Chapter 5: Stuck With You

From the only small peak of the little island Elizabeth could see everything that was happening on the tiny strip of land she agreed to being stranded on, apart from what was behind a few bushes to her side. Since she didn't actually suppose Jack would've disappeared off the island during the night, he must be hiding out there, ignoring her calls. Spying movement in the bushes as she ventured closer, she edged around a buttonwood tree and saw Jack, a little hunched, standing there chopping some plant to little pieces with his cutlass. He then crushed the pieces with his compass, making a tiny amount of juice drip out from them onto a wooden plate at a sunny spot on the ground. He pressed the same piece of plant over and over again, even after no more drips were coming out of it. He finally picked it up and lifted it to look at it in the air from down, pursing his lips and squinching. He dropped it and started jumping up and down on it, "vain fen sucked dogfish! Verily! Verily! Verily!"

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth watched him with a mix of curiosity and concern. She had to stop the display of craze. If Jack was really heedful of what he was doing he might've eventually managed to squeeze enough fluid out the sugarcanes to ferment some rum, but the amount would hardly be worth the effort, not to mention defeat the whole purpose of the journey.

Jack stopped jumping and slowly turned back to face her, banging his head into a branch purposefully and hard in frustration. Then winced and stared daringly at her. "Not a thing! Forgot your manners Miss Swann?" He emphasized the name, "a governor's daughter's not meant to stealth round the like!"

"You look a little jumpy. Up to something?" She said sardonically.

"Not favoring the diet of crunchy, unsweetened locusts you keep me on here." He pushed past her, not even bothering to look at her. He would come back later to see if there was any point to continuing with just those few sugarcanes he'd found.

"You prefer the sweet, runny variety?"

Jack stomach did a somersault just by the mention of his favorite drink. Of course they were not eating locusts, just fruit, mostly, but he still had to swallow hard to press the nausea down. He could only digest well with rum, he was sure of that with all those years he didn't go one day without it. He forced himself to keep walking away from her with vigor, not liking anybody witnessing Captain Jack Sparrow in a less than a winning position. "Do not follow me round like a mother hen," he waved his pistol at her.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Jack could certainly be bad-tempered when he was sober. "You can be angry with me Jack, but perhaps one day you'll thank me," Elizabeth was angry herself for Jack not letting her close even after a few days they had spent just stuck with one another.

He didn't want to talk, he didn't want her sympathy, but he had to slow down holding his stomach and turned a bit yellow, his eyes glazing over for a moment. He was shaky and queasy. Very queasy. He only just made it out of her sight, behind a tree and holding onto it as not to fall forwards.

Elizabeth left him to it, but not because there was anything she hadn't seen before, she just wanted to dump her handkerchief into the sea. By the time he finally stopped retching, she'd come back with the wet cloth, grabbed him gruffly and without accepting arguments. She helped him sit down in the shade of the tree, sat down next to him and offered the cloth, which he took and slid inside his shirt, calming his stomach.

Leaning back, he rested his head against the tree, seemingly ignoring her entire existence just like before. However, he had to admit Elizabeth kept surprising him with her persistence. He knew she was stubborn, but he didn't expect her to show such devotion for him, especially that this was a self induced illness, drunkenness being a character trait most wenches would've thrown out their husbands for if they could. There was something there in her that could've meant something for his hopes of ever being with her. "All right, you win," he whispered painfully, intently studying bits of seaweed in the distance, "I'm unwell, I allow. And what are you doing my dear lass?"

She smiled, shaking her head. How did he not know what she was doing? It's true, she had killed him and sacrificed him for her own good in the past, but that was a mistake. Did he forget how much she was spellbound with his persona? What had happened with Jack? Where was his self confidence? What pain was he hiding? "Just let me take care of you."

He had to admit, it felt so good. It was what he'd wanted all along. It was what he otherwise couldn't get for the sole reason of a certain eunuch. A blacksmith he had saved from sure death himself so that Elizabeth would not be devastated. He ran his tongue over his teeth inside his mouth. Lord, he needed a drink. Would it all be better if he changed tactics? They were on the island together after all and he could seduce her. She was already feeling sorry for him, but only as a caring friend and he could play that card. If only for a few weeks of them being together, would it not be worth it? He could still go back to those self destructing doings afterwards, lull them into thinking he's all right and then go die somewhere nobody would suspect the great Captain Jack Sparrow. He shifted, moaning when he lied down. Now it was time for what he did best, manipulation and deception.

"You want to sleep?" Elizabeth eyed him suspiciously. He must've only wanted her out the way.

"These clothes feel so tight," he tugged on his belts, "island moving like a ship?"

"Are you still feeling sick too?" Elizabeth removed the belts without any hesitation, then loosened his trousers. "It's not pressing your stomach now."

"Cramping a little," he rubbed over it, making sure he touched her hand in the process.

"Here?"

"No, lower," Jack pondered on how far he could play this game.

She began to gently rub gently around his navel to try to soothe him. His behavior unnerved her, he'd never shown weakness and she was convinced he was very poorly if asking for her help. She started to worry that bringing him here wasn't such a good idea after all. He was away from rum, but he'd also be away from any potions healers could make if he needed them. But as he was in an imparting mood maybe she could get more out of him. "Does it hurt much? Your stomach? Every day?"

Jack made a tiny nod. "Rum's been soothing it for years."

"Rum makes you ill Jack."

"I know," he said evenly.

"Do you not care at all?"

Jack shrugged. The conversation wasn't going according to his liking, they weren't even supposed to be talking.

"Well, I care!" She softly touched the side of his face with her other hand and he closed his eyes for a moment to sorb the comfort, the pleasure in her touch. "Should get better soon Jack, you just need time, I promise." She whispered, leaning nearer to his head, taking the hair away from his sweaty face. She found herself close to his chin, one inch closer and she would've been kissing him. Willing her eyes to tear away from his lips, she looked up and into his deep eyes. That almost kiss, how many times now? Taking a big breath she pulled back, only to slid even closer, take the risk and gather his head in her lap, wrapping her hands around his shoulders from the back, "I'm going to make sure you're all right, whether you like it or not Jack Sparrow!"

tbc