Chapter 2: Getting Better

"Where's Elizabeth?"

"She's safe, just like I promised. She's all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word really...except for of course, Elizabeth, who is in fact, a woman."

Will and Jack from Curse of the Black Pearl

He wasn't sure what he dreamed and what was reality in those weeks. His last clear memory was Jones asking if he feared death. The stupid squid should've saved his breath, James had no interest in joining that damned crew and he made sure everyone knew it.

He faintly remember being cold, very cold, and in alot of pain. It seemed every time things started to get where he couldn't stand them anymore there someone there. She'd hold his hand and press cool clothes to his head and tell him things would be alright.

He remember thinking she was mad at some point. How could things be alright with the madness the seas seemed to have been gripped in. He'd been holding a squid's heart hostage for God's sake. Elizabeth had become a pirate and Governer Swan had been murdered. Things were never going to be alright again.

She kept assuring him he was safe though, that he'd be alright.

She had such pretty eyes. They made him think of a storm just about to break and served as a good distraction from everything.

Such a nice dream.

It was the motion that convinced him of reality. He knew the motion of a ship anywhere, if he listened hard enough he swore he could hear feet on wood and shouted orders.

Cracking his eyes open however proved painful. The light hurt so much he cringed and tried to cover his eyes with his hand but found he couldn't move it. He hissed and tried to pull his hand free.

There was a thud of something being dropped nearby. Someone muttered something and he cracked his eyes open the slightest bit letting them slowly adjust as he openned them fully.

An older gentleman we bent over him. A pair of spectacles perched on his nose in front of tired but friendly brown eyes. His hair, or what there was of it as the top of his head was bald, was tied back in a tail and snow white. His face held lines that spoke of constant worry.

"Well I'll be. I thought for sure you weren't going to wake up there."

James pulled at his bound arm again without answering the man.

"Oh, one moment and I'll get these ropes off you."

James frowned and tried to speak but found his mouth and throat were to dry for it.

The older man pulled at the knots and threw the ropes to the other side of James. "There we go. Sorry, but we wanted to make sure you wouldn't move. Wouldn't do for you to rip those stitches. Clean thread is hard enough to find at sea."

"Water." James manage to croak out.

The man nodded and helped James drink from the cup. "There we go. I know your probably still very tired but I'm gonna get you something to nourish you here. Think you could keep a bit of broth down?"

James simply nodded and the man went to the door and yelled a few orders. He heard him call out for the broth along with telling a few people that 'the guest' was awake.

"There now lets get you sitting up a bit better so you can eat eh? Alex will be in here to check on you I'm sure once Zhong takes the wheel."

James openned his mouth to ask who Alex was when the door was kicked open by a lanky black teen with a tray. "Ere ta brot Doc."

The older man sighed. "Broth Crow. Here is the broth. Are you even trying to improve your english or just counting on everyone to understand you?"

The younger man frowned looking dejected. "I's workon."

"That's I'm working on it Crow." Said a woman who walked into the room. "You really need to work more on that though."

James recognized the woman in a moment. He'd know those grey eyes anywhere but was surprised he hadn't seen the copper colored hair. She had it braided with a few wayward strands having been pulled out by the wind. The braid was curled into a bun at the nap of the neck to better stay out of her face. She had a tricone on her head, a man's vest over a man's shirt, and wore breeches like any other man. Even the boots looked like something men would wear. If it wasn't for her face and hair she could've passed as any other man commanding a ship. Altogether she should've looked ridiculous. He rather found her exotic.

Crow nodded to her. "Yeas Capon."

"That's yes Captain." Doc corrected automatically.

Alex shook her head with a sigh. "How about the pair of you go debate Crow's english elsewhere so our patient can have some peace eh?" She didn't give either a chance to argue as she plucked the tray from Crow. "He can eat while we talk and I'm sure we'll hear each other better without a pair of magpies around."

Crow gave another "Yeas Capon." but Doc scowled.

"Alex..."

Putting the tray down on the desk Alex resisted the urge to throw her hands up into the air. "Doc if you give me one more lecture about how proper this is I'm going to be forced to gag you. We've had this conversation quite enough and I've always won. The man's practically an invalid, now shut your yap and leave."

Doc grumbled but surprised James by leaving.

"Sorry about that." Alex said turning to the man in her bed. "Crow's english is horrible on top of him being a slow learner of it. Doc's been pulling at his hair over it."

"Is that how he lost his hair?" James asked dryly as she pulled up a stool next to his bed and balanced the tray on her lap.

Alex's lips twitched. "No, my brother and I took care of that when we were children in the school room I think." She held the bowl of broth up intending him to drink from it.

"I'm not an invalid." James told her in an annoyed tone. "I can feed myself."

"I'm sure normally you can, but you've been unconscious for a good two weeks. You've lost weight I'm sure and sleeping that long has no doubt made you more then a little weak. I think it would be a good idea for you to just let me feed you this and get some more rest."

He openned his mouth to argue but Alex was quicker then he thought her to be and spooned some broth into his mouth.

"I'm Captain Alexandra Wylde by the way." She told him as she turned to grab the mug of water Doc had left on the desk.

"James Norrin-" Every curse James knew ran through his head as he clamped his mouth shut before his whole surname slipped out. He didn't know these people and giving his name might make his road to recovery drop off a very sudden cliff.

Alex however didnt' notice his blunder though as she turned back to him with . "Well Mr. Norrin care to tell me how you came to be in the middle of the ocean with one of the nastiest stab wounds I think Doc or I have ever seen?"

"I would prefer not to talk about it." James stated.

"Ah," she said as if he'd actually answered her question. "Lady troubles?"

If he hadn't been so use to keeping a blank face his might have grinned. "I suppose you could say that."

"Admiral not take kindly to you paying attention to his daughter?"

James glared at her. "I beg your pardon but I would never pay any scandlous attention to a respectable young lady."

Alex cocked a brow at him. "I'm sure a few have daydreamed about such a scenerio with you." She muttered in a sarcastic tone under her breath.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said don't be such a stuffed shirt. If you were lusting after her you can just say so."

James couldn't help but gap at her like she had two heads. No one and certainly not a woman had ever called him a stuffed shirt to his face. "Do you insult all your sick and injured?"

"No just people who cannot seem to manage being honest with themselves or me."

"I am being honest," Or at least mostly.

"Then why did you get stabbed and thrown into the sea?"

He sputtered a bit while she gave a cocky grin. "You are without a doubt a most stubborn creature."

"Must be my irish half." Alex replied and silently waited while she finished feeding him.

Realizing she probably wasn't going to leave until she got what she wanted James sighed. "I released a prisoner we had on board. I didn't think she deserved the fate that awaited."

"A woman? You said it was lady troubles in a way."

James stared off while a picture of Elizabeth formed in his mind. "Yes."

"She was dear to you?" Alex asked already knowing the answer from his face.

"Very, but not mine to keep."

He brooded a moment before he felt Alex's hands wrap around his. They pulled him out of his thoughts so that he looked into those stormy eyes.

She gave him an understanding smile. "To borrow advice I hear the men give each other. There's always more fish in the sea."

"Unlikely to be any like her." James said. He didn't realize his tone said more then his words.

Alex gave his hand a squeeze. "Not exactly of course not but maybe you can find one that'll share some of her more admirable traits while sharing less of her annoying ones."

She gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. He nodded to her wanting to be left to his thoughts.

"You must be tired. Let's get you settled again so you can rest some hmm?"

"I don't need to be fussed over."

She waved his comment dismissively away as he settled back and she pulled the blanket up around him like a mother would.

Now if only she'd been much older and not as pretty, he might have been able to think of her along those lines.