Captain of the Bloody Rose

She turned quickly, hiding the wince from the pain that ran up her side like fire.

“You’re up and about.” She said quietly, frozen to the spot as she watched him carefully, looking for any signs that he was in pain or worse. His hand on across his stitches brought to her mind images of them ripping open, blood spilling on her floor. She gestured to the seat across from her table where she was currently working.

“Sit, or you might rip your stitches.” She said it calmly, a command that was not to be ignored. She knew the look that was in his eyes, that concern. Collins and Skip had been giving it to her all week. From his eyes however, it seemed so much worse and she was doing her best to hide behind her mantle of Captain to escape that concern.

There was of course the fear running through her over whether he remembered anything that she had told him those long nights that she had watched over him. She didn't want him to remember any of it, and yet even as the thought crossed her mind a small part of her disagreed.

He listened and took a seat, easing himself into it just to make sure he didn't rip a stitch. "Are you allright?" he asked, his voice serious. "Skip and Collins seem to be worried about your ribs," he paused. "and now that I get a look at you as opposed to being in a dark ally way, I can see why."

“I’m fine.” She responded quickly, too quickly really. It was obvious she was trying to hide something. Even the way she held herself was not as proud and tall as before. She seemed almost, defeated in a way. Like the spark had been taken out of her. It didn’t help of course that she literally couldn’t stand straight at the moment, and yet she was still trying to be the strong Captain. Trying to prove to herself and her crew that a scuffle wouldn’t bring her down.

Turning away from him she went back to the charts, unable to look him in the eye when she blatantly lied to him. There was just something in his gaze that made it hard for her to lie.

Joseph frowned. "Let me see." he challenged. "I'm Collin's assistant after all. I can recognize an injured rib when I see one."

Her was challenging her, but smartly in the privacy of her own quarters and not in front of the men.

She looked at him in surprise, her green eyes widening ever so slightly at his direct challenge. Even Skip hadn’t dared to directly challenge her when she had said no, and yet Joseph was.

“I said I’m fine.” She repeated, not wanting to argue the point any longer. She wasn’t the one who had just been on a death bed, grasping for life like a newborn child. She wasn’t the one still clutching stitches trying to hold herself together. So she was in pain, the pain would pass. It always had before. So her face was still partially bruised and battered, a fact she hid well with her hair and the ill light of her study. The true purpose of staying hidden away from her crew.

So what if there was a massive bruise that ran along her side that was the color of coal and purpled at the edges. So what if it wasn’t the only bruise that she saw when she removed her clothes at night. She wasn’t going to let him see it.

“I’m not the one anyone should be concerned with right now.” She said simply, referring to his still badly injured state.

Joseph frowned. "You're the person I'm worrying about." he stated. There were alot of unspoken words lingering behind that statement.

His two toned eyes looked at her incredulously. "It's unbecoming for a lady to lie. Even more so what that lady is my captain." he said and stood up, slowly, hos hand still on his stomach.

Jane turned back to look at him incredulously, not sure what to say to him. His eyes watched her sharply, standing though she’d asked him to sit. There was a determination there, a look she was very quickly recognizing as the same one that Skip had before he’d forcibly drugged her. This was starting to get out of hand.

“Do I honestly look like I’ve ever been a lady to you? I am after all, the shrew of the sea.“ she said dangerously, hoping that anger would make him think twice about whatever plan he was forming in his head. It wasn’t like she was lying either. There were quite a lot of nasty insults floating around about er, about how unnatural it was that she was even on a ship let alone running one.

Speaking up however, had not been the best idea. Again a shooting pain went through her side, this time too much for her not to react to. She gasped and clutched her side, putting her other hand down onto the table to steady herself. Clenching her teeth she closed her eyes, as if the darkness of her lids would make it ease.

Joseph frowned. "Well, honestly, you look like a shrew in quite an amount of pain." he said dully, unamused by her actions. "And that be a weak side you'll not be wanting to show the crew."

He made no move to approach her. "If you decide you want some assistance, I'll be back in the Medical bay waiting."

Before he could leave completely she gasped again and ground her teeth together.

“Wait.” She said quietly, her grip on the table so strong that her knuckles appeared white.

“I don’t know what you can do.” She mumbled, unsure of what she should say or do. “But…I couldn’t let Collins see it…”

A light blush crossed her cheeks, so light that it could almost be missed if he hadn’t been looking at her intently. She had very little experience around men and having someone like Collins in such an intimate situation, at least intimate to her was unacceptable. Collins wasn’t exactly known for being professional.

Taking a shaky step away from the table she shrugged out of her jacket, the motion itself making her wince. Slowly but surely she lifted her shirt, doing her best to keep her breasts covered while still showing him exactly what was causing her so much pain. All down her side was a large black mark, and her ribs appeared almost indented from where the kick and broken them. She hadn't had the courage yet to pop it back out since the area was so damn tender already. That wasn't the only bruise of course. More littered her belly and if he could see the other side he would find them there as well.

With the mark exposed it almost made the cut on her face and the ugly bruise there seem even more obvious. Especially since she couldn't hide under her hair anymore with her shirt hiked up so high.

Joseph frowned, his face remaining stone cold as he walked over to the desk. In one sweep of his arm he had cleared off her desk of it's papers. "Lay down." he said, not sounding happy- but not angry either. "You need that rib reset before you bleed out internally."

He pulled a leather strap out form his pocket and pinned his hair back with it, his two toned eyes locked onto his captain in a look of disapproval, shadowed by a glimmer of worry. His high-seas accent seemed to come out more when he was serious as opposed to his casual speaking voice. He, for a moment, seemed more like a Captain himself than anything else.

He picked up a near by bottle of rum and took his shirt off, careful as he did so. "You should know, I'll not be as gentle as Collins."

She watched him warily as he approaced and could have jumped from surprise when he swept all her papers off the desk had it not been quite so painful to do so. He looked cold at that moment, closed off and unwilling to listen to any more of her protestations. Yet, somewhere in his voice was more than just disapproval of her actions. She could hear it but she couldn’t figure out what it was. One thing she knew for certain was that he didn’t sound angry which was soothing to her. She didn’t want to really think about why she’d been so concerned that he’d be angry.

When he picked up the bottle of rum she took it carefully, her entire body wary of him as he waited for her to lay on the table. She didn’t have any reason to be afraid of him and yet there she was, Calamity Jane Captain of the Bloody Rose, and feared pirate, afraid of a man that had stitches in his stomach and wouldn’t be able to chase her down if she decided to bolt. There was no mistaking it. In her eyes was fear.

However, she did what he asked. Taking a long drink from the rum bottle and nearly emptying it, she gingerly got onto the table. She sat there for a moment, undecided on how she was going to lay down without it hurting more when she finally decided to just lay on her good side, the blackened ribs facing him. She winced even as she laid down, the pressure of her wieght against the table causing a shooting pain to reverberate throughout her entire body.

Taking a deep breath she replied with, “You should know, Collins can’t keep his hands to himself.“

It was the only explanation she could really give to him why she hadn’t shown someone the damage sooner. It wasn’t a lie, only a half truth. She couldn’t exactly tell Joseph she’d been too concerned with his health to dare take Collins away from him for a moment. Besides, pain was not something that she was unfamiliar with or afraid of.

"On my ship he wouldn't have hands." was all Joseph said simply, rolling her shirt up and stopping just under her breasts. He rolled his own shirt up. "Between your teeth." he instructed. "This will hurt."

He knew not to try and 'set' a rib. Instead he ran his finger tips gingerly over the bones, locating the breaks under her skin. He had been honest; He wasn't gentle. Though he wasn't going out of his way to be harsh. "Cough." he said, keeping his hand over the black bruise. he frowned when she did and walked off, grabbing a lantern and one of her wine glasses. "You know, it's easy to become a pirate when your parents were Gypsies." he said offhandedly, attempting to distract her as he worked, heating the wine glass over the lantern. "And they teach you a few nifty tricks, that'll be sure." he added, Placing the hot cup onto her skin. He blew on it to cool it, creating a vacuum to her bruise.

"Stay still."

He frowned, moving the glass around without breaking the seal, moving slowly and carefully. Finally, he pulled the cup away with a dull 'pop' and set it aside. He had gathered the puddled blood form under her skin into one near circle, no longer staining and putting pressure on her entire side. He pulled a small dagger out of his boot and heated it over the flame as well, then cut her side, ever so slightly, the blood leaking down her back and front, seeping out and relieving pressure from the horrible hematoma she had received from the ribs.

It made quite a mess, but the pain subsided some as the blood drained. Once more, he heated the tip of his blade, then pressed it to her skin, cauterizing the small cut. "Only cure for a broken rib is time Captain." he said. "And slow steady breathing. Otherwise, you'll catch your death o' pneumonia."

She had stayed relatively still throughout the entire procedure, doing her best to make it as easy as possible for him to take care of. She winced slightly when he cut open her side ignoring the searing pain as darkened blood trickled down her side and over her stomach. His shirt in her mouth however, helped quite a bit in keeping herself from crying out, especially when he cauterized the wound closed.

Even covered in blood, her side still aching with each breath, and now a burning ache as well, she could feel some of the pressure had been relieved. Slowly she shakily sat up, trying to control her immediate impulse to grab her side. Reaching up she pulled his shirt out of her mouth and sat there for a moment, trying to get her bearings again before speaking.

“Water, please.” She rasped, her hand massaging her dry throat.

The man was far ahead of her, already offering her a glass filled with clear liquid. "Small sips." he warned. "Slow movin' deep breathing." he advised.

Joseph kept his two toned eyes planted on her. "When you feel like ye'v your bearings again, lay on your back. I want to check your stomach."

Jane looked at him in surprise, not sure what else he could possibly want to check but not willing to argue with him regardless. She took another sip from the glass before she starting coughing, the spasms racking her body. Immediately her hand went to her side, seemingly trying to hold herself together.

Reaching out she grabbed his arm tightly with her other hand, using him to support herself without thinking about it. Slowly but surely the coughs subsided and her breathing came a bit easier bit by bit, though a small trickle of blood ran from her mouth and down her chin.

“Swallowed wrong.” She gasped, pain no longer hidden but lacing every word. She let go of his arm slowly, realizing that she’d gotten blood on him. “Sorry.” She muttered, before laying down on her back covering her face with one arm. Purposefully she moved her hand away from her aching ribs and laid it limply at her side, knowing he wouldn't want her possibly injuring herself further by holding herself so tightly.

Trying to lighten the mood she spoke again, her voice muffled from her arm covering her face.

"So a gypsy huh? Explains the two colored eyes I spose."

"I'll have you know a secret." he grinned. "I'm blind in me right eye."

He looked her stomach over and frowned. His hands ran over her abdomen gently, feeling for any oddities. "I find it strange how often people don't believe me when I say I'm cursed. I'm salty dog who'll be at the bottom of hell to be sure...." he apologized when he noticed her grimace when his hand passed a sore spot.

"I've been giving you pieces of my past liek a jigsaw puzzle." he mused. "I'll be interesting to see if the day will come that you can tell me you truly know me."
He had begun to gently rub her stomach, causing a deep bruise to surface. "Though I'm sure the same can be said in reverse ,Capetian."

"You'd never be able to tell." Jane murmured, referencing his eyes. She had always found them alluring in away, drawing your eyes automatically to his own. They didn't seem off on his face like it would on most people. In fact, they seemed to fit him perfectly, accentuating his face rather than distorting it.

His rough hands should have been more unpleasant to her.They should have hurt or been chafing to her delicate skin. She should have been frowning and about to strike and not, well, enjoying his calloused hands against the skin of her belly. Every once in a while he would push down a little too hard and it would hurt, but for the most part she felt like she melting under his hands. Yet she mentally beat back the feeling or whatever it could be called down into the recesses of her mind. He was checking her for wounds, wounds that hurt, his hands do not make you feel comfortable!

"What do you know of me Joseph?" She asked, distracting herself from his hands. "You know of me a child yes, very few can say that." She paused for a moment, taking as deep a breath as she could before sighing. He'll think it was because she didn't want to say something but was going to anyway. He definitely didn't need to know she was sighing in pleasure.

"Besides, its not that I didn't believe you. I just knew my own curse would fight against yours. And look, Im not dead just injured. I suppose thats the middle ground between the two of them."

"Perhaps." he agreed rolling the palms of his hands over the spots she had winced at. Just some old fashion pain management methods he knew. "But I should hate for that middle ground to be thrown off balance." he said, finally removing his hands.
"I know you're a strong willed woman, a good and fair captain, and I know that you think about me more than you should." he stated. "When that happens, people begin to get hurt. And you came pretty close to death a week ago- something you shouldn't just play off." he advised offering her a hand to sit up.

Joseph had always carried that strange sort of carefree feel, one that he could turn off as though he had simply snuffled a candle. Now, his voice was soft, deep, and quite serious. He was worried about her. And it was written across his face quite clearly. He blamed himself for what could have happened to her.

He had said it that very night, after all. Before he fell into his coma, he had said "never fast enough."

"I've made my fair share of mistakes, Ms. Jane. Allowing myself to ever get caught up in my feelings is one I seem to keep repeating." he picked his shirt off the able and pulled it back on over his head. "An' with that said, I suggest you let Collins check on you next time. Lust is much less harmful than love."

“Lust is what nearly killed me.” She said coldly, refusing to look at him as he moved away from her. “Lust is what has always nearly killed me.” She added, her voice hard and tinged with an iciness that was undeniable. Her anger was cold and palpable in the air, and yet it was obvious that it wasn’t directed at him or anyone really in particular. No, it seemed that her anger was directed inward this time.

“Those men. I’ve known them. I worked on a ship with them when I was still a lass. I played a boy back then, a simple deck hand that miraculously kept working his way up until he was the captains favorite. It got harder to keep my secret as I got older though, having to find tight bandages to hide my, assets you could say.”

She’d told him this story before. In much quieter tones when he was in his death sleep, unsure whether she would ever see his eyes again with life and laughter in them. Now she was telling him when he would remember, and she didn’t want to see what would be hidden behind those eyes know.

“They found out and decided to teach the ‘tramp’ as I was called how to be a proper lady. I barely escaped with my life and not much more than that. I took out one of the men’s eyes with my blade, a blow that left a deep scar down his entire face. Skip was the one who found me, dying on the side of the road. I don’t know what took hold of him that day because I’ve never seen such compassion again from him, but he saved my life. Became my first crewman and helped me commandeer my ship. Slowly but surely I gathered my crew, much the same way I took you on this ship.

Ironically enough I seem to have a habit taking on men who have destroyed my life. You are not the first you see. By some cruel twist of fate I was left with the choice of killing one of the men who had tried to rape and kill me before. He was nothing but a shadow of his former self while I was strong and we needed a skilled medic for the many men I had on my ship. I had no fear of him anymore. Besides, every time that man looks in the mirror he see’s the evidence of the crime that he nearly completed that night.”

Jane paused, the tension around her beginning to lighten as she almost deflated in a way. All her emotions just seemed to flee and when she spoke again her voice was a monotone, devoid of the passion that usually characterized her demeanor.

“I am cursed with life. Everything I love dies around me and yet I still go on. I have wished for death, sought it, and the number of times where I have nearly died I cannot count. Yet, here I am.”

Finally she turned to look at him. Her green eyes were empty pools where not a thing stirred. Not even sadness could be found in the depths of her eyes at that moment. There was simply nothing. She seemed too much like a ghost at that moment, covered in her own blood, her eyes and expression blank.

“You may go now. I no longer have need of you.” She said the words and yet it was obvious she didn’t mean them. Yet, he was free to leave if he so chose. She fully expected him too.

Joseph ran a hand down his face, rubbing his jaw on one side, debating on telling her his story or not. he'd never told anyone.... In truth he had attempted to forget most of it himself...

"After you've gone and split the beans, I feel I should return the favor before going." he said. "Though you'll most likely either keelhaul me, or dismiss it as a crazy Gypsy superstition..."

He locked both of his eyes onto her. "when I was young, my family was hung during a witchhunt." he said pointedly. "Left me be seein' as how I didn't look much like them. Thought I had been abducted by them and tough the was of the devil, so the British sent me to a boarding house. Not too far off... I left, became a pick pocket, dabbled with 'magic' all nonsense and foolish things to try and keep people away form me... One day, I picked the pocket of a man who had come into port. Captain Rodgers. Got a beating ill never forget for it, then offered a job as a cabin boy. I figured it was better than living on land, and took him up on the offer. He treated me like a son, tough me everything that I know about the ocean.

Joseph pointed to his amber eye. "I lost my eye sight by unnatural means. After watching the crew be hung, I was let loose, just a boy, locked up with the juveniles and let loose soon after... was the second time I had seen my family hung by order of the crown.... So I went to the black people. Unlike my family, hey practiced Voodoo, which from my neck of the woods is just hocus pocus.... None the less, I took one man up on an offer, and signed away my 'soul' in return for the ability to get revenge. Woke up the next morning and couldn't a damned hing out of my eye...

I went back to the man and found out he had apparently never lived there, no one in the town knew of him or even remotely recognized the description... Got sobering drunk, picked up a sword for the first time and killed a man that night for calling me a dirty gypsy loon. I never was trained how to use a sword, just knew. It came naturally, like magic. Turned out the man was a captain of his own dinky little ship. I took up the name Dread Pirate Roberts, got a small crew of men who seemed to respect me; seeing as how I broke most of them out of prison. Sailed around, made a reputation for myself, met a lady in port and eventually got married. I left my wife to finish collecting my fortune to set my family well, docked in silver eye port. came back, found my crew lynched; by order of the crown.... Third family lost. I managed to get a ride home, stowed away actually and got home to find my wife and son had also been sentenced to death for harboring and supporting a pirate; namely me... The cross I found was on my boys bed in a box with my name carved onto it. went down an island, rallied some men who recognized my face and name, came back and went loose.

He paused and smiled gravely. "Met you that night..... Something just told me it would be better to let you go.... So I did. took my new crew out to sea, and eventually lost them as well; in the Devils pit of all places... Fifth family lost. After that I drank myself into a stupor at the closest port, was grabbed by a priest who said he saw the devil in me.... Told me he could help, offered me redemption.... So I accepted.... had nothin to lose. Spent a few years with him, then finaly couldn't take being land locked anymore.... You found me on the merchant ship.... And here I am now. Still blind in one eye, stilll with the devils swordsman inside me. Still cursed as cursed comes. I close my eyes at night and see nothing but monsters. I dream of hell and what I'm sure awaits me when I die.... And I fear everyday of losing my final family."

Jane was silent as he told his tale. Internally wincing at the mention of his wife and child, remembering the loss she had suffered that very night because of their hanging. So unnecessary those deaths, all to prove a point to the populace. It cost her family their lives, a fact she had to accept over the years. She never had understood why he hadn’t killed her that night, the fifteen year old rich daughter of a well to do family who destroyed his life. She had thought of many reasons why he left her alive from letting her feel the pain he now felt, all the way to it was possibly where her curse began.

At first she did want to dismiss his tale as nothing more than superstition, yet something felt wrong about that explanation. After all, how could she claim he was crazy or superstitious when she believed in much of the same thing.

“Well don’t we make quite the pair.” she said calmly, her steady gaze never leaving his. “Two souls destined for hell, cursed, and letting the other live when we could have killed each other. Stranger things have happened.”

She said it so nonchalantly, and with a small smirk on her lips. She believed him. Every word and yet she didn’t care. That was fully evident.

“At the very least you know I won’t be going anywhere.” She added, knowing full well how that could be taken and not caring one whit. Slowly she slid forward off the table and stood, using her hand to balance herself, before standing up a bit straighter. One hand still placed over her ribs as if holding herself together she walked over to her rum bottle and opened it, taking a good long swig.

Lazily she held it out to him, offering him a drink as well. Such talk called for hard liquor in her book. Anytime one had to delve into the past, liquor needed to be nearby.

He accepted the offer, taking the bottle with a small nod of his head. he took only a small swig though, not wanting to get himself sick with the still healing hole in his gut.

"Cheers to the dead, toast to the living, and drink to the future." he said simply, handing it back to her. "Either our being so close will counteract our curses or make it all the worse when it decides to strike. In an ycase, You've got my support, Missy." he told her.

She laughed at his remark, though not in a derisive way. In fact she was genuinely amused a smile breaking across her face. Like the last smile he'd seen back in the depths of her ship when he lay ill, her entire face seemed to light up. A smile suited the face of Jane, though it was so rarely seen. Perhaps that's what made it so special and so beautiful in the first place, its very rarity.


She couldn't help but wince though, the act of laughing a bit too much on her broken ribs. The smile stayed however, though fainter.

"Damn. Can't even laugh anymore." She said jokenly, referring of course to her injury. Before she could say anything else however, there was a great bang on her door and Skip's anxious voice on the other side.

"Capn'! Open up! Trouble!" He called, banging on the door.

As fast as it had come, the smile and light heartedness on her face disappeared and back came the imposing Captain, who took shit from no one and killed whoever she pleased. The hand that had been tentavily holding her side dropped and as she walked to the door she grabbed her jacket and pulled it on, buttoning it down so that her blood covered shirt and torso were hidden from sight.

"What the bloody hell is so important you're banging my door down?!" She demanded, opening the door so fast that Skip nearly feel backward in surprise.

"A ship. Of the port bow. Coming up fast. They look like theys be wanting a fight." Skip said quickly, knowing that unlike most people she wouldn't want to be told nicely.

"A battle?" She said curiously, not seeming concerned in the slightest though in her head she was already whirling through battle plans. She couldn't fight this time, that was obvious, and neither could Joseph. Keeping him out of the fight would be imperative however, as well as keeping her men on their tasks.

"Call forward John and ready the cannons. I want their hull blasted to bits before they have a chance to fire a single shot. Do you understand me?" She said, her deciveness rather surprising considering how painful it was for her to stand staright and tall and to appear so calm and ready for battle. When Skip nodded and hurried off to do her orders she turned and slammed the door shut again. Ignoring the fact that Joseph was still in the room she walked over to her chest and pulled out a clean shirt. With her back to him she shed her jacket and in one swift move took off the blood soaked shirt, leaving her bare back exposed to him. All she'd have to do is turn around and he'd have quite the view indeed.

However, this was no time for that and as fast as she was humanly able with the glaring wound on her side she slipping into another shirt and turned to face him, her eyes determined and hiding any discomfort she may have felt.

"You will not fight." She said calmly and clearly. "If I have too I'll tie your bloody arse to the chair over there. If I see you on deck I swear to the devil you'll wish that all you had was a gut wound."

She was deadly serious, her eyes flashing with the command, though there was something else there, something hidden beneath the determination and control. She was worried about him being on deck when he couldn't move around well. The last thing she needed or wanted was another massive injury. Worse he could get in the way and put others in danger. As Captain she couldn't allow that, as his friend, she couldn't allow him to be put in unecessary danger.

Joseph frowned. "I'll stay below deck." he promised and stood up."If you need any help, just give the order."

His hand finding its way back over the stitches he went to the door and left the cabin, his dark hair a tangled mess behind him as he went.

Jane nodded and sighed in relief when he left the study. She had half expected him to argue with her, demand that he be allowed to help in this fight. Instead he would be safe below, as safe as anyone could be at this point. Steeling herself she left the relative quiet and solitude of her study to the flurry of motion that was on deck. The men were below were bracing the cannons preparing the for fire, while her crew headed by John had their guns ready so that when the right time came they could board the other ship and fight.

She could see the other ship now. It waved no flag though she could tell easily with her bare gaze that this was a vessel on course to do battle. With confidence she walked to the railing over her balcony, her penetrating gaze sweeping over them all. Slowly one by one the men turned to look at their Captain, waiting for what she had to say. All she did was raise her gun and the men howled, literally howled. Nobody would live this night.

It wasn’t long before the first shot was fired and it was indeed from the Bloody Rose. However, the ship was fully able to strike back, and strike they did. Before her very eyes Jane watched as cannon fire destroyed parts of her ship, killing and vastly injuring men as the planks and bolts blew into pieces. She shouted orders and pulled men out of the line of fire, saving their lives. Soon not only were her men on their ship, but somehow they were on her ship as well. And they wasted no time in showing who their target was.

“Leave the men! They’re only fodder! Get the woman!” A man screamed, pointing his cutlass at the wild haired Captain who promptly shot him in the face. Suddenly she found herself fighting just like her men, cutting and slicing with the sword that Joseph had stolen back for her and shooting as well whenever she got the chance. She was at one main disadvantage however. Her rib made breathing difficult, movement slow and sloppy. It wasn’t long before one of her assailants found an opening.

With a sharp intake of breath and a piercing cry, the sword went into her thigh. “Got you now.” The man yelled triumphantly, pulling the sword out in a hard yank that sent her backwards, staggering to keep herself standing on a very bad leg. Blood poured from the deep wound as she breathed heavily, her entire body now seeming to scream in pain at her senses.

Before the man could make that final blow Skip jumped forward, and took the blow meant for Jane, a sword straight to the gut. She didn’t think and just fired, the shot going clean through the man’s head before she dropped to her knee’s at Skip’s side.

“Why damn it?” She said, holding her hands tightly against the wound and yet knowing it was useless anyways.

“Because Janie. You don’t deserve to die.” Skip said, a smile on his face even as he grimaced. “You were always so strong, even when I found you broken and bleedin’. You didn’t want my help then either. But I could never let nothing’ happen to ya.”

He coughed, blood dribbling down his chin. Jane couldn’t help the tears that flowed freely from her face as she finally let go of the wound, Skip’s blood already staining her hands red.

“You can’t die Skip.” She said softly, tears marring her face.

“No, I can die alright. I’m not important. But you, you are. These men need you just like I needed you the night I found you. You gave me someone to take care of protect when I thought I had nothing left in this world Jane, but I can’t protect ya no more.”

He coughed again, his breath getting shallow and slow. She simply held his hand and closed her eyes tight, ignoring the sounds of battle still raging around, not caring anymore if they were winning or losing. The one man who had saved her life on countless occasion, who’d been her biggest supporter and the closest she’d ever had to a best friend was dying. She was losing something else she loved all over again.

“You have to live.” He said quietly, looking at her intently, his eyes watering before a single tear escaped. She nodded blindly, her green eyes opening in time to see him take his last breath and go still, a smile on his lips from her acceptance of his last request.