Pan's Redemption

Chapter 40 ~Race To The Cure*

It was the next morning after finding Wendy that Hook realized their rescue mission wasn't over.

As Felix and Tinkerbell took their turns sleeping, Hook looked over to where Wendy laid propped up against a tree with her head resting on one shoulder. He didn't know how she hadn't died earlier.

Hook remembered his brother. How convinced he was that their king had not sent them to gather poison to cheat at war. How he simply took the plant's thorn and cut his forearm without any hesitation.

The poison had crippling effects almost the second he cut himself with it. What could have possibly kept Wendy alive for three weeks?

Whatever had saved her in the cave was not saving her now. Hook saw the purple veins through her pale white skin of her arms. He watched as every hour they would branch out upward closer and closer to her heart.

Felix and Tink wanted to take her to Pan. They knew that he could cure her. The only problem was Ursula. She was at the camp still breathing as Wendy. Hook had a nagging feeling that Pan either wouldn't believe them, or he had already figured it out.

Maybe he had already become one of Ursula's victims himself.

He knew if be voiced his opinions aloud, Felix would go charging into the camp in attempt to save Pan. As far as loyalties go, Felix could very well get the rest of them killed. And Wendy didn't have that kind of time.

She needed what Pan used to cure his brother. The water of the Neverland youth spring. Hook remembered Pan's words clearly that day as he hunched over his brother in despair.

"I tried to warn you," Pan walk up to both men with a sad smile, "He'll die as soon as the poison reaches his heart."

Hook looked at him with pleading eyes, "Please. He's my brother, he's all that I have left-"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have talked him into it."

"He's so stubborn, I didn't mean to..." Then realization hit Killian.

"Can you help me?"

Pan sighed, "Well I might not feel like it, but today is your lucky day." The boy moved closer to where Killian's brother lay. "There is a way to stop him from dying."

Killian looked at the boy desperately, "Tell me."

Pan moved towards the Dreamshade thorn bushes that Killian recoiled from. With the wave of his hand, the vines came to life. They simply moved away from the middle of the rock that revealed the spring Killian would have never guessed was there.

"This spring. These waters are rich with the power of Neverland. It's what keeps this land and all on it so....young. If one was to drink directly from it, its powers can cure any ill." Pan shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"Thank you," Killian breathed and made his way towards the spring.

Pan gripped his arm, "But, I must warn you. All magic comes with a price. And that spring is no exception. Don't leave the island unless you're willing to pay it.

"Of course, whatever you want, it's yours." Without a backward glance he had filled his canister with the spring water and had given it to his brother.

Lone and behold he never realized what that price was. It only prolonged his suffering.

The sun began to set in the sky when Hook walked over to Felix and nudged his shoulder. Felix flinched awake and held his sword to Hook's throat. When he realized it was Hook, he took a shaky breath and put the sword down.