The Doctor Is In, a peter pan fanfic

Author's Note:

This is just an idea I had when I came across a Peter Pan movie on T.V. I only watched a couple minutes of it, but I kept thinking about the story of Peter Pan and came up with this. I don't read Peter Pan fan fiction so I don't know if anyone else has had this idea or not, but that doesn't really matter. Here you go. Please enjoy.

Dr. J.M. Barrie looked across the table at the man before him. Captain James Hook, as he liked to be called, looked older than he actually was. He had a perpetual scowl, and he took almost perverse pleasure out of putting his hook for a right hand on display. He was currently gesturing his hook up into the air as he recounted another one of his clashes with his nemesis, Peter Pan. Dr. Barrie smiled at Captain Hook's theatrical antics. This was definitely a departure from other times when Captain Hook could be downright morose.

With the story finally winding down, Dr. Barrie made a note on his pad of paper. He prepared himself for what could either be an enlightening conversation or perhaps a conversation that went nowhere like usual.

"Captain Hook. We've been meeting for some time now, and I hope that you've come to trust me a little," Dr. Barrie said.

"Quite so, Doctor. You seem to be my only peer here in Neverland. Peter and the Lost Boys hate me, while my pirates fear me. I've enjoyed our conversations," Captain Hook said as he stroked his facial hair with his hook.

"I hope you don't mind if I pry a little, but why exactly do you hate Peter Pan so much?"

"Ah, Doctor, the reason for the hatred I have for Peter Pan is right here," Captain Hook said as he flashed his hook in front of him. "That boy cut off this hand, and fed it to a crocodile, deliberately and maliciously, my good Doctor, deliberately and maliciously."

"But Captain, to do that means Peter was fighting you at the time. There must have been a reason for that fight. I'd like to know how this conflict started."

With a slight look of confusion, Captain Hook glanced down at his hook for a hand. His left hand cradled and caressed the hook. He said, "That's true. We must have been fighting before that. In fact, as long as I remember, we have been always fighting."

While making another note on his pad of paper, Dr. Barrie said, "As long as you can remember? What about when you were a child, Captain Hook? Peter couldn't have been born then, so you couldn't have been fighting."

Captain Hook's confused and morose look vanished, and anger appeared on his face in a flash. "A child? I have never been a child, Doctor. A child is carefree. He's stupid to the world around them, he has no sense of responsibility, and he certainly doesn't understand that death is in its future, that ticking clock. I have never been like that, so I have never been a child. Don't even think of comparing me to a child again, Doctor, or we won't be having any more conversations because you'll have walked the plank."

"I'm sorry Captain. I won't mention it in the future if you don't want me to, but one thing before I go as our time is almost up. You seem to have quite the hatred for children. Do you think your conflict with Peter began because of that hatred? I'd like you to think about that before our next conversation."

Captain Hook was silent as Dr. Barrie packed up his things and left.

Dr. J.M. Barrie looked across the table at the young man before him. Peter Pan, as he liked to be called, looked so very youthful. He had a mischievous smile, and he seemed light as a feather as he lifted himself out of his seat, slammed a foot onto the table, and raised his left hand up into a fist while he recounted another one of his clashes with his nemesis, Captain James Hook. Dr. Barrie smiled at Peter's theatrical antics. This was a normal occurrence in his conversations with Peter.

"Peter. We've been meeting for some time now, and I hope that you've come to trust me a little," Dr. Barrie said.

"Definitely, Doctor. You're pretty cool for an adult. All the other adults here in Neverland are pirates, and they're not so much fun to talk with as they are to fight with. I've enjoyed our conversations," Peter said as he sat back down in his chair.

"I hope you don't mind if I pry a little, but why exactly do you hate Captain Hook so much?"

"Well, there's your answer right there," Peter said with a gesture from his hand. "He's the captain of a band of nefarious pirates here in Neverland. Of course, I don't like him. Besides, he's an adult."

"You don't seem to like adults very much Peter. Do you realize that one day you'll be an adult as well? All children grow up."

"Except one," Peter said with a raised index finger. His hand closed into a fist, and he pointed to himself with his thumb. "Me. I'm never growing up. I'll stay a boy forever."

While making another note on his pad of paper, Dr. Barrie said, "What about Wendy, Peter? She'll grow up like all little girls. Don't you want to grow up with her and become an adult?"

Peter's childlike face scrunched in anger. Standing up and pointing to the Doctor, he said, "An adult? I will never be an adult, Doctor. An adult is stupid. He doesn't understand the beauty of the world, he never plays, and he certainly gets old and dies. I will never be like that, so I will never be an adult. You won't catch me and make me a man, Doctor, so you better stop thinking about it."

"I'm sorry Peter. I won't mention it in the future if you don't want me to, but one thing before I go as our time is almost up. You seem to have quite the hatred for adults. Do you think you hate them because you fear you'll turn into them? I'd like you to think about that before our next conversation."

Peter was silent as Dr. Barrie packed up his things and left.

Patient No. 10111911

Doctor's Notes:

My conversations with Captain Hook and Peter Pan are a thing of amazement to me. I'm glad I can talk with them now. It took me such a long time before they acknowledged my presence. There's such a dichotomy between the two of them. Peter Pan is the epitome of childhood. He's carefree and believes in his own immortality. But, I see the fear that he has as well. He's so afraid to grow up and become an adult. Well, some children are like that, but Peter's reason is such a special case. Captain Hook, on the other hand, is the epitome of adulthood. His scars, immortalized in his right hand, make him see the world in such an ugly way. He understands that it can be tough living in the world as an adult, and he understands that death is calling to him as it calls to all living beings. He has such hatred for children, though. This probably stems from his envy of children's lives. He wants to go back to simpler times, but in reality he can't.

It still amazes me that Captain Hook and Peter Pan are actually the same person, two personalities inhabiting the same body. He amazes me with the ability to look much older or much younger than his actual age of 25 depending upon his body language. It's quite interesting to watch his body language when Captain Hook and Peter Pan start talking to each other. Unfortunately, they seem to zone out the world when this happens so I can't communicate with them when both personalities are present.

I've finally found the missing puzzles to my patient's life. He was born James Peter Pan. In his childhood, he liked to be called by his middle name, Peter. I know of a number of people that go by their middle name so that in of itself is not unusual. In fact, Peter had a pretty normal childhood. He even had a group of friends who lived in the same neighborhood. They called themselves the Lost Boys. About the time Peter was finally growing into a man, a girl by the name of Wendy moved into Peter's neighborhood. She was a year older than Peter, but they seemed to get along well. A few of their friends that I tracked down told me that Wendy fell in love with Peter pretty quickly. It took Peter some time, though, to reciprocate Wendy's feelings. Perhaps a year after they met, they finally started to date. A few years went by, and they were still together. They finally got engaged around the time Peter was 17, and it looked like their lives would become the happily-ever-after-ending that everyone hopes for. Unfortunately, life is not so kind. A few months before they were to be wed when Peter would turn 18, Peter and Wendy were in a horrible car accident. The other vehicle was an 18-wheeler, so their car was totaled. Peter lost his right hand in the accident; Wendy lost her life. Love can be such a powerful creative force. However, the reverse can be said as well. With the loss of that love, there comes an equally powerful destructive force. Peter couldn't handle the death of his loved one. His mind cracked under the grief. He told people to call him by his first name, James. If anyone uttered the name Peter, he would go into an uncontrollable rage. It wasn't long before his mind couldn't handle the pressure and finally snapped. Peter withdrew into himself creating a world much different from our own that he calls Neverland where he plays two parts: Peter Pan, the youthful, carefree boy that Peter wished he could be again and Captain James Hook, the morose and angry man he had become.

Peter seems to have only two personalities. The personalities are aware of each other, both living not in the real world but a world they made up themselves. Peter's situation is like a complete psychotic breakdown. Upon careful review, I believe that Peter divided his memories between Captain Hook and Peter Pan. This coincides with the fact that Captain Hook seems to have no memories of his childhood and with the fact that Peter Pan seems to have an unnatural fear of becoming an adult. These are defense mechanisms to keep himself from realizing that Captain Hook and Peter Pan are the same person. Peter Pan also makes himself see his imaginary Wendy more in a motherly way. This is another defense mechanism to keep Peter from remembering his love for and the death of his real Wendy.

I don't know if I will be able to help Peter or not, but I will try. My proposed solution is to treat both Captain Hook and Peter Pan first. Captain Hook needs to understand that his anger of children is derived from his envy of them. Peter Pan needs to let go of his fear of growing up. I think only then will I be able to make them realize that Neverland isn't real, and they are actually the same person. It will be a long process, but I hope that eventually I will be able to talk with the Peter that I sometimes see in Captain Hook and Peter Pan.

-Dr. J.M. Barrie