Captain of the Bloody Rose

She was silent for a while, letting him take the bottle from her. None of her crewmates had the courage to do that. Then again, none of them had ever seen her that drunk. She knew she should have waited until after this damn meeting before she started. Sadly, she just couldn’t. Couldn’t push down the memories and forget them.

Normally she didn’t drink this much. Usually a single glass, enough to dull her headache but that was all. Rarely she did get this piss drunk, and only on this day. The day she lost everything. The day she watched it all burn.

“And you should mind your own business.” She slurred, her words harsh though without the threat to them in her condition.

"Well, as a medic on the ship my captains well being IS my business." he pointed out, using his foot to kick her chair out. "Sit." he said softly, coaxing her down into a seat.

He pulled his short saber off his hand and handded it to her, kneeling frown in front of her so his head was just above her knee height. "The only thing that makes a pain go away is when you get rid of the source." he said, his neck clearly exposed to her. "Either you forgive it, or get rid of it."

She tried to push him off her when he set her in the chair but it was no use. She couldn’t fight him though and was forced to take a seat. She had to admit to herself. If she couldn’t even fight back she needed to stop drinking.

After that point though, she hadn’t really been paying attention to what he had been saying. Until she realized what exactly he was saying.

“You did remember me.” Jane said slowly surprise etched on her features, his saber clutched tightly in her hand.

Joseph nodded. "I remember the face of everyone I've killed." he stated. "That day, I killed you. Just no physically."

He kept his neck exposed and in the open. "I laid siege on that harbor because they sent my wife to the gallows." he informed her. "For being nothing more than a woman bearing a pirates child. It's no excuse. But I figure you ought to know why."

She sat there stunned, holding the blade in her hand. She had dreamt about killing this man for many years. Since the day that she had watched her family die, and seen his mismatched eyes. Jane had wanted to kill him, but then she had let it go. Seeing him again though, after all those years had messed her up, messed up the peace that she had made for herself. She reached out and touched his neck, felt the strength there, the life that thrummed through his veins. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling him with more than just her touch.

“Once upon a time all I wished for was your death.” Jane said lifting the sword. While he tensed she threw it to the floor, leaving him unarmed.

“That girl is dead, and so is her vengeance.” Jane said simply, her green eyes cold.

Joseph stayed there for a moment before picking up the sword, putting it back on his hip. "...Your foolish for letting me live..." he said standing up. "but I always did get along best with the fools..."

He put the cap on the bottle and emptied the bullets from her pistol onto her desk. "Have a good evening Cap'in" he said, leaving the study.

Jane stood from the chair and sighed before she let her anger consume her. Everything within reach was thrown as she screamed bloody murder. She was so angry, furious even, and mostly it was at herself. She had a chance to kill him, to finally avenge her family and the life she’d lost, and she gave it up for what? Why the hell did she let him live!?

Finally she collapsed on the floor, breathing hard, her hand clutched to around her hand where she’d cut in on a piece of glass. Her wine glass lay in pieces on the floor , one of them slicing her palm open.

“Damn it.” She cursed, grabbing her handkerchief and pressing it against the cut.

She knew no one would come and bother her. Outbursts on this date were too familiar to the crew. They wouldn’t interrupt her now. She could sit here and cry if she wanted to. Cry like she hadn’t in years. Cry, the one thing she hadn’t done since that day when they all died.

And that’s what she did. As the bleeding in her hand stained her handkerchief and steadily started to slow, she let the tears run down her face. For the revenge she couldn’t complete. All the people she had killed in cold blood, and she couldn’t kill him.

Joseph stood outside of her door, though noone did make a move to enter, he still felt the need to play security for her.

He sat down with his back against the door, pulling out a pipe form his pocket. he tapped a little tobacco into it from a small poutch and lit it up with a match, simply sitting, puffing away, waiting for her to be alright.

Finally the tears stopped as the bleeding stopped. She pulled the handkerchief away and saw how deep the cut was and swore again. “Collins will have to look at this.” She decided getting up shakily. She’d lost more blood than she’d thought originally, and combined with the alcohol she could barely stand.

“Damn it.” She muttered, bumping into something as she tried to reach the door and falling over. The study was destroyed by her rage, and her hand was bleeding all over again to her dismay.

“Fuck.” She reached for the door and opened it, her eyes bleary. Of course she didn’t think Joseph would be sitting out there smoking a pipe. She fell across him and groaned as she hit the ground.

“What the hell!?” She yelled wincing as she tried to sit up.

Joseph blinked. "Told you you were piss drunk." he said helping her into a sitting position, putting his now broken pipe away.

He spotted the blood as he helped her and pulled his own handkerchief out of his pocket. He grabbed her hand, tieing it tightly around before getting up. "Oi! Go grab Collins." he ordered a fellow shipmate. He carried quite the authoritative voice, though it had been the firs time since his time aboard to use it.

the ship man nodded and hurried off to grab the elder man as instructed.

“Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. Me.” She said angrily, trying to get up and nearly falling over again. Collins was there in a moment, the old man sighing as he saw his captain.

“Joseph you’ll have to carry her.” He said sadly, watching as she tried to right herself. “She wont be able to walk like this and we have to get her to her quarters.

“Don’t you dare.” She hissed, though she proved the mans words when she tried to stand up and yet again fell over.

“Ugh..” she groaned, holding her stomach.

“Damn.” Collins muttered.

"..." Joseph looked back to her and held his breath, knowing the shooting pain that was just waiting to jump him. And did it ever, he hoisted her up bridal style and his knees nearly buckled. His vision actually cut out for a moment as he carried her off quickly. Thankfully Collins got the doors before he got to them and Joseph got her set down on her bed before his legs finally gave out, the man giving a short pained gasp as his back tensed up on him.

Dispite it, he pushed himself out of the way, sitting on the floor ridged as ridged was.

By todays medical standards, we would say he had 5 slipped disks. No wonder the man was in pain.

“Thank you.” Collins said, knowing just how much the man was in constant pain. He wouldn’t have asked, but this was not something that he could really involve the other crew members in. As he was stitching her hand back together she passed out, her breathing deep and irregular.

“How much did she drink?” He asked as he kept sewing up her hand. He wasn't surprised of course that she was like this. Normally, their captain was sharp as a nail, and never did anything that made her weak. But every year like clockwork she always had just a bit too much on this day. Collins just wished it hadn't been Joseph to find her. Because he was so new to the ship he must have thought so badly of her now, and that was not good.

"Too much I would say." Joseph said, his eyes closed. Shit.... and He was supposed to try and collect money from someone when they reached harbor? He woudl be lucky to be able to stand tomorrow.

"What can I d- argh!" he ha moved too soon. "God damn, son of a...." He stayed in his odd half sitting position for a moment before easing himself back down, his jaw clenched tight enough to almost crack teeth.

“You stay right where you are!” Collins barked, cutting the thread with his teeth and setting her hand down on the bed. The last thing he needed was to try and take care of Joseph as well. He bandaged it with some clean cloth and tied it off tightly.

“I’d definitely say too much. Every year, I swear.” He grumbled under his breath, taking her pulse as he watched her nervously. He had good reason to be nervous too. Without her guiding hand every single soul on that vessel would be lost. They wouldn’t know what to do. Probably would kill each other off trying to take as much money as they could.

“Try not to think badly of her.” Collins said, not knowing that Joseph knew full well why she was like this. “This is the only night she drinks like this. This time, she may have just overdone it.”

Collins sighed again and looked over at Joseph, not sure how the hell he was going to get the young man out of the room. Then again, this might be a good thing.

"Listen, do you still want to help? Stay here tonight and make sure she keeps breathing. I've already taught you what to do if she stops. Its the most you can do since you can't really move right now anyway. I do apologize for that by the way."

"No problem..." he said frowning. "I should be able to feel my toes again by the end of the week." he said sarcastically. Joseph was pale from the sheer pain that had just racked through his body. "I'll stay and make sure she's alright through the night." he promised.

Most days he was alright. Others, not so much. He just so happened to decide it would be a good day to pick her up on a bad day.... which wasn't the smartest thing he had done all year. "You're a doctor. can't you Do something about my back, later?" he asked.

He had never seen a doctor about it. No doctor was willing TO see him thanks to the brand on his chest.

Collins nodded looking at the man, and sighing. Whatever was wrong with Joseph he was sure he could fix it. Hadn’t found an injury yet that he couldn’t make better in some way. In the mean time he reached down and gave him the bottle of laudanum.

“If the pain gets too bad take a swig of this. No more than that or you’ll never wake up. Just try and wait until her breathing evens out. Oh, and if she wakes and is furious, tell her Collins left you here. She’ll understand immediately.” The old doctor said, standing and stretching.

“I’m getting too old for this.” He muttered, pulling over a large bowl and placing it next to the bed, obviously meant to catch any vomit that she might expel. He also grabbed an extra blanket and a pillow for Joseph, trying to make his position on the floor more comfortable.

"Good luck." He said, waving to him before leaving the captains quarters.

Joseph looked at the bottle and set it down, staying where he was as the elderly man left,. he looked back to the sleeping woman and sighed, cringing. The shooting spasims of pain were getting old, and they were getting old quick.

He watched her breathing like a hawk, tensing up every now and again. He must have looked silly going ridged and relaxing like he was. It seemed like hours before he finally opened the small bottle next to him, taking a swig of it's sour contents. He wiped away the building up tear from his green eye, cursing the pain.

Most would have thrown up from that much alcohol, and for her small size she should have died. Instead, after a few hours her breathing evened out and her body seemed to sink even further into the bed. It was ironic really that she could drink that much and live.

The next morning dawned bright and the sun shined through her many windows to gently caress her face. In sleep, and only the sleep of a drunkard, could she find peace. The frown lines on her face smoothed out, her lips relaxed and no longer scowling or smirking. At that moment she actually looked like her 23 years, innocent and vulnerable.

“Joseph.” She mumbled in her sleep, her eyes still closed

Joseph opened his eyes sleepily hearing his name. he looked over and blinked a few times, simply watching the young captain.

"Aye, captain?" he asked softly, unsure if she was awake or not. She looked, well... sweet where she was laying.

He shifted and cringed, having momentarily forgotten about his back pain when he attempted to stand up. He abandoned the effort as soon as he started. His dark hair was messy from a night of little to no sleep.

Jane’s face scrunched up for a moment, half awake and half asleep. That changed too fast for her liking and she slowly opened her eyes, the sun immediately worsening her hangover. She groaned and sat up, her hand immediately going to her head. Immediately, the innocence on her face was gone replaced with her normal hard and guarded expression, albeit one with pain.

“Damn it.” She muttered to herself, still not realizing that Joseph was actually sitting in the room with her. She sat there for a moment, letting the night come back to her slowly. She remembered the conversation with him, throwing the sword away, cutting her hand, and falling over….”

“Crap.” She said, realization of everything that transpired finally coming through. Then and only then did she finally turn and see him lying on her floor, face scrunched up in pain.

He was sitting, like he had been all night, his back against the wall. "Mornin'." he greeted blinking when she gave him a flat sort of disbelieving look.

His voice was soft, not harsh even with her hangover. As the ship rocked he couldn't help the somewhat pained expression form pushing through on his face. "Collins said to keep an eye on you."

Jane looked incredibly at him, proverbially hitting herself over the head for letting him become a medic. Especially with her track record. From the pain on his face, and more importantly the pain in his eyes she knew more clearly what had happened.

“You carried me.” She said flatly, for once no emotion tingeing her voice. Of course, in the case of the Jane no emotion was almost worse than some emotion. Without having any kind of idea where the wind was going to blow so to speak made waiting for her reaction so much worse.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the pain in her head. Luckily Collins hadn’t dared to undress her and she was wearing what she had the night before. Usually she didn’t sleep in much.

She knelt down next to him, her eyes focused and very, very green in the early morning light. It was obviously painful for her and yet she ignored her own discomfort to look at him very closely, like she was analyzing him. To be honest, it was rather disconcerting.

Finally, she seemed to make a decision for herself and positioned herself behind him, chuckling darkly, when he could no longer keep his eyes on her. “Brace yourself.” She whispered in his ear, before wrapping her arms under his and lifting him up herself, doing her best to keep his back as straight as possible. She plopped him in her own bed, ignoring his cry of pain as best she could.

“Stay there.” She muttered, before heading towards her door, a hand still on her head.

Joseph held his breath, in doing so holding in a cry ad stream of swears that would make any pirate want to wash his mouth out with soap.

"Bloody christ almighty woman, you have an evil streak in you a mile long." he said as she reached her door. When she looked back, he way laying on his back, both arms bent at the elbow into the air, stiff as a tree.

He was fighting off the pain, his eyes tightly closed in concentration.

[kinnda like this http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=treasure&order=9&offset=168#/d2w7qge]

“Evil streak huh?” She laughed, couldn’t help it. With one hand still rubbing her temple from her massive headache she actually smiled. Genuinly smiled.

“Perhaps, but think of it this way. You’re the first man who’s ever been in my bed.”

Without saying another word she left him to ponder what she had said, and went off to find Collins. Something needed to be done about his back. It didn’t help of course that she actually felt guilty about what happened the night before. She’d promised him no heavy lifting, and not only was the promise broken but she was the one who caused the whole thing.

“Collins.” She said loudly, waking the old man.

“Ah Captain. Good to see you alive and well.” Collins said warily, not wanting to piss her off. She was always rather moody after such a day.

“As always. I want you to see to Joseph.” She said calmly, walking out, knowing the old man would scramble after her.

“Where is he Captain?” Collins asked, catching up to her a moment later.

“Just follow me.”