Neverland Away
I'm glad to know I'm not just vainly writing this for myself. Thanks, guys! Also, I don't know much (translation: anything) about 1900's medical anything, so bare with me!
Chapter 6 A Kiss
The sun was beginning to rise by the time Mr. Darling returned home. The second Wendy heard the door she was on her feet.
"Is he okay, daddy? Is he with you?" Wendy asked as her father walked in.
He was silent.
"He's okay, isn't he...?" Wendy asked, her voice betraying the fear and uncertainty she tried to conceal.
"There's no change. The doctors don't know what to do." He solemnly replied.
"I want to go see him." She asked. She saw her father's mouth open in a way that said 'I'm about to give you all the reasonable explanations of why that wouldn't work' and interrupted him. "I have to."
And somehow suddenly it was all clear to him. "As soon as the sun has risen."
Wendy gave an affirmative nod and ran upstairs to change out of last night's party clothes. When she was done she sat on the side of her bed to gather her thoughts while she impatiently waited for the sun to ascend above the buildings. She wondered what she would say to Peter if he were to wake up, and what she would do if he never did. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Are you ready, Wendy?" Her father asked.
Wendy sprung to her feet and opened the door, "Let's go," she pleaded.
The hospital Peter had been taken to, The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, wasn't too far from the Darling home, especially by carriage, and she and her father reached it in a matter of minutes.
"Hello," Mr. Darling said to a nurse at the front desk, "I'm here to see Peter Darling."
The nurse nodded and checked the sheet in front of her "Room 117." She answered. Mr. Darling thanked her and took Wendy down a corridor. They passed through a small waiting room, and just a little bit further ahead they found room 117.
"Wendy, I'll leave you your privacy." Mr. Darling said heading back for the waiting room. She would have hated to admit it, but she was scared standing in the entrance to Peter's room all alone.
Wendy saw his small frame laying in the bed. As she stepped into the room she searched for the word that best described him at that moment, it was a writer's habit she had gotten in to: serene, peaceful, calm... empty. The last one made her intake a breath sharply. She ran to the bed and grabbed Peter's hand. "Peter," she said, holding back tears "It's not like you think at all, I learned that today. You can grow up however you like, and I'd much like to do it with you. So please wake up, please. There's so many adventures left."
Peter didn't budge.
"Oh, Peter!" She cried, "I don't know what to do! What will make you come back?" And then she remembered, on the pirate ship. Peter had fallen because he'd lost all his happy thoughts, and she had kissed him and he flew. Wendy turned around to make sure her father was still out of sight in the waiting room. "Please wake up." she pleaded "Like in the stories. Do you remember your cue? It's when I kiss you, you open your eyes, okay? Ready?" Wendy was hesitant, if this didn't work, she'd lose all hope. She thought about not doing it, just in order to hold on to that hope, luckily that thought was discarded.
She hesitantly leaned over him, whispering "Wake up." just before kissing him softly on his lips.
He was still, nothing changed- or more accurately: Wendy thought nothing changed. Tears began to cloud her eyes. She slipped down onto the floor and began to silently sob, every once in a while taking a huge gasp of air. She didn't see Peter begin to glow, but then how an you blame her? Not only was she sobbing into her lap, but tears distorted her vision.
It was only a little while later when Peter slowly opened his eyes, and sat up. Wendy didn't hear him, she was in the process of a rather loud gasp.
"Wendy lady?" he asked. Wendy continued to cry, "Wendy lady, why are you crying?"
Wendy heard him that time. Her head shot up, and she slowly, full of fear he'd still be lying in it, turned to look at the bed. But he was there, sitting up and looking at her questioningly.
A smile formed on her tear drenched face, and it's quite impossible in the history of the world that anyone ever looked any happier than she did in that moment.
"It doesn't matter, Peter. I don't have to cry any more." She answered.
TBC
I'm glad to know I'm not just vainly writing this for myself. Thanks, guys! Also, I don't know much (translation: anything) about 1900's medical anything, so bare with me!
Chapter 6 A Kiss
The sun was beginning to rise by the time Mr. Darling returned home. The second Wendy heard the door she was on her feet.
"Is he okay, daddy? Is he with you?" Wendy asked as her father walked in.
He was silent.
"He's okay, isn't he...?" Wendy asked, her voice betraying the fear and uncertainty she tried to conceal.
"There's no change. The doctors don't know what to do." He solemnly replied.
"I want to go see him." She asked. She saw her father's mouth open in a way that said 'I'm about to give you all the reasonable explanations of why that wouldn't work' and interrupted him. "I have to."
And somehow suddenly it was all clear to him. "As soon as the sun has risen."
Wendy gave an affirmative nod and ran upstairs to change out of last night's party clothes. When she was done she sat on the side of her bed to gather her thoughts while she impatiently waited for the sun to ascend above the buildings. She wondered what she would say to Peter if he were to wake up, and what she would do if he never did. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Are you ready, Wendy?" Her father asked.
Wendy sprung to her feet and opened the door, "Let's go," she pleaded.
The hospital Peter had been taken to, The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, wasn't too far from the Darling home, especially by carriage, and she and her father reached it in a matter of minutes.
"Hello," Mr. Darling said to a nurse at the front desk, "I'm here to see Peter Darling."
The nurse nodded and checked the sheet in front of her "Room 117." She answered. Mr. Darling thanked her and took Wendy down a corridor. They passed through a small waiting room, and just a little bit further ahead they found room 117.
"Wendy, I'll leave you your privacy." Mr. Darling said heading back for the waiting room. She would have hated to admit it, but she was scared standing in the entrance to Peter's room all alone.
Wendy saw his small frame laying in the bed. As she stepped into the room she searched for the word that best described him at that moment, it was a writer's habit she had gotten in to: serene, peaceful, calm... empty. The last one made her intake a breath sharply. She ran to the bed and grabbed Peter's hand. "Peter," she said, holding back tears "It's not like you think at all, I learned that today. You can grow up however you like, and I'd much like to do it with you. So please wake up, please. There's so many adventures left."
Peter didn't budge.
"Oh, Peter!" She cried, "I don't know what to do! What will make you come back?" And then she remembered, on the pirate ship. Peter had fallen because he'd lost all his happy thoughts, and she had kissed him and he flew. Wendy turned around to make sure her father was still out of sight in the waiting room. "Please wake up." she pleaded "Like in the stories. Do you remember your cue? It's when I kiss you, you open your eyes, okay? Ready?" Wendy was hesitant, if this didn't work, she'd lose all hope. She thought about not doing it, just in order to hold on to that hope, luckily that thought was discarded.
She hesitantly leaned over him, whispering "Wake up." just before kissing him softly on his lips.
He was still, nothing changed- or more accurately: Wendy thought nothing changed. Tears began to cloud her eyes. She slipped down onto the floor and began to silently sob, every once in a while taking a huge gasp of air. She didn't see Peter begin to glow, but then how an you blame her? Not only was she sobbing into her lap, but tears distorted her vision.
It was only a little while later when Peter slowly opened his eyes, and sat up. Wendy didn't hear him, she was in the process of a rather loud gasp.
"Wendy lady?" he asked. Wendy continued to cry, "Wendy lady, why are you crying?"
Wendy heard him that time. Her head shot up, and she slowly, full of fear he'd still be lying in it, turned to look at the bed. But he was there, sitting up and looking at her questioningly.
A smile formed on her tear drenched face, and it's quite impossible in the history of the world that anyone ever looked any happier than she did in that moment.
"It doesn't matter, Peter. I don't have to cry any more." She answered.
TBC