Elizabeth found Jack infinitely easier to share a cabin with than either Gibbs or Marty. He didn't snore or flop about, and he woke up when she needed help with Jacob. He even walked the floor with the baby, to quieten him after his feeding. He treated her feedings with matter-of-factness, helping her when she needed it, and offering her as much privacy as he could when she didn't need help. He stepped out for her to use the chamber pot (which she was grateful to finally be able to do by herself) and made no demur about emptying it for her after she had collapsed into bed again, exhausted.
In the morning, he sent in Cotton for the usual examinations and update. He brought her a brimming mug of fresh milk and urged her to drink it. Elizabeth sighed. She was hungry. "I swear, the next person who brings me in milk or broth will get it thrown at them! When I can I get some real food, Mr Cotton?"
He held up two fingers and then wiggled his thumb back and forth.
"Two, three, two... Oh, two or three days?" she asked.
He nodded.
She growled. "I'm hungry! I'm sure I'm well enough now to have some meat or fruit or something!"
He shrugged apologetically and left in a hurry.
The cabin boy came in next, and introduced himself. "Captain says I'm to stay with you until lunch, ma'am. Name is Simon. Is there anything I can get you?"
Elizabeth smiled. "Hello, Simon. I'm Mrs Turner. I would love some fruit if you could get me some."
Simon shook his head, looking sad. "Mr. Cotton says no fruit for two more days. I'm sorry, Mrs Turner, ma'am."
Elizabeth growled. "Mr. Cotton is being unreasonable. I ought to know what I am capable of eating, I should think."
Simon looked uncomfortable, but said nothing. Elizabeth shook her head in frustration and started playing with her baby to pass the time. Jacob had been sleeping even more than she had, and it was not long before his eyelids were getting heavy again. With a sigh, she put him back into his little dresser drawer for a nap.
She had started to be able to stay up a little longer during the day, and last night was the most restful sleep she'd had since boarding the Pearl, but she was hungry and bored.
Hungry and bored were not a good combination for Elizabeth, and when combined for long periods of time, often resulted in irritation. When poor little Simon brought her a cup of broth for lunch, she hurled it back at him. He ducked in a panic, and it hit the door frame just as Jack was walking in. He jerked his thumb for Simon to get out of there, and the boy scurried.
"Glad to see you're feeling better," Jack told her drily. "Perhaps next time you could go easy on my poor cabin boy? Don't threw soup at the messenger."
Elizabeth's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, but I'm just so hungry! And so bored!"
"And oh-so-testy as well, it seems." He picked up the empty mug and set it on the table. "You're rebuilding your strength after a very bad illness, Lizzie. So you're going to drink your broth like a good girl, refrain from throwing it at anyone, and when the good Dr Cotton says you can have solid food, then you can have solid food. Not before. Savvy?" He plunked down a mug of milk and pushed it across the table at her.
Elizabeth scowled at him.
"Really, you should thank me," Jack said.
She scowled harder.
"No? S'pose I'll have to do it." He pitched his voice in a wavery soprano and flawlessly imitated her posh accent. "Oh, thank you, Captain Sparrow, for taking such good care of me while I've been ill. You saved my life! Oh, Captain, you're a hero!"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Saved my life? Aren't you exaggerating just a tad?"
Jack caught her gaze and shook his head seriously. "I'm afraid not, Lizzie. You nearly died. You and little Jake both. If we'd been even a few hours later, or a day later, I'd have lost you. We'd 've lost you," he corrected. "So yeah, I'm not letting you eat more than you're ready for, and I'm not letting you pick up your own baby, and I'm bloody well not letting you out of my sight until you're more recovered. You'll just have to square with that."
He turned away to look out the window. He heard a quiet step behind him, and then felt Elizabeth take his arm and rest her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you, Jack," she said quietly, with no trace of sarcasm or irony. "You saved my life. You're a hero."
Jack chuckled a little and patted her hand where it rested in the crook of his elbow. "Just see it doesn't happen again, eh, darling?"
"I'll try." She picked up the mug of milk and started drinking.
"Good. Not sure my heart could stand your being that ill again, and I'm pretty sure my cabin boy couldn't stand your recovery again!" He took her hand from his arm, made her a flamboyant bow to kiss her hand, and then ordered, "Finish your milk and back to bed with you."
"But Jack-"
"Now, Elizabeth."
She swallowed her protests along with the milk and went back to bed, glaring at him.
Less than five minutes later she was fast asleep. Jack looked up from his charts. "Told you so," he jeered quietly.
It took over a week before Elizabeth and Jacob were really on the mend. Jacob slept almost 'round the clock, except for when he was eating and being carried about the deck by one pirate or other. Elizabeth felt weak as a kitten at first, exhausted by simply moving about the cabin or going for brief constitutionals on deck, but towards the end of the week she was able to stay awake for several hours at a time.
Best of all, she'd been allowed to have some fruit. She thought nothing could ever taste as good as that juicy, sun-ripened mango that Jack had brought her with a smile (which faded into a curiously intent expression when he watched her eat it, licking the juice off her fingers and moaning with delight).
Jack had been meandering the Pearl, not to get too far away from Flimwell and yet evade the British Navy. He steered from tiny island to tiny island, in order to maintain a supply of fresh fruit and water for Elizabeth.
"Here's the thing," he said, bringing her a small plate of fruit-including, she was glad to see, some more mangoes. He set it down on the table and pulled out her chair so she could join him. "Ye're doing much better, but you can't stay by yerself quite yet-not an' look after little Jake at the same time.
He had asked her about returning to New Flimwell, whether or not she would be able to hire a couple of girls from the village to assist her. She had regretfully informed him that the only friend she had in the village was Mrs Thomas, the woman who had written to him—everyone else looked askance at her betrousered form and thought she was no better than she ought to be.
"I always wore dresses into town, but one time someone came up the hill and saw me hauling water in my trousers, and the word spread all through town. The respectable families wouldn't let their daughters associate with me. Some of them claim that I'm not even married, as I don't have a husband living with me. So no help there, I'm afraid," she said.
"If we hired a girl from—you know—our circles—"
"A pirate or a port doxy, you mean?"
"Aye," he said, looking uncomfortable. "If we hire from among our own circles, she wouldn't be dependable and would probably rob you blind. If we hire a nice, respectable, dependable girl, she'll turn you in as a pirate."
He sighed. So did she.
"Pity you don't still have any family left in Port Royal," he mused.
"I do have family, actually," Elizabeth remembered. "My Aunt Agatha, my father's sister, wrote me ages ago that she was coming to live with me in Port Royale. I got the letter, but couldn't write back. I didn't have any way to reach her without getting caught. I've been keeping track of her, and I know she's looking for me. Maybe she'd be willing to come live with me in Flimwell." Elizabeth laughed a little. "Might even raise my respectability level there, having a rich, widowed aunt move in."
"Aye, but would she turn you in?"
"I doubt it. I'm the only family she has left."
"Right, then. We'll make for Port Royale and pick her up."
"Just like that? At least let me write to her first!"
"No, no time. Or, more accurately, can't be bothered. I'll just nip into town, find her, and nab her.
"Jack, you can't just waltz in and kidnap my aunt!"
"Of course I can, love. Did you forget who I am? I'm Captain Jack—"
"Spare me. Did you forget who I am, love? Not only the Pirate King—"
"Compliments of yours truly," Jack interrupted, pointing at himself.
"—But also the only relative of the lady you're proposing to kidnap!"
Jack held up a finger. "I am disposed to make one slight compromise."
Elizabeth gestured impatiently for him to go on.
"I will refrain from kidnapping your aunt—if you do it."
"What? You're joking!"
"Dead serious, darling."
"Kidnap my own aunt?"
"You do it or I will."
Elizabeth huffed. "Fine. Take us to Port Royale and I'll see what I can do."
Note: I need a beta for this story. Not for mechanics, spelling, grammar, etc. - I pretty much have a handle on those. But I need someone to run my ideas past, to tell me "No, I would leave that part out," or "Hey, how about putting in this other thing?" and to help out with general content. This is my first story in this fandom, so I don't know anyone here yet, and my other beta from the Harry Potter 'verse can't help me with it. Surely some kind soul out there would be able to offer feedback, for the noble cause of my getting this story finished and published sooner? It's about 85% finished, but the remaining 15% or so are causing me trouble. Let me know if you're interested, and thank you! Cheers, CL