Chapter 7: In Reply

Jack was sitting in his own little world by the bowsprit of the Witch, the two master schooner his father captained. Staring somewhere into the distance he hasn't said anything since Captain Teague arrived, nor looked at his old man.

Elizabeth was watching him wearily, she would've liked to sit down next to him and comfort him just as before, but she wasn't sure herself what their heavenly three weeks that they have spent lying entangled into each other on the beach meant once in the outside world. Besides, Captain Teague has given her meaningful looks from the helm for a while now and she had to give in and get him up to date with his son's developments.

"In the huff, so he is," Teague addressed her once she was up there as a way of starting the conversation.

Elizabeth shrugged, "he'll not thank you for it, but I think the stay did him good."

The old captain nodded knowingly, "it always does lass."

"You did this before to him?"

"Was he surprised or trying to find out where he was when he came to? I don't think so."

"No, but I explained to him what had happened. Now that you mention it, he seemed to know where everything was."

"When he was a boy, fourteen or so, he was trying to sail away with a friend of mine to steal a ship from the navy. Could only keep him back this way."

Elizabeth smiled. "That's Jack." Then she turned serious, "that was Jack before whatever happened to make him drown his sorrows."

"So you don't know what happened?"

"I don't. I only know that..." She stalled, but then decided the man before her earned her honesty, "he seems to be able to keep it together when I'm with him."

"You just gotta make sure you keep him with you then."

"You can't just leave us on another island. Otherwise, I don't know how. We can't let him leave. He's not well. His stomach, I know he's in pain even if he doesn't say. Rum will make it worse, rum will kill him, I'm sure."

"Can you steer?"

"Of course I can," Elizabeth was watching the keeper of the code going down the steps. She didn't give much chance to the old pirate to talk some sense into his son either.

Tbc