CHAPTER TWELVE: Convalescence

The opium sent Katie into a kind of waking slumber. Sometimes she knew what was going on around her and sometimes she didn't. Jack never left her side, save for when the Brethren Court met. He tried to convey to her the outcome, and she grasped that Elizabeth and Jack had again teamed up against the other Lord's to secure the binding of the Calypso. Nothing could be done yet though, because winter was setting in and more research was needed to find out how it could be done. When the morphine subsided, Katie would sob both because of the return of the pain and because the withdrawal made her legs kick uncontrollably and she shook all over. The doctor visited everyday under threat by Teague, and after a couple of weeks her dose was ended and Katie felt as if she was waking for the first time in years.

Jack was asleep beside her, though she could tell it was not a deep sleep. Dark circles were visible beneath his eyes, showing the extent of his restlessness. When he felt Katie shift beside him, he woke up and saw the spark of life in her again replacing the dead look behind the eyes that the opium had given her.

"Jack," She whispered.

"What do you need, love?" He sat up fast.

"Water, please." He helped her to sit up, careful to arrange the pillows so that they supported her without putting pressure on her wound. He remembered her tending to his minor gunshot wound as seriously as anything, and wished he was as adept at looking after somebody as she was. Nonetheless, he handed her the water bottle. Her arms trembled as she struggled to hold it, and so he helped her bring it to her lips and take a deep, much needed drink. Then she looked at him again, sat close beside her, worry pinching his handsome face. "How's me girl?" He asked, and she felt the first flutter of emotion in her stomach when he called her his girl.

"I've been better," She smiled feebly, "How is my captain?"

"Glad yer still with us." She reached for his hand and he let her take it, though she said nothing. "Katie, I know I've said this… but I'm sorry- not just about this, about everything. I'm sorry I can't say…"

"I know." She stalled him before he had to struggle on any more. "Let's not talk about that now." He nodded and there was a pause. "I killed a man." She said finally, looking troubled.

"Just a day in the life of a pirate." Jack said, but she could tell his smirk was forced. He was watching her as if she was a grenade about to go off at any moment, hardly blinking in case he missed her take a turn for the worse.

"Does it really come so easily to you?" Katie probed, "Murder?" Jack gazed down at their entwined fingers for a second before he shook his head. Her grip tightened on his hand then and he looked up at her. "I didn't even realise the gun was in my hand."

"Survival instinct. If you hadn't done that, Elizabeth might not have known to come closer and Angelica would have…" Jack swallowed, "…Killed you. Listen, you 'ave to promise me something now, love."

"Yes?" She responded meekly.

"Well, two things actually: firstly, you don't get friendly with jellyfish like Moss and certainly don't go on night time strolls with them." Jack said sternly. Katie managed a slight giggle, though she winced as she did so. "Second, if I ever get any fits of gallantry towards you ever again, ye slap me as hard as you possibly can."

"Oh, you shouldn't make me laugh!" Katie gasped with mirth. Jack chuckled, feeling heartened by her humour.

"Promise." He insisted.

"I promise." She said, sincerely. She had no desire to do the former anyway, and the latter was certainly fine by her. Jack lifted her hand and kissed it, his eyes on hers, making her stomach flutter in spite of her convalescent state.

"I'm gonna get you something to eat now, and Elizabeth will be dying to speak to you now yer with us." And, he was dying for a bottle of quality rum. He hadn't touched a drop since the night of Angelica's attack.

Elizabeth indeed was overjoyed to hear of Katie's improvement and flew up to their room as soon as she heard, bursting in the door without even knocking. Katie was propped up in bed with a book open in her lap, although her eyes were drooping and she seemed unable to focus. The remains of the food Jack had brought her earlier were on a tray balanced on the edge of the bedside table.

"Katie!" She hugged her before thinking, causing Katie to hiss in pain. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"S'alright." Katie grimaced, settling back into her previous position

"How are you feeling?" Katie thought about how much her back was killing her, how every movement hurt, how close she had come to death and how even after all of that she still felt a thrill every time Jack looked at her. How had she ever been so blind as to think she'd ever been anything but totally in love with that man? However, she said none of this.

"Sort of sick of answering that question." She'd had visits from Gibbs, Teague, Barbossa and a couple of curious Pirate Lord's that day. Elizabeth nodded.

"I would be, too, honestly. Did Jack tell you what the Brethren Court decided?" Katie could hardly remember those hazy conversations she'd had with him under the influence of opium, and now that her mind was functioning again she'd been inundated on all sides by mixed information and accounts of what had gone on in that meeting. But she had no desire to think of it now, knowing they were stuck here on the island for at least a couple of months anyway. Her head turned to the window, trying to see the open sea without any success.

"What day is it?" Katie asked distractedly. She hadn't been aware of the date for a long time now.

"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve." Elizabeth replied thoughtfully, noting that Katie had evaded her question. "We were planning a nice dinner in Teague's quarters for Christmas Day…" Katie's expression changed, "…Oh, but of course it's yours and Jack's first Christmas together." Katie had almost forgotten Jack was supposed to be her husband.

"No… no, I hope that I will be able attend." Elizabeth beamed. She'd never gotten to have Christmas with Will as a married couple so knew what a wrench it must be, yet she was relieved that Katie seemed not to mind so much. She left Katie's room a half an hour later, when it was clear that the latter was far too tired to continue a conversation. Katie drifted in and out of sleep, unable to really rest, until Jack returned to their room. It must have been very late at night as the room was pitch black, but he felt his way carefully into bed so as not to jostle her. Katie smelt the rum on his breath and made him jump as her cold hand grazed his face, fingers settling on his lips.

"I'm glad to see you're back to normal." She told him in a soft voice. Jack smiled and she felt his mouth move with it. He reached up to the icy appendage and laid it instead against his neck, enjoying the coolness of it as she enjoyed the spread of warmth. "Why didn't you tell me it was almost Christmas?"

"You weren't in any state to be told." Jack replied.

"You told me other things." She reminded him, "Important things."

"Yeah well… Christmas didn't cross me mind, to be honest. Not a happy holiday when yer wife nearly dies." There was a silence.

"I'm not really your wife, Jack." She pointed out, though her tone was teasing.

"Oh," He said, "We've been sayin' it fer so long I forgot." His voice still filtered through a smile, one that Katie returned even though he couldn't see it. Soon after that they both fell asleep for first real rest they'd had in a fortnight.

With the aid of some rum, Katie managed to get up and out of bed on Christmas Eve night. Jack watched as she gingerly made her way to the window, where she sighed a relief at the sight of the sea. She found she missed it now that she was stuck on land. Elizabeth had managed to get a loose shimmy onto Katie earlier that day, one that was big enough it hung down at the back, revealing the bright red scar that was barely healed. Jack remembered how much opium the doctor had given Katie before tugging the stitches out, how she hadn't even squeaked in pain. He came up beside her at the window and saw that she was gripping the sill, her knuckles white, her face pale again.

"We should get you back to bed." He muttered.

"No… not yet." Katie insisted, though she let him lead her a few steps back into the room, a gentle arm around her waist. Then she stopped. "Back home… every Christmas Eve we attend this ball." Jack looked at her.

"I don't think yer up to much dancing yet, love." He told her.

"Just one dance?" Katie fixed him with puppy-dog eyes and Jack sighed, defeated, a smirk about his mouth as he took one of her hands and placed his own hand on her waist.

"Just the one then." He steered her carefully in a slow waltz. Katie's eyes closed, both in order to lose herself in the dance and to try and disguise the pain she was feeling. Jack wasn't fooled though and tolerated it only for a few minutes before he brought her to a gentle stop. Katie's eyes fluttered open once more and met his. "Happy Christmas, Katie." He murmured, planting a kiss on her cheek that seemed to tingle afterwards.

Katie had always loved Christmas; it'd always been her favourite day of the year. And even in her state of recovery she still found herself waking up when the sun had barely risen. Despite the earliness of the hour, the first thing she noticed was a small box resting on the pillow beside her head. The second thing was that Jack was gone. Frowning at the box, she struggled into a sitting position and picked it up. It was of claret coloured velvet. Inside was a woman's ring, silver or white gold and engraved painstakingly with floral patterns. Set into the top was a bright emerald, the same colour as Katie's eyes. She stared down at it, unsure; the ring was undoubtedly beautiful, but she didn't know what it meant, if anything. She turned it and was turning it over in her hands, examining it, when the bedroom door opened and Jack entered.

"Oh, you're already awake." He stated the obvious, smirking. "You found your present, then?"

"Yes, I…" She said, lost for words.

"I stole it for you especially," Jack's grin became wider, "I thought it an odd sticking point that ye don't even 'ave a wedding ring." Katie just gaped at him, the ring still clasped in her fingers, and Jack laughed, coming over to sit beside her on the edge of the bed.

"It's lovely." Katie said, finally.

"It'd look nicer on yer finger." Jack noted. She laughed and slipped it onto her left ring finger. Both she and Jack looked down at it for a moment. "Are you sure you're gonna be alright at dinner, love?"

"I can't stay in bed forever." She replied. The truth was, while she was still in pain, the worst of it had been suffered under the influence of opium. "I'll take a drink before." She added meekly, after a minute's thought. Jack nodded. "I, um… didn't get you anything." Katie realised suddenly.

"You didn't 'ave to." Jack waved her off immediately.

"This is…"

"A stolen ring, love."

"Yes, but it's a really nice stolen ring." Katie answered imploringly. Jack thought about it.

"Alright, ye may give me a kiss." He presented his cheek to her and Katie laughed, brushing her lips against his cheekbone. "Merry Christmas, Mrs Sparrow." He winked.

"Merry Christmas, Captain Sparrow." She smiled. Jack immediately jumped up and headed over to the trunk full of clothes they had brought with them from The Black Pearl. He presented her with a loose shirt and some breeches. "Um, have you seen Elizabeth today?" Katie asked slightly nervously. She'd never be able to get this shimmy off. Jack opened his mouth to ask but then realised what she was thinking and stopped.

"I could 'elp you." He offered slightly awkwardly. It wasn't as if he'd never seen a naked woman before, yet he knew Katie wasn't too comfortable with this idea. She seemed to be thinking of a way to say this. "I won't make you feel uncomfortable, love." Katie met his eyes uncertainly, but accepted with a nod. She didn't have much of a choice, after all.

Getting carefully to her feet, she turned slowly around so her back was facing Jack, who stepped up behind her. His hands lingered slightly around her shoulders before he gently peeled the material away from her scar. Then, he reached down to the hem of the skirt and pulled upwards. Katie had some difficulty raising her arms, but Jack managed to get it off her with minimal pain. Stood naked before him, Katie looked over her shoulder at Jack. He watched her red hair as it moved against her creamy skin, blocking the ugly scar from view. There was an apprehension in Katie's face now, an unanswered question there.

"You're… beautiful." Jack murmured; it was true. He had to stop his eyes wandering where they weren't welcome, not to mention his hands, in this intimate moment between them.

"Really?" She asked in a small voice.

"'How many times 'ave I said it?" Jack said rhetorically, pulling her arm through one sleeve of the shirt. Katie faced front as she suppressed the shiver she felt run through her when his rough hand brushed her bare skin. Once the shirt was on, Katie pulled it across her front and turned around. Jack began to help her button it up, although that wasn't strictly necessary. His breathing was slow and deep, and Katie could feel that breath hot on her face. After pulling on the breeches and then sliding her feet into a pair of flat slippers, Katie was happy to seize the bottle of rum sat on top of the dresser and drink some for the pain. It seemed Jack was having trouble looking at her, though he took her hand as he led her from the room, feeling the emerald on her ring finger beneath his own finger.

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is short, I could just feel myself running out of steam on what was happening here! I hope you guys don't mind. Thanks so much for the lovely reviews I got on the last chapter, keep them rolling in guys! Especially as the last chapter was riddled with grammar mistakes I failed to spot, probably because most of it was written at 3am! I'll put them right eventually but there was nothing major! I'll shut up now! Reviews please!