The Attainment of Evangeline

Chapter 32

Evangeline decided to avoid Jack for an undecided amount of time, and while she roamed the deck a light rain began to sprinkle down on her and the crew, making it chilly. She still didn't understand nor comprehend what Barbossa, Jack, and Gibbs had been arguing about. She knew it was none of her business, but they had been talking about a woman, one that Jack knew apparently, and it bothered her. If she was being truly honest with herself, it more than bothered her. She glanced over at Barbossa who was manning the helm, his face grim and serious, shaking rain drops from his rather large hat with feathers that were sticking to the material.

'Perhaps I could ask him why Jack is so upset,' she thought, as Barbossa growled at a crew member for some misdeed or other.

'He seems to be in a foul mood as well.'

Evangeline looked for Gibbs who always seemed chipper and would be more than willing to let her in on the whole ordeal. Although, she didn't spot the first mate on deck, she did happen to see Jack stumbling out of his cabin, drunk and shirtless, an almost empty bottle in his grip. He stood just in front of his quarters for a moment, swaying slightly and looking up at the grey clouds that were spouting water down as if he could not process the fact that it was raining.

She sighed and made her way over to him as his bottle slipped from his hand and shattered on the deck and Evangeline jumped back. Jack clenched his jaw, his face contorting as he made an honest effort to control himself. After a moment, his facial features relaxed and he seemed to be pouting.

"Damn ya, slippery wet rain! Damn ya and yer entire liquid family. God damn..."

After a moment he began to mutter complete gibberish and Evangeline tenderly reached out her hand and set it on his bare, rain spattered shoulder. Jack glanced over at her, then down at her hand.

"Is everything alright, Jack?" she asked in a whisper as she bent down to pick the broken glass up.

"I've had better days," he answered. "Like yesterday, yesterday was good day."

"You need to get out of the rain," she said, standing up, the glass in her cupped hand. "Or put a shirt on, you're going to get sick."

She walked past him, glass in her hand, and chucked it into the water, hoping some poor innocent fish wouldn't swallow it.

"Poppycock!" Jack shouted.

"Come on, Jack," she prodded, taking him by the hand and pulling him into his cabin.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Once inside, Evangeline was speechless at the amount of empty bottles of rum that were strewn around. Five on his bed, a few rolling around on the floor, two on his desk and even one that had been turned upside down and slipped onto a candlestick. She stared at Jack in disbelief as he grabbed a full bottle from a crate on the floor, kissed it, an uncorked it.

"Jack!" she gasped, tearing the bottle from his grasp before he could bring it to his lips.

"Wha..why'd ya do that fer?"

"Because," she started, putting the cork back in. "Because you are going to make yourself sick! I haven't a clue as to how you are even able to function at this point."

He glared at her and folded his arms across his chest.

"Why do ya bloody care?" he asked, sauntering towards his bed.

Evangeline ran her hand along her face.

"Because you're my friend, Jack," she mumbled.

"Gibbs is me friend and he don't give a rat's damn...a damn rat's ass...Yer just meddlin' in affairs what don't concern ya."