"This splinter isn't worth the nails," Jack spat, kicking a loose board from the small cabin. He leaned on another piece which broke to the floor under his weight. Elizabeth glanced over to the old captain at the sound of his fall.
"Captain?"
"I'm all right," he muttered, standing and brushing himself off. She slowly wandered over, pulling the rough blanket found on board tighter about her small shoulders. Evening had brought a cold chill to the sea, the same sort of weather that kept the lady from the waters. He resorted to leaning over the skip's uneven edge, watching the choppy depths. She slowly stood and remained next to him. Jack's eyes lulled in focus as it rocked uneasily side to side.
"You look like you're going to be ill," Elizabeth softly muttered, touching his shoulder gently.
"I'm…fine," he managed to reply, although the truth was obvious. He leaned back and grabbed his stomach.
"Some pirate…you're sea sick." Jack stumbled farther as the ship swayed, Elizabeth holding him upright.
"There's something bad on this ship," he answered in a troubled tone, "this ship isn't mine. It's cursed."
"Don't talk about curses," she ordered gently, leading him to an overturned crate to take a seat. "That's all over with."
"Nothing's ever over with," he replied, a dull light filling his smoky eyes. "You have your memory. No matter how many times you try and forget certain things…the look of a man before he knows he's going to see his end, the…the phantoms never die…" Elizabeth began to shiver; he seemed so different, pale and jaded.
"Jack, you're beginning to frighten me," she confessed, still trying to keep him erect. He quickly reached for the hands holding his frame, taking them in his frozen grasp and gazing blankly to her palms. "Jack?"
"There is only so much you can endure, only so many you can…can do…before it begins to catch up with you. The rum can't hide it, the women can't hide it…God, your bonny ship can't hide it…" Terror came over her delicate features as the old captain's eyes began to tear. "You think you're chasing the horizon, but in reality…it's all chasing you…"
Suddenly, footsteps came from the ladder descending into the belly of the dog's den. Will had been tightening the binds on Barabas's arms; he had yet to awake. As soon as Elizabeth saw the second mate, she cried out, pulling her hands free and standing. "Will, something's wrong with Jack. He's…he's rambling, and I don't think he's well." Will frowned, looking past her to the slumped figure now struggling to stand. He met the captain's eyes but found a strange surprise in them.
"Bill?" Jack uttered. The blacksmith nodded, stepping forward.
"Yes, Captain."
"He said Bill, William," Elizabeth darkly responded. Will turned to her for a moment as Jack slowly moved closer.
"Bill, it's been so long…" Will now felt a chill run through his spine as Jack's eyes fell to his feet in slight confusion. "I didn't think we'd pull ourselves out of this one…"
"I'm Will," he tried again. "I'm…I'm not Bill, Jack. I'm William Turner's son." He reached for the captain's shoulder, but Jack quickly drew his sword. Elizabeth gasped as stumbled back as the blade reached for her husband's neck. Something had come over Jack; he was nearly white in the twilight, shaking and crazed.
"Don't you say anything about him! Don't you do anything to that boy, or I'll have a fate worse than death ten fold for you, you…you…" Elizabeth began to cry as Jack careened back again, losing his thoughts. Will was in pure shock—what was happening to Sparrow? He had never had such a spell! The sword dropped to the floor, and Elizabeth jumped back. She reached for Will's arm as Jack slowly looked at her.
"Help him," she whispered pleadingly, "Help him, Will!" Jack tripped forward.
"Genevieve," Jack mumbled in pure desperation, "Genny, he loved you. You have to remember—you have to believe he loved you!" The two glanced to each other in fear; he was shouting, hysterical. Jack turned and stumbled back to the sea.
"What did you do to him?" Will barked.
"Nothing!" she replied in the same severity. "He looked sick, so I sat him down…and…then he started talking about…about…" Will shook his head with a quick sigh and left her to pick up the sword. Jack just continued to talk, looking over the sea. "You mean you've known him for so long and he's never done this before? He's insane, Will! He's bloody insane!"
"STOP!" he roared, facing her with a stern glare. Elizabeth bit her trembling lip; she had never seen that fire in her husband's eye and cowered in fear of what had come over him. "Just stop it, Elizabeth! Stop treating Jack like he's a criminal!" He hurled the captain's sword across the lower deck, it clamoring against the main mast and sliding across the boards to Jack's feet. She whimpered at the force behind it, terrified. "Will you just be silent for once about things that don't concern you?"
"I…" she stammered, nearly weeping in fear. "I just wanted to—"
"This isn't about what you want!" he interrupted. "Although you never really consider anything besides what you want!" Elizabeth's amber eyes were beginning to drop. "You wanted to come along with us when I told you not to, and here you are! You couldn't stay below on the Pearl, although I doubt you wanted to put us all in danger!" Elizabeth gulped, shaking her head. Will was losing his fury. "You…you wanted me to be the perfect husband for your father…you wanted…you wanted Jack to stay away from my son…"
"Go ahead," Elizabeth icily encouraged. "Go ahead and say it, Will. I wanted you to give up your happiness." He suddenly realized how horrid he had been and immediately looked away. "I wanted you to not be a pirate. And you've resented that." He couldn't object. Elizabeth wiped her eyes, slowly walking towards Jack and making sure he was all right, laying down against the side of the ship with his head in his arms.
"Elizabeth…"
"No," she cried, keeping her eyes away from his guilty stare. "No, please don't apologize for what you've been meaning to say all along." His heart broke. "I'll just get out of your way." He tried to catch her arm as she started for the cabin. She paused. "Just find my son, Will. That's all I care about now."
The pain between them was far more upsetting than any presence aboard that ship.