Hook stared down at Wendy as her eyes became unfocused and then closed. Her whole body went limp in his arms and his heart jumped to his throat. A fog settled over his mind and it felt as if the whole world had tilted to its side and become off balance.
She can't die—not like this! Not because of me! he thought desperately. His hand reached up and tapped her cheek. She didn't make a sound, her head only lolled slightly with the pressure of his tap.
"Wendy, you need to stay awake!" No response. He tapped her cheek harder. "Blasted woman, why did you have to do that?!"
One minute Wendy had been walking with him back to his cabin, the next he felt her jump behind him. When he turned around, he saw Pan staring at her in horror—face as white as a ghost. He didn't even know what had happened until she collapsed and he caught her in his arms.
That was when he saw the hilt of Pan's dagger sticking out from her chest.
He wanted to kill Pan in that moment—no, not kill. He wanted him to suffer and cry and die a miserable death for what he had done to Wendy…but that could wait. The brat had flown off in a panic right after Wendy collapsed, and going after him wasn't Hook's number one priority right now. The most important thing was getting Wendy back to the doctors in London who would be able to save her. He had been listening when she told him of all the medical advancements they had made in the time between when he lived in London, and her modern-day London, and knew her best chance at survival was going back. There was no way she would have survived if she had lived in his era, but maybe she stood a chance in her own.
It felt like hours before they reached London, and thank goodness it was the dead of night—otherwise the people of the city would have fainted from the shock of seeing a giant pirate ship floating down from the sky and landing in front of London Hospital.
Hook held her close and tried not to jostle her too much as he rushed down the long ramp that had been let down. His hand brushed over her neck as he strode through the emergency room doors, feeling that faint but steady pulse that assured him she was still clinging to life.
A nurse in the reception jumped up as he walked up to her station, eyes bulging when she saw the dagger hilt embedded in Wendy's chest. "Eleanor! Eleanor—go get the doctor!" she yelled to the other lady working at the desk.
The woman—Hook assumed her to be Eleanor—gasped when she saw Wendy and jumped up, running off to find the doctor. The other nurse ran over to some strange-looking contraption that lay abandoned in a nearby hallway. It looked like a cot on stilts, with heels attached to the bottom, and Hook eyed it suspiciously as the nurse wheeled it over to them.
"Put her on the gurney."
Hook reluctantly laid Wendy down, but grabbed her hand and held it close. He wasn't sure whether she was conscious or not, but if she had any sliver of awareness, he wanted her to be assured he was right by her side. A moment later a doctor came rushing towards them. There was a sharp intake of breath when he saw the state Wendy was in, but he quickly pushed it aside and got to work checking her vitals.
"Get an X-ray done so I can see exactly where the damage is and then get her ready for surgery," he ordered the nurse standing next to him. She gave a nod and ran off to do as he'd asked.
Hook didn't have the faintest idea what an 'X-ray' was, but based on what the doctor was saying, he'd made the right choice in bringing her back here—where she would receive the best care. "Will she be alright?"
The doctor looked at him for the first time. "It's too early to say, but we will do our best to save her. Tell me what happened."
Hook watched for a minute as Wendy was wheeled down the hallway and felt an uneasy feeling well up in the pit of his stomach. He didn't like her being out of his sight—especially when she was injured and vulnerable. "She was stabbed by accident."
"By whom? When did this happen? Were you there with her when it happened?" the doctor asked, one question right after the other.
Hook gave him an irritated look. "Does that really matter?"
The doctor gave him an incredulous look. "Of course…the nurses have already rung Scotland Yard to report the stabbing, and once they arrive they will ask you to give your account and take you in for questioning. I'll have to give a statement as well."
Hook felt his hands clench into fists. Why all this nonsense? Couldn't he just be a nameless good Samaritan who brought her in? He knew that sooner or later, they would discover that Wendy was the woman who had been kidnapped a month ago. Since he had no papers, documents, residence, or even knowledge about the new era, they'd think him suspicious. And if—no, when, he reminded himself—Wendy woke up, she'd be questioned separately about that month she went missing.
They hadn't had time to collaborate their stories, so when her version inevitability varied from his, he'd instantly become the number one suspect in her disappearance. Or worse, they would assume Wendy had run off with him and that they'd had a scandalous affair, and Hook would rather he get arrested for kidnapping than destroy her reputation like that. He couldn't bear it if she was ruined because of him.
The best thing he could do for now was disappear for a few days and lay low—no matter how much it would pain him to be away from her, especially when her life hung in the balance. He would just have to trust that that darn blasted stubborn woman would survive just like she always seemed to do. The woman was nearly invincible—it was one of the things he loved about her. At this thought a smile pulled at his lips.
He would come back for her and make good on his promise to marry her. He knew she would keep her promise of a fresh start for the both of them—together. Giving her hand one last squeeze, he laid her hand back down on the gurney, and then turned and walked out the hospital door.
He could hear the doctor yelling, "Aye, where are you going?! You can't leave! Get back here!"
The bright fluorescent lightbulbs above me was the first thing that I noticed when I woke up. They blurred in and out of focus as I tried to make my groggy brain form some sort of coherent thought. Then, when I finally realized what those lightbulbs meant, the confusion set in.
Lightbulbs? Hook's ship didn't have lightbulbs, or any sort of modern convenience. Then the glaringly white ceiling came into focus, and I was even more perplexed. Where were the worn wooden panels that I was so used to? Where was the warmth from the fireplace and the sound of pen scratching against paper? Where was I?
Lifting both arms, I prepared to prop myself up with my elbows, but a sharp pain in my chest suddenly stole my breath. I let out a strangled gasp as white-hot pain flooded my body—emanating from my chest. My memories suddenly came back and I remembered Peter's dagger plunging into my chest. Biting back the tears, I waited for the pain to die down. After it had dulled to a deep throb, I opened my eyes once again.
I turned my head to each side to take in my surroundings. To my right was a large glass window looking out over London, with a table and chair pushed into the corner. Turning my head to the left, I saw an IV drip with a tube running down to my wrist, where a needle was inserted. Next to it were some medical instruments I didn't know the purpose of, and beyond that—a door. Everything in the room, right down to the furniture, was a sterile, plain white. When I looked down I saw that even the hospital gown I was wearing was white.
Obviously, Hook had succeeded in bringing me to a hospital, but where was he? I glanced around the room again, this time looking for any sort of evidence that he had been here. He wouldn't leave me unless necessary, I knew that much, so where could he be? The table and chair in the corner looked untouched.
After spending nearly every waking moment in his presence for a whole month, it felt like a piece of me was missing now that he wasn't here. Even during the times when he wasn't in his cabin, I knew he wasn't far. But now I had no idea where he was, what had happened to him, or even when he was coming back. It unnerved me.
A nurse suddenly walked in and interrupted my thoughts. She spared me only a quick glance as she noted something on her clipboard, but then her head suddenly snapped up again and her eyes widened.
"Oh, you are awake already?" She put on a bright smile and strode forward. "My name is Theresa Thompson, and I am your nurse. How are you feeling? Do you have any pain?"
"Only in my chest," I said, wincing at the pain that talking brought. Even breathing had become difficult, since my chest moved just the slightest with each inhale.
The nurse—Theresa—moved over to the medical instruments next to my bed and messed around with the IV a little. "There, that should do it. You'll feel better in a little while, dear. You gave us quite a scare, you know, when you first came in, but the surgeon on duty is very skilled and they patched you up real good. You were lucky. I'd say you have a guardian angel somewhere."
I smiled at myself. Not a guardian angel, but a certain pirate captain who knew just what do to. "Excuse me, but where is—" I almost blurted out the name 'Hook', but then realized I didn't want to give too much away, and amended, "—the man who brought me in. Where is he?"
"The man with long curly black hair and strange costume?"
"Yes."
"Oh, he ran off as soon as you were taken into surgery," she said with a shrug. I tried to keep a neutral expression on my face, but I could feel my eyebrows furrow in worry. Why would Hook suddenly run off? If what this woman said was true, it would have had to be because he had no other choice.
"The authorities are working hard to find him, no worries. They also have some questions for you as well." At this I felt a little panic deep in my chest at the thought of being questioned. What would I say? This was exactly the predicament I had wanted to avoid by coming back, but now that I was here, I had no choice. I had to come up with a story.
Theresa must have seen the nervous expression on my face, because she leaned over, patting my hand gently. "Oh, but don't you worry, that can wait until a little later. You just woke up, after all, and you need your rest to recover." I nodded, and she smiled. "Do you have any family you would like me to contact? I'm sure they must be worried about you."
At this I remembered that I had been gone for a month now without any word to my family. They must be frantic—they might even believe I'm dead. I was still torn about contacting them. What would I say? How would I resolve this delicate situation? When Hook came back—and I knew he would soon—then we would have to figure out how to deal with all this without causing a scandal.
For a moment, I almost thought about telling the nurse I had no family—sticking to my original plan of disappearing from their lives, but I immediately knew that was a foolish thought. My disappearance would have been publicized, and sooner or later someone would find out who I was—and then I would be in an even bigger mess.
Besides, I dearly missed them. "Yes, please, my name is Wendy Darling," I finally answered, tuning my gaze to the nurse. "My parents are Mary and George Darling. I was kidnapped a while ago, please contact them and let them know I'm safe."
It only took an hour after I told my nurse who I was for me to hear my parents' voices outside my hospital room. My heart jumped to my throat and I held my breath. It had only been one month since I'd last seen them, but it felt like far longer.
Then, when the door opened and my mother stepped through, I let out a gasp at the sight. The last time I had seen my mother she had looked so young and radiant—she didn't look a day over thirty. But the woman who stood before me was much older. Mother had gray hairs sprouting from her temple, and worry lines creased her forehead and mouth. Tears sprang to my eyes when I realized my disappearance must have done this to her.
Then Father stepped through the door, and I saw he had aged a great deal in the month I had been missing as well. He sported gray hair in various places and had put on some extra weight in just one month. The change they'd both gone through in such a short amount of time was almost unreal. I could hardly believe my eyes.
For a moment we all just stared at each other. Mother and Father at me, and I back at them. Then Mother suddenly lurched forward, crossing the room in four steps. She flung her arms around me and held me as close as she could, shoulders heaving with sobs.
"My Wendy. My little girl," she sobbed, stroking my hair. I could feel the tears I had been trying to hold back streaming down my cheeks.
"I'm alright, Mother," I tried to comfort her, but my voice came out choked.
Father was right behind her, and he wrapped the both of us up in a hug, unshed tears gathering in his own eyes. He didn't speak as he held us, just wrapped us tight in his arms.
We stayed like that for a long while, but eventually my wound began to hurt and I gently pulled myself away. Mother must have sensed this, because she stood from where she had been sitting on my bed and gently helped me back into a reclining position.
Wiping her cheeks, she apologized. "I'm sorry, I forgot how much pain you must be in right now." Her eyes darted down to the mass of bandages that poked out from under the top of my hospital gown and her eyes filled up with even more tears.
I looked down and pulled my gown up over my bandages, feeling self-conscious. "I'm really alright, Mother."
She nodded, still sniffling as she sat gently on my bed. "You are now."
Father pulled the chair from the corner and sat down on the other side of my bed. "Before we came here we sent a messenger to fetch John from the barracks, and he will pick up Michael from school on his way here."
My heart lifted at the thought of seeing both my brothers again, but then my mind registered the word Father had so casually thrown out—'barracks'. —" I furrowed my eyebrows as confusion swept through me at the word, but I didn't get the chance to question it because Mother added, "Your brothers have missed you dearly. We all have."
"I've missed John and Michael so much," I replied, but then my smile dropped. "But Father, did you say John was at the barracks?"
At this, Father's face lit up. "Yes. Your brother has wanted to do his duty and serve his country."
My eyes dropped to the starch white bedsheets, puzzling over his words. Serving in the army was a truly noble job, but I had never heard Father speak about it like this before. For so many years now, John had been telling me he wanted to be a banker, just like Father. He never once mentioned joining the army or anything like it. He was still far too young, in any case. John would have just turned seventeen in my absence—still a year younger than the required age to join.
It seemed my parent's appearance hadn't been the only thing to change in my absence. But then the question sprung up—just how much had changed since I'd been gone? What other changes had happened in such a short amount of time? My gaze fell to the engagement ring still on my finger and another question floated through my mind—what of Edward?
I didn't have long to ponder on these things, however, because the door suddenly flew open and in stepped a face I only barely recognized. A gasp tore through my throat and my heart raced as I took in the appearance of my youngest brother, Michael. When we locked eyes, a huge grin broke across his face.
"Wendy!" he cried, racing across the room.
He tackled me in a hug, sending my wound blazing with pain. I managed to hold it in, though, and wrapped my arms around Michael's form. My mind spun and I closed my eyes, trying to center myself. I felt the broad shoulders of my brother's frame, where only a month ago there had been a thin frame. Even leaned over, he was a head taller than me, and much larger than the young boy I had told stories to only a short time ago. I pulled away and stared at Michael's face—noting that his round, boyish cheeks had thinned into a more defined look.
"You've grown so much," I mumbled, but Michael caught it and gave me a grin.
"Of course I have," he said, but then as his eyes took in my appearance, his grin slowly faded into a questioning look. "But you still look the same as you did the last time I saw you."
"Wendy," a voice at the door called out to me, and my eyes turned and met those of my other brother, John. As with the rest of my family, he seemed to have aged years.
I drew in a ragged breath. Trying to keep a steady voice, I asked, "What's going on? Why do you all look so different?"
"What are you talking about, dear?" Mother asked, "Of course we look different. You were gone for such a long time."
"I was only gone for a month," I replied, letting out a nervous laugh, but at the look that crossed Mother's face it came to an abrupt stop.
"Wendy, dear…" Mother leaned forward and placed a hand over mine, then spoke as if trying to explain something difficult to a child. "It's been two years since you disappeared."
There's only about one week left until Christmas-so this is my Christmas present to you all! Merry Christmas everyone!
I know this chapter was shorter than some of my previous chapters, but I felt a lot happened in this one and it was a good time to end it. Hope you all enjoyed, and leave me a comment letting me know what you think! :)
For the anonymous reviews:
Ibbideedibidee: Thanks for waiting and not giving up! Yes, I did manage to kick writers blocks, and I will continue to do it until the story is finished! :D
Foxglove: Thank you very much! That's one of the highest compliments I can receive, because I know it's hard to take such a strange/unusual pairing like this and make it work, so I was very happy to read your review! I agree with you about Peter; I don't see him as a villain, just a boy who doesn't understand how Wendy can love someone who he sees as purely a villain. Thanks so much for your review!
gabs: Thank you! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the story! :)
Fia Ai: Yes! I remember you from back when you commented and had an account! :D Welcome back! And wow, thank you very much! It really blows me away to hear you've been following me for years! Thanks for not giving up on me! I was really surprised people were still reading this, to be honest, after going silent for 2 years! But thanks again for such kinds words, I'll definitely try to keep giving plot twists ;) ah, and don't worry, we haven't heard the last of Hook yet.