Eeeeekkkkk...
Have you all being holding your breath?
Well get ready to gasp in a lungful of air... on we go.
As always please review
Snow and Regina sat on the bench watching Junior and Henry as they played happily with the toy ship, Snow bounced Neal on her knee and he gave a little giggle.
"This is nice" She said with a smile as she sat back and raised her face up to the sun with a sigh
"I have to agree" Regina replied with a smile of her own as she lent back too "This week has been... challenging to say the least"
"I know what you mean" Snow said lifting her eyebrows high on her head "Can you believe that this time last week Junior wasn't here?"
"No..." Regina replied with a smirk "He just seems to fit right in. Look at him Mary-Margaret, look at Henry with him. They just seem... right"
Just then the two boys ran up the slight slope and dropped onto the ground in a heap panting heavily.
"Can we have a drink please Mom?" Henry gasped coming up onto his elbows
"Of course Henry. What would you like? I've put in cola or there's orange soda" Regina asked as she rummaged in the bag that sat on the bench between them.
"Orange please, what do you want Junior?" Henry asked as he accepted his drink
Junior just looked confused so Snow stepped in "Henry, remember that he has never had soda before. Do you want to try some Junior or do you just want water?"
"May I try some?" Junior replied eagerly but a few seconds later when he took a gulp of the fizzy drink he suddenly coughed and choked spitting it out onto the ground before looking horrified at himself "I am sorry Grandma, I did not mean to make a mess"
"It's OK... it's alright, no harm done." Snow soothed from up on the bench, poor Junior looked so distressed.
Regina scooted forward to come down in front of Junior giving him a kind smile "That soda might not have been the best idea. How about some water instead?"
He still looked unsure as he looked down at the orange stains on his white shirt but when Regina again lifted her finger to tap his nose he gave a small smile.
"Water would be appreciated, Thank you. I do not like the soda"
"Neither does Hook" Henry said with a laugh " I guess we should have known you'd be the same"
Junior took a long drink from the bottle that Regina opened for him then wiped his mouth with his arm before giving another little frown and turning back to Snow.
"I have ruined my new clothing"
"That will easily wash out Junior, don't look so worried. Now why don't you two go and have one last sail of your ship before it's time to head home?"
Henry jumped up but just as Junior was about to join him he suddenly gave a giant gasp bringing his hand up to his chest with a look of panic on his face.
"What is it?" Snow asked in concern but he didn't look like he knew.
He gave an unsure little laugh but he wasn't letting go of his shirt over his heart "My other heart got a fright"
"Hook got a fright?" Snow asked "Is he alright now?"
Junior gave a nod and another little smile. Snow thought that it was done but just as he was about to start back towards the water he gave another huge gasp and looked up at her with scared eyes.
"I feel strange Grandma... what is happening?"
He staggered a bit giving another couple of gasps before falling onto his rear with a thump. Regina jumped forward and scooped him up into her arms as he started to panic and for a minute Snow thought it was another panic attack that was taking hold of him but within seconds he was starting to pass out, this was not a panic attack, this was something else... what was happening to Hook?
She grabbed her cell and dialed... she needed to talk to David.
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"What the hell is he doing in there?" David asked as he stood with his hand clamped over his eyes while Emma changed.
"You OK?" Emma suddenly called out to the Pirate.
"Aye... L-love" Hook's reply came back.
David was just about to ask if Emma was nearly done when his cell rang. He spun around to face the wall while digging it out of his jeans to see that it was Mary-Margaret calling him. He smiled to himself thinking that she was just going to ask how much longer he was planning on staying.
"I know I know, I said I wouldn't be..." he was suddenly cut off by Mary-Margaret's panicked voice
"David, what's going on?"
"What? Nothing, what do you mean?"
"With Hook. David, Junior has passed out. Is Hook alright?"
Panic slammed David right in the gut, he was running in a second and as he burst through the bathroom door it was to find the Pirate submerged in the bath tub.
"Shit shit shit" David grit out tossing his cell into the sink as he ran passed, he could hear Mary-Margaret's tinny voice calling out but he didn't have time for that now.
He practically launched himself towards the bath plunging his hands into the water and hauling Hook back up. The Pirate's head just lolled to the side and for a spilt second David thought he was too late but when he gave Hook a rough shake he was suddenly left trying to keep the Pirate above the water when he started coughing and gasping in huge lungfuls of air.
"Dad?! What's going on?" Emma cried as she ran into the room
"We need to get him out Emma, go press the call button" He barked out as Hook carried on hacking his lungs up but Emma didn't move, she just stared at her Pirate "EMMA, now!"
She was gone in a second and David looked back at Hook who had finally started to get his breathing back under some kind of control but he seemed to losing steam now as his eyes fell closed.
"Hook?! Come on Pirate, open your eyes"
But Hook was totally spent, he was just totally limp in his arms as David gripped onto him tightly.
"What have you done to yourself?" David muttered as he adjusted his grip
Hook gave a weak shake of his head and mumbled something that sounded distinctly like "Devin"
"It's OK, I've got you now. We're gonna get you out soon" David soothed as Emma ran back in
"Is he OK?" she asked as she came down on her knees next to the bath
"I think so" David replied before remembering Mary-Margaret "Emma, grab my cell. I dropped it in the sink. Your Mom is still on the line, find out if Junior is alright"
She was up on her feet in a second grabbing the cell "Mom? Yeah... Is Junior alright?... Oh thank God. Yeah... Dad's with him. Mom, I'll call you back, Whale is here... OK, I'll see you soon"
Whale bustled into the room and raised an eyebrow "Panic attack?"
"Not sure" David replied quickly "I don't think so but I'm pretty sure he's had a a couple of lungfuls of water"
Whale turned to the nurse that stood next to him "Can you go grab a few bodies to help, we need to get him out of there ASAP. Bring in some more towels too so we can get him dried quickly"
The nurse gave a quick nod before hurrying out of the room and Whale turned back and spoke to the Pirate.
"Hook? Can you hear me?"
Hook gave a low groan but didn't move, the Pirate was still just lying lifelessly in his arms and the weight of him was starting to pull on David's back but he wouldn't move, not until the Pirate was safe.
"Hook, can you open your eyes for me?" Whale carried on and David was happy to see Hook trying to comply
"What happened? Come on, you need to talk to me." Whale carried on trying to coax the Pirate into sharing
For the second time in the last five minutes Hook muttered the word "Devin"
David frowned and asked "Did you fall asleep? Did you dream about Devin?"
Hook started to pull in some deep breaths and shook his head again "Devin... Here"
David was concerned as he looked up at Emma to find her looking just as worried as he felt but in the next second the team of medics rushed back into the room and within minutes Hook was back in his bed and Whale was giving him the once over.
"He's got his stitches wet but at the minute they look like they're holding. Can I ask you just to keep an eye on them until his hair is completely dry? We may need to redo them if they tear through the skin"
Hook gave a groan as Whale checked his ribs but apart from that he just lay there unmoving and David watched as Emma stood by the bed clutching onto his hand.
"OK, I don't think he's done himself anymore damage but I really don't think that he should leave tomorrow, he needs more time before he's strong enough to manage... I think that has been proved by this little display"
David had thought that Hook had fallen asleep but as Whale finished what he was saying the Pirate was again shaking his head.
"Need to go..." his eyes suddenly popped open and he tore his hand away from Emma to clutch at his chest as panic tried to take hold of him "Junior! Where is the boy? Is he alright?"
Emma grabbed hold of his face forcing him to look at her "Killian, calm down. Look at me. Junior is fine, he's with my Mom, Regina and Henry."
He didn't stop moving though and actually looked like he was trying to get up "Devin... I saw him... or the boy saw him" he screwed his eyes closed and gasped out "I don't bloody know... what is going on? I need the boy here... I want him here"
"Mom's on her way with him now, he's fine though I promise" Emma soothed and it seemed to work as Hook flopped back onto the pillows gasping in a few breaths but again he didn't settle into sleep like David had expected, he seemed to be just waiting for Junior to show up so David tried to reassure him too.
"You know that Mary-Margaret and Regina wouldn't let anything happen to him, it was them that let me know what was going on with you in the tub, they saved him and you"
"Aye Mate but if it wasn't for me the boy wouldn't have been in danger in the first place. This link we have, it cannot remain..."
"What?" Emma asked in confusion "I thought you liked it? You seemed so happy about it earlier"
Hooked sighed and let his eyes slide shut "It's not that simple Love"
"What's not?" David asked but when the Pirate locked eyes with him he didn't get an answer he liked
"I realized something during my little bath tub adventure. If I die the boy dies too. I have lived a full life, I have had more than my fair share of years but he... he deserves so much more than the five years that he has been given. We need to find a way to break this link otherwise the boy is doomed to an early grave. As much as I am a born survivor I cannot go on living forever"
David sat heavily in the seat next to the bed... could this be true?
The more he thought about it the more it made sense... the kid kept keeling over when Hook had his panic attacks so was it too much more to leap to the conclusion that is one died the other would follow?
With a gulp David realized that Hook was right, they had to find a way to break this link, even if Hook managed to live a full life dying at a ripe old age Junior would still die when he did and that was not an option... not for his Grandson!
Whale quietly finished up his paperwork and ducked out of the room leaving them all to wait for the rest of their family to arrive. Emma scooted herself onto the edge of the mattress and took up Hook's hand again, she simply just sat holding on to him as he lay looking at the door but as soon as Mary-Margaret hurried in followed by Regina who was carrying Junior in her arms the Pirate was trying to sit himself up.
The minute Junior saw Emma he burst into tears and held out his hands to her and cried "I want my Swan"
Emma jumped up and grabbed hold of the kid pulling him to her before turning and hurrying back to the bed where Hook immediately touched the boy's back with a comforting hand the minute Emma let him fall into her lap when she climbed back up onto the mattress.
"It's OK, Swan's got you" Emma soothed as she rocked him back and forth and Hook rubbed his hand in soothing circles on Juniors back
Mary-Margaret practically threw herself into David's arms and hugged him tightly whispering "I was so worried"
"It's alright, they're both OK" he soothed and when he glanced to the side he could see Regina hugging Henry too.
David had expected Hook to settle down now that he knew that the kid was OK but after a few minutes he started trying to gather up the things on his bedside cabinet and suddenly looked across at him.
"Can you help me Mate? I need you to pack up my stuff... I am leaving right now"
"WHAT?!" everyone cried in unison
"You cannot stop me so either you help or I make my own way home with the boy" Hook grit out trying to pull back his blankets
"Woah woah woah" David rushed forward "Just hang on a minute, think about this. Twenty minutes ago you very nearly died, you need to take it easy."
"No, what I need is my family with me but the boy and Henry cannot stay here so I will go with them"
"Hook you can't... This is crazy." David cried
"Please Killian listen to my Dad. You need to stay. If you want Junior and Henry to stay with us I'll talk to Whale" Emma pleaded but the Pirate was being stubborn now
"This is no place for them Swan and you know it. Please Love, I need to get out of here. I simply just cannot bear it anymore... there are just too many memories within these walls."
Emma was still hugging a weeping Junior to her front and David saw her resolve crumble when she realized that Hook was fighting his memories from his last visit here along with his new physical injuries
"Alright... you win. Let's go home" She sighed out
But suddenly Regina stepped forward with Henry still tucked under her arm wearing a smirk on her face "What if you had another choice?"
"I am not staying and nothing you say will change my mind" Hook replied with a of his own sigh as he lent back on his pillows, David could see that he was exhausted but he could also see the determination in his face, he was not about to back down.
"That is not another choice you idiot" Regina scowled "If you'd shut your pie hole and listen I may have a solution that would suit everyone. I have a pool house"
"I don't follow" Hook huffed out "What is a pool house?"
"In my garden. I have quite a substantial pool house. As well as the pool and hot tub it has two bedrooms, a small kitchen and a living area. Do not ask me why I have it because I don't know, it just came with the house, all part of the curse I presume but I have never used it. It is all on one level and would be the perfect place to aid your recovery"
David blinked hard, Regina had a pool house? How had he never noticed?
"I... we... thank you Love" Hook stuttered "but we wouldn't want to intrude, I will be just fine upon the Jolly"
"Nonsense" Regina barked back "It is decided. Swan give Junior to Guyliner and go sort out his paperwork. Come on Henry we will go and make up the beds and if you all want to join us for dinner I would be more than happy to have you."
"Awesome" Henry cried before turning to Mary-Margaret "Are you coming to dinner Grandma?"
Mary-Margaret looked to David and gave a smile as she answered "We wouldn't miss it for the world."
And that was that!