The Attainment of Evangeline

Chapter 6

Jack lie half asleep on Evangeline's bed, a newly wrapped bandage around his torso. She felt overwhelming relief due to the fact that she didn't have to stick a needle into the captain's wound or into any other part of him. She left to refill the basin with fresh water and returned to find Jack desperately reaching over the side of the bed to grab his effects which lay slightly out of his reach.

"Do you need help?" she asked shyly as he looked up at her.

"Ya, actually. I need-" he stopped to take a deep, shaky breath and lay his head back down. "I need ya to hand me that compass there," he said, pointing.

She knelt down, collected the compass and handed it to him. Jack feebly put his hands together and bowed his head towards her in thanks. He then proceeded to open it, turn it over in his hands, and then he gave it a good shake.

"Bugger," he muttered as he set it down.

Evangeline had moved the little chair next to her bed and sat down. Jack gave a little moan while he fiddled with the rings on his fingers.

"You must be very hungry," Evangeline implied, watching as each ring took a turn round his finger. She could see that each one was unique and wondered why he wore so many. She noticed one in particular, it was on the pointer finger of his right hand; the stone was green and set in a silver band with skulls etched into it.

He nodded, his eyes drooping slightly.

"Do you wish for me to bring you something? I could bring you some milk and bread if you'd like," she said quietly, nervously twisting a piece of her dark hair around her finger.

At first he didn't answer, instead he again picked up the compass and repeated the routine, shaking it more vigorously, frustration registering on his face. She wondered just what he was trying to do and why he needed a compass when he wasn't exactly going anywhere.

"If ya don't mind I would like a lil' something, if I'm not too sick to keep it down," he said after he chucked the compass down by his feet.

Evangeline nodded and made her way towards the kitchen, stopping in front of her father's study once more. She quietly tapped on the door and then peered inside. He was in the exact same spot she had left him in: dead drunk with his head slumped on his desk. At least he hadn't rolled onto the floor, which had happened on a few occasions. She sighed and shut the door slowly so as to not make a sound.

She stepped down into the little kitchen and lit a candle, there was very little light coming in through the window because the rain clouds were greedily blocking the sun, making it difficult to see anything in the tiny space. With the candle lit, she made her way to the pantry all while feeling wetness about her toes. She looked down, and saw a layer of water across the floor.

She took a deep breath of frustration and looked to the door leading to the alleyway outside; sure enough it wasn't closed all the way and the rain was ceremoniously sneaking its way in through the miniature crack. Nothing was going right today, not at all. In fact, things had not been going right for some years now. She was tired.

By leaning her body against the door and giving it a bit of a shove, she heard the click and stepped back to see the door shut properly. Evangeline set the candle down, took the mop that was propped up against the pantry and swabbed the area free of water. She then sliced two pieces from the loaf of bread onto a plate, poured a glass of milk, and blew out the candle before heading for her bedroom.

She walked in to see the captain, again, looking at his compass in wild determination. She shut the door behind her with her foot, and then set the plate and glass on the bedside table. Jack looked from the compass, to her, to the food that she had just set down and then back at her; this was all done very quickly.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he reached for the milk, which he consumed in less than a few seconds. He sighed, grasping for the bread, but defeated, he gave a little moan and laid his arm back down.

"That bloody hurts," he said, his eyes landing on his stomach in hatred. "Stupid, bleedin' cur who did this to me."

"I'll help you," Evangeline whispered, handing the plate of bread to him.

He gave her what might have been a little smile, and nodded his head in quick thanks. She shyly smiled back, and Jack greedily shoved the bread into his mouth.

"You might want to slow down," she said. She did not need him vomiting everywhere, too.

Jack did as she said and after he was finished, she took the dishes and set them back on the small table. Sitting down back in her room, she watched Jack for a moment as he laid his head back and wrinkled his nose; whether it was done out of pain or if it was just a twitch, she didn't know. She watched his chest rise and fall in short little breaths. His breathing was labored; it pained him to take in even a tiny ounce of air. She was still very uncomfortable having a half-naked man in front of her; even though his chest was very nicely chiseled into what she might have considered perfection, she didn't have anything to compare it to. She had never seen a man so uncovered. His arms were built just as evenly, with tattoos spattered here and there, though she could not tell what they were. She noticed the rhythm of his breathing become less forced as his chest went up and back down much slower than before. When she realized he was asleep, she suddenly became aware of just how exhausted she was, and she could not help but to let her eyelids droop over her green eyes; sleep took her over without a question or without her permission. She simply fell into slumber.