Elizabeth Swann's Sister

26. Comforting Words and Land Ho!

It took us approximately 3 days to reach Tortuga from Port Royal. I was becoming worse by the day, my head was pounding terribly and oozing with more blood than ever, I lay upon my bunk my hands covering my eyes, trying to block out the rays of sunshine, that were beaming in through the window. I pulled my covers over my head and closed my eyes, the sea wasn't helping me with my head either, as it became rather unsteady each day.

I heard a knock at the cabin door, I pulled the covers from over my head. "Yes, who is it?". I called out. "It's me Will, may I come in?". He asked. "Yes your more than welcome too". I told him, he entered the room with a clean bandage and a bottle of what seemed like rum. "I have come to change your bandage and tend too your wound". Will told me. "Oh right". I said as I lifted my self further up the bunk and rested my head upon the wall behind me. Will sat down on the bunk beside me, he soaked the bandage with the rum, he then moved closer to me and removed my old dirty bandage from my head.

He was copying my wincing facial expression, as he knew it must have been hurting me, as with the heat and blood clotting up, the bandage was stuck to my skin and pulling on it. I grit my teeth together and hissed out in pain, thankfully he was nearly finished removing it, the last part hurt the most "Ow!". I shouted. "Oh sorry!". Will said. He placed the old bandage on the bedside cabinet and then proceeded to pick up the new clean bandage and wrap it around my head. "That looks pretty deep, you really should have seen a doctor when your father told you too". Will told me. "And miss out on an opportunity of a life time and sail the seas with a pirate, no chance". I told him, we both laughed.

He was just finishing tying of the last bit of the bandage, before be pulled the knot tight. "There, that should suffice for now, until we get to shore and you can see a proper doctor". He told me whilst clearing away the rest of the items, that he had resting upon the bunk. "Thank you Will, I am most grateful for your service". I said to him. He just smirked and continued to tidy up. He sat back down upon the bunk and sighed. "You know that was a brave and honourable thing that you did, trying to save your sister, if that wound of yours turns into a scar, I would wear it like pride or like a badge of bravery". He said to me whilst pointing at my head.

"Why did you go back all alone to rescue your sister, when you could have come and found me?". He asked. "And let you, a masculine species like yourself, take all the credit for rescuing a pretty damsel in distress, not a chance, for once it should be us women that are praised for our bravery, with some of the things we have to put up with in our lives". "Like what?". Will asked. "Number one, some of us being married to men whom we have never laid our eyes upon before, all because our fathers have made an arrangement with the man's father without our knowledge and us as woman know nothing about them or their background or personality, and don't even get me started on child birth and some of us not even making it through it, to meet our children and watch them grow, all just to provide men with heirs for their estate's, just like my mother". I said to him whilst looking down at my hands and picking at my nails.

"Hey". Will said whilst grabbing a hold of my arm and rubbing his hand up and down it, in a comforting way. "Your mother was a brave woman, more than brave in fact, I never met her, but I can tell that you must take after her a great deal, as Elizabeth always told me that not only were you the spitting image of your mother, but you were exactly like her in your mannerisms too and I know that wherever she is, she is looking down upon you and doesn't want you too feel guilty, for what had happened to her, as she is extremely proud of you, and if you listen upon the wind and hear it howl through your ears and brush against your cheek, that is her way of telling you and whispering to you, how much she loves you, as she gives you a sweet gentle kiss upon your cheek". He paused slightly and looked down upon the bunk before he returned to look at me."I was told that a few days after my mother died, It brought me so much comfort over the years to think this, everytime I felt a brush of wind against my face, I hope that it does for you too". Will said whilst giving my arm a tight squeeze.