The next morning, the crew arrived back at the ship. They had all had a splendid night, and they were eager to start sailing again. Gibbs walked straight over to Jack's cabin to get orders. "Cap'n? Are you awake?" he opened the door further and walked in. "Capta- WHAT IN THE NAME OF-?!"
For in front of him was utter devastation. There were papers strewn everywhere, the desk had somehow managed to fall over, and there were numerous bits of broken glass strewn all over the floor. He picked his way through the debris, still unable to see Jack anywhere. And then, to his horror, he noticed a trickle of blood seeping from under the desk. He backed out of the room hastily. "Everybody! The ships been attacked by something!" the rest of the crew scurried over hurriedly. "What? What's happened?" put in Pintel. "Yeah, is it another sea monster?" said Raggetti. Pintel turned on him. "You've got sea monsters on the brain. There is no sea monster." "I'm only checking…."
By this time everyone else was crowded round the door and looking in on the mess. "Where's the Captain gone?" put in one of them. That was the question, thought Gibbs, that was the question.
Suddenly, one of them noticed a leather boot poking out from amid the pile of desk, glass and papers... Gibbs launched into action, taking charge in the absence of Jack. "Quick! Pull the desk away." So a few members of the crew lifted up the desk to reveal their rather battered Captain. He was covered in cuts and bruises, and his breathing very faint.
"He doesn't look very well, does he?" put in someone.
After a few minutes of clearing away some of the glass they placed Jack on the bed and took it in turns to watch and wait until he woke up. It was Pintel and Raggetti's turn first. "Come on. Wake up." Pintel poked Jack on the arm, before Raggetti pulled him back disapprovingly. "That's not going to help. You shouldn't touch people when they're unconscious."
"And who said that?"
"The code of…. Respect of the Near Dead."
"There is no such code."
"There is."
"Isn't."
"Is."
"Isn't!"
"Is!"
Suddenly, Pintel stopped arguing and drew back in horror, pointing a horrified finger at Jacks hand. "Th… th… there's something cutting his hand!"
And true enough, there was fast appearing a deep slit in Jack's limp and bruised hand!
"It must be a spirit! The boats possessed!" and they looked at each other in horror before running out of the room, yelling.
"What is it?" exclaimed Gibbs.
"It's the Captain! He's possessed!"
"What? Nonsense!"
"It's true! There's invisible knives! There's signs appearing on his hand! "
"What?! Wait, I'll go and see."
And he pushed past the trembling pirates and walked into Jack's cabin. Sure enough, he saw a fresh wound on Jack's hand. He picked it up and noticed that it formed letters: A.T. Of course Pintel and Raggetti wouldn't have noticed that because they couldn't read. Now what could that mean? And how, if Pintel and Raggetti were telling the truth, could it have appeared out of nowhere?
Angelica sighed. She hoped that it would work. She really, really did. From the bottom of her heart she hoped that she wouldn't have to kill him, or herself for that matter. She had finally realised that Jack wouldn't KNOW that it was her that was injuring him, he would simply have invisible knives and hands tormenting him. And that wouldn't do any good on either part. So she had decided to try and get it across that it was HER that was doing it, and that in order for it to stop he needed to come and get her. So, she had signed her name on his hand. She hadn't wanted to, knowing how it wouldn't be very nice for anybody to have somebody else's initials on their hand, but it was necessary.
She would give them 24 hours. That would be all she could afford before she went mad with thirst, and if no ship appeared before then, goodbye Jack and goodbye her. He deserved to die with her, after all he'd done. But if he had enough sense to save himself…. Then so be it.
Jack woke up in his bed, and he opened his eyes. He felt extremely bad, 100 times worse than the worst hangover he had ever had. And that was saying something. He tried to move, and was rewarded with sharp pain running through his body like an electric shock. He managed to turn his head very slightly, and saw Gibbs sitting in a chair staring straight ahead dreamily. Jack felt a sudden rush of gratitude which he very rarely felt towards anybody. He wouldn't have expected anybody to care enough to sit next to him waiting for him to wake up. Jack had always felt like nobody really understood him; just because he was pirate didn't mean he wasn't a human being...
"Gibbs?" he whispered.
Gibbs turned in surprise.
"Cap'n! You're awake!"
"Yes."
"Um, Captain, what happened?"
Confusion flashed in Jack's eyes.
"When?"
"Well, what happened while we were out yesterday?"
"Oh, that. Does it matter?" He didn't really want to talk about it.
"YES."
"Oh. Well, it was the Invisible Things."
"Who?"
"The Invisible Things. I don't know what they're called really, but anyway they're horrible. The most horrible thing that I've ever met."
"Even more horrible than the Kraken?" said Gibbs, doubtfully.
"Oh YES!"
"Even though the Kraken actually killed you?"
"Well, yes, but this is still a lot worse."
"Alright, if you say so. Anyway, why were you under the table?"
"Oh, that. That wasn't the Invisibles. I pulled it over."
"What?! Look, I think you'd better start from the beginning…."
"Do I have to?"
Gibbs noticed that Jack didn't want to talk about it, but he was determined.
"You have to tell somebody if you want them to stop hurting you before they kill you!"
"There's no point! There is no way to stop them!"
And Jack brought his hands up to his face in dispare, but as he did so he noticed something…..
"What's on my hand?"
He looked at it closer.
"It says…. A.T… oh. Angelica. Angelica, Angelica, Angelica."
And then, as if coming out of a trance, he lifted his eyes, and there was hope in the depths of those mysterious chocolate brown eyes.
"Gibbs. Give me my compass."
"Where?"
"On the… Oh."
Jack stopped abruptly as he realised that the desk was gone.
"Where is it?! Where did you put all the stuff that was on my desk?" Panic was evident in his voice.
"In this box….."
And Gibbs gave him a large-ish wooden box.
Jack grabbed it, a little too hastily and he winced as his bruised hands impacted with the rough wood. But still he continued, opening it and throwing the paper and maps all about him. Finally he sighed with relief as he brought out his beloved compass.
He opened it and stared at it intently.
"Mr Gibbs…. We're going….. that' away."
And he pointed straight ahead.
"Aye Cap'n!"
And Gibbs walked out of the door. He'd have to find out what happened another time.