Every day, I rose at dawn to watch the sun rise over the ocean.
The captain was usually already awake, gazing mournfully over the bow of the ship.
I would walk over to him, and lean over the railing too.
"Good morning."
There was a nod of recognition.
But this time, something seemed different. There was a bottle of rum in Hook's good hand, and the circles under his eyes were darker than usual.
"Are you alright?"
He took a deep breath, and turned to face me.
"He visited me, last night."
"Liam?"
Hook nodded. "In my dreams. He just stood there. His face was twisted with suffering... and I couldn't wake up."
Tentatively, I put a hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes, I see my grandparents."
"What were they like, your grandparents?"
I smiled at the thought of them. "Gran was a nurse, and Gramps was a doctor, so everything was always very organized and technical. They taught me how to swim, and paid for all my musical lessons."
The captain nodded. "Liam was a gentleman. He was a better man than me, to say the least. If only he could see me now. I've come a long way since the King's Navy."
"Hey," I said. "I'm sure he would be proud of you."
Hook took another swig of rum. I pulled the bottle from his hand. "That's quite enough for right now."
He looked away from the sunrise, and back at me. "I never had a sister. My mum always used to say if I did, Liam and I would turn her into a sailor too. You look a bit like her. My mum, that is."
I smiled. "The last thing my parents wanted was another baby, so I never got the chance to have a sibling."
Hook stepped away from the railing and extended his hook towards me. "I could maybe use some family around here."
I reached out and took the hook in my hand. We shook.
"In that case," I began, "We'll need to start sharing." Hook laughed as I brought the bottle of rum to my mouth and tilted my head back.
"Oh, that is vile!"
I coughed and spat over the railing. Hook patted me on the back. "We'll work on it."
If only I'd know that I would lose my brother so quickly.