Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or plotlines of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction; I'd be off making money. Which I am not doing with this work. I do, however, lay claim to the characters of Genesis Wolfe and Rosalyn O'Brien, and would be pleased as punch if you did not use them without my permission. Thank you, darlings.

Author's Note:Tell me this chapter does not make you picture Will in a candy striper uniform. I dare you.

Chapter 12: In Which Will Plays Nurse

"Ouch! Dammit!"

"You're one to talk about bad language."

Rosalyn rubbed the back of her hands, which were a vibrant shade of pink from the game of Red Hands they were now playing to keep themselves preoccupied. Elizabeth held her hand out, palms down, ready for another round. Rosalyn scowled.

"I give up," she said, pushing Elizabeth's hands down. "I'd like to keep the remaining nerve endings, thank you."

Elizabeth smirked, leaning back against the headboard. "I'm so bored."

"Not for long," Rosalyn said, hearing footsteps. Elizabeth frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Roz glanced at the door as it opened suddenly, Pintel and Ragetti once again stepping into the room. Elizabeth leapt to her feet again; Rosalyn noticed that standing seemed to make Elizabeth more confident, as she did it every time the pirates entered the room.

"Time to go, poppet," Pintel said as Ragetti snatched Elizabeth's arm. Rosalyn stood to join them, but Pintel pushed her back onto the bed.

"Not you, wench," he said.

"Wench," Ragetti repeated.

"What?" Elizabeth said, alarmed.

"Let's go, poppet," Pintel said as Ragetti began dragging her out the door.

"No!" Elizabeth shouted. "Rosalyn!"

"Elizabeth!" Roz shouted, trying to push pass Pintel.

"Rosalyn!"

Roz froze as the door closed and locked again. They were taking Elizabeth away, and she couldn't stop them.

Genesis lay in the large, plush bed in the captain's quarters, flipping through a nautical book she had found on a bookshelf. It was boring as all hell, but there was nothing else to look at but atlases, so she figured she'd brush up on some terminology while she was bedridden. Against her will, she felt compelled to say. Will had turned out to be quite the little nurse, refusing to let her out of the bed for anything short of relieving her bladder.

She looked up as the door creaked, expecting to see Will with a cup of tea for the fourth time today. She pictured him in a little white nurse's uniform for a moment, and smirked. However, Will didn't step in with said refreshments; instead, it was Jack.

"Captain," she said with a little smile, closing the book and placing it into her lap.

"Milady," he said in a soft tone. He walked in and gently closed the door behind him. "How're you feeling?"

"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes. "As fine as I've felt for the last six hours. Nurse Turner won't believe me."

"I told him not to," Jack said, crossing the room to the bed. "You almost drowned; your body may still be in shock, so it's best that you take it easy for a while, savvy?"

"Savvy," Gen replied, obviously not happy about it, but not in the mood to argue. She patted the bed next to her. "Sit down. It's awfully boring in here, and the only person I've had to talk to is Will." She wrinkled his nose.

Jack chuckled as he took a seat next to her, leaning back against the headboard and stretching his legs out in front of him. "I'm dreadfully sorry."

"You should be," Gen said with a grin. She sighed, looking away for a moment. "Thank you."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "For?"

"You know," she said uncomfortably. "Yesterday. Getting me out of the water and all."

"Oh, for saving your life?" Jack said, a bit annoyed that she was downplaying the event.

"Oh, well that's melodramatic," she said with a smirk. He frowned at her.

"What were you doing up there, anyway?" he asked.

"I was in the crow's nest when the storm hit," she explained. "The wind was so strong, it threw me out onto the mast. Which was slippery. So I grabbed the rope, which, we all now know, was also rather slippery."

"Oh," he said. He couldn't yell at her now that he knew she was actually helping out, and it was a complete accident that she had fallen.

"Jack, can I confess something?"

"Eh?"

"If I tell you something, do you promise not to think I'm insane?"

"I already think you're insane, love," he said. "Nothing you say can possibly strengthen that already profound opinion I have of you."

"I'm from the future."

"I stand corrected."

"Fine, don't believe me."

"I won't."

Gen sat upright as Jack swung his legs of the bed and stood up, moving toward the door. "Where are you going?"

"Out."

"Can I come?"

"Genesis," he said warningly.

"Please, Jack, I--"

"Captain."

"Captain," she said slowly. "I just want some fresh air. No trouble, I promise."

Jack eyed her. For such a naughty little thing, she did have an uncanny way of looking youthfully innocent. He sighed. "All right."

Genesis beamed and threw her covers off, revealing the fact that she was still wearing her boots. He raised an eyebrow, and she smiled sheepishly.

"I was going to make a break for it next time Will left," she admitted. He smiled and made an elegant bow.

"Miss Morgan," he said, offering his arm.

"Why, Captain Sparrow," she said, fanning herself with her hand. "How gentlemanly of you." She smiled and took his arm as he escorted her out of the room, feigning an overdramatic aristocratic air that sent Genesis into a giggling fit. They came across Gibbs and Will chatting with their backs to them.

"What did he use for rope?"

"Human hair," Genesis answered. The two men turned to see the pair.

"From my back," Jack finished. He released Gen's arm and headed for the helm. "Let go of the anchor!"

"Feeling better, miss?" Gibbs asked Genesis.

"Yes, thanks to my faithful nurse," she said, reaching over to rumple Will's hair. He slapped her hands away, causing Gibbs to guffaw loudly.

"Mr. Turner and I are to go ashore," Jack said, suddenly reappearing. Gen looked at him, pulling a face.

"What about me?" she asked. He glanced at her.

"What about you?"

"I have to stay here?" she said, her voice raising slightly in pitch.

"I see no reason for you to accompany us."

Gen's mouth opened, shut, and reopened a few times in her shock. She racked her brain for any bullshit excuse she could come up with. She suddenly remembered Rosalyn's words. "I'll stay with Elizabeth."

"They have Rosalyn."

Jack raised an eyebrow as Gen said the statement, looking as if she was saying it to herself as opposed to him. "Pardon?"

"They have Rosalyn," she said, sounding panicked. She looked at him, her eyes wide. "My best friend. She was with Elizabeth when she was kidnapped. Oh my God, they have Rosalyn..."

Will looked to Jack, his eyes concerned. "They have two women, Jack."

"Thank you for summarizing, William."

"We could use all the help we can get," Will offered.

"She's not ready."

"You haven't been teaching her," Will countered. He glanced at Genesis, who was looking awfully pale. "I have."

Jack sighed and looked at Gen. "I'm going to ask you the same thing I asked Mr. Turner," he said seriously. "How far are you willing to go to save this Rosalyn lass?"

"If making you into a eunuch and wearing your ribcage as a hat meant saving her, I'd do it."

"Well," Jack said. "That's settled. And remind me never to kidnap your friends, love."

"Captain," Gibbs said quietly. "What if the worst should happen?"

Jack hesitated, his eyes meeting Genesis'. "Keep to the Code." Gen looked at him, concern etched across her face, and then she lowered her gaze.

"Aye," Gibbs said solemnly. "The code."