He was there. Calling her name from deep in the water, his face contorted in agony. He was reaching for her. 'Elizabeth!'
Elizabeth awoke, sitting up immediately, her heart pounding almost painfully in her chest. She had left Will. She had left him there to die. Maybe there was something else she could have done. She could have saved him if she'd been a little faster, a little better with a sword…
She heard Jack clear his throat from the other side of the cavern.
"Bad dreams?," he asked, his voice no more than a whisper.
Elizabeth looked at him, willing herself not to cry, and shook her head. Slowly she ran her hand up her neck to her forehead. "I should have done something…something differently-"
Jack cut her off immediately. "No. There was nothing you could have done. I know, I know, 'I could have been faster or stronger' or any number of things, but you did more than any man could've."
"I should have just let go when you took me from the ship."
Was she seriously saying she'd be better off dead? Jack was more alert now, speaking directly.
"Listen, love, I'm gonna play spades with you. I know that simply because you've survived you feel guilt. I understand, believe me, I do. But we have to focus on how to get off this island, and that I can't do all by my onesie, savvy?"
Part of her felt he was being extremely insensitive, and the other part thought he was right. They did need to start figuring out how to escape, or at least, how to survive on the island. It would be a welcome distraction anyway, she thought bitterly.
She nodded in agreement.
"Good. Now, I was thinking to try and find something to eat. Some munchies."
He looked outside and spoke again. "As it's still raining, I was going to do the gentlemanly thing and offer to go."
She looked at him blankly.
"The polite thing to do would be to offer to go with, but no matter."
She shook her head, as if she had just forgotten something.
"Yes, of course. I'll go with you Jack. We need water as well."
He nodded this time, and she rose, joining him by the sail-cum-parachute which was their makeshift door.
"You know what I would love even more than rum, Captain Sparrow?"
He tipped his head back, knitting his brows together.
She responded. "Dry clothing."
He smirked, and raised the sail as they went out into the rain.
It wasn't raining as hard as the night prior, but there was enough that with the wind, it seemed much colder. They set out even farther towards the center of the island hoping to find some source of water and perhaps food.
They had been walking for almost have an hour, making jokes and idle chit chat about things like the weather when Jack stopped, holding his hand out.
"Hear that?"
Elizabeth shook her in head in confusion.
Jack smiled, excited, and started walking away from her.
"Jack-," she called out, and followed.
He spoke as he walked briskly. "I think I hear water. I know it. And besides that, you never know what islands rum runners have used and what they have provided for already."
They were deep in bamboo and palm now, and as they moved further west, the area rounded out into a sort of hollow, through which ran water. It was a small stream, but Elizabeth had never been so thankful in her life.
They both knelt besides it, using their hands to scoop the water into their mouths.
"Jack…we won't be able to take any back!," she started, her hair matted to her forehead by the rain.
"We'll have to see if any bottles or pieces from ships, or even palm leaves can be used," he spoke, looking at the sky once more.
"Elizabeth!" he said making her jerk her head up. He pointed to the sky several times with an almost comical look on his face, and she understood immediately. The weather was bad again.
"I'm going to try and knock down some coconuts!," he yelled at her, picking up rocks and throwing them, fairly unsuccessfully at the fruits.
For a pirate, it was suprising his aim was so bad. With a sigh of disbelief, Elizabeth strode to his side, holding out her hand, obviously wanting to try herself. Jack rolled his eyes, but gave her several of the rocks. Three throws later and they had two coconuts. She was about to grab for a fourth rock when he took hold of her arm.
"We need to go!," he said, gesturing towards the sky once more.
"Alright," she said.
Jack bent to pick up the coconuts, thought for a moment about jiggling them about to disgust her, then thought the better of it, turned and started back.
As they walked Elizabeth bent down. Jack was about to ask why when he realized she was picking up bits of wood that were underneath leaves and other things, and fairly dry. Clever girl.
They got back in less time than they had taken to get to the clearing, but were soaked nonetheless.
As soon as they were inside, Elizabeth gave him the wood she'd collected and then he set about trying to start another fire.
As the familiar crackle and hiss of the small flames began, she smiled at him across it. She sat cross-legged and Jack noticed the fire distorted her slightly.
Careful not to call her 'Mrs. Turner', he asked her, "What shall we talk about, love?"
She smiled at him, knowing he was trying to cheer her up.
"Why don't you tell me about those sea turtles?"