Later on that day, Jack was pacing around the deck, trying to find something to do to distract him from Elizabeth's deteriorating state. He took over the wheel for a while, cleaned up below deck, and interrogated the crew about various aspects of their lives that he had never bothered to find out about before. Then, he couldn't find anything else to occupy his thoughts other than his ladylove, so he returned to her as soon as she re entered his mind.
He walked through the door and was surprised to find her in a different position. It was hot in here, sweltering. It felt as if no air was even circulating. She was lying on her side; her knees pulled up to her chest, and taking short, gasping breaths. He stared at her for a moment, and then she stopped. She stopped breathing all together.
He rushed over to her and pressed his fingers to her neck, frantically trying to find her pulse. When he found it, he noticed that it was fading fast, the heartbeats farther and farther away from each other. He slipped an arm underneath her back and another underneath her knees and pulled her into his arms. Her head fell lifelessly onto his shoulder as he kicked open the cabin door and barged onto the deck.
Crew members that were doing their daily duties gaped at him as he swept past, making his way to the bow of the ship. He got where he was heading and lay her down carefully on the warm deck. The crew gathered around and Will pushed through as Jack gathered Elizabeth's upper body into his arms.
"What is it?" Will asked worriedly.
"She's not breathing," Jack said. "I think she was constricting herself... not getting enough air..." He finished, reaching around to feel her pulse again. Will pulled him off of Elizabeth, and Jack turned around and looked at him angrily.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked, distressed.
"Keep her lying flat... so the air can flow easily through her," Will explained. Jack was so flustered that he had no idea what to do. He turned his attention back on Elizabeth, trying to ignore the fact that she was essentially dying right in front of him. He kept his hands on her cheeks, smoothing the lines of pain on her forehead away. She coughed a bit as the air tried to reenter her body, and then sucked in a large breath, regaining her breathing patterns. Jack sighed a sigh full of relief, and then a slight voice calling out his name.
"Jack?" Elizabeth whispered. Jack looked down and saw her eyes open and looking at him confusedly. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. She kept whispering his name.
"Jack...?" Will asked, looking down at him.
"Shut it, Will, I'm trying to hear what she's saying," Jack said.
"Jack... she's... she's not... saying anything. She fell back unconscious when she regained her breath," Will said, narrowing his eyes. Jack looked down at Elizabeth. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing heavily. He hadn't heard her calling to him in reality, but in that place in his mind where she was getting better. He just wanted to see her eyes again. He shook the false reality out of his head and lifted her into his arms; walking back to the cabin with her and leaving the door open so air could better circulate through.
He needed her back. Now. He was relieved to think they were almost done.
