smile didn't reach his eyes, but came very close. He had an almost trusting look about him. Izzy could see how people, especially children could trust him.

"Now," he said. "Tell me about yourself and the boy."

"There's not much to tell," she said.

"There's always something to tell."

He almost seemed to be digging for information.

"All right," Izzy said. "My name is Izzy. I've been on this ship for about two months, so has Tommy."

"Tommy?"

"Yes, he's the fourteen year old boy who needs help."

"Is he your son?"

"No."

"Continue."

So Izzy did. "Tommy's post was working in the crow's nest. One day, on his way down, he got his ankle caught in the netting of the ship. He was hanging upside down and screaming for help. I didn't know him well then. I jumped up and started climbing the ropes till I got to him. I started talking soothingly to him and began to untie his ankle. I got him down and wrapped it in a bandage hoping it would heal in the correct way. It doesn't look good. We stopped here so we could resupply and so I could bring Tommy to a doctor."

"Well, you've come to the right place, Izzy," he said. "I'm Doctor Tanner. If you can bring me little Tommy within the hour I will see what I can do."

"Oh thank you!" Izzy said. "Do I owe you anything for this?"

"Yes."

Izzy slid off the table, bent her head and looked into her pocket for the small money bag she brought with her.

She felt him before she saw him. Izzy looked up into Doctor Tanner's eyes. There was something dangerous there.

"You won't be needing that for payment right now," he said.

"Then what…"

Her question was cut off by Doctor Tanner lowering his head and having his lips gently open hers. His taste was different than Jack's. Jack always had the slight taste of rum, but Doctor Tanner's taste was almost too clean.

The doctor lifted his head and Izzy opened her eyes.

"That was your payment for our discussion."

He still hadn't let go of her arms. Izzy met his eyes.

"If that was what you wanted for payment now, what will you want for working on Tommy?" she asked although she knew the answer.

Doctor Tanner laughed softly. His hands slid from her arms to her waist. Keeping one hand on her waist, he slid the other up her shirt and brushed the tip of her cloth-covered breast with his finger. Izzy gasped and looked for an escape. She was trapped between the table and the doctor.

Doctor Tanner watched her eyes and laughed.

"You have nowhere to escape to," he said.

He kept one hand under her shirt and moved the other slowly down her thigh. He slid his fingers gingerly between her legs and rested his fingers on the cloth of her pants. Izzy froze.

Doctor Tanner chuckled at her reaction.

"Izzy, dear, that's what I want for payment," he said seductively. "If you're willing to give it to me, then I will do anything for young Tommy. I'll hope to see you within the hour."

With that he let her go.

"Disgusting pig!" Izzy muttered under her breath.

How could he expect that she would give that! The only person she wanted to give that to was… No! She told herself. She would not think about him. That person was only interested in the physical part of her just like Doctor Tanner.

Izzy spent the next half an hour looking for other doctors. But of course, Doctor Tanner was the only one on the island. Izzy walked to the dock, took off her shoes and let her feet drift in the water.

The only way Tommy would get better was if he saw this doctor. He was fourteen, he needed to get better. I'm sure it would be only for the night, Izzy thought. But she was still disgusted. The only thing she wanted Doctor Tanner for was to help Tommy. So Izzy knew what she had to do.

Izzy recruited two men to help bring Tommy to the Doctor Tanner's office. She watched the poor boy being lifted from his bed and carried off the ship. She was about to follow when…

"So how much are you going to have to pay?" Jack asked.

He stood a few feet away and had been watching everything.

"More than enough," Izzy said looking down at the deck.

"What did he ask?" Jack repeated.

"I don't understand why you'd care," Izzy said. "I'm not giving away as much as Tommy's getting."

Jack's face turned from tan to a blanched white.

"He asked for you?"

"Yes."

"And you said you'd give it to him?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It was the only way to help Tommy. I need to go, it's getting dark and I don't have much time left."

"I'm not letting you go."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Listen to me," Izzy said. She was coming close to tears now.

"I don't want to do than anymore than you don't want me to. Probably more. But I have to, for Tommy. You can't stop me Jack. It's my choice. Now let me go."

Jack Sparrow looked utterly torn. He knew Izzy was right, it was her choice, but he didn't want to let her go. He didn't want to let someone else touch her. He wanted her to be his. But still, it was her choice.

"All right," he said. "Go, but we leave just before dawn."

With a stifled nod, Izzy left the Black Pearl.

Coming up…

What is Izzy thinking?!

What is Jack thinking, by letting her go?!

What will Doctor Tanner do to Tommy?