When Your Walls Come Crashing Down

Chapter 4 - Stitches

A/N: Hey everyone! I know, I know. I said I would get better at posting, but I had so much homework to catch up on, drama rehearsals for filming our show (due to Covid it couldn't be live), and quite honestly I've been so tired. I injured myself at drama the other day, so I've been trying to recover from that as well. The stream for my performance is today and tomorrow evening (I say as I write this author's note at 1:30 a.m.), so at least that's over. I really am trying, but you know how life is. Anyway, without further ado, I present to you: Chapter 4!

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When Emma came to, all around her was pitch black dark. Or, at least it was until a bright light appeared in her face, blinding her view of everything around her.

Never one for lanterns, she tried to stand up and find a dimmer source of light, but a wave of dizziness washed over her entire body. If Emma had to pick one moment in her life where she felt the most nauseous, it would be that one.

Being stubborn, she persevered, and tried to pull herself up again, but a hand across her chest stopped her.

"Love, it's alright," came a calm and soothing voice, his lilting accent almost like a softly sung lullaby. "You're fine. It's okay."

Slowly Emma's vision started to focus, and she was finally able to see more than the blurred shades of navy blue, rich deep purple, and black.

Staring straight back down at her, she locked eyes with none other than Killian Jones, who had just saved her.

Most people would be excited to have been saved, but Emma was embarrassed. She was embarrassed that she needed saving, that she was weak, that she couldn't handle it by herself.

She wanted out. Out of his gaze, out of this moment in time, out of Neverland, out of life, out of her entire existence. She craved the peace that running away dangled in front of her, tantalizing her, making her itch to reach out for it and take its hand.

Unfortunately, Hook knew what she was thinking. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, and gave her what looked to Emma like a pleading look.

He wouldn't really hold her there. That she knew. If she truly tried to get up and leave, he would move his arm and let her go. They were a lot alike in that sense.

And so she tried. The moment her head shifted forward, the world lurched forward with it. Admitting defeat, she placed her head gently on the ground. Killian frowned and blotted a cloth on her forehead.

"Now look what you've done, Swan," he said, a joking tone to his voice. "You popped your stitches out."

Stitches? Just how bad was this wound?

"Wait a minute," Emma said, confusion written on her face. "Stitches? How did I get stitches? I don't recall seeing any of us pack a First Aid kit, and I definitely haven't seen a Neverland Hospital around these parts."

"I did it, of course."

Emma studied Killian's face intently. No detection of a lie. Still, it never hurt to be cautious.

"With one hand?" she questioned skeptically.

"As you may or may not remember, darling, I have many talents, including both my hand and my mouth. Don't panic though. I didn't use anything but my hand. Didn't want to make the needle unsterile." He replied, throwing in a wink for good measure.

Emma's heart picked up rapidly, its pace erratic yet speedy. She remembered quite well what happened with that scarf on the beanstalk, and she did not need to picture it once again.

"Love, why don't you rest a bit? I'll talk to your parents once they wake and we can figure out the new plan."

And with that, Emma decided to listen. She closed her eyes, inhaled, and fell asleep in minutes.