Chapter 4

Peter stared at Mr Smee incredulously as Wendy and her brothers picked up the scrubbing brushes and began their work, swabbing the deck.

"You want me to what?"

"I ain't asking ya, laddie. Captain's orders. You whipper-snappers are to be put to work."

"Every man aboard must pull his weight, me bucko," chimed in Mason.

Pan turned his disgusted expression onto the burly pirate and curled his lip, "I'm no man, Mason… And I'm sure as hell no dirty pirate!"

Peter tried to duck out of the way as Mason lunged at him… but not quickly enough. Peter squealed in pain as the man grabbed hold of his ear and tugged it aggressively.

"Stow ya talk, Pan. You can keep making trouble for yourself, or you can learn to keep ya mouth shut!" With that, Mason shoved Peter to the floor, the boy lying still for a few moments while he collected himself.

Standing above the boy, Mason began to remove his belt, and Peter watched as the pirate flexed the strap in his hands threateningly, staring down at him with a grave expression on his face.

"Pick up a brush and get to work, Pan. Captain's orders."

All four children had their eyes fixed on Mason, flitting from the man's severe face to the belt in his hands.

After a tense silence that Wendy thought would never end, Peter finally relented, grabbing up a scrubbing brush resentfully and scowling at Mr Mason as he did so.

Dipping the brush into a bucket of seawater, Pan continued to scowl at Mason, the man eventually turning back to his own duties once he was satisfied with the boy's surrender.

But Peter Pan was far from yielding to his enemies.

Standing, the boy took aim and lobbed the scrubbing brush as hard as he could, watching wide-eyed as it connected with the back of Mason's head.

Peter grinned in triumph as Mason stumbled forward… but his smile dropped when the man managed to keep his footing and turned, fixing the boy with a furious glare.

As the pirate advanced, Peter dashed away across the ship, Wendy, John and Michael abandoning their task and rushing after their leader and the pirate, screaming pleas at both of them to stop.

Captain Hook burst from his cabin just in time to see Mason catch up with Peter and roughly grab him around the waist, pulling the boy down onto the deck and climbing on top of him.

Peter gasped as the pirate's weight pressed down on his ribs, and his head snapped to the side, blood flying from his mouth as the grown man punched him in the face…

"Enough!" The Captain's shout silenced all on deck, Wendy putting her hand over her mouth in an effort to stifle her own scream.

Peter coughed painfully as he tried to recover himself. He had been hit and injured by pirates countless times, but being punched directly in the head was a new sort of pain. He felt nauseous all of a sudden, and didn't think he'd ever be able to stand up again.

"Get up." Hook's order was quiet but severe, and his crewman complied immediately.

Feeling the weight of Mason vanish did help a little… but Peter kept his eyes firmly shut and willed the throbbing in his head to cease to no avail.

Hook looked down at the boy lying on deck, blood slowly trickling from his mouth, obviously in pain. The Captain allowed himself a small smile.

At a meaningful glance from their captain, Mullins and Starkey stepped forward and took hold of Peter, dragging the boy to his feet and supporting his weight so he wouldn't sink back to the floor.

"What is the meaning of this fray on my ship?!"

"Beggin' ya pardon, Captain Hook, Sir, but… Peter Pan was flouting orders. When I enforced your rule, the brat attacked me."

Addressing the rest of the crew gathered on deck, Hook raised his voice, "Is that the truth of it?"

"Aye, Captain," the men replied in unison.

"Mr Smee tried to set the contemptible imps to work, scrubbing the deck," elaborated Starkey, "But Pan blatantly refused. Mason threatened him with fair punishment, and the boy attacked when Mason's back was turned."

The Captain's eyebrows lifted at these last words, and he looked again at the boy before him.

Peter finally managed to open his eyes to slits as he slowly recovered his composure. He could hear what the pirates were saying, and he had realised Hook was now on deck, too. He hated being so vulnerable in front of Hook… But pain still hammered his head and he just wished he could go to sleep.

Hook saw that the boy's eyes were open but unfocused.

"Miss Wendy," The little girl startled as the Captain turned to her, "Do you recall what I told you only a short time ago? About what would happen if Peter Pan attacked someone with their back turned?"

Wendy's mouth failed to form words; she just stared at the man in dumbstruck horror.

"But perhaps… considering Pan was armed with nothing but a scrubbing brush… And Mr Mason has already done such a good job of exacting his revenge… Perhaps a less severe punishment is in order. What do you say, Mr Mason?"

"Aye, Captain… I enjoyed slugging the runt, but he should be held to account more official-like."

"Quite so."

Hook again considered the boy, mulling over his sentence, and saw Mason's belt, discarded on the deck when the man had given chase.

"Eight hits with your belt, Mr Mason."

"Aye aye, Sir!" Mason beamed as he went to retrieve the strap.

"You can't beat Peter!" Wendy insisted, "Not now! Look at him!"

The boy still wasn't supporting his own weight, leaning heavily against Mullins. Perhaps Mason had hit him too hard.

"You make a fair point, Miss Wendy," the Captain conceded, "Mason, sentence will be carried out when Pan has recovered a little."

Mason looked crestfallen, but heeded his Captain. "Aye aye, Sir."

"Mullins, bring the boy into my cabin."

"Aye aye, Cap'n."

"Please, Captain," young Wendy stepped forward as Mullins complied with Hook's order, picking Peter up and carrying him into the Captain's quarters, "May I tend to him?"

Hook mulled it over. It would be fun to upset the girl by refusing… But it would be useful to have someone to watch Pan closely. Being hit hard enough in the head could kill a man, or indeed a boy, hours or even days later. He had seen it happen.

"Very well, Miss Wendy. Your duty will be to tend Peter until he is fit to perform his own duties."

"Thank you, Captain."

"But be warned," Hook grabbed her upper arm as she was passing him on the way to his cabin, "If I learn of any conspiracies of escape, Pan will receive much worse than a belt or a punch to the head. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Captain. I understand."

Peter found himself unceremoniously dumped onto the Captain's bed by Mullins, the pirate quickly vacating the cabin when his task was fulfilled.

The comfort of Hook's bed was enveloping, and Peter quickly felt himself sinking into a much-wanted sleep.

"Peter! No!" Wendy stood over him and grabbed him by the shoulders, "You mustn't go to sleep. Wake up!"

She wasn't frantic in her demand, but determined. Peter tried brushing her off and rolled over onto his side. How could she be so cruel, to deny him an innocent nap after his ordeal?

"Peter!" Wendy roughly shook him again, "I won't let you go to sleep… Not until I'm sure you'll wake up again."

"Wendy! Get off! Lemme alone..."

"I mean it, Peter Pan. I'll not have you dying in your sleep!"

Peter let out an exasperated groan and heaved himself up into a sitting position. Looking at his friend with exaggerated annoyance, he sighed.

"Happy?"

"Very." The little girl beamed, and Peter couldn't help giving her a small smile in return.

"How's your head?"

Pan put a hand up to the point of impact tentatively, wincing a little as his fingers touched, "It hurts like hell. I really want to sleep."

"Well, you mustn't, Peter… You could die."

"I don't think Mason hit me that hard."

"We can't know that for sure. It's better to be safe than sorry. It's the second head-wound you've had today, after all!"

"I wouldn't be sorry," Peter smirked, "I'd be dead."

The look of worry Wendy gave him wiped the grin from his face, and he dropped his gaze.

"We should decide what to do next..."

Wendy furrowed her brows questioningly at Peter's words, so he elaborated, "To escape. We should plan our next move."

The girl glanced up at the cabin door with concern, the Captain's warning echoing in her mind.

"Peter," she whispered, "This is hardly the place to discuss escape."

"When do you think we'll get another chance alone?" His question was obviously rhetorical, and Wendy bit her lip in consternation. Peter had a point.

"Where do you think we'll be sleeping tonight? Do you think Hook will have us all in here again?"

"I'm not sure… He'll keep you here, possibly… but John and Michael and I could end up anywhere. Probably the brig."

It was Peter's turn to furrow his brows, "We need to stay together, somehow. We all need to escape at once, or there'll be too much time for the pirates to stop us..."

Wendy opened her mouth to reply when the cabin door was thrust open and Captain Hook marched in, Mr Smee trotting in behind him with a steaming kettle in hand.

"Ah, Pan. Still alive, I see."

"No thanks to you." Peter scowled.

"On the contrary, you ungrateful brat… If I hadn't intervened, Mason would have beaten you to a bloody pulp. Perhaps I stopped him too soon."

"Perhaps you did."

"Peter!" Wendy whacked him on the arm reproachfully, "The Captain is right… You're being ungrateful."

Pan let his mouth fall open in dismay, "Ungrateful?! Wendy! This villain is holding us prisoner! We owe him nothing!"

Mr Smee chose this loaded moment to scurry over with a basin of warm water, placing the steaming bowl on a night-stand and handing cut cloth to Wendy. The little girl took the rags without a word, trying to return her thoughts to the heated discussion.

"Peter, Captain Hook could have killed all of us," she continued, dipping a cloth into the water and ringing it out, "We owe him some gratitude for that."

Peter flinched and ducked away from Wendy's touch as she made to clean the cuts on his head and face, "Don't touch me! You're wrong!"

"Peter, I..."

"Just shut up, Wendy! You don't know anything!"

The little girl's bottom lip trembled as she stared at the boy for a moment. Finally, she dropped her gaze in dismay.

"Come, my dear," Hook cooed as her placed his good hand on her shoulder comfortingly and guided her away, "You know as well as I that this brazen, selfish boy speaks without thinking… Mr Smee will return you to your brothers."

Wendy sucked in a breath to stop herself from sobbing as she spoke, "Are we to sleep in here again tonight, Captain?"

"No, my dear. You shall be sleeping in the brig. Fear not! I have had my men make it comfortable for you and your brothers."

"And Peter?"

"Peter will remain here. It will do you good to be free of him for a time."

Looking back over her shoulder, Wendy gazed at Peter in concern, but the boy refused to look up and meet her eye. Mr Smee opened the cabin door for her, and she reluctantly passed through.

Once the cabin door closed, Captain Hook turned his attention back to the boy on his bed.

Pan fidgeted nervously as Hook walked back towards him and took the seat Wendy had vacated. Peter shrank back against the pillows, uneasy at the man's close proximity.

Hook took up the rag that Wendy had abandoned, and soaked it in the basin for a second time. Wringing it out one-handed, Hook leaned in to place it on Peter's head, but the boy flinched and withdrew further.

"Damn it, Pan, hold still!"

"Don't touch me!"

"Don't be such a child. Would you rather your wounds become infected?"

"Yes!"

Hook's eyes flashed in anger at the boy's stubborn pig-headedness, and he lunged forward and grabbed hold of the brat's scrawny leg. Peter shrieked in anger and fear as the man dragged him across the bed and pinned him down. With his hooked arm across the boy's chest, Hook pressed the damp rag against Pan's bloodiest wound.

The boy hissed in pain at the contact, his wound stinging at Hook's touch. But the Captain ignored Pan's discomfort… or rather, he enjoyed it… and didn't withdraw the compress.

"You know, Pan… It's a wonder you have any friends at all. God knows what those puny blighters see in you. You're a horrid little creature."

"Sod you, Hook! They love me. You're the one without any friends."

"My solitude is out of choice, Pan. I left all the important people in England when I first sailed. I was a young man of fifteen."

"Spare me your tragic life-story, Captain. Wendy said I wasn't to fall asleep, and boring tales put me out like a light."

The boy hissed as Hook put more pressure on the wound, sneering at Pan's disrespect.

"You are sorely trying my patience, boy."

"Good!"

Giving up on nursing the ungrateful cur, Hook released him and sat back in his chair, watching Peter sit up and wriggle back up to the top of the bed.

"Get off of my bed, Pan."

"Gladly." Peter swung his legs over the side and promptly lost his balance, falling to his hands and knees. Hook sighed wistfully and rolled his eyes, getting to his feet and circling the bed to where Peter knelt.

"Let me offer you a hand, Pan," The Captain reached down, "The one you haven't already taken from me."

Peter stared at the Captain's outstretched hand, but did not move. Finally withdrawing his offer, Hook sighed again and left the boy to his own devices, taking a seat at his desk and pouring himself a nightcap.

Reassured that the man had lost interest, Peter tentatively pushed himself up off of the floor and stood on shaky legs. He thought he would topple again at any moment, but he was loathed to betray any more weakness to his enemy. He had already been shown to be pathetic, and that pained him more than his physical injuries.

"Let me out, Hook."

The Captain glanced up from the open logs on his desk to give the child a perplexed look.

"No, Pan. You're staying here. Now go to sleep."

"You just ordered me off the bed, Captain Clever."

Hook glared at the boy, resisting the urge to get up and beat him. Even Captain Hook knew there were limits to how often Peter Pan could be punished before it went too far. He didn't want the boy to die just yet, and he clearly hadn't recovered from the earlier ordeals of the day.

The man pointed, and Peter's eyes fell on a narrow, ornate settee by one of several bookcases, "Sleep on the couch, Pan."

Scowling, Peter slowly made his way over to his makeshift bed and collapsed down upon it, curling his knees up to his chest protectively. With all the exhaustion the terrible day had brought, no sooner had the boy closed his eyes than he had fallen into the sweet oblivion of sleep.