I coughed, grabbing my stomach and heaving myself off of the bed, the contents of my stomach emptying themselves out into the basin on the ground. I kneeled in front of it, sweat beading down my forehead and my hair, messy, seeming to attack and stick to my wet face. A groan reached my ears and I heard Jack get out of bed, I must have woken him up.
"Are you alright, luv?" Jack came over around the bed and pulled my hair back away from my face for me, watching as I coughed and retched for a few minutes. The few times that I gagged and nothing came out I grimaced.
"I'm fine." I said breathlessly and stood back up, lying down on the bed and bringing one of my hands up to my forehead. Jack went to pick up the basin and dump it out the window. "I'll get it." I said tiredly. I made to stand up.
"No, you won't." Jack said and did it anyways, turning his head to the side. I saw his wedding ring glint in the sunlight and I smiled weakly, waiting for my strength to return to me.
"Damned morning sickness..." I shut my eyes, falling back asleep.
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My eyes wearily opened themselves and I sat up, having been redoing this routine for the past few months. My stomach had now grown, and I had resided to buying new shirts that were tight around my breasts (which had grown) and flowing around my stomach. I dragged myself out of bed, the day already half gone it seemed. I pulled my pants on, dragging my shirt over my head and pulling my hair back. I walked out onto the deck and dragged myself up to the helm.
"You sleep like the dead, luv." Jack put his arm around my waist as best he could, hugging me close. I tiredly put my head on his shoulder, shaking my head. I was too large for only six months of pregnancy, looking as if I was ready to pop. I expressed this to Jack and he frowned, putting his hand on my head.
"We're taking you to a doctor today, luv."
I wished Elizabeth was there. She had left two months prior to stay with a relative for a while and to await Will's finding of a new job. He liked it on the Black Pearl, though; he had told me and wanted her to come back to him.
I wandered into the kitchen, grabbing an apple and taking a bite, before suddenly deciding I did not want it and threw it out the window. I sighed, putting cheese on a piece of bread and forcing myself to eat it. I sighed, resting my head on one of my hands and feeling a sudden push inside my stomach. I looked down, my eyes wide as I put my hands on my stomach. Was the child having a spasm? With eyes wide I rushed out and into Ana-Maria's cabin, where she stood with Glenn, kissing him. I averted my eyes to give them comfort and Glenn walked forward, hugging me and I looking down at my stomach. I smiled, though still panic stricken. Though it may not have seemed like it, sick as I was feeling all the time, I was excited. I turned to Ana-Maria.
"The child moved!" I exclaimed, half worried and half thrilled. Glenn smiled, putting his hand on my abdomen. I jumped as the baby did it again.
"It's kicking." Glenn said. He frowned, "Rather fast..." I looked over at him, and back to Ana-Maria, who was looking at my belly with her face thoughtful and one hand on her hip.
"You're big for only six months..." she said, leaning to the side again. I looked down.
"I know." I replied, "Jack said we're going to the doctor today. We're docking at Port Bowlen." Ana-Maria nodded.
"Tha's good." She said, looking at Glenn, "We don' want you explodin' on us now, do we?" I laughed and shook my head, turning and walking out the door.
I took walks around the ship, my hands on my hips, greeting and helping the crew to my best ability. Most refused my help with a smile, but all it took was a glare from a pregnant woman to get them to let me. I smiled, finishing coiling a rope and nodded at Sam, turning and heading toward the helm when I heard my name called.
Jack put his lips on mine fiercely. His inability to... well have intercourse... with me for the last few months was driving him crazy. There were other things we could do, of course, but those just did not satisfy him as much. I smiled and put my arms around his neck, kissing him back. I had my back to the wheel as I usually did; swaying every time he turned it.
A few hours of mindless nothing went by, with my walking or reading, helping or kissing before we pulled the ship into the port. Jack looked at me, smiling and handing me my cloak. I wrapped it around myself, looking around and holding Jack's hand as we walked onto the docks.
For whatever reason, no one stopped us and we walked through the averagely wealthy city, spotting a beggar here and there. I looked down, keeping my hood around my face as Jack pulled me through the town and to a building, the sign of a doctor's name hanging from above the door.
A faint ring of a bell followed us inside and I looked around, noting that there was one other person in the room. A man cradling a broken arm, hanging from a sling. He looked up at me as Jack stood in the room awkwardly and motioned for me to sit down at a chair.
Grimacing, I lowered myself into a chair, sighing, letting my breath out and leaning back. A hand on my shoulder made me look up, smiling at Jack as he sat down next to me. A headache was beginning to develop in my mind. I sighed.
"Ah..." I looked up at the sound of an unknown voice that I had never heard, frowning and looking upon the man that had come out the door. His eyes were a soft green, his hair brown. He smiled at me in a reassuring way from under his spectacles and I looked down, letting Jack help me stand up. I quickly made sure my sleeve was pulled over the pirate brand on my arm.
"Now," I was sitting on a bed, my hand on my stomach and the other on Jack's arm, "I'm Doctor Gravel. What do we have here? I take it you don't live in Port Bowlen; otherwise I would have seen you before, Mrs ..." I shook my head.
"Smith," I said quickly and changed the subject, "I'm from Port Royal," I said after hesitation, "Originally... a traveler now." The Doctor smiled from his spot by the wash bin, putting a stethoscope around his neck.
"Very exciting." He said, turning around. I sighed, looking over at Jack, who was awkwardly looking around the clean room. I reached over and squeezed his hand. He looked over at me and I winked. "And who is this?" He said, again looking me up and down. "You're pregnant I take it." I let out a laugh.
"Yes, sir."
"All right. Just making certain." Jack looked at Gravel strangely, shaking his head. The Doctor walked over, lifting up my shirt. "How far along are you? You look like you're ready to deliver."
"I'm not. That's why we came here." I said, holding out my arms as he listened to my heart. "I'm only six months." The Doctor took the ear pieces of the stethoscope out of his ear, looking at me sharply over the rim of his glasses.
"You're only what now?"
"Six months."
The Doctor blinked, nodding slowly. Suddenly, something seemed to dawn on him and he put the cold stethoscope to my stomach. I jumped a bit and looked down at him, tilting my head to the side. He smiled, "Just as I thought." He confirmed, "There are two heartbeats to be heard."
"Well, would one of them not be mine?" I asked, frowning. The Doctor smiled, shaking his head.
"Mr. and Mrs. ... Smith," he said, standing up and putting the tool back around his neck. I pulled my shirt back over my stomach. "You're going to be having twins."
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"Twins!" I exclaimed excitedly, hugging Will tight. He laughed, nearly falling back, looking at Jack with wide eyes. Jack chuckled, walking onto the gangplank and onto the ship.
"Twins?" Will mouthed. Jack nodded, looking rather tired and running his hand over his face. He smiled at me as I turned to him, quite excited. I took his hand and took him into what we had built up to be a nursery.
"We'll put the other cradle there." I said, pointing. Jack looked all together uninterested and occasionally nodded enthusiastically. I turned to him, hugging him tight. He put his arms around me, turning me around and putting both of his hands on my stomach, kissing my neck. I leaned my head back onto his shoulder, kissing his scruffy cheek. Turning back to the room in front of us, I began to think. Jack's hands ran over my abdomen and I smiled.
"Are you really happy about this, Jack?" I asked him. Jack kissed my neck again.
"Without a doubt, luv." Jack said, "Who wouldn't be excited to have two little pirates running around my ship?" I smiled, laughing and turning to him again.
Two little pirates... I'm going to have a family again!