A/n

Hi to you all! *waves * This is my first POTC story, but not my first attempt at slash, so hopefully this fic should work. It's an Alternate Reality fic, which means it's set in a completely different place to the normal Pirate Ships and Caribbean setting, etc. I'll try to keep everyone as in-character as I can, but since it is set in a completely different environment, you've got to expect some changes in the characters. Oh, and having never actually been in an Asylum, if I screw up with some details in proper Medical Practice or Mental Health, just conveniently pretend what I describe as common practice alright? Just so you know, I did research some psychological diseases and tried to find some that suited Jack's personality best- I swear I didn't pull them randomly out of my ass to make myself sound smarter. :D That's it from me, enjoy the show.

Cheers,

Magic Carpet Ride

Summary: Total Alternate Reality set in modern times NOT in the Caribbean! A young psychologist working at an asylum named Will Turner is assigned his first ever patient. But within time he begins to see that this patient means something much more to him… SLASH Will/Jack

Feedback: Yes please! Positive, negative, constructive, it's all more than welcomed. Let's face it, there's nothing more annoying than posting a story and having no feedback to work with. Depending on what you guys say, I'll post the second chapter or not.

Rating: PG-13, even implied slash should be for mature audiences.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own the characters of Pirates of the Caribbean. I only own a bunch of posters and a very spiffy desktop.

Warning: This story will contain slash and implied slash elements. If slash isn't your thing, then kindly click on the back button now. It'll save you the mental scarring and me the needless flames okay?

From the moment he stepped in through the ward door, Will Turner was uneasy. The off- cream coloured hall, with its identical doors lining it as far as he could see made him feel ill. And the thought that mentally unstable people were caged right behind the heavily locked doors didn't improve Will's confidence much more either.

It seemed to him that the whole place reeked of insanity and depression. Behind closed doors, dismembered voices were yammering feverishly in different tones about various insane plots, devices and conspiracies. A fluorescent light flickered on and off lazily, giving an extra derelict air to the place.

Will paused for a moment, trying to delay the inevitable second where he'd have to step past the door and deep into this threatening place. Somehow he doubted that he had ever regretted becoming a psychologist more at any point in his life before today.

"Come on kid. They won't bite…much."

The burly nurse holding the door laughed heartily at his own wit, but Will was only able to manage a weak smile in return. As if on cue, a patient half way down the hall let out a howl, jarring his nerves.

If you need help, or if something goes wrong- " The nurse motioned behind him to a large red button.

"You press one of these help buttons like this orright?"

Will nodded numbly, his mind only registering the words ' if something goes wrong'.

" Doc Barbossa's just down the hall. And kid?"

The nurse smirked down at him as if he knew something Will didn't.

"Yes?"

"Have a nice day."

Then the sudden clanging of the security door locking automatically behind him forced Will to step forwards. He had no choice but to go on down the ominous looking hall.

For as long as he could remember, he had wanted to be a psychologist. Despite his father's insistence that he go into the British navy like him and the generations of Turners before, Will had always wanted to study the mind, fascinated by its depths and intricacies. So he had gone to University for the past four years and everything had been fine. He had diligently studied the workings of the inner mind, learnt about imbalances of chemicals in the brain and scoffed at Freudian theories, promising himself he'd become a great psychologist. He had even spent some months visiting an asylum and viewing patients. But now, right at this very moment, he wasn't so sure if he wanted to do this.

This would be his first year when he would see and treat patients personally, now that he had the full credentials. But not just any old patients - stark raving lunatic patients. The ones that were politely deemed by professors as "severely unstable." Apparently some fool at the head of the British mental health association had decided that after four years of study, graduated psychology students would be perfectly capable of caring for one "severely unstable" patient. That of course, was ridiculous, but such was the irony of Will's life.

And so here he was, wandering down a hallway in one of the British empire's finest mental asylums, surrounding by men who were ranting about cheese, just about to be sent straight into the wolf's mouth completely unprepared.

Doctor Barbossa, once his supervisor and professor, now his fellow Pyschologist, was waiting for him and impatiently tapping his foot at a seemingly inconspicuous white door.

"Ah, Doctor Turner!"

The older man bared yellowing teeth in a greeting. Will suppressed the urge to shiver at the sight, and wondered if Barbossa had ever brushed his teeth in his life.

"How are you today? All excited about receiving your first patient I hope."

Nothing could be further from the truth, Will realised. But out of respect and politeness, he forced what he hoped resembled an enthusiastic smile on his face and nodded.

"I'm just fine thank you. And how are you?"

Barbossa smiled again, causing Will to gape once again at his fetid teeth.

"Oh, I'm splendid. As a matter of fact, just last night my daughter had a baby boy! Fantastic news eh William?"

Barbossa laughed throatily and nudged him with his elbow. To be honest, Will couldn't care less if he tried, but he smiled and nodded, wondering why so many people in the world had to share the most intimate details of their life with him.

"The boy has my daughter's nose and eyes apparently." Barbossa laughed for no apparent reason, and Will inwardly cringed as his awful sticky teeth were bared again to full extent. "And my cheekbones!"

He continued to laugh hysterically, as Will crinkled his nose at the sight.

Well I pray to God your grandson didn't inherit your teeth structure, Will thought to himself.

Barbossa let out one last throaty chuckle and then soberly sized Will up. "But enough chit chat then, I think it's about time you met your very first patient."

Will swallowed hard as Barbossa handed him a thick folder, with a sticker that read patient B3486 on the front. He flicked through the many reports and files, wondering how long the man had been incarcerated.

Meanwhile Barbossa began droning on about the patient history.

"Number B3486 is a recent transfer here to the ward. He has been incarcerated in various asylums throughout the British empire, for almost five years now. He has a record of being quite violent and unstable. Some diagnoses have included Bipolar disorder, various Addictive disorders relating to alcohol and Delusional disorder."

Will felt his mouth go dry. "Delusional disorder?"

"Yes, he suffers from quite vivid delusions. He seems to think he's a pirate of sorts."

"A pirate?"

Barbossa let out another jarring laugh. "Yes, a pirate of all things! Fascinating, the delusions of some lunatics… What else? Ah, he was addicted to drugs, more specifically alcohol and possibly opium, causing him permanent damage."

"That means he has physical damage right?" Will asked, flicking through a medical report.

"Right. He often gets the shakes and can't walk properly. He stumbles rather than walks, but at times he regains control of his body with surprising speed."

Barbossa pursed his lips in distaste. "However he only regains control when he's attacking someone. He's staged four attacks on nurses in the past three months."

Will struggled to appear not shocked, and then asked what he felt was a vital question. "I..I won't have to cure him will I?"

Barbossa looked shocked.

"Of course not! You'll simply be monitoring him for the next year or so, and making sure his condition doesn't deteriorate. Not all psychology is curing people you know! This patient was under the care of Doctor Jordan for the past three months, but since you've been so recently accepted here and you did so well on your final exams, graduating with honors and all-"

Barbossa gave Will a knowing wink.

"It was thought you might appreciate such a difficult case."

Will nodded numbly.

"But because of his history and your inexperience I will be watching your visit through a plate window in the next room until you're comfortable on your own. Is everything in order?"

"Absolutely," Will assured him.

"Then I suppose that's all I have to tell you. I'll be just in the next room, so don't worry about a thing."

Barbossa pulled an impressive bunch of keys out of his pocket and rapidly unlocked the security lock, then turned the handle.

"In you go,"

Will took a deep breath and stepped through the door into the darkened room, sighing as the lock clicked behind him. For a moment, he had no idea what was going on as his eyes adjusted, and his first impression was that the light had been broken. It took him far too long to realise that the light had been purposely switched off….

So what did you think? Sorry if this chapter is bit boring, Jack will be in the next chapter I promise. Thanks and toodles!

Magic Carpet Ride