Mordecai was laid gently down in the armory, and covered with a soft blanket. The door was closed quietly, and only after a few moments of silence did the boys turn back to their duties.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:17, Thu 12 May 2016.

   Down in the galley, Jane sat at a table with her hands in her lap, her eyes on the worn surface of the table before her. A blanket was hung around her shoulders, by who she wasn't sure, a few people might be in the galley with her, but she didn't look. The crying had stopped, but her cheeks were still stained by the hot tears. Now, she stared at the table top in mournful silence. She felt so empty. Shouldn't she feel more? She thought she should. Why wasn't she? After the voice had told her back on the ship to feel, that was what had brought the Captain back..

   Jane slowly raised her head and brought her hands up to rest them palm down on the table. Could it happen again? Maybe she wasn't too late. Unsure of who was in the room with her, she lurched to her feet and looked toward the stairs.

As she did, long legs with feet in layers of thick stockings appeared, shuffling down the thin stairs. The Captain, smothered in sweaters and a thick blue blanket, thudded down into the galley. "Ah, Jane, there you are," he said thickly. He made a sideways motion with his head, and Brax and the other boys in the galley quickly vacated. He gestured with a hand holding a red silk handkerchief for Jane to sit back down, then limped close and took a place across the table from her. He sniffed loudly and dabbed delicately at his red nose with the handkerchief.
The man looked wilted. His red hair, usually so vibrant, looked dull and was pulled back in a simple ponytail. He was paler than normal, emphasizing the dark circles under his eyes. He fixed her with his doleful gaze, and she saw the deep sadness there that mirrored her own, but only to a point. Captain Jackson had lost a crew member... Jane had lost a brother. Most of the sorrow she saw there was, in fact, for her.
"I've come to discuss a few things with you, my dear," he began, speaking carefully so that his stuffed nose didn't interfere with her ability to understand him. "The nature of the curse... the ceremony that we must do tonight... what happened on the Maleficent. Firstly. Do you have any questions for me?"

   Jane didn't take her seat again, and almost fidgeted with anxiety, "Please, Captain. Let me go to Mordecai, I can help him like I helped you. The voice told me to feel, so I did, and you came back." she was speaking fast, nearly tripping over her words in her attempt to get them out in time, "There may still be time, I can bring him back, I can try to feel again." she felt her hands on the table, her face betraying the desperate hope in her heart.

The Captain covered one of her hands with his own. It was very warm, feverishly so. "Jane," he said soothingly, looking at her with pained eyes that almost pleaded with her to understand, "It won't work for Mordecai."

   She didn't want to hear him, his fevered hand felt like it was going to burn her. Jane raised her gaze to the stairs and the escape they seemed to offer, before finally settling on the Captain. She saw in that look that he was telling the truth. The broken pieces in her chest burned and she slowly sat back down. She felt lightheaded, sick and empty. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came, no sound. Her very thoughts seemed to have vanished along with her voice.

   The necklace weighed heavily against her chest, the Captains' hand felt so hot. Unable to speak, she turned her hand palm up to clasp his fiery hand in her own, her grip weak.

"The curse is on me," he explained sadly. "And I only came back because... well, because the spirit got to me quickly. Through you, it would seem. Tell me," he sniffed, leaning forward and placing his other hand under hers, squeezing back softly. "What exactly did the 'voice' say to you?"

   Jane swallowed past the lump in her throat before inhaling slowly, shakily. It took a second try to get her voice to work again, "The voice said that your emotions gave.. her, strength. That I would be the link once you were..." she paused, glancing at him before continuing, "She told me to get angry, that if I really felt it would save you. Then.." she closed her eyes, casting her mind back to try and remember it all, "She said it would be breaking the rules. I gave her power through feeling, I guess.." she closed her eyes an sighed, giving his hands a light squeeze.

The Captain patted her hand, then took his hands back to adjust the blanket around his shoulders, wincing as he did so. "Fascinating. It's true that strong emotions give her strength, shape her, but I've never heard of using a proxy... He trailed off for a few moments, chewing slightly on his bottom lip as he thought. But he quickly shook himself out of it. "Listen. I... well, I wanted to say..." He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. But he needed to say it. "Mordecai saved my life. And yours, and Carson's, and Connor's. If that fool boy hadn't gone to the Maleficent and stirred things up, no doubt I would still be drowned and my boys would be... well, if not dead then wishing they were. And you, too. Once the necklace was off who knows what the General would have done with you."

   Jane nodded slowly, the first tentative feelings of gratitude creeping into her cold heart, "He is.. was always impetuous." she whispered, pinching her eyes shut to cut off the tears before they could begin. She placed her hands palms down on the table and took a shaky breath, "I, um, how do we remove the necklace again?" she asked tightly, forcing herself to try and still get business done. All she wanted to do was curl up and never move again.

Jackson gave her a tight smile, green eyes pained. "Tonight is a full moon. At midnight, we'll perform a ceremony together. It will involve a little blood from both of us. Nothing major, a prick of the finger. Then I'll remove the necklace using the heart trinket. It will drain me, but not kill me. As it would you if this wasn't done right."

   Casting her gaze about, suddenly uncomfortable with eye contact, she nodded once and asked, "How long until midnight?" Her mouth was so dry, her chest so painfully empty, "Is there anything I need to do?"

"Midnight is in roughly five hours. You need to mourn, and rest. After all this is over with, tomorrow-- or the next day, whenever you're ready-- we'll discuss arrangements for Mordecai. I'm going to go have a nap. You should too, Jane Lewin." As he spoke, the Captain rose and limped toward the stairs.

   Jane watched him go with heavy eyes. Placing her elbows on the table, she put her face in her hands. She wanted to cry, tried to force it, out of the hope that it would bring relief. The tears wouldn't come! After all this! Frustrated, angry, she pushed up and away from the table, letting the blanket fall to the floor. She cast her gaze around, looking for something to take out her anger.

   "Alone!" she said through gritted teeth, Mordecai left her here alone! There was nothing here that she could push or break! Did she even want to break anything? Isn't that what people did? She paced angrily in a small circle, raking her fingers through her hair and exhaling sounds of hopelessness and frustration. She kicked a stationary table leg, and only came away with throbbing toes.

   Her mind couldn't focus! All that she could do was feel the emotion slam against her like waves on the rocks. Slowing down, Jane felt lightheaded, there was too much noise, too much space. Turning for the kitchen, she crouched down in front of a cabinet she knew was nearly empty of supplies. Feeling childish, but not knowing how else to decrease the amount of senses bombarding her, she pushed the sacks to the side and climbed in, closing the door and wrapping herself in muffled darkness.

   Placing her hands over her ears and closing her eyes tight, Jane focused on her warm breath, and the quick pace of her heart.. It felt like a long time before her heart rate slowed, the spots of light that had danced behind her closed eyelids had faded. Only then did the tears come, and they were silent, hot and fast. She suddenly felt so tired, so bone tired. Leaning her head against the back of the cupboard, she wiped her nose, and merely thought to close her eyes. She fell asleep in less than a minute, a dreamless sleep of exhaustion.

"Jane? Jane!" Voices called her name, penetrating the thick, warm darkness. "Where are you? Jane?"

   Coming out of her sleep felt like she was being dragged up through the mud. She grimaced and leaned forward, rubbing her neck while she opened the cupboard door, "I'm here." she called hoarsely. Standing up and rubbing the stiffness from her legs, she straightened and brushed the remnants of tears from her cheeks. Memory hit her like a brick wall and she fell back against the counter for a moment, placing a hand on the wooden surface to steady herself. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she moved toward the door.

Raff was standing at the head of the stairs up to the deck. "Almost midnight, miss. Time to prepare."

Behind him on deck, near the rail where the Captain had talked to her and Mordecai just the night previous, there was a small gathering. Brax, Dr. Damien, and the Captian. Alex was keeping watch up by the helm. Wesley was nowhere to be seen, and no other crew members were present either.

"Wes is making sure none of the boys leave their beds," Raff rumbled as they approached. "And keeping an eye on Carson."

   Hands by her sides, Jane climbed the stairs and walked carefully over to stand next to Brax's comforting side. She dried her wet palms nervously on her thighs, "What do I need to do?" she asked, glad that her voice was calm and steady.

Brax patted her comfortingly on the back once she got to him. The Captain clapped his hands together, rubbing them vigorously. He looked tired but alert, his green eyes shining with an eager light as he looked up at the full moon above them. Brax looked down at a clock in his other hand, holding it up to see better. Jane recognized it from the Captain's quarters.
"Three minutes," he said tightly.

"All right, Jane," the Captain said cheerily. "I'm going to need a few drops of your blood on this lump of metal." He produced the pitted heart trinket with a flourish. He was still swathed in sweaters, and with his hair pulled back a sheen of sweat was visible on his neck and forehead. Yet he shivered as he nodded to Raff, who produced a knife and proffered it to Jane hilt first, face stony.

   Jane took the knife, the lightheartedness of the Captain making her wary. She realized her heart was beating fast, she knew she was scared. What if she did die? Who cares? a terrible thought murmured. Clearing her throat, she held up her left hand, the knife in her right. She chose to cut along the side of her palm, where a bandage wouldn't be much of a bother. Pressing her lips together, she held her left hand out over the heart shaped trinket and cut her palm with a wince. She quickly turned her hand slightly to let the blood drip onto the trinket.

Damien stepped forward, swabbed a warm, wet rag over the wound and then quickly bandaged it. The Captain took the knife from Jane and cut his own palm. As his blood dripped, he said "Now Jane, this'll probably knock me out for awhile. Once were done, you head on off to bed, alright?" Once finished, he held out his hand for the doctor to bandage. He glanced at Brax.

"Minute and half," the cook supplied. The Captain nodded and took a deep breath. He held the trinket so it was bathed in the light of the moon, the blood on the metal glistening wetly. Captain Jackson started to speak. By the way he stood and the way his mouth moved, you'd have thought the words would be heard loud and clear. But they were strangely muted and unintelligible, like someone trying to speak under water. Damien and Brax fidgeted, discomfited by the muffled chanting. Raff just stared at the Captain, his look almost a glower, but not quite.

   Holding her bandaged hand to her chest, Jane stood close to Brax. She pulled the necklace out from under her shirt, not sure what else she could or should do. At first, she tried to hear what the Captain was saying, but after a few more words she glanced at the others to see if they were as confused as she was. Confirming her thoughts on that score, her eyes settled on Raff. She fidgeted from one foot to the other, doing her best to trust that the Captain won't kill her.

When the Captain finished speaking, a brittle silence fell. Brax put his hand on Jane's shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "Twenty seconds," he whispered.

The Captain nodded to Damien, who stepped forward and helped him kneel. On his knees before Jane, Jackson reached out and put his hand on her other shoulder to stabilize himself. "Hold very still," he breathed, his eyes on the necklace. He held the heart trinket up between them.

"Ten," Brax began. "Nine." As the cook steadily counted down, the Captain's stare intensified. He carefully moved the heart closer until it was hovering over the metal flower. "Three. Two." Brax's hand tightened painfully on Jane's shoulder. "One."

There was a soft clink as Captain Jackson touched the heart to the knotted center of the flower. All sound seemed to cease. For the space of two heartbeats, nothing happened. Then blinding white light flared from the two bits of metal, and Jane and the Captain were trapped in it. Brax's hand was blasted off of Jane's shoulder, but then to the perspectives of the people inside the light, time outside slowed. Jackson saw a surprised Brax drop his clock, watched it start to fall, impossibly slowly, to the deck. Jane saw Raff start to take a step closer, but then his foot slowed, seeming to hang in the air.

Inside, the Captain and Jane were frozen as the strange white light seemed to rush around them in a gale. Neither could move an inch. Then the Captain felt heat in the fingers holding the heart trinket; with all his will, he managed to open his hand. Then, floating above his palm, the metal began to warp. He and Jane watched as the ropy lines of the flower began to slowly crawl off of Jane's shirt, reaching up to enfold the heart in viney tendrils. As it was covered, the heart's mass redistributed into a new shape, shrinking in some places, ballooning outward in others. The flower lost petal after petal, grew smaller and smaller as it joined the new lumpy mass growing in the air between them. Finally, the last strand of it unraveled, languidly uncurling itself from the metal ring that attached it to the necklace chain. It seemed to cling to the ring, lifting it slightly away from Jane's body. Then the connection snapped.

There was a deafening metallic ring, like the worlds largest hammer on the worlds purest anvil. The light was all sucked inward towards the new trinket, but it didn't stop there. Jane's and Jackson's eyes lit up with the same intense white light; time resumed. The clock clanged as it hit the deck with the sound of shattering glass. Jane felt an enormous pressure-- it closed around her like it was trying to crush the life from her. The light from her eyes pulsed like it was about to leap out.

But then the Captain's hand snapped out into the air between them, closing on the floating, glowing lump of metal there. The pressure immediately left Jane, and she watched the light in the Captain's eyes pulse, then begin to flow outward into his closed fist. It flowed for just a few moments, but Jackson's face blanched of all color, his teeth gritted and bared in a grimace. Once it stopped, the soundlessness came again as the Captain teetered backward, his arm dropping. The light faded from both of their eyes. Raff finished stepping forward in time to catch Captain Jackson before he fell, holding him up on his knees. Sound returned with a gust of warm wind that sounded like a woman's sigh.

"Captain?!" Raff dropped to one knee beside his Captain, who flopped limply in his Quartermaster's grip, chin on his chest. Raff shook him, each hand clutching handfuls of the sweaters at both of the Captain's shoulders. "Captain!" There was a dull thump as something dropped from the Captain's hand onto the deck.

   Jane finally took a deep breath and staggered slightly, reaching up to feel the pendant-less chain that dangled at her throat. "Um, he said that it would drain him, but I think he'll be fine." Knees feeling like jelly, she knelt next to the Captain, grateful to be alive. She smiled a little, and looked down at the object that had fallen from the Captain's hand. Hoping that she had learned her lesson from last time, she took a handkerchief from her pocket and used it to pick up the object and wrap it up.

Dr. Damien hurried forward and put his hand on the Captain's neck, pausing for a few moments while Raff looked on worriedly. "Yes, he should be fine," the doctor said. "Raff, Brax, if you'll help me get him to his bed. Jane," he gave her a nervous smile. "Sleep well."

The Quartermaster and the cook hefted Captain Jackson between them and carefully started to make their way up the stairs to his cabin, Damien hovering just behind them.

   Jane watched them go for a few moments, before turning toward the stairs and making her way below decks. She ached everywhere, she was so tired. She reached up to touch the bruises on her face from where the Captain's enemy had struck her. So tired.. Opening the door to the tiny room that had been converted into a living space for her, she closed the door, locked it, and sat heavily upon the bed. Grateful for this space, grateful to be alive, grateful to be alone... Shame washed over her and she closed her eyes. Grateful to be alone? Grateful to be alive? Her brother was gone. She carefully told herself that she was grateful to be alone so she didn't have to hold back her emotions. She still felt shame. He was gone. She was here. Why?

   Sniffling softly, she bushed at the tears clinging to her lashes and remembered that she had that object in her hand. Holding it in her palm, she pulled the edges of the handkerchief back to get a closer look.

In her hand lay the doll-sized figure of a young woman, legs pressed together and hands folded across her belly. But it was strange. She had no skin, no hair; it was just her muscles, gliding over her delicate curves, carved from metal, perfectly symmetrical. There were odd voids in her body at her joints and her face, just empty of anything and ominously black. The edges of her muscles encroached on the edges of the voids like they were meant to be covering something, but there was nothing there. The metal had the same tarnished, pitted look that the flower and the heart had both had. The hole where her face should be was very disconcerting, because though there were no eyes, it seemed to glare.

*****

The Captain moaned as Raff carefully lowered him onto his cot. Brax threw heavy blankets over him, and Damien dragged a chair over, pulling a thermometer from his pocket.
"What the hell happened?" Raff said as the doctor carefully put the glass tube under the Captain's tongue. "Something..." He trailed off as he struggled to find the words, gesturing to his own face. "Something came out of him!"

"I saw," Brax whispered, dark eyes worried. "I saw that too."

The doctor sighed, checking Jackson's pulse again. "He said it would drain him, didn't he?"

"But what did it take?" Raff asked, agitated. "He's sick! We should never have let him do this."

Brax stepped forward. "This saved Jane," he argued. "You saw as well as I did that the necklace's pendant was gone. It worked. If the Captain was willing to risk it, then..."

Raff looked at him, then reluctantly nodded, rubbing a hand over his face. "I know. It's just... he's so reckless sometimes. I'm not convinced the curse protects him as much as he said. I mean, Connor says he died today. He drowned! What if what was needed to save Jane is too much to take after something like that?"

The doctor cleared his throat as he checked the thermometer. "His fever is worse," he said nervously. "I need to get some things from my cabin. Just to bring the fever down," he said to Raff, who looked like he was about to explode. "I'm sure it's from the water in his lungs. I'm sure he'll wake up fine, once I bring his temperature down a tad. It means he's fighting, alright? But high fevers can be bad for the body too. I'll be right back." Stepping quickly, the doctor left.

Raff began to pace in the small space in front of the desk.

"You look like a caged bear," Brax said. "Calm down." Raff just shook his head, continuing to walk back and forth. Step, step, turn. Step, step, turn. After a minute Brax sighed. "I'm going to sleep. I have to relieve Wes in a few hours. You," he pointed at Raff as he passed, "Should also sleep. He'll be fine."


The next day, Raff and the Captain didn't make an appearance. Damien was back and forth all day, from the Captain's quarters to his own, where Carson lay. The doctor had dark circles under his eyes, but those eyes were also quietly determined. He even gave Jane and Connor poultices for their bruises, saying it would bring the swelling down.

The other boys didn't bother the two of them, just let them go about their assigned chores in silence. Connor quickly started seeking out their company though, drawing them into conversations and trying to make jokes. He wanted things as normal as he could get them. But a pall of depression hung over the ship, like the shroud they had lain over Mordechai. Everyone was down, everyone was worried. For Carson, for the Captain, of Patrol pursuit. The only bright thing anyone could see was that Jane seemed to be out of danger, whatever danger it was, and that was a relief. A bittersweet relief, but a relief nonetheless.

   Jane placed the last clean dish in it's place. She had been working methodically through the day, very aware of the heavy darkness that hung over the ship and the crew. She had received smiles of relief and condolences through the day. She was grateful for the crew. They were all so tough and yet, so kind to her. She refused to think about what to do with the body of her brother. She just couldn't. So she cooked and cleaned with all she had, devoting her thoughts to the tasks at hand. Now, all the tasks were done. She wasn't tired.

   The strange doll figure was still wrapped and in her pocket. Maybe she could give it to the Captain, if he was feeling better. She was nearly desperate to see him. What if he died too? Because of her? She was sure she would be thrown from the ship and be done for if that happened. The terror of that thought surged through her as she hung up her apron. Brax gave her a warm and strong hug, telling her to get some rest. She merely nodded and smiled mechanically before moving up onto the deck.

   The ship was quiet, but the crew was still about and stowing for the night. Crossing the deck, Jane tentatively approached the Captain's quarters and waited a few moments before softly knocking on the door. Damien had looked so tired, maybe he would let her sit with the Captain tonight so that he could rest.

Raff opened the door, just a crack. He peered down at her, blinking tiredly. "Jane?" he asked in his bass rumble. "What is it?

   "I can't sleep. I thought that I could stay with the Captain tonight, so that you and Damien could go and get some sleep." she said, smiling tentatively, putting her hands in her pockets and wrapping the figurine in a fist.

Raff looked back into the room for a moment, then back at Jane, shifting from foot to foot. "Well..." He looked back and said something Jane couldn't make out to someone within, waited for a response. Then he turned and gave Jane a searching look. "Are you sure? You look pretty tired yourself, miss."

   Shaking her head, Jane also lifted her shoulder in a shrug, "It's either sit awake in my room, or sit awake here and be useful." she gripped the figurine tighter, not wanting to go to sleep, not wanting a relief, "Please. I promise I'll come get you and the Doctor if anything changes, or if anything happens."

Raff lowered his head, thinking. He rubbed at his eyes. "Well... someone needs to stay with him. The doc and I are getting pretty ragged, it's true. Come in." He opened the door farther so she could step in.

Inside, she saw Dr. Damien sitting beside the Captain's cot. The Captain was turned away from her on his side, and the doctor was checking a few bandages across his shoulders, pulling the sweaters away from the Captain's back to do so. She could see some bruised skin between the bandages. He turned to look at her as he was replacing a swath of gauze. "This is from an ironwood club," he explained. "The Captain took several blows yesterday, and the poultice needed changing. But it looks like it'll heal up nicely. No scars." He leaned back in his chair and looked appraisingly at her face. "Have you been using the poultice I gave you, Jane?"

   Jane reached up to finger the colored half of her face and nodded, "Yes. It still looks bad, but I can't feel any pain there anymore." she let her hand drop to her side and moved a step closer to the Captain, unable to conceal her worry, "Has he woken up at all? Is he getting better?" she pulled a leather thong from her pocket, and used it to tie her hair back, wanting to feel as awake as possible to sit with the Captain for the night.

Damien smiled reassuringly at her, then motioned for Raff to come over and help him. Together, they lifted the Captain and replaced him on his back, Damien pulling his hair out of the way so it didn't get pulled. The doctor then pulled up the sweaters to look at a bandage on Jackson's ribs. "He hasn't woken up, but yes, he's getting better. He was running a fever last night, but it broke about an hour ago. I'll show you how to check his temperature." Satisfied with that bandage, he lifted the blankets and the Captain's pant leg to check a bandage on his right knee. "This all looks good," he said. "Though this one will leave a scar."

Then he took out the thermometer and showed her where to put it, expertly levering it under the Captain's tongue, and where the red line shouldn't cross. "If it does get higher than this line here," he explained, "Come get me right away. Please wake me or Raff if he wakes up as well." Standing close by, Raff seemed to sway slightly, and rubbed at his eyes again.

   Taking the thermometer, Jane nodded her affirmation to all of the instructions, "I promise I'll come straight away." she gave Raff a gentle smile and placed a hand on his elbow, "Please go to sleep. Neither of you will be of any help to the Captain if you can't even stand up." She turned and dutifully sat in the chair beside the Captain's bed, giving them both a nod of confidence.

Damien busied about for a bit longer, gave the Captain water, a few last instructions on things she should keep an eye out for. The color in his face, the speed of his heartbeat. He showed her where to put her fingers on his wrist. Then he shooed Raff out, and Jane was suddenly alone, the only sound the Captain's even breathing.

   Jane sat still and quiet for a few minutes. After being still for a while, she reached out and took the Captain's hand in her own, slowly stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. She laughed at herself gently, before speaking quietly, "This may seem silly, but I bet you haven't let anybody take care of you in a very long time. You're too busy taking care of everybody else. So let us take care of you now." she placed her other hand on top of his, now holding his hand between hers. She still stroked his knuckles gently, "You might be surprised at how good it can feel, having someone hold you like a mother would. So as silly as you might think this is, just let me."

   Feeling that he couldn't hear her, or even remember if he knew what was happening, she started to hum a gentle tune. Still holding his hand with one of her own, she reached up with the other to gently brush his hair from his forehead and tuck it behind his ear. She dabbed his hot forehead with a damp cloth, checked his temperature, and kept humming to him. She tended to him carefully for a few hours, singing lullaby's and doing what she could to keep him comfortable. Once she finished a pretty song, she tucked him in a bit more snugly, "Thank you. Thank you for saving me." she whispered, closing her eyes, "I want to be worth saving, so please get better soon. What you did the other night on deck was really amazing." Thinking back on that night, she remembered the figurine in her pocket.

   Reaching into her pocket, she drew out the bundled handkerchief and leaned forward, "You dropped this, so I held onto it for you." she opened the fading fabric to show him the curious woman.

The Captain's eyes stayed closed. His cheeks were hollow. All he did was breathe. He didn't respond to any of her ministrations. Through the windows in his cabin, she could see the sky was still dark.
Then there was a soft knock at the door, and Wesley poked his head in. "Checking in." he whispered. "Any change?"

   Wrapping up the figure and turning to face Wesley, Jane shook her head, "No. At least he isn't getting any worse." she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and sighed, feeling weary now. She set the figurine bundle by the Captain and placed her hands on her back to lean and stretch. "It's still dark. How long until sunrise?"

"Four or five hours. You need relief?" Wesley straightened up and stepped a little further into the cabin, his slight frame telegraphing his worry more than his stoic face was.

   Jane looked down at the Captain's gaunt face, trying to decide if she could handle another five hours. Sighing, she shook her head, "No, he saved my life. I want to help all I can." she took the figurine and slipped it back into her pocket, "But I would like the company, if you can stay." she said, thinking that the time would pass more quickly with conversation.

Wes nodded and slipped through the door. "Brax just relieved me. A few more hours won't hurt me none." Moving to the desk, he folded his arms and leaned his hip against it, looking over at the Captain with concern in his eyes. When his gaze flicked to Jane, the concern remained, but was tinted with sadness.

   Jane averted her gaze for a moment, scrambling for a topic of conversation. She shifted in her chair and reached up to adjust the blanket that was covering the Captain, "You should tell me more about yourself."> she started, her gaze flickering back to him, "About how you came to the Cloudcutter." she placed her hand on the Captain's forehead, checking his temperature.

The Captain's skin was cool to the touch. Heat still wafted from where he was covered with blankets and sweaters, but his exposed skin had cooled considerably.

"Me?" Wesley asked. He shifted slightly as his blue eyes found the floor, considering. "I came to this vessel with Damien. We..." he cleared his throat. "We served a vessel called the Wormwood. A.. pirate vessel. The captain was a brute, and the doctor and I were sick of being under his lash. To leave a pirate crew, you have to have earned a certain amount of loot, so you can 'buy' your way off. We just ran. It would have taken us years to earn the bounty. Captain Jackson, he..." He stopped speaking suddenly, cleared his throat again. Not uncomfortably this time, but to keep emotion from his voice. "Captain Jackson took us in and fled from Captain Harrigan. A few years later he caught up with us, and the Captain managed to talk him out of murdering us. Talk! They might still be friends." Wesley barked a short, quiet laugh.

   Jane looked over at him with a scoff of disbelief, "What? He talked a pirate out of being paid? Out of killing?" she laughed, for the first time, and put her hand on the Captain's arm, "If he can do that, he can do anything. Including pulling through." she sighed and rubbed her eyes before turning to look at Wes, "Seems we both owe him a lot." she offered a small smile, seeing that the Captain, and life on his vessel meant so much to Wesley, "He'll pull through." she said again.

"Well, if you think so, then-" Captain Jackson's quiet, amused voice was interrupted with a bout of coughing, his body jerking with every phlegmy hack. Wesley's eyes had gone wide, and he scrambled around the desk to his Captain's side.

   "Captain!" Jane exclaimed, leaping to her feet. Relief and worry fought for dominance inside her, so she grabbed a pillow and looked at Wesley, "Help me sit him up. He'll breathe easier." With Wesley's assistance, they propped the Captain up with an extra pillow. Tilting her head and looking at the Captain's face, Jane started toward the door, "Damien said to get him if you woke up. I'll be back."

"I'll go," Wes offered. "Raff will want to know as well." The Captain was still coughing and trying to catch his breath.

   Jane stopped with her hand on the door and nodded, "Okay. Thank you, Wesley." she gave him another smile as she hurried back to the Captain. Sitting on his bedside, she picked up a glass of water from the desk and held it in readiness. As Wesley slipped out the door, she looked at the Captain in worry, "Nice and slow." she prompted gently, resting her other hand on his shoulder.

Jackson accepted the glass and drank slowly as Wesley hurried from the room. Once he had had enough, his green eyes, looking dark in the warm light from the lamp, met hers. He seemed to have a hard time focusing on her, and his breathing sounded thick and wheezy, but he smiled all the same. "You have it," he whispered, sounding glad. "Her new b... trinket?"

   Taking the glass from him and replacing it on the desk, Jane nodded and reached into her pocket, "Yes. It's here." she pulled out the figure and held it out to him. She looked at it with a slightly different feeling, wondering if he had been about to say 'body'. And if so, what did that mean?

He shakily plucked the trinket from the handkerchief and examined it for a moment. "Beautiful," he sighed, then tucked it away. "I am-" He cut off and coughed. "Mm. I am so glad everything worked. You're alive, I'm alive. Mostly," he said, thumping at his chest. "Once I get over this cold. How long have I been asleep?"

   "Oh, I guess about two days, almost." she said, quirking her mouth to the side slightly at his tight lipped mood. She sighed and thought she might as well take advantage of the fact that he can't get away to ask some questions, "Where you about to say, 'new body', a moment ago?" she raised her hand to point to where he tucked the figurine away, "I know that the necklace isn't attached to me anymore, so there is no reason to keep me around, but I would like to know what is really going on." she blinked, slightly surprised at the rush of words and folded her hands in her lap, "Please."

The Captain also blinked in surprise. "No reason to keep you around?" he said incredulously. "I do hope you're joking." He glanced toward the door, then fixed her with a stern look.

   Jane's hands clenched into fists on her knees, "Everyone on this ship got along fine before we came along, and I know girls aren't exactly encouraged to be among crews." she paused to take a deep breath, voicing the concern that had been dodging back and forth in her head, "I may not know where I will go when you drop me off, but I would wonder my whole life if I didn't know what the curse was, and who she is." she lifted her gaze to look at Jackson, a flare of determination in her eyes. She was starting to feel different. She was coming to the conclusion that being timid and soft spoken hadn't gotten her much in life. Now, she couldn't afford, and didn't want to be quiet anymore, "I'd like to know." she murmured, glancing at the door also.

Jackson regarded her solemnly for a moment, then smiled. "Hm. Never had someone just come out and ask me before." His gaze dropped as he considered. Finally he nodded to himself, pushed himself up in bed and threw his legs over the side. He fixed Jane with his green eyes, and in the direct light of the lamp their gold highlights glittered hypnotically. "Jane Lewin," he began, his narrow face intense. "You have a home here. This family is yours, if you want it. But if you insist, I will reluctantly drop you off anywhere you like. Now, in regards to the curse-" he paused to cough, the sound rattling deep in his chest, "Another time, when my strength is back. I promise to tell you as much as I can."

   Jane searched his deep eyes for a moment, then nodded in response to his promise, "Thank you." she said. Then, she allowed her smile to widen and rubbed her palms on her knees, "Captain, I don't want to leave. I want to be a part of this family. I'll always work hard, I promise." she said, feeling a terrible weight lift from her shoulders, and a warmth settle there instead.

The Captain smiled brightly at her. "Good. Excellent! I'm so-" He was interrupted by the door banging open, and Damien, Wesley and Raff all trying to squeeze in at once. Wesley managed to slip in first, his small stature an advantage, then Raff had to step back with a sheepish face after he and Damien struggled for a few more moments. The doctor rushed to Jackson's side, Raff right behind him, and the small cabin became stuffed with people and questions. Wesley tapped Jane's shoulder. "You should head to bed. This'll likely go on a while."

   Jane merely nodded, not adding her voice to the already noisy room. Once she had ducked under Raff's elbow, it was fairly easy to slip outside. Her legs felt weak she realized, the weariness settling in. The fresh air blowing gently across deck gave her a clear head for a moment, and she moved to the stairs to go below. Sighing as she turned a few corners to her cozy closet, she closed the door behind her. She meant to wash up, at least wash her face, but she fell onto her cot and the familiar scent of her pillow whisked her to sleep in moments.

Doc Damien frowned down at his thermometer. "Again please, Captain." he said, shaking it to cool down the mercury. Captain Jackson sighed, adjusting the blanket Wes had tucked around his shoulders. He coughed heavily and wetly, brought a tin cup to his lips and spat, his face the picture of distaste. Damien snatched the cup from him and peered inside, tilting it toward the lamp to see better. He sniffed at it.

"Again?" the Captain said, frowning at the bespectacled doctor. "Has it been different the past two times?" Raff and Wesley stood nervously side by side, the difference in their heights almost comical. Jackson smiled at them, noting the dark circles under everyone's eyes. "I'm fine," he insisted again. "It's just a cough, a cold. Some hot drinks and a good nights sleep, and I'll be right as rain." He coughed again, rubbed at his aching ribs.

Quietly insistent, Damien held out the thermometer. Jackson glowered at it, as if his current situation were all it's fault. Then he took it and stuck it under his tongue. "Honessthly, Damien," he spoke thickly around the glass tube, "All thith hubbub ith nonthenthse." He fumed the entire wait, angrily scratching at one of the bandages on his leg.

Finally, Damien held out his hand. Jackson handed him the thermometer. The doctor regarded it in limp hands for a long time in silence. He sighed. "Alright. Turn to the side, sir, and lift up your sweaters." Jackson obeyed, looking worried now. Damien pressed his ear to Jackson's back. "Take a deep breath, as deep as you can." Even Raff and Wes could hear how Jackson's breath rattled, how when he got to the deep part of the breath his face blanched and his breath hitched in pain. Damien closed his eyes. "Again." The Captain breathed deeply again, winced again.

Damien stepped back and removed his glasses. Jackson felt his heart drop as Damien regarded him with watery blue eyes. "Captain, sir. It's pneumonia. Your lungs are inflamed and filled with liquid. Your temperature is many degrees lower than normal. This is beyond my ability to treat with what's available to me. You need antibiotics, more than I have. I suggest we turn around and head for Undertown. There will be supplies there, maybe a more skilled doctor to treat you."

"But we're on the run from the Patrol," Raff said, dark eyes wide with disbelief. "Going to Undertown... they're sure to find us."

Sighing wearily, Damien continued. "We also need to think of Carson. He still hasn't awakened. His arm might have to be amputated. A more skilled doctor, maybe, could save it..."

Silent during all this, Captain Jackson suddenly stood. His men fell silent. "Damien," he began. "You are as skilled a doctor as any I've met. You've saved the lives of many of my crew. Are you certain that there's nothing you can do? For either of us?"

The diminutive doctor thought seriously for a time, tapping one of the lenses of his spectacles with a fingernail. "Yes. At best, my care would return Carson only limited use of his arm and hand. He'd always ache, and any delicate work would be beyond him. At worst, he'd lose the arm above the elbow. Both would hamper his work as Alex's assistant. And as for you, Captain... without a full battery of antibiotics, at least a few weeks worth, you will weaken and eventually die. Your body will starve for air. So many things could go wrong because of this... organ failure, septic blood, infections everywhere else... Believe me, sir. I wish I could help. But..." He spread his hands helplessly, and they trembled. He clasped them together to hide it.

Captain Jackson bowed his head, a few strands of his hair that had escaped his ponytail sticking to his sweaty neck. "Then we'll have to risk it. Raff, alter course. True east. Take us to Undertown."

   It wasn't hard to figure out where they were headed after Jane had been on deck for only a few minutes. She hurried down to the galley to get to work, worry gnawing at her. As she tied her apron on, she shuddered. Undertown. Her father murdered, living on the streets, the patrol. She knew they wouldn't go there unless they absolutely needed to. It must have been something for the Captain, or the crew.

   She helped serve breakfast, putting her nervous energy into her work. While the crew was eating, she put porridge, milk, and a sliced orange on a tray to take up to the Captain. She made it up to his door and balanced the tray on one hand to reach out and knock on the door with the other, "Captain? I've got breakfast here."

"Come," the Captain's voice called. When she entered, she saw him sitting at his desk, a few old books open before him. He was wearing his colorful bandana to keep his hair back, though instead of his ususally flamboyant outfits he was still wearing layers of muted sweaters. When the chill morning air invaded the cabin, he shivered. "Hurry in, Jane," he said, gesturing her forward. "It's cold!"

The warm cabin smelled of honey and lemon, and the little fireplace was burning brightly, a few licks of purple flames mingling with the yellow and orange. "A little log of actual wood for the fire today," he explained, indicating the scorched chain wrapped around a smoldering log of buoyant wood from the Deep Forest, holding it down against the coal. "Expensive, but calming. Seems to keep me from coughing so much."

   Jane slipped inside and quickly closed the door behind her, unable to suppress a small smile at hearing him talk with a bit more strength. She set the tray down on his desk and glanced at the fireplace, "Wow. That's a sight." she took a deep breath and nodded, "I really like that smell." She rubbed her hands on her apron and looked back to the swaddled Jackson, "Is there anything I can get for you, Captain?" she asked, not wanting to push him while he was still obviously ill.

He smiled at her. "Still curious about the curse, I see. Tell you what. Have lunch with me, and we'll talk then. I might not be getting over this cold as quickly as I'd like."

   Smiling gratefully at him as he set their lunch appointment, she nodded and stepped toward the door, but glanced back at him with her hand on the knob, "Is that why we're going back to Undertown?"

He shrugged and coughed slightly into his hand. "Many reasons. We can discuss it at lunch. You're dismissed, Jane." He turned back to his books, pulling the tray of food close and picking up an orange slice.

   Jane nodded and swiftly left the room, closing the door tightly behind her. As she crossed the deck and went below, she allowed herself a few moments of sadness. She missed her brother. A heavy sigh escaped her and she lifted her chin in an effort to dispel the gloom. She ate her own breakfast with Brax, taking down notes of things he wanted to purchase from Undertown. Once the crew finished eating, she began cleaning up breakfast. Her thoughts lingered on the path her life had taken in recent months. It all seemed so random, yet here she was. Once the galley was clean, she rolled up her sleeves and plunged her hands elbow deep into the sudsy water to wash the mountain of dishes. Mind already set on Undertown, she frowned into the water, hoping that their trip to the city would of of short duration.

When Jane left, Jackson slowly ate his breakfast, staring at the wall opposite. Swallowing was painful, but the warm porridge did feel nice.

Sighing, he wondered how it had come to this. To survive near-drowning, only to succumb to complications afterwards? The music box was silent. The spirit must be exhausted. She'd had an exciting time, lately. So much happening.

He halfheartedly studied some weather charts, thinking about what he would say to Jane come lunch time.

   Chicken, peas, potatoes and apples for lunch that day. Jane worked hard, and maybe faster than she needed to, so that she could get back to the Captain's quarters. She had always loved stories. As a little girl she listened to anyone that came her way. Now, a real story was going to be told. She suppressed a smile as she loaded another tray with the Captain's lunch, and a little for herself. Climbing the stairs and crossing the deck, she kept a firm hand on the tray against the wind gusting by. She knocked on the Captain's door, taking a calming breath, "Lunch, Captain."

The Captain answered the door, and wordlessly gestured her inside. Closing the door after her, he stood in silence for several moments, eyes sightlessly staring at the door handle.

"This is a sad story," he finally said, in a quiet voice. He turned to her, and she saw a strange look in his eyes. Not quite fear, not quite a plea for help, but... vulnerability. He wasn't standing quite as tall as he used to. The heavy sweaters made him look smaller than he was. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

   Setting the tray down on the edge of the desk, she nodded and slowly sank into a chair across from the one he had been sitting in at breakfast time, "Yes, Captain. My only reservation is if you feel well enough to tell it." she dearly hoped he was, but her conscience wouldn't let her proceed without making sure.

He stood for a moment more, then moved around the desk. "I do, for now. The doctor has been taking good care of me with what he has." Jackson picked at his food. "In Undertown, he hopes to find help for Carson and me. I hope to find word of the last two keys to the curse as well. Might have to make a visit to Sanctaphrax itself for that." He shuddered. "It's austere halls and self-righteous condescension are the stuff of nightmares."

   Jane frowned, "I imagine that I will go with Brax to help get supplies." she paused and lifted a shoulder in a shrug, "I've never been to Sanctaphrax. Is it really that bad?" she saved her question about the keys, feeling sure that it would be addressed in his tale. She took a few bites of her own food, hoping it would encourage the Captain to eat his.

The Captain ate a few peas, making a pained face each time he swallowed. "To me it was. The academy... well, it's not for everyone." He nibbled a potato for a moment, and chuckled. "Anyway. The story you came for." He leaned back and steepled his fingers.

"I found the music box four or five years ago in Undertown. It was among a collection of items hoarded by a defunct smuggling ring. I didn't believe that the collection was haunted. I stole it all." He grinned. "Only one object gave it that fearsome reputation. This music box." He reached into a drawer and placed a dark metal object on the desk. The top was shaped like the petals of a rose, the box itself shaped and curving like the bottom half of the flower and it's green sepals. Four ridged leaves curved out and down to form the feet. The metal was pitted and appeared aged.

   Keeping her hands safely in her lap, she examined the box suspiciously, "How did you narrow it down to the music box?" she asked, settling back in her chair and returning her gaze to him.

He smiled wryly. "When I touched it, the curse fell upon me. The first thing it did was call up a Great Storm. The most profitable and most terrifying event we know. We didn't manage to harvest any stormphrax, but we got away with out lives. Unlike the Knight Sanctaphrax sent chasing after that Storm." He frowned, reliving the unpleasant memories. A coughing fit shook him out of it. "And, for the first time, I spoke with the spirit. She didn't remember much, not even her own name, just that she had been murdered and bound to the box. She didn't know how, or by whom. Later, she remembered that it was her husband who killed her. Then, she remembered the trinkets. Four keys to end the curse. I've been hunting them ever since."

He gestured to the books strapped into their shelf in the corner near him. "I looked for her. The Patrol already knew of the curse and had most of the pieces. They just didn't have her. When I finally found her name, she..." He stopped, licked his lips. He seemed to be searching for the words. "She... she was grateful." He sighed, picking at his plate again. "I just want to set her free. She's so tired of watching the people who own her music box fall to bad fortune. She's been dead for decades, witnessed the curse give good luck, the best of luck... then it turns sour. She's tried to protect me from the worst of it, but some... unfortunate things have happened. To me, to people around me. She lets me know if it was curse or not. It usually is."

   Listening with her eyebrows knitted together, Jane nodded slowly, "How close do you think you are to breaking the curse and setting her free?"

Jackson started to answer, but a cough stole the words. When he was done, he pinched the bridge of his nose, frowning. "Less than half way. I discovered the location of the necklace just a few days before I took on you and Mordechai." He sighed. "Hopefully it won't take me another couple of years to track down the next trinket."

   Jane couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, "Years?" she leaned back slightly and shook her head, "How many pieces are left?" she was actually bursting with many more questions, but the Captain's last cough made her worry, and she felt that she should bring an end to this session soon.

"There are two more. Just two. I'm pretty sure one was in the possession of General Ribiche. His untimely demise will hopefully make it easier to find. And the other... I'm hoping to hear some whispers in Undertown. Occasionally the spirit will point me in the right direction, too." He cleared his throat, and waited for her next question.

   Jane sat quietly for a moment, absorbing the fantastical feel of the tale. She didn't doubt that it was true. She had seen and felt too much to believe otherwise. Rubbing her hands on her thighs, she hesitated a moment before asking, "Who was she? I know you said she doesn't remember much, but did you find out anything else about her? Why her husband murdered her for example?"

He sat quietly for some time, eyes lidded. "I think she was killed for her purity," he said quietly. "Her husband was some bigwig lord back in the day. He wanted something, and someone had to die for it. By all accounts, she was an attentive, devoted wife... but she didn't actually love him. Not that there was anyone else, but... arranged marriages are like that. A saint paired with a brute. I guess he just couldn't take it, so when something demanded a sacrifice, he chose her. She fit the bill. The fallout of getting what he wanted was the curse."

Jackson reached out and put his hand on the music box. She was still... sleeping. "Her name was Rose. I remember thinking 'of course!' when I found her."

   Jane smiled sadly and exhaled with a minute shake of her head, "Then she really got lucky when you found her." she glanced up at the Captain and stood up, "I've kept you long enough, but I would like to say that whatever I can do to help you, just ask." she gave him another smile and collected her dishes and his breakfast tray. She stepped to the door and looked back, "Is there anything more I can do for you, Captain?"

The Captain looked at her and smiled, happiness at war with sadness on his face. "No, Jane. I'm just glad you chose to stay." He almost kept speaking, but closed his mouth. He was going to ask her about Mordecai, but he felt that she would talk about that when she was ready. He nodded. "Dismissed."

   Jane nodded and left the room to close the door behind her. She contemplated the Captain's words as she did her work, amazed and overwhelmed at the story she heard. She wondered if they would find anything in Undertown.