Prison of the Mind

Residuum

The sun was just starting to breach the horizon, and the air was a cool crisp breeze. The Voyager was a day out from Tortuga.

Elizabeth sat on the stairs leading to the captain's cabin, numb to everything and everyone. When approached, just a glance from her steered anyone away. Will had tried to talk to her, but even he got the same response. The crew worked while alternating between watching for any sign of Jack and watching Elizabeth warily. They didn't know the entire detail of what had happened, but they knew enough, and the melancholy atmosphere of the ship could be felt by all.

Will wandered over to where Gibbs was talking to Voyles.

"Do you know anything about what happened to Jack in the Locker?" he questioned.

Gibbs sent Voyle to do some task or other, and turned to the young sailor, his face stony with annoyance.

"No, I don't, and I wouldn't tell you if I did. That is Jack's story to tell, and no one else's," he said, glancing up at Jack's cabin. "But it might be high time for him to be tellin' it, I think, at least to someone."

Will looked out to the sea. "Elizabeth...she...I am worried about her health. I just wanted some answers."

"And you think that the Locker has to do with Elizabeth's current disposition?"

"Jack did something to her, and I am sure that his actions were...influenced."

Gibbs rounded on him.

"I don't know what accusations are brewing in your head, Will. Jack did nothing to that girl last night-"

"But he said that she was terrified of him! Maybe it wasn't last night, but Jack has done something to her that resulted in this."

"Fine, then go ahead and march up to his cabin and accuse him of hurting her, right now. We'll see how you feel after that."

"I don't think that Jack would harm me."

"And why do you think that?"

"He was friends with my father."

Gibbs rubbed his temples, frustrated.

"I wouldn't say that friends is the right word. They might have been friends before your father half-participated in the mutiny that Barbossa organized. The only saving grace he had was that he turned against Barbossa at the last second. I wouldn't place any faith in your standing with Jack when it is based on Bootstrap."

The anger dropped from Will's face, replaced with resignation.

"Elizabeth isn't safe around Jack."

Gibbs inclined his head in her direction. "I don't think we have to worry about that, lad. She doesn't seem to be wantin' to go anywhere near him."

Will hesitated for a second. "I'm going to keep an eye on her," he said, turning to gaze at her.

"Well, you will be competing with the captain for that."

"What are you talking about?" he asked incredulously, rounding back on Gibbs.

"You might believe that he's responsible for whatever it is that happened to her, but I do not, and I know that he will be making damn sure that nothing else happens," Gibbs said. "Besides, since when are you concerned about Elizabeth anyways?" he added, looking at Will with suspicion.

The wind blew a few strands of hair across his face when he looked down at the deck.

"I was angry with her when I found out what she did to Jack. But something that Jack said finally sunk in. I think that I was angry because she didn't tell me her plan, not because she sent Jack to his death. As I have thought about it, I think I have come to understand her motivations for not telling me."