Chapter 6
Hook
It had long passed midnight in Neverland and The Jolly Roger slowly rocked with the calming waves of the ocean like a rocking chair. A gentle breeze entered through an open window of the captain's quarters. Hook sat writing away in his journal at his desk.
Peter had been asleep for quite a long time now, around seven hours and yet still slept on under the medicines control.
He's different, thought Hook, the once cocky boy who challenged him to duels and cut off his hand was no longer here but left an outer shell of his past self, his enemy had truly left those months ago and for all he knew, he was dead. The months Peter had been away had obviously been hell. Physically Peter had weakened and he had become much thinner, almost tipping into anorexic. Panic attacks cursed the boy now, obviously a traumatic past to come to terms with too. The psychological issues were worse than physical scars, he seemed to suffer from hysteria ; all the signs were there and it was only proved by the way he spaced out at dinner. To say he was not scared was a lie, for he knew he was. Hook feared the boy he could very well go insane and yet he was sticking around. He didn't know why but there was a certain pull to the boy... a reason he didn't turn him away but he didn't know what : frustrating.
(For anyone that wondered why I said hysteria and not a term like PTSD, it's because they sometimes referred PTSD to hysteria in the 1800's.)
Hook put his pen down and began to tidy up the stacks of paper which where splayed on his desk, he was intent on getting some sleep while he could. He tucked everything into the draws and undressed in his bathroom. He began blowing the candles out which lit up the room when he heard it, crying.
Peter was crying out in his sleep, tears were running down his face and the blankets were twisted at his waist.
"No! Please... don't... please... please no..."
He was pleading? Why?
This unnerved Hook so he began to wake up the boy, like lightning the boy's eyes shot open and he shuffled back from Hook, eyes still pouring out fat, wet tears.
Hook stared at Peter as the tears continued to fall, he scurried back thought Hook. He needs to learn to trust me.
With a soft tone Hook began addressing the crying boy " Peter... what was your nightmare about?" He only received a shake signalling no from Peter.
"Are you alright?" Another shake of his head... no.
"Come here Peter, I would like to show you something my mother showed me" His tone was more gentile, almost like how a mother speaks to her children.
This time Peter edged forward so he sat in front of Hook and received a smile from the pirate captain, not like his smirks or grins but a genuine smile.
Hook took the smaller hand and lead him over to the piano and sat down with Peter at his side, he began playing an old song which sounded like a lullaby.
"My mother would play this every night before I went to bed, she would say it kept away nightmares and I can tell you, every night she played it and I never got a nightmare." Hook explained.
Peter seemed fascinated with his hook and hand, how they darted across the keys with quick precision. It was relaxing listening to the pirate play, the song reminded him of his own mother.
Hook ended the song and watched as Peter's closed eyes slowly opened and he released a yawn, Hook picked the boy up again and placed him on his hip and strode over to the open window where they both stared out.
"It's beautiful at night" Peter spoke unsurely.
"Yes it is, a pretty prison at that. I could have been stuck in worse places." Hook sighed
"Sorry." Peter sighed
"What for?"
"I'm sorry the island took you, if I could release you I would. The island doses not want you to go."
"What do you mean the island?"
"The island is living, it holds magic of fairies and there must always be a human to control it, if not it will explode onto the real world and magic will go to normal life. That is why there is no time and why we are all stuck."
Hook pulled Peter closer to him and continued to stare out the window.
"How long have we been here?" Hook asked.
"We have spent no time, no one ages here because time does not exist, it's like a separate reality but in the real world it is now 1856, so it has been twenty six years."
Hook's eyes widened, he would be fifty back in the real world."
"Peter, how old would you be in the real world?"
"Thirty-seven." Peter answered.
It was strange to think how they had all not aged a day for the past two decades, England would be so different now.
Peter let out another yawn from where his head was now resting on Hook's shoulder, his eyes began blinking and he tried to keep them open. Hook noticed and took Peter over to the bed and slowly lowered him down into the blankets and ticked him in, he laced hand in the wavy blonde curls and run his hand through affectionately. Things really do change over time.
Hook walked round and got into the other side and turned away from Peter, just as he was about to blow out the last candle he felt a hand grab his nightshirt sleeve and tug, he turned and was faced with a warm smile.
"Thank you, James."
The boy let go and closed his eyes as Hook blew out the candle and his own smile worked it's way onto his own face.
"Goodnight, Peter."
Hi!
Thank you for staying with me although I regrettably inform I will be going away for two weeks so the chances of being able to upload another chapter is very low.
However, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter and stay with it Please review and tell me what you think of the chapter.
Thank you,
Lucy
xxx
