Title: Sea Dogs

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Rating: G/PG (I'm as bad at ratings as I am with titles)

Spoilers: Watch the movie, it'll help

Pairing: You can read into Jack/Will as much or as little as you like

Disclaimer: I am but a simple fan. I make nothing from this which is appropriate because I own nothing.  Disney owns the concept and the PotC movie, and its characters, etc.

Summary: Coming off a routine raid, Jack gets a little hurt. And Will, who's attempting to use Jack to connect to his pirate roots, makes some progress though he's not the only one who learns a thing or two.

Notes: I can't really see Jack/Will though I suppose you wouldn't know it from reading this. But I was asked for it and though I see them more as buddies, well, maybe this was a little more than ambiguous. I don't want to say this was written at request... so let's call it getting a very restless plot bunny and repaying a favor ;-) Enjoy!

 

 

Sea Dogs

 

     Will hung onto the rail, pausing in his climb up to the quarter deck to cough and spit out a mouth of saltwater. The storm was just passing, but there were still enough waves to deal with. He hadn't quite gotten the hang of all this pirate stuff yet, and he still ran into as much bad luck as ever, but he was at least making a good effort. And he had a very good teacher.

 

     Captain Jack Sparrow, notorious pirate of the high seas, feared hoodlum and roguish scalawag, captain of the dreaded ex-ghost ship The Black Pearl, stood behind the wheel, looking out towards the morning with a smile on his face. The explosions were still going off behind them, courtesy of some well-placed gun powder. There hadn't been all that much damage to the other ship and in fact most on it were still alive to tell the tale of their capture, battle, and inevitable surrender. But the victory and the booty were enough to set Jack and the rest of The Black Pearl's crew smiling.

 

     "Well, that was rather fun, wasn't it?" Gibbs slurred, one hand holding a flask of whiskey, the other slapped Jack roughly on the arm.

 

     Jack shouted murderously at the pain and slumped forward onto the wheel. "Don't... touch... there..." Jack gasped, wincing in pain, supporting himself only with the wheel.

 

     Will bounded up the last few stairs and raced to Jack's side, a hand on his hip and shoulder on his other side. He wrapped his arm around Jack's waist, helping to straighten him up again. "Are you all right?"

 

     "Course, Mate," Jack said, though it took a moment to regain his voice and his usual conviction wasn't at all there. He waved his hand nonchalantly. "Nothing but a little scratch."

 

     But a scratch doesn't make one double over in pain. And a scratch doesn't cause one to cry out quite so loudly when touched. And a scratch doesn't usually leave... "Blood all over the deck... Jack!" Will exclaimed, his hand gripping the man's shoulder in concern. "You're bleeding all over my deck!"

 

     Jack sniffed and cocked his head, giving Will a heavy look. "Your deck? This is my ship last I checked, Savvy?"

 

     With a quick sigh of frustration, "Yes, well, you made me swab it down yesterday for five hours... Savvy?"

 

     Jack laughed and brought a hand up, rubbing a little at his nose with a bent finger. The trail of blood on the deck followed the movement of his arm, though diluted a bit by the gentle spitting of rain they had had all night and which was still plaguing them. They stood in silence a moment, Jack with a look of intense concentration on his face but not wanting to say anything, Will with one of intense concern but not knowing what to say. Then Jack collapsed. His legs gave way, and though he tried to lean both on the wheel and on Will, he crumpled to the deck, wincing and panting with pain.

 

     Will bent down immediately, grabbing hold of him so he didn't further injure himself. The man was big, and strong, yet even Jack's neck lost its strength and his head bobbed on his shoulders, resting against Will. Though Jack's hat nearly pocked him in the eye, Jack's cheek met his chin and Will was startled to find Jack terribly cold to the touch. "Come on," Will whispered into the ear which was much closer now. "I'm taking you below decks. They can manage the ship for the rest of the night, Jack."

 

     "It's Captain Jack to you while you're on my ship and I'm not going anywhere," Jack tried to protest, reaching up and grabbing a handle on the wheel in a vain effort to pull himself up. But his energy just wasn't there. His panting broke a moment and his hand slipped from the wooden wheel to loosely cover his nose. "huh-huhCHhhhhhh!" He winced again and sniffled. Then his hand moved from his face to clutch the front of Will's rain and sweat-soaked shirt rather dramatically. "Except maybe to bed, Lad?"

 

     Will agreed whole-heartedly.     He heaved Jack up to his feet. And though it took a moment for the pirate captain to find his footing, he was able to descend the two sets of stairs and stumble forward with Will's support until he was sitting on his berth in the private captain's cabin which was private mostly because the thing wasn't altogether much bigger than a breadbox.

 

     The two damp men shivered to be out of the rain, but Will took very little notice of his own discomfort as he crouched down in front of Jack to tend to him. He reached up to the bloody shirt sleeve, taking the cloth and moving it about so that he could get a good look at the wound. But it was hidden behind blood, and Will knew he'd have to clean it up before doing anything else.

 

     The make-shift first aid kit was located just outside the cabin, beneath the stairs, so was easily retrieved along with a towel before Jack's wound could bleed over his bed sheets. Will dabbed at the injury as gently as possible, then set the towel down beneath it to catch the blood. Getting him fixed up and cleaned was the first priority of course, but the task was slightly enjoyable when the first step was to get his shirt off. The sleeve was dark reddish-brown with blood already and would not be of much use again. But still Will took care in unbuttoning it and pulling it and the open vest on top of it off Jack, not wanting to disturb the wound any further.

 

     What Jack had passed off as a scratch was, in reality, a rather deep gash left by some sword with a jagged edge. It had sliced deep and true, but it was nothing life threatening. Which, to a pirate, is the only sort of wound worth bothering with. Leaning in close to a half-naked Jack, Will wiped away the blood quickly and examined the wound. There were no suturing materials on board, and he didn't know the first thing about that anyway. So they would have to make do with constant cleanings and bandages.

 

     Will pulled out the small bottle of alcohol and some fresh cloth, keeping the towel pressed to his wound with the other hand. Jack was looking a little pale at it all now, though Will really couldn't blame him. "This is going to hurt," Will warned him. "Quite a lot, actually." He grabbed Jack's hat and stuck it in his face. "Here, bite down on this." Jack glared at him, his eyes deep, dark, and full of hurt. But finally he shrugged and obeyed, biting down on one turned-up side. Will dabbed the alcohol against the cut and Jack took a sharp breath in, eyes watering with pain. He shoved Will away. "Would you rather I go get Anamaria to do this?" Jack bit down harder in resolve and shook his head. The pain may have been terrible, but he was a pirate, after all. "It's just a little more," Will lied as he took his time, making sure the wound was properly cleaned as he doubted he'd be given a second shot at it.

 

     Just as he was finishing with the first round and going back for the bottle for just a little more, Jack grabbed hard at his wrist. "That's enough," he choked around the hat, fire in his eyes.

 

     Will nodded and wiped it clean of blood again before wrapping bandages around it. One after another after another, layers over layers. Will constantly looked back and forth from the bandages to Jack. The pain from the make-shift antiseptic was gone, but he still looked weak and in pain from something. "Are you all right, Jack?" he asked, finishing it up and hoping the wound would not bleed through overnight.

 

     He nodded and grabbed for the alcohol, downing a gulp or two. "I tasted worse two years ago in that pub back on Horseshoe Island," he said, giving it a fair chance. Then he grinned, his golden teeth flashing in the lantern-lit belly of the ship. "When I drink it all, ye can't do that to me again," he reasoned, plopping his hat back on his head.

 

     Simply reaching beneath Jack's low bunk, he pulled out two more bottles. "Nice try, but I don't think The Black Pearl will ever suffer from a shortage of alcohol."

 

     Jack pulled the bottles away, petting them, caressing them affectionately with ring-covered fingers. "Well, they get lonely, you know. If you stash them away by them...selves..." He quickly ran another bent finger beneath his nose.

 

     Will looked on, concernedly. "You're not catching cold, are you?" He asked, immediately bringing the blanket up around Jack's shoulders. They were both still rather wet and cold, and drips of water ran from Jack's hair down his torso. Will reached a hand up to feel Jack's forehead, but the man grabbed his wrist at that as well.

 

     "I'm fine," he said with a sigh, though he pulled the blanket closer around himself for warmth.

 

     "You don't look it," Will risked and got another deep, harsh look from Jack. And he let the subject drop as he packed the rest of the bandages and cloths away in the box and slid it under Jack's bed with the other bottles. He said nothing when Jack gave a rather wet sniffle. And kept to himself as the man's breathing changed again to unsteady pants.

 

     "huh...huhCHIHSHH!" But Will did bring it up again after such a violent sneeze, which tossed Jack forward on the bed. The beads and bangles in his hair jangled as he rocked forward and back again with a wet sniffle, trying to collect himself.

 

     "Bless," said Will, a sly smile spreading on his face. "Not coming down sick, you say?"

 

     "Not," Jack agreed with a nod and another wet sniffle. "Pirates don't get sick. It's just a... just a little tickle." He rubbed a finger under his nose again, and Will noticed it was one of the few ringless ones this time as the rubbing was a little harder and faster. "Water up my nose," he added, as though suddenly struck with that brilliant excuse, and he tapped the tip of his nose a few times.

 

     "Of course," Will said, though fished in his pocket for his handkerchief. What he found was a soaking piece of cloth that wouldn't be in the least bit useful. But Jack took off his hat and pulled a small dry, bandana from it. He rubbed his nose, giving another wet sniffle, and put it away again. Will wasn't quite sure what else needed attending to. "Maybe you should get some sleep?"

 

     Jack nodded. But his face was screwing up again, despite the rubs at his nose. Even in sneezing, it seemed, Jack was dramatic. He waved a hand in front of his face in warning, lip quivering, eyes closing. "huh...huhhuhTchiihhh! huhCHIEWW!" He sneezed, falling forward again with jangles and clinks, but also with a hand clutching his middle. His face, rather than looking relieved to get the sneeze out, looked as though it were in even more pain. He breathed deeply, and straightened with a bit more effort than it should have taken. But his hand, still at his stomach, wrapped further around his belly.

 

     "Jack?" said Will, settling on the cot beside the man. It creaked and bowed for a moment under his weight, but supported them fine otherwise.

 

     Jack's face showed another sneeze on the way, and his heavy breathing harmonized with his sniffles. He swayed forward and back a little, panting as though trying to draw the sneeze out. "heh...heh...hah..." And Will waited patiently for it, understanding that desperate need to sneeze all too well. "hah..." Jack reached up and rubbed his nose again, on the side. At once his face fell and he shot forward. "hahSHIIIHH! Heh-hahChishhh! h'Chiiihhh!" He groaned in pain, sniffling wetly as he wrapped both arms around his middle and bent forward around them.

 

     Will understood finally, suddenly looking furious. "Why didn't you tell me you had broken ribs?" he demanded, a hand gently sliding down one of Jack's forearms and stopping over Jack's tough, worn hand that was so like his own.

 

     "Nay! Not broken," Jack spat angrily, gritting his teeth through the pain. "Just bruised." Regaining a little of his strength and a little of his breath, he smiled over at Will. "And since when do I tell you about my injuries? I thought ye wanted to learn to be a pirate, not a nurse."

 

     Will scowled. "Since when does caring about a friend's injuries require him to be labeled as a nurse? I believe you raced over to see that wound you gave me on my hand in about a half second when we were fighting last week."

 

     Jack was still smiling, apparently at the memory. They had been practicing and trying to get Will's sea legs to work a little better. When fighting on land, the blacksmith had excellent skills it was true, but fighting on an unsteady, tossing ship is quite another thing altogether. He had stumbled over a bucket as the ship turned direction and the fore boom had swung at him. And it all caused Jack to accidentally scrape his hand with the butt of his sword. It had been a small scratch only, but Jack had been concerned and had raced over to inspect and apologize profusely for it anyway.

 

     Will reached up and pulled the kerchief from its little pocket in Jack's hat, stuffing it into the pirate's hand. "Besides, swabbing the deck doesn't make me much of a pirate either. So just give in and let me take care of you."

 

     He shrugged in reply but rubbed at his nose with the bandana. "Really," he said a bit more breathlessly than normal, "I'm fine, Mate. No need to worry about ol' Jack. Nothing I haven't had a dozen times- ah- times before..." he had leaned to the side to lie down, but seemed just as uncomfortable and in pain while lying down as he did sitting up. He tried lying his back with no success there either, and turned back onto his side. It looked as though he wanted to try his other side but that wasn't a smart idea with his arm so badly injured as it was.

 

     Will watched with both concern and amusement. Jack was trying desperately to keep from sneezing again. One finger scrubbed under his nose furiously, and his eyes repeatedly blinked back the sensation as though they kept trying to close and allow him to sneeze but he pulled them back open just as quickly. Will wasn't too sure Jack should be sneezing, what with the expression he made from his ribs hurting each time from the breathing and the force of his sneezes. But he was sure Jack couldn't keep them back forever, either. Especially if this wasn't just some water up his nose.

 

     Decidedly, Will patted Jack's leg, stood, and took off. It was a climb up and across deck, then back down below again to get to the galley. Once there, he ransacked the kitchen, looking for the necessarily ingredients. What he really wanted was to make a nice hot posset, which is what Mr. Brown the blacksmith made any time he fell ill. But there wasn't any milk or oatmeal to be found. So he settled on another Scottish remedy, finding just enough spices and even some honey and using as much whiskey as he could find. He took a sip of the final product to test it and coughed rather violently for half a minute before chasing it with some water. Yes, it would be good enough for Jack. He held a hand over the mug to keep the contents and heat inside as he headed back to the aft cabin.

 

     When Will returned, Jack was exactly where he had been. Still in bed on his side, still half dressed, still wrapped loosely in the blanket, still trying desperately to hold back his sneezes. It looked, however, that his attempts were ready to fail. His breathing hitched more often than not, and his eyes were shut tightly now in concentration. His finger rubbed beneath his nose slowly now, as though it was giving up the fight, and looked more as though he were straightening his dark moustache than anything else.

 

     Will sat down on the bed and patted Jack's arm through the blanket, a feat he didn't much appreciate. "Need to sneeze?" Will asked in amusement.

 

     Jack sniffled and glared at him. "What-heh-whah... heh-hah...was your hih first heh...heh! clue?"

 

     Will smiled and set the drink down carefully. "I know how to help. Sit up against me here for a moment." With a little reluctance and a whole lot of sniffling and gasping and trying hard not to sneeze, Jack pulled free from the blanket and sat up. He leaned back against Will who put a bent leg against the small of Jack's back. He pulled the man close and held his shoulders tightly to brace him. "All right," he said. "Now you're- oohh, almost forgot!" He reached up and pulled Jack's hat off, setting it aside, but placing the bandana in Jack's hand. "All right, now you're set."

 

     With quite a bit more apprehension, Jack wasn't really sure even now he wanted to sneeze. But even he couldn't hold out forever. "heh-eh-okay," he managed, covering the lower half of his countenance with the cloth. "eh-heh-CHIISHH! hahChishhhh! Heh... ahhh...EHHSHHH!"

 

     "God bless," Will said softly, releasing his hold on Jack. "How was that. Jack?"

 

     "Better," Jack said, gingerly rubbing his middle but genuinely looking as though he wasn't in nearly as much pain. He sighed and rubbed his nose a last time, glancing back at Will. "If yer not going to call me Captain, sniff, sniff, at least sound like a pirate. Have ye no sense ye salty cur?" Which, Will knew, was his way of saying thank you.

 

     Will tentatively reached up and felt Jack's forehead. It was rather warmer than the rest of him, though how much so was hard to tell.

 

     Jack shrugged as though Will had made some comment about him having a fever. In a soft, very unlike-Jack voice, "Leave it to me to come down sick when it hurts to sneeze." He shivered violently and gave his nose a good, strong blow.

 

     Will recovered the blanket and wrapped it around Jack's shoulders again. "You're not sick," he said in a casual tone. "Pirates don't get sick. It's just a newly developed allergy to... blacksmiths or something."

 

     Jack grinned. "Aye, now yer startin' to sound like a pirate."

 

     He picked up the mug and passed it over to Jack. "Drink this. It'll help." Jack took a sip and coughed, darkly outlined eyes bulging a little. "Sorry, I should have warned you. It's a little strong."

 

     "Little?" Jack wheezed, which was certainly saying something, coming from him. "What is this?"

 

     "It's a hot toddy. A little improvised, but it'll work nonetheless. Good for this sort of thing."

 

     Over the initial shock, Jack drank more steadily now, getting accustomed to the spices and the very liberal amount of strong whiskey. He was nearly nodding off before he was finished. Will made to lie him down, but the pirate captain turned and snuggled against his chest, bringing the blanket tighter around himself with a grin. A sound asleep Jack was a Jack who wouldn't be in such pain at each and every sneeze, so perhaps the more rest he got the better. And with Will keeping a close eye on him, the dressings on the wound could be changed as soon as was needed. So Will sighed and took the cup from him, then let him sleep there, draping an arm around Jack for further warmth. He almost expected Jack to start murmuring bits of pirate speak in his sleep, a yawn and a 'Yo-Ho' or a 'Walk the planks you mangy curs,' as he stretched and rolled over. But he was a surprisingly normal sleeper and quiet apart from a bit of a snore.

 

     Will started to fall to sleep quite a while later, snapping back awake to hear Jack calling him. "Will," he said softly. The bands of his metal rings were cold against Will's chest where his shirt opened up and he shivered violently in a way that woke him and made him remember where he was. "Want to lie down now," Jack muttered through a yawn. Will started to get up to give him room on his bed to stretch out, but Jack shook his head and pushed him back. "Don't you even think about leavin'. 'S bloody cold in here."

 

     Will was inclined to agree, though he thought that might have something to do with the fact that they were both damp from rain. He pulled off his own boots, then did Jack's, and felt a bit of the blanket wrap around him. Will smiled as a shivering, sniffling Jack lay close against him, hoping for just a little more warmth. Will wrapped an arm around Jack again, this time from beneath the blankets, holding him tightly.

 

     It was only moments later when the look of an oncoming sneeze crept back onto Jack's face. His breathing raced and he managed a bit of a moan. He waved a hand in front of his face, letting it flop loosely from his wrist in indication of the sneeze. Will's hold on him became tighter, more secure. He raised a bent leg to brace Jack's back again. "hah... hahCHIHSHHH! ehhhhhh... ehKtchihhhh!" He sniffled miserably into the bandana Will handed him again and gave another moan but settled back down from fatigue.

 

     "God bless, ye scurvy sea dog," Will whispered to him. Jack grinned in approval. He reached up sleepily and patted Will on the head, then fell back to sleep, his arm slipping down and resting on Will's chest in a sort of hug. His arm around Jack gave a tight, involuntary squeeze of affection.