Disclaimer: PoTC is not mine. Do I really have to keep repeating this?

Author's Note: Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I'm really glad people are enjoying this story. Anyway, I have to apologize for my (really, really, really, REALLY) long absence. I'm not really sure why I stopped updating, but I just never got back to writing these stories. So maybe I'll finish this one first, then get back to Aurum some time later, maybe when Christmas vacation starts. Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

- x - x - x -

Lord Cutler Beckett came to at last. He found himself still rather groggy and with a terrible headache. But for the most part, he remained unharmed. Whatever delightful schemes the Dr. Madeleine thought up during his unconsciousness (How would he look with a mustache? If you put a sleeping person's hand in warm water, do they really wet themselves? Just how allergic is he to pollen?), she restrained herself. She would have to make do with the satisfaction of having hit him over the head with a clipboard.

"Ooohh..." Beckett groaned, putting a hand to his forehead. "What hit me?"

"I did," Madeleine stated cheerily. "Well, actually, it was my clipboard that hit you, but same difference."

"You... you... what?" He was confused, to say the least.

"I hit you with my clipboard. You were being extremely rude and just wouldn't shut up, so I -"

"You WHAT?!" Beckett, at this point, had turned a brilliant shade of red and had begun to look more and more like a tomato.

"You see, there you go again, just interrupting me as you please! I should say that -" Madeleine was once again cut short.

"Do you know who I am?!" he thundered, pointing at her a trembling finger. "I am -"

"Indeed I do. You, sir, happen to be a self-centered, egotistical prat who cares for no one and nothing but himself. I tried to tell you this in a much nicer way, but you've given me no choice. I hope you're satisfied." Madeleine had been very patient, but her patience was long gone. Mr. Beckett was going to get what was coming to him. "And in addition to having some superiority issues, I believe you have a disgusting Napoleonic Complex."

Beckett was momentarily stunned. "A- a- a Napole... What?"

"A Napoleonic Complex. It means you're a bit lacking in the height department, so you take out your passive aggressive rage on the world by constantly having to be the best and most -" Madeleine took a breath "- powerful in absolutely everything you do, which is completely ridiculous and absurd and absolutely unnecessary. In other words, get over yourself, Mr. Beckett. The world doesn't revolve around you and you alone, understand? Now, go. Get out of my sight before I hurt you again."

Beckett didn't delay in obeying her orders, and he scurried from the room like a frightened puppy.

Needless to say, Madeleine felt much better after having put the man in his place, although her patience was now running quite low. Whoever came in next, she thought, better be cooperative. Without moving from her seat, Madeleine called out into the waiting room.

"Pintel! Ragetti! Get in here!"

The two men exchanged nervous glances. After having seen the shape Beckett was in, they were beginning to fear for their very lives. But they got up out of the chairs and walked into Madeleine's office. The doctor leaned back in her chair with the clipboard resting in her lap. She gestured towards the small couch.

"Sit," she ordered.

They sat.

"Now." Her voice was stern and definitive. Once more the men looked at each other, greatly intimidated by the young girl. Clearly there was more to her than what meets the eye. "Let's begin. You two... Well, there's really nothing wrong with you." Ragetti and Pintel both let out great, heavy sighs of relief. "But there's one thing I think should be adressed. You two really need to stop being so... stupid."

Silence. The men were speechless, dumbstruck, flabberghasted. Did she just call them stupid?

"Look, I know it can be funny and all, but really. You have brains, don't you? Learn to use them sometimes. Tell me, how many times did a mistake of yours get you into trouble?"

More silence.

"Cat got your tongues, huh? Well, let me help you remember. There was that one time where you brought one Miss Elizabeth Swann to the Black Pearl, thinking she was the one who could lift your curse, but was she? Nope. And then when you were acting as a decoy and keeping the British Navy distracted, you got into a fight and stupidly revealed to them that you weren't two young women caught in a longboat in the middle of the ocean, but two dirty, smelly, cursed pirates who turned into skeletons in the moonlight." Madeleine looked at each of them. They still sat there, not moving, not speaking. "Okay, I see you get the idea. Now what are you going to do to fix this problem?"

Pintel spoke first. "... Think?"

So they were catching on! Madeleine was beaming. This session was going better than she'd thought. "Exactly! Excellent. Now that's using your head, Pintel. Good job."

Ragetti too found his voice, and quietly piped up, "Will thinking really help? I mean, we've gotten pretty far without thinking at all."

"But think about how much farther you could get by using your head! I know you can do this, you two. I have faith in you. Now go out there and show the world how smart you really are."

"So..." Pintel said timidly, "we're done?"

"Yep." Madeleine nodded. "All done. See how much you can accomplish when you cooperate? Go on and go teach the rest of them a thing or two."

More eager to escape the treacherous therapist's office than to show the world that they actually had a brain, Pintel and Ragetti hurried from the room without hesitation. Outside, they met the questioning faces of the remaining patients.

"So?" Will asked, sitting up in his chair. "What happened? What did she tell you?" Everyone turned to look at the men, who now smiled at their new-found intelligence.

Using all his cleverness and cunning Ragetti answered, "Well, you'll just 'ave to find out for yourselves. Ain't that right?"

Pintel nodded hastily. "That's right. Good luck, men."

Ragetti gave a brilliant grin. "We're off to Cambridge." And the two of them strolled out of the waiting room, happy as could be.

The entire room was dumbfounded. No one dared speak, hoping that maybe the real Pintel and Ragetti would step out of the room and laugh at how silly they all were to fall for a trick like that. But no one came.

Elizabeth was the first to say anything. "Is anyone else terrified to go in there?" This sent everyone nodding in reply, each face solemn with fear. Madeleine reappeared from her office, looking happy, cheerful and bright.

"Mr. Gibbs?" she practically sang.

The man turned towards her timidly. "Y-yes?"

"Your turn."