Jack hopped off the Black Pearl and onto land. He stood unsteadily for a few moments before he began his usual swaying motions. He beckoned to the crew to tie up the ship and join him on the island. Will was the last to get off, kissing an unconscious Elizabeth lightly on the cheek before leaving the ship. The pirates spread out, going in all different directions, heading toward the town.
Jack entered the first bar he saw, placed a small coin on the counter, and ordered a tankard of rum. He drank it all in two gulps; he had had a rough week and was willing to forget it. He slammed the empty jug on the table and called for a refill. A stooped old man with an eye patch poured more of the alcoholic drink in Jack's cup. Jack drained most of it down his throat before he stopped to think.
By God, what the devil am I doing? I haven't had a drink for past a week now and I'm going to wreck everything! Elizabeth will never love me again and Will will still hate me. I've lost both my best friend and the girl I actually almost kinda sort of maybe really loved! Jack gulped the rest of the rum and demanded another. He drank four more in a row before he passed out on the floor.
Will walked as briskly as he could away from the bar, his head down and the wind whistling past his ears. His long dark hair blew back in his face as he hurried away, glad that no one could see his red face and half naked upper body.
Elizabeth will never forgive me. Elizabeth will never forgive me, were his only thoughts. He couldn't believe what he had done. It was nearing daybreak and he was stumbling over the paved road, trying to find his way back to his ship. His head was pounding furiously in his ears as he spun around wildly, unsure of the direction of the Pearl.
All he could remember from the previous night was a lot of rum and whores. One in particular with bright red hair and dark brown eyes, whose name he could not remember. He remembered a lot of kissing and touching and rubbing. Will shuddered, uneager to remember anymore. The only thing that he knew was that she wanted him to go back with her to a bedroom, but he didn't have enough money on him.
Will squinted his eyes, trying to recall what went on after that. Just a lot of kissing and touching and rubbing. Will, although ashamed of his actions, was grateful that he and the unnamed prostitute did not go any farther than that.
Will slumped against the nearest building and buried his face in his hands. A man with a long, scraggly beard opened the door of the shop that Will was leaning on.
"Eh. You going to buy something, mate?" The man asked him.
Will lifted his head up and stared at the sign in the window. "It's a gun shop?" he asked, absentmindedly touching the empty gun in his belt. He pulled it out and handed it to the man.
The bearded man took it and brought it into his shop. Will followed closely behind and into the dusty, gray room. The man opened one of the several crates he had stacked up behind him and pulled out a metal box with a clasp. He fiddled with it for a moment before opening it and pulling out a handful of bullets. Will examined them closely before paying for all of them.
"Whose gun is that? Not yours?" the bearded man asked.
"It belongs to…a friend. Captain Jack Sparrow. Have you heard of him?" Will wondered.
The other man frowned and replied, "I daresay he's quite famous among the people here."
"Why…why's he famous? What's he done to be well known?" Will wondered aloud.
"I'm glad you asked." The man with the beard smiled. "One time he came here and picked a fight with one of the guards. The guard threw him in the ocean and they say the captain swam forty miles to the next island and told them about what had happened. The officials over there then boated over here to arrest the guard for attempted murder. He was not hanged, but he was locked up for a year before he died in prison. Over here, we think it was unjust and unfair. I'll never forgive Jack for telling that lie on my son."
"Your son!" Will exclaimed, sort of sickly happy to have another reason to despise the captain. "What was his name, if I'm not being too bold?"
"He was Thomas.. Thomas Wont." The man sighed deeply.
"So you are…Mr. Wont, I believe?" Will asked cautiously.
"Aye that I am." Mr. Wont replied. "Now, you've got your gun and bullets. Off with ye! A friend of Captain Sparrow is not welcome here!"
Will grabbed his items and hurried off. He stopped outside the doorway and turned back to face Mr. Wont and said clearly, "Captain Jack Sparrow is no friend of mine." He turned on his heel and exited smartly from the shop.
Elizabeth groaned and clutched the wound in her side. When she brought her hand back, it was smudged with dark red blood that was quickly drying. She squinted her eyes together tighter against the pain and reached up a limp hand to ring a bell that was connected to her bed.
The doctor entered moments later. Elizabeth raised her hand to show him that her wound was opening again. The doctor shook his head sadly and fetched his tools. Elizabeth winced against the shock of the needle entering her skin again and again as the cut was sewn up. The doctor got a tin cup of water and tipped it into Elizabeth's slightly open mouth. He rubbed a thick salve of something under her nose. She breathed in deeply and was unconscious within seconds.
Jack pulled his aching body off the floor and stretched painfully, rubbing his temples to make his headache go away. He got into as close of a standing position as he could, but doubled over almost immediately, throwing up onto the ground.
The ground…hadn't he been inside last night? Jack shrugged it off, assuming that the bartender had thrown him out. It wouldn't be the first time that he had been ejected for drinking too much. Jack groaned and wiped his mouth on his sleeve before stumbling down the street and to the harbor.
After about an hour, Jack realized that he wasn't going in the right direction. He turned around a few times, trying to get his bearings. He reached for his compass, but realized that he didn't have it on him. Shrugging, he turned down a nearby alley and walked down it for about three blocks before he noticed that he had left the town. He was now standing in a field of grass in front of a small hill.
Jack trudged up it, hoping to find a hot meal and something to drink. He clutched his grumbling stomach as he made his way to the little cottage at the top. He collapsed in front of the door, panting heavily and wiping sweat off his brow.
"Bugger, that hill looked smaller from back there," He stood up and knocked lightly three times. He stood impatiently for a few moments, swaying from side to side as was usual. He banged on the door again, and was soon met by a very flustered looking woman who was wearing only a robe. Jack immediately noticed her bright red hair was messed up and her make up was smudged, especially the lipstick on her lips and the kohl around her dark brown eyes.
"Are you a client?" She asked. "Right now I'm a little busy, but you can come back later," she winked.
"Marie, what are you doing?" a man's voice was heard from the next room. He soon came out, his hair messed up and his face covered in lipstick kisses, wearing nothing.
"Ahem," Jack averted his eyes, and the man gasped and ran from the room. He came back wearing clothes, his face red and disguising the lipstick marks on him.
"Captain Jack Sparrow!" The man cried, and the captain realized that he was talking to Radford. "What brings you here?"
"Actually, er, it was rather an accident, as I saw much more than I ever hoped to see. Anyway, I had no idea that this was were you were staying."
"Staying? This is my house, and this is my wife, Marie." Radford introduced them. "Jack, I have something to tell you." He led him into the kitchen and poured Jack a drink.
"So, what's the big news, mate?" Jack took a sip of the rum.
"I have decided to stay here with her. I won't be going back to the ship!" Radford grinned broadly as he announced his plans, and both Jack's and Marie's faces paled. Marie grabbed her stomach in shock as her face grew white.
"That'sagainst the pirate code, you know," Jack informed him. "Desertion is death. Quite a stupid rule, I know,but one of the French's better ideas, compared to Parley and mayonnaise"
Radford's face turned color to match everyone else's. "I very well now that, but I have to leave. I want to settle down and start a family" (Marie looked sick and buried her head in her hands) "So I have to stay. Surely you understand, Captain. What with you and Elizabeth and all."
He realized his mistake as Jack got up and roared, "Ye will never bring that up again, Radford! Understand? Now fill up me drink, would ye?" Jack gulped his full cup and smiled before standing up unsteadily and giving the man words of slight comfort. "It also says that any man who is left behind stays behind, so make sure you miss that that ship, aye?"
Elizabeth, still unconscious, was laying on her side, her hands clasped in front of her. Outside on the window, a mysterious bug was flitting around. It found a crack in the corner and slipped inside. It landed on Elizabeth's ear, then flew over to her neck. It stayed there for a few seconds, before stinging her and releasing a strange liquid into her bloodstream. The insect flew away, leaving a hole in Elizabeth's neck and her health plummeting quickly.