How Deep Is Your Love
Chapter Eighteen
When Henry walked inside the room Whale led him to, he stood back near the door as he stared at his friend lying unconscious on the bed in front of him while he was hooked up to multiple machines working to help keep Hook alive. The thirteen year old knew that he was in bad shape because of the doctor's update earlier, but seeing him in this condition was worse than what Henry thought he was prepared for. The Pirate Captain was the last friend he expected to see in such a condition, as Hook had managed to survive for three hundred years in Neverland and with the exception of his missing hand, he never seemed to ever get a scratch in the many fights the heroes have all fought together. Seeing him near death was unsettling.
"I uh… wow, I'm not really sure what to say," the teenager stuttered when she slowly made his way around to the side of the bed. "Especially to someone who probably can't even hear me. I don't really know you as well as I should. I mean, I got to know you better when I didn't remember you at all. Yet since our memories from the missing year came back… I'm sorry, I'm babbling. I think what I'm trying to say is, I'm happy that you've helped to make my mom happier than I've ever seen her, but I need you to get better so that her heart doesn't get broken again. And I… I want you to get better because I care, about you. You're a good man and have been a good friend to me. We are going to make this right, I promise."
"For your sake and the Captain's, I really wish that was true, Henry," the Snow Queen responded quietly while she suddenly appeared in the doorway moments after Elsa and Robin walked in before either one of the heroes could say anything as she swiftly froze Robin's feet where he stood, then used her magic to force Henry back against the wall with a large icicle to his throat. "But I'm afraid that just isn't the case."
Elsa glared at the villain as she raised her hands and moved in between the other woman and her friend lying helpless while she cried out, "No, I won't let you hurt Hook or anyone else again. Why can't you just leave him be? Haven't you already done enough?"
Ingrid remained standing before her as she answered, "Don't worry, sweet Elsa. I haven't come here to hurt Hook or the rest of you. I simply came by to collect something I need before Emma and the rest of your new friends arrive, and to have a few more words with him."
"Because of you Killian's hooked up to machines and fighting to survive what you've already done to him," Robin replied coldly, struggling to break free. "He'll be fine, but it's not like he can have much of a conversation right now."
"He doesn't have to answer back," she responded as she reached out to pick up Killian's hook and its brace from the chair nearby where his black duster, boots, belt, and cutlass lay as well, then glanced between the others who continued to struggle against her hold on them, except for Elsa who attempted to step up to stop her until the Snow Queen blasted her backwards with a gust of wind. "I may not be able to freeze you like I can the others, Elsa, but I can keep you from trying to stop me. I've waited many years for my chance to get my own happy ending and I won't let anyone stop me ever again."
Henry spoke up again saying pleadingly, "Just leave him alone! I don't care about your plans or why you're doing this, but if you hurt him…"
The Snow Queen interrupted, "I don't plan to, at least not physically. But in order to get what I want, I need the Captain here to understand that he will only destroy Emma so long as he keeps on pursuing her. If I could believe my first test would have done anything to convince him to walk away from the Savior and Storybrooke all together, then this wouldn't be necessary. As for Emma, she needs to know that Hook isn't worth the trouble and pain he'll cause her."
"You don't know how good he's been for my mom," Henry called out angrily. "You don't know him!"
"And if I heard the things you said to him just before I walked in here correctly, neither do you, Henry," Ingrid answered cruelly. "Relax, I'll only be another minute."
Before she left the room, Ingrid bent down over Killian and whispered something into his ear, then walked away from him to head to the door until she stopped and turned around again when Elsa rushed to Hook's side as she asked worryingly, "What did you just say to him?"
The villainess replied smugly, "That's between him and me. And by the way, if when he wakes and he wishes to have this silly contraption that gave him his name back, then he and Emma will have to come for it. Until next time."
When she finally left the room again, the ice that kept both Henry and Robin captive melted away and the two of them immediately rushed out into the hallway and looked for any sign as to where the Snow Queen had disappeared to in hope that they would be able to catch her. But like they expected, she was gone.
"Hey, are you guys alright?" Emma asked when she, David, Mary Margaret, and Regina all walked into the clinic and saw her son and archer friend rushing out of the room where they suspected Hook was currently residing. "What's wrong?"
"What do you think?" Robin responded curtly after he rubbed his hand over his face in frustration. "The Snow Queen was just here."
Henry quickly added, "She broke in here and took Killian's hook and brace, but not before she whispered something into his ear. He's still out and drugged up to help him with his pain, but I'm betting whatever she said somehow has gotten through to him, or it will if… when he wakes up."
Emma clenched her jaw together and started walking toward the room until she paused out of fear to confront Killian again after everything he's been through, turned back to look between Henry and Robin, then asked worryingly, "Did she happen to say why she wanted Killian's hook, or anything that might help us figure out just what it is she's after?"
"She mostly just bragged about why she's doing this," Elsa answered as she stepped out while Emma looked over at her new friend. "She thinks she's trying to protect you and me. I'm so sorry that we couldn't stop her, Emma. She surprised us, again."
"Help!" the heroes could hear somebody suddenly cry out. "Somebody help!"
When they looked toward the door to the room where they could hear the voice crying out from, Emma questioned, "Is that Whale?"
David reluctantly replied, "I'll go help him."
