Fight For The Right

27~ 99 Souls

*Will's P.O.V*

I was all for storming back into Tia Dalma's and asking - or if necessary, forcing - her to repeat to me what she'd said to Maddie, who had just collapsed in Jack's arms. But Gibbs said we needed to get back to the ship, so I sat in the longboat with Gibbs and Marty while Pintel and Ragetti rowed us out of the swamp. I stared at the back of Jack's head as he sat in the other longboat with Maddie lying unconscious in his arms. Outside I looked really worried, but inside I was seething. I don't see why it had to be Jack holding her. I'm supposed to be marrying her sister, for crying out loud! I've known her for most of my life, she's like a younger sister to me. .. But I guess Jack owes it to her to be nice, even if she isn't awake to see it. She'd probably snap at him if she was, anyway.

I sighed in relief when the Black Pearl came into sight. As we pulled up alongside it, Jack told us to keep Maddie in the boat until we'd gotten it onboard. So we climbed up and I began hauling on the ropes along with Pintel, Ragetti, Cotton, Marty and another crew member, and slowly the longboats came into sight over the side of the rail. We tried to be as gentle as possible, and when it landed on the deck I scooped Maddie up in my arms and carried her inside. Jack was already consulting with Gibbs over a map on the table, and they looked up when I entered.

I was quite surprised when I saw Jack's eyes full of concern. "She's still not awake?"

I shook my head and placed her on the small camp bed against the wall. Looking down at her pale face I felt my heart lurch. "Whatever Tia Dalma told her must've scared her pretty bad." Getting up I walked over to them by the table. It was then I saw Jack was holding his jar of dirt. "What are you doing?"

"Searching for any likeliness to those islands Tia showed us," Jack replied, running a ringed hand over the map again.

"How can you be sure they're islands?"

"I'm not," he shrugged.

"Why would she show us that?" I frowned. "How would they help us?"

"Tia is crafty," Gibbs answered from where he was leaning on the back of a chair. "Crafty, but you can trust her at least. I'm guessing whatever she showed us is going to help us find Davy Jones."

"What I don't understand," Jack muttered as he paced back and forth, looking at the map from different angles. "is why these islands don't seem to be anywhere on here. And I swear I've seen every island there is to see in the ocean."

"Are you sure they haven't sprouted within the last time you sailed, Jack?" I smirked.

He scowled at me. "I would bet my right hand that I've possibly seen them before."

We all jumped when we heard a gasp behind us and whirled around, all three of us with our hands resting on the handles of our swords. I relaxed and ran over when I saw MAddie sitting bolt upright, breathing heavily and her eyes wide. She was still awfully pale. "Maddie, are you alright?"

"Right hand," she muttered, rolling off the camp bed and landing on the floor with a thump. I grimaced and bent to help her up but she pushed my hand away. She scrambled to her feet, wobbling all over the place before leaning heavily on a chair as she scanned the map.

"Maddie?" Jack frowned.

"Right hand. Right hand," she kept muttering, confusing us.

"Maddie, you're clearly not well -" I began, only to be interrupted.

"I know what I'm doing, Will. Just give me a minute."

Knowing she meant it, I backed away, watching her with a mixture of curiosity and concern from the other end of the table. Jack and Gibbs stood on either side of me, glancing worriedly at Maddie.