Draft Log #3: During v. 2.0

[lucetimods]

Who: Everyone on the draft
What: Day 3-5
When: August 27th-August 29th
Where: ONCE MORE INTO THE-- ...BEACH
Summary: Like it says above. The draftees reach the beach.
Rating: V FOR VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR!!


Once again, That Handy Useful Information Link. Also a link to the previous draft log!

Comments

[all7seas]

If Norrington DOES happen into the hospital camp to check on the casualties, he might find Jack Sparrow lying there, half awake. Whatever painkilling drugs McCoy has sent into his system have dulled the man. Regeneration of burned skin, even with future medicine, is not a comfortable process, so it's better this way: doped up and slightly confused.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

Though he had received word that the pirate had been taken to the medics some hours ago the admiral had kept to the dock, dutifully seeing to the gunning down of enemy transport ships and strange aquatic creatures until evening fell and the last of them was vanquished. He didn't know what to expect within that foul smelling place, but when he reached the pirate's bed he stood over Jack for some time just looking at him. Jack did not seem to notice beyond murmurings that he quickly gave up on understanding. At length, James Norrington muttered,

"If they drag anyone else from the wreck."

And turning to walk away, added,

"Do not dare seek my forgiveness."

[all7seas]

A ragged breath, a muttered curse, and then Sparrow managed to mumble: "Off. They're all off. Saw them all off. No one else left aboard, Admiral sir."

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

Step step step silence.

The admiral stood with his back to the pirate for a long while. There in the air around of him hung the promise of a man known for his deceptions and his madness besides, vulnerable and addled with who knows what variety of soporifics. What could it be worth? And so what if he was right? What if that instinct that had led the mad man into the jaws of the sea had also nurtured the caveat that no-one else were to be permitted to accompany him? That did not make any of it right. He had still endangered those who he promised to protect. The people who the admiral had sworn to safeguard. Some feet away now, Norrington's back asked;

"What went wrong?"

[all7seas]

"Enemy fire pierced the hull in the storm. Powder magazine caught alight." Sparrow's throat tasted like the crimson coals of hell. He tried to swallow and finish his report: "No casualties." Almost myself, though. Almost. Nearly.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"There's the air-ship for one. We could have used her even now."

Harsh, possibly, but he was feeling harsh.

"We could use you, Sparrow."

[all7seas]

"You want me to fish her back out of the sea, Admiral?" Harshness was met with heavy sarcasm as the disgraced and injured captain faced his better. He was none too happy about losing that ship. He'd grown quite attached to the Elizabeth in the short time he captained her. And he keenly felt the fact that of the captains on the mission, his was the only major failure. The only lost ship. It rankled.

"We cleared enough enemy pursuers for you. But it's never enough, is it?"

And he began to sit up in bed.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"When we are each of us resting comfortably in our own beds, Sparrow, only then will it be enough. You made a good first lieutenant in spite of yourself."

Mate until now. How times had changed.

"But you actively mythologize your skills as a Captain. What will the legends say now, I wonder?"

[all7seas]

His teeth ground together in anger and frustration and pain as the pirate swung his legs over the side of the bed. The left one was bollocksed. The right was okay. Jack yanked the IV out of his arm.

"Disgraced, hmm? Damned and disgraced, I'll wager. Perfect ballad material. What story will you spread, I wonder?"

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"If anyone asks - and I have no doubt that they will - then I will tell of your selfless heroism. They will hear of your daring capture of an enemy ship with your boarding party of but a handful. I shall hail you and your companions as heroes, explain how The Elizabeth protected our weakest side alone and without hesitation."

[all7seas]

Well that was surprising; the pirate paused on the edge of the bed, steadying himself; the toes of his right foot were just touching the grass below. He eyed Norrington with suspicion.

"And here I was thinkin' you were going to bring me up on charges of mutiny and defying orders."

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"You were a captain of my fleet, Jack."

He spoke as though the association granted the pirate some form of immunity, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Norrington was only protecting his own reputation. Any success that his fleet gained would reflect on its admiral all the better.

"What purpose would that serve? Would you learn a damned thing? And who besides would carry out the sentence?"

[all7seas]

Silence. Jack pressed his toes against the ground, testing the right leg, still keeping balance with his palms spread on the cot.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"What are you doing?"

[all7seas]

"Preparing myself for further use." That word was a shard of ice. "Perhaps another slice of failure for your legend, eh?"

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"No, Sparrow, your use is over. Do you think that I would enjoy to watch you hobble and writhe, heave one ball into the mouth of a cannon before two men had to carry you back here on a stretcher? It would waste more time than it would gain us, and for what?"

[all7seas]

Over? OVER? He would show James Norrington. He would SHOW this Admiral James Buggering NORRINGTON how over Captain Jack Sparrow was!

And then he tried to put weight on that burned left leg, and there was a shattering, frantic, panicked web of signals sent to his brain all at once--to the point that his powers of speech and sight were nearly overwhelmed.

Sparrow sank back onto his cot and gradually the white canvas ceiling of the tent came back into focus.

"Leave me be, then."

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"Can I get anyone for you?"

Not 'anything'. He knows better than to think that the pirate would want anything from him.

[all7seas]

There was no answer from the pirate, who turned his face away.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"You are still under my charge. Tomorrow I will come again."

He stood, then, and in one stride he had the curtain flapping on its rings.