The Cry of Liberty

Chapter Eight: Mezcal

The pressure on her hand startled the brunette awake, jerking up and snatching her hand free of whatever had it in its grasp. White hot pain radiated from her back and she cursed at herself for being so stupid. Sasha looked down and saw Jack, asleep sitting on the floor, hand laying on the mattress where hers had been. His mouth hung open and soft snores rumbled from his chest. She couldn't help but chuckle at how silly he looked.

A cool breeze reminded her that she needed to find a new shirt, her old on hanging off of her chest. She carefully got up, not wanting to wake the sleeping man. Sasha found a clean shirt and slid it on over her new stitches. Once properly clothed, she headed out onto the deck, greeted by the warmth of sunlight on her face.

"Bon matin, Captain." The ship's doctor rushed over to her and gave her a once over.

"I'm fine, Dr. Allard. No more bar fights, I swear." Sasha smiled at the thin man. "I just wanted to check our stock and make a list of what we need to get while in port."

"We'll need more whiskey for starters, I used quite a bit of our stock to clean you up. I would also suggest having whoever goes out to find the local apothecary to have a salve made up to prevent infection."

"If you would like to be in charge of gathering those supplies I would send you with plenty of coin to cover the cost. You know what to look for." He nodded.

"Oui, I will see to it." They walked back into the Captain's quarters and she grabbed him some money from the locked drawer of her desk. "Oh, and Captain?" Allard stopped on his way out of the room.

"Yes?"

"Plenty of rest." He glanced at the sleeping Jack and back at her, winking at her before heading out to buy medical supplies.

"I should have left him to the bayou." Sasha rolled her eyes. Her gaze landed on the sleeping man once again, pitying how uncomfortable he must be. She shook her head and got back to the task of taking inventory.

After getting another lecture about her health from Elias, she finished the list and handed the parchment to one of the crewmen along with money. She grabbed an apple from the food stock and headed to her quarters to plan their next move. Jack stirred from his slumber and stood, stretching.

"If you sleep all day, how do you get any work done?" Sasha didn't look up from her maps, setting the now empty apple core down to make a mark on an island.

"You should-"

"Stop right there, Jack. If I hear one more man tell me what I should be doing I'm going to set sail and crew this ship myself." She finally met his eyes. He grinned at the fire burning in those baby blue eyes of hers, crossing the room and leaning on the desk to see her charts. "So when must you run back to Beckett? I'm sure he needs his next shipment of tea."

"Whenever the mood strikes me." He shrugged. "So, how about we go finish our drink from last night?" Sasha leaned back in her chair and immediately sat straight up, silently cursing at the fresh wave of pain. She'd be glad when her back healed.

"Unfortunately, I don't think it wise of me to venture back into a tavern." She reached for a small silver key and handed to him, gesturing to the liquor cabinet. "Take your pick. A way of me thanking you for teaching me to sword fight." Jack's eyes lit up at the selection of quality bottles in her collection. He settled on an unopened bottle of mezcal and locked up the rest.

"You have a much better selection than the Company allows." He uncorked the bottle and inhaled the smokey scent of the aged agave drink.

"I have better tastes than them too." She couldn't help but laugh at the man, acting like he had just gotten a new toy. She pulled a glass from her drawer as she replaced the key.

"No need, love." He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long drink from it.

"Maybe the glass was for me." She chuckled. "After all, I had to take on a small fleet of Spaniards to get that particular bottle." He poured her a bit in the glass and pulled a chair from the dining table to her desk, propping his feet up. He lifted the bottle in a toast.

"To all that's come from killing your husband." Sasha raised her glass as well, somberly nodding.

"I hope he is warm enough." She knocked back her mezcal.

The two sat and chatted for a while, Jack telling her about his precious Wicked Wench and Sasha telling him stories of her exploits. The more he drank, the more flirtatious Jack became. He went on about how well the life at sea suited her, how the sun had kissed her skin just right, how her eyes were bluer than the clearest waters in the Caribbean, and how her scars and brand made her more rugged and alluring.

"Jack you're drunk." Sasha rolled her eyes at his description of her features. "You're honeyed words may work on the tavern girls but not me."

"Then there's that fiery spirit you've developed." He winked. "No longer the subservient housewife."

"You are ridiculous." She could only laugh at his outlandish speech on how she'd changed. "Go on then with how beautiful and amazing I am." She joked, resting her elbows on the desk to take some pressure off her back. Jack let out a hearty laugh himself. He moved his feet from the desk and leaned in closer to her.

"You're blushing, love." His breath was warm on her face. Sasha wiggled the glass in her hand at him.

"Just the tequila, Jack." She set the glass down and stood. Jack stood as well, still leaning on her desk. "Did you lose something over here?" She raised an eyebrow at his insistence on being in her space.

"You, that day you parted from Tortuga after dropping me off."

"You're drunk." She repeated.

"Capitaine, I have the salve-oh, je suis désolé." Allard hesitated in the doorway, embarrassed to walk in on whatever his Captain was discussing with her guest.

"No need to apologize, Jack was just leaving." Sasha crossed the room to the doctor. She looked back over her shoulder at Jack. "He has his own ship to get back to, right, Captain Sparrow?"

"Of course." Jack tipped his hat to her, trying to keep himself from falling over, as he went to leave. "Until our paths cross again, Captain Hartford."