Chapter14.
Wendy's rescuer
James had not slept so soundly in years, his body curled about that of the girl domineeringly. He had been surprised by how accommodating and willing the girl had been. Her soft kisses and acceptance of his mastery had moved him to be far gentler with her than he'd planned, even in her delicate condition. Her tender and even enthusiastic responses had given him more contentment and gratification, beyond the delight and enjoyment of plundering her yet again would have. He had pulled her into his embrace after he'd gone limp within her, long after he'd spilled more seed. He enjoyed the feeling of her in his arms, and sleep came peacefully.
He awoke before the sunrise, to emptiness, and sat up looking about the dim room. "Wendy?" he said then repeated it louder. "Wendy?" He listened and could hear nothing, now he roared. "Wendy!"
"I'm here," her voice was hoarse and sounded like it was coming from an echo chamber.
James left the bed, oblivious to his nakedness and searched for her. Finding her on the floor of the bath, hugging the commode; "What's the matter with you?" He knelt at her side; and even in the dim light could observe how pale she'd turned. "Are you ill?"
"Its morning sickness," she said before losing the remainder of the contents of her stomach.
"Surely not," he said setting back on his haunches. "It would be too soon…"
Wendy placed her face on the rim of the commode. "What the hell do you know about it? My mother use to say she was sick from almost the day of conception." She moaned and tried to breath. "I feel like I'm dying," she whimpered.
"Are you sure it is not something you ate at dinner?" He asked.
Wendy turned her face, still keeping it resting on the rim, and looked at him. "You ate the same thing I did, are you retching?"
"No," he admitted.
"There ya go," she said and again retched.
Leaving her for a moment he returned with a cup of water for her to rinse her mouth. "You're sure it's only morning sickness?"
"Only?" She rinsed and spit, and handed him the cup. "Go away, James."
Snorting lightly at her use of his name, he placed the cup on the back of the commode. "How long do these bouts go on?"
"I don't know, I've never been pregnant before," she groused, moaning she leaned over the commode once more. "Oh do go away, James."
He nodded and returned to the bed, where he sat upon the edge listening to her retch. Never in his life had he heard such a sound. It was nearly dawn when she exited the bath room looking worn out and collapsed on the bed. He pulled the blanket up over her and lay besides her watching as she fell back into slumber. She was frail and pale, with dark circles ringing her eyes. He curled his arm over he waist and rested beside her.
An hour later James rose from the bed and gently picked her up to carry her into the bath. "Just sit still and rest," he crooned. "Let me be your lady's maid for now." Wendy, too tired, too weary and too weak, nodded. He stepped into the tub, and once more settled her in the warm waters, resting her head on his chest. "See, nice and easy," he crooned.
"Don't talk," she begged. "My head is pounding." James picked up the sea sponge and began to wash her gently. Meeting with no resistance, he looked at her, not liking her pallor. He stayed quiet, and bathed her.
James put Wendy back to bed before he called for Smee; who came racing up to the master's chamber. "Do you know anything about morning sickness?" Hook asked his bo'sun, turned manservant.
Smee's face went blank, turning nearly as pale as the girl moaning from the bed. "Why are you asking me? I've never even been married…" He heard the moans and looked from his Captain to the girl. "Well this is something you had not planned on, isn't it?"
Hook snorted, "I had to change the original plan, if you recall."
"Well this is what comes of riding the hobby horse." Smee said unkindly, but kept his voice down. "What you intend to do now?"
James paced tapping his chin with his good hand, "I guess we have to ask our friend Doctor to make a return visit…surely there's some kind of medication he can give her to…." He watched as the girl ran toward the bath once more. "Good lord, there can't be anything left inside her…" He motioned the man to call the doctor as he went to check on the ailing girl.
Hours later when he arrived, the Doctor didn't look very pleased about being brought back. He frowned at Smee when the door was opened for him to enter. He huffed under his breath something about not being on a tether line, and how dare they interrupt his life. Once he entered the bedchamber, and began to examine the girl, his demeanor changed. He drew the Captian aside and spoke urgently to him. "She needs a hospital."
"For morning sickness," scoffed the Captain.
Looking toward the pale girl, the doctor shook his head: "This is not just morning sickness… the girl is suffering from Hyperemesis gravidarum. A condition characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and electrolyte disturbance. Mild cases are treated with dietary changes, rest and antacids. More severe cases often require a stay in the hospital so that the mother can receive fluid and nutrition through an intravenous line. That girl is dehydrated, and she needs the kind of care she can only receive in a hospital." When the captain made to protest the old doctor leaned forward. "I'm not an obstetrician, and that is what she needs right now… someone who is well versed in that field of study. She needs a hospital."
James looked at the Doctor, pulled himself up straight, and dismissed the man. "Thank you for coming, you may go."
"I won't be held responsible," warned the doctor. "I've given you my suggestion, what you do now is on your head." Both men watched as the girl raced from the bed to the bathroom once more. The doctor moved faster than the captain, and was in the bath observing her. He turned to the captain. "She needs a hospital." He said as he gathered the girl who fainted away after retching again.
"Yes," James agreed. "I have to let her go….."
The doctor had discreetly arranged for an ambulance to carry the girl to a London hospital. James looked at her, pale and frail and wondered if she'd survive to carry the baby to term. He watched the ambulance as it left his drive, knowing it would be a long time before he'd be able to see the young woman again. He turned to Smee with a dark twinkle in his forget-me-not blue eyes. "Alert our people on staff that Wendy Darling is being admitted to Saint George's as a Jane Doe…once they realize who she is the place will be swarming with officers, and our people will have to mind their p's and q's."
Smee nodded.
The driver of the ambulance was not aware of whom his rider was. All he knew was he was transferring an ill woman from her home to an ambulance that was coming to meet them half way. The transfer took place, and the bundled Wendy was moved from one ambulance to the other without anyone recognizing her. When the driver and his assistant pulled her gurney out of the ambulance and rolled it into the emergency room they were still not aware of whom their patient was.
The nurse in charge of the emergency room glared at the driver; "What are you doing?"
"We were told to bring this patient here," he handed her his order sheet.
Frustrated and overworked, the woman looked at the sheet. "There's no Doctor Malikey on staff here." She looked at the sheet again, and was on the verge of turning them away when Wendy moaned. Remembering The Nightingale Pledge, she'd taken oh so long ago; she moved to look at the invalid and gasped. "Oh my god…its Wendy Darling." She alerted the administrator of the hospital, and then called for the police. Orderlies meanwhile pushed the gurney into the examining room and a physician was called in to examine her.
The nurse was wringing her hands when the officers arrived to question her, and the ambulance driver. The drive gave him the sketchy information he had, as did the nurse. John, Peter and Phillip Darling arrived an hour later having been given a call by the officers. John paced in the waiting room of the emergency area like a caged cat. Peter sat on a chair, feet apart, bracing his arms on his knees and resting his chin on his clenched hands. Phillip leaned on a wall and silently prayed.
Doctor Mark Dugan had read over the paper that had come with the girl. The unsigned sheet had given a diagnosis of Hyperemesis gravidarum, and he totally agreed. Nevertheless not being an obstetrician, he called for Doctor Craig, the head of Obstetrics to come and examine the girl. He wanted to take no chance with the health of the famous girl.
Doctor Craig read over the reports and discussed his findings with Dugan before ordering intravenous fluids– to restore hydration, electrolytes, vitamins, and nutrients. They both watched over the girl's vital signs before going to speak with the family.
John jumped when the door opened, moving to where the two doctors stood. "How is she?"
"She's stabilizing…. And we don't think any harm has come to the baby…" Doctor Craig announced.
"What baby?" All three Darling men asked in unison.
Doctor Craig looked at John who seemed to be the leader for the family. "Miss Darling is pregnant…" He placed a hand at John's elbow, quietly adding. "There are signs of trauma….and we believe she was raped…"
John blanched, and placed a hand to his face. "Can we see her?" When the Doctor agreed, John motioned for the two other Darling men to follow him into the little area where Wendy lay strapped to a table and being pumped with fluids. He looked at the Doctor, "Can you… do an abortion?"
"Not without her permission." Doctor Craig explained; "And not without rendering her unable to bear another child." He looked at the Darling men with concern. "Were any of you aware of her medical conditions?"
John frowned. "We were not as close as we should have been….she's American you know."
Nodding Craig looked at the girl whose color was improving. "Yes, I was aware."
Peter shoved his hands into his pockets. "Who would do this to her?"
John didn't wish to say more, but he had his suspicions. "Her conditions… will they complicate her pregnancy?"
The doctor shrugged. "A good deal depends on how well she responds to treatment."
Reaching for his hand, John once more went into head of family mode. "Thank you, Doctor. We will be most grateful if you'd accept her as a patient for her duration here."
Craig gave them a curt bow. "I'd be honored to help the Darling family." He then gave them a few moments with Wendy while he arranged to have her transferred up to the maternity floor.
John took a seat and looked at her, "Oh Wendy," he sighed.
James Hook looked at his bed, and found it wanting. He paced his grand suite of rooms and felt the sudden urge to vacate the premises. Swiftly he gave orders to pack up what they could and get moved out of the great house. Some inner sense had always served him well, and he was sure it was serving him well now.
Three days later Wendy awoke in a room full of beautiful flowers, for a moment she thought perhaps she'd died and was in heaven. The slight urge to lose her cookies told her otherwise. She looked about and found a sweet faced nurse standing over her. "Where am I?" she asked slightly disoriented.
"St. George's hospital in London, miss." The nurse informed her gently. "Your cousins' have been waiting for you to awaken. Do you feel up to seeing them?"
Wendy didn't really, but knew that John would be coming through the door anyway. "Sure, send them in." She settled her self and took a deep breath. Her three male cousins were followed into her room by an official looking fellow with a serious grimace. Wendy knew he had to be there but didn't appreciate it. She reached out her arms when John darling came near, and then to each of her cousins as he too approached.
John drew the official forward. "Wendy, this is Inspector Torrance. He's been on your case since you went missing."
"Inspector," Wendy gave him a respectful nod before turning to John. "I'm sorry to have caused such trouble, John."
Taking a seat on the edge of her bed the man placed a protective arm over her. "Not at all poppet, not at all…my fault for not heeding that inner voice."
"Inner voice?" The inspector asked harshly. "What inner voice would that be, Mr. Darling?"
John looked over at the man answering cautiously. "I've always had this inner sense of when something was going wrong… I had it the night Wendy and her driver disappeared."
The official didn't look like he was buying it, "Miss Darling, what do you remember?"
"I was drugged… someone must have slipped something into the tea I was drinking…"
"You were drinking tea at the celebration?" Again the inspector didn't look impressed or believing; "While everyone else was drinking alcohol?"
Leaning against John for support, the girl nodded. "I was having a bit of a woman's issue at the time and I have always found a good strong cup of tea more helpful." She explained softly. "I lost consciousness in the back seat of the limo… and when I awoke, I was bound and gagged." She raised her hands and showed her scared wrists to the inspector. "Everything is more or less a blur."
"I see," The Inspector put his hands behind his back and regarded the girl rather grimly. "Have you any recollection of your rapist?"
Bristling at the question, Wendy shook her head. "I was kept in a dark room, and his face is a mystery to me." She began to rub the scar on her wrist as if it were paining her again.
Doctor Craig entered the room and began to chase the men out. "For the love of God, the woman is recovering, out! All of you, out!" He glared at the inspector; "You too."
John kissed the brow of the girl resetting into the pillows. "I'll be back later."
"Come alone," Wendy said in an undertone that could not be heard beyond the man bent over her. He nodded as he kissed her again. Wendy watched as they all filed out with the exception of the doctor. She looked at the bottle on the hanger dripping fluids into her system. "What is that?" She asked pointing to the bottle.
"Fluids to restore hydration, electrolytes, vitamins, and nutrients," Doctor Craig said as he picked up her wrist to check her pulse. "You're responding nicely."
"No drugs?" she asked.
"No, I prefer to take a cautious track with meds." He took a seat in a chair he pulled closer. "Your cousins seemed to know very little about your medical condition; that is rather odd."
"No, not really…I seldom come to the British Isles…." She said guardedly. "So tell me, Doctor, am I going to live?"
Doctor Craig leaned back and looked at her for a long moment before answering. "Your cousin John was suggesting an abortion."
"Out of the question," she said placing a hand over her abdomen.
"I see," Craig leaned forward. "You are well aware of the risks?"
"I am," she sighed resigned.
"I will be of course forwarding my findings to your personal physician," he took out a pen and note pad from his hospital coat. "If you'll give me his name,"
"No." Wendy said quietly and pursed her lips. "Doctor, I'm going to ask you to turn my files over to me, and forget you ever saw me….for your own safety."
The man looked at her in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"
The girl pursed her lips tighter. "I'm not sure I can explain, but after I leave here, I want you to forget my face, my name and my condition." She patted her tummy. "We will thank you to do us this favor."
"Will you see a doctor?" He asked.
"I promise you, I will." She was already thinking of what her next move was to be. "So, how long do I have to be here?"
Doctor Craig looked at her chart and then the bottle hanging. "I'd like to get at least another bottle in you before releasing you." His voice was reasonable.
"Done," she agreed. "Now, just between you and I, how soon can I travel?"
"How far?"
"Across the pond," she said firmly.
He considered her condition and said softly, "I'd say a week, maybe two…"
"Alright," she tapped her chin. "Doctor Craig, will I have any more problems with the morning sickness?"
"Not if you stay hydrated, get enough bed rest and follow a diet I'll prescribe for you." He said making a note on her chart. "I'll have all that information for you and your records, before I release you, Miss Darling….but where will you go until you can…travel?"
"The Darling house…" she said very sure of her Cousin John's wish. "I'm sure John will as for you to see me after I'm at the house, for your own good, don't do it. Make some excuse, and I will explain to John..." She reached out a hand to the man. "I am grateful to you for all you've done for us." Her voice was sincere and the doctor smiled back at her before taking his leave.
"Well," she said placing a hand to her tummy. "It seems you and mummy are going to have to be very cagy to out smart your daddy…If you want to out smart a pirate, think like one…" she mused; "Who would have thought a baby would be the one to deliver me from the clutches of Captain Hook?"
James looked at the fashionable house in London's Belgravia district. He had owned this place for years, but until now had never used it. His servants moved swiftly to make the rooms comfortable for their master.
Sitting in one of his winged back chairs in the formal sitting room, James read the newspaper account of the mysterious appearance of the Darling girl. No mention of her delicate condition was made. He tossed the paper aside, "Smee, send a car for Lizzie Darling… it would seem I may need her help in keeping tabs on my Darling girl."
Smee frowned, he didn't like or approve of Miss Lizzie but knew better than to protest.
The day before Wendy was to be released from the hospital she had an unexpected visitor, Lizzie. In the hands of her distant and aloof cousin was a vase containing birds of paradise. Wendy looked at the flowers with a counterfeit smile, keeping up the sham of being happy to see Lizzie and thanking her for her concern, and assuring her that she intended to convalesce at the Darling house for a long time. When the blond exited the room, Wendy looked at the beautiful flowers and pursed her lips. "Keeping tabs?" she asked aloud before turning her back on the gift that had not come from her cousin at all. 'Think like a pirate,' she told herself before drifting off to sleep and formulating the beginnings of her plan to escape the far reaching clutches of James Hook.