It had been almost a week since Jack had left. Will paced the wall anxiously, searching for any ship on the horizon. Elizabeth had fallen ill after Jack's rescue. Every doctor available had been to evaluate her. They all came to different conclusions. Malaria, a cold, the flu. The native doctor, however, had a different perspective.
"Nal kai bankala. Red Snake venom."
"But she hasn't been around snakes at all!" Will had protested.
The doctor had merely shrugged. "That is my diagnosis. She has all the symptoms. Lethargy, fever, alternating sweat and chills. She has been poisoned." He snapped up his little bag of curious items and made to leave.
"But what about the cure! What's the anti-venom?"
"There is no cure for the Red Snake." He replied quietly, his back to Will. "They don't exist anymore."
"There is a cure for everything." Will argued, blocking the door. The doctor turned and assessed Will in silence, biting his lip.
"The only cure was known by the Aztecs."
Will waited. "There is rumour," the doctor continued, he hesitated, looking at Will's hopeful face and sighed. "There is rumour in the glyphs that an ancient charm still holds the anti- venom. L'Etoile de Vie, a French archeologist named it. The Star of Life.
The governor was useless. He wrung his hands and locked himself in his study, refusing to eat unless he ate with Elizabeth. Will had given up trying to reason with him. He had resolved that she was going to die. He wouldn't help Will with anything, and half the time the governor didn't know who he was. Will knew there was only one way to find that Aztec charm. He went down to the wharf and checked the log's for any destinations "Pearl Point." He found three. "Pearl Point," Jack explained when he left, was code for the pirate port. If Will had ever any need of Jack, he could find his whereabouts there. As lady luck would have it, Will found Gibbs, who knew exactly where Jack was. Cradling a tankard in the Port Foozle bar. "Aye, I'll fetch 'im for ya young Turner." he said with a wink. "I'll 'ave im 'ere before 'e sobers up!" True to his word, Gibbs had Jack back in Port Royal in two days.
"Help you find The Star?" Jack asked incredulously over a pint. "Lad, d'you know how long I could look for that blasted thing?" Will didn't grace that with a reply. Jack barreled on ahead. "It's a tiny trinket. If this is a gift for your bonnie lass ." Sparrow held his tankard up to the light, eying the remainder of the liquid. "Besides," He added as an afterthought, "someone's already got it." Jack drained the rest of the ale in the mug.
Will practically jumped out of his seat. Without removing the tankard from his lips, Jack took hold of Will's shirt and pulled him down. "Ahhh- good ale here." Jack noted, motioning for another round.
"It's not a gift," Will replied, as the barmaid filled the pirate's tankard. Jack grinned roguishly at her and winked. She rolled her eyes, but blushed nevertheless. Will impatiently waited for her to leave.
"Sorry lad, what was that?" Jack asked through another swig of ale
"It's not a gift Jack," Will repeated earnestly "this 'star' is supposed to have an anti-venom in it."
"An anti-venom?"
"Yes."
"In The Star?"
"Yes."
Jack took another swig from the tankard.
"And why, young William Turner, would you need an anti-venom?"
"Elizabeth has been poisoned! It must have been Barbosa's dagger!" Will practically shouted, jumping out of his seat.
The rowdy bar hushed as the dregs of society turned to Will, who suddenly froze. Jack put his head in his hands and sighed, then looked up at Will. "Right lad." He said looking knowingly out at all the bar patrons and winking. "So after you single-handedly stopped the pirate Barbosa from poisoning Queen Elizabeth, what did you do? Hmm? Cut him up into little bits with your sword? Force him to walk the plank? Oh I know, you turned him over to the British Royal Navy and got a little medal for your bravery." The bar erupted in laughter, assuming Will to be another drunken, brazen youth and they turned back to their mugs. Jack leaned over the table to Will.
"Not wise to mention such a hated name lad. Now, I think I know who's got it, and I've a score to settle with him anyways. I'll be back at the end of the week, or not at all."
Will tried to object, or find out anything more, but Jack refused to say a word.
"Listen mate, there's no way you could defeat this chap." He put his arm around Will's shoulders and they strolled out of the bar. "and besides, you're needed here if I'm not mistaken. I know where to hit'im," Jack easily reached out and picked up an apple from a cart as he strolled by. "and if Captain Jack Sparrow can't rout the second most notorious pirate on the Seven Seas, who can?"
Will stopped. "But you haven't got the Pearl! How will you defeat him?"
"End of the week lad," Jack called over his shoulder. Then he turned with his finger up as if he just thought of something. "Oh. And uh, don't do anything stupid?" Jack clapped Will on the shoulder. He drew his hand in front of Will's face and waggled his fingers. "I was never here." He said with grin. His dark eyes sparkled adventurously, and he disappeared into the crowd.
So here it was, the end of the week and Will was alone. The poison had dampened even Elizabeth's spirit. She was delirious most of the time, muttering curses at Barbosa and the Aztec gold. He held her cold hand and stroked it. "Curse Barbosa and his cursed dagger!" Will cried out in frustration. Then he sat bolt upright. "If Barbosa had the dagger, he must have the antidote!" Will muttered he stood, dropping Elizabeth's hand and began pacing.
"And if he had the antidote, he would have kept it in his treasure cave! And Jack has a score to settle with Barbosa, therefore he must be in that cave! Jack isn't back, so I have to go to rescue Elizabeth!"
He turned back to his love and stroked her icy cheek. "I have to leave for a bit, to find your antidote. I promise to be back Miss- er, Elizabeth." Will bit his lip. He didn't want to go, but he had to save her. He quietly left her room, and tried to close the door softly behind him, wincing at it's squeaking protest. "I really must fix those hinges." Will thought as he dashed down the stairs. He needed a ship, and any help he could get. He knew only one place to go. He ran all the way to the barracks to the only person left he thought could help him, and possibly cared enough to help. Meanwhile, Jack tried to fix The Bängala as fast as he could, praying that Will wouldn't do anything... Stupid.