Tiger Lilly looked down at the mysterious girl. Several emotions swam around in her head, confusion, jealousy, frustration. Why should she help this girl? She didn't know her. She wasn't her friend. She certainly didn't care for the way Peter had looked at her. But the way that Peter had said 'please' tugged on her heartstrings. She would do anything for Peter, even if he hadn't said please.
Tiger Lilly sighed it was time to get to work. She placed a pot of water on some warm coals and waited for it to heat up. Walking to the other side of the teepee, she grabbed an herbal mixture used for pain. She poured a little of the powder into a bowl and added just enough water to make a thick paste. Tiger Lilly walked over to the cot, bowl in hand, and assessed her patient.
The girl's face was pale, and she was breathing, but only just. A thin sheen of sweat had covered her forehead. Tiger Lilly placed the back of her hand on the girl's head. She was burning up! No wonder, she had lost a lot of blood. The stain on her dress indicated as much. Tiger Lilly shook her head, she honestly didn't know if she could save the girl. The arrow to her thigh would be much easier to fix than one to the heart. But the fever was a whole different story.
As gently as she could, Tiger Lilly snapped off the arrow in the girl's thigh. The girl whimpered slightly. Grabbing a rag and the warm water, Tiger Lilly began to clean the wound. Once clean, she applied the numbing paste. She would need the site to be numb before she could extract the rest of the arrow.
Moving up the cot, Tiger Lilly went to work on the arrow that had hit the girl's heart. This arrow was already snapped off, but curiously there was no blood. Tiger Lilly reached down to where the rest of the arrow was. Gently she pulled but was surprised when it came easily. Tiger Lilly looked down at the girl's chest. There was a nasty bruise forming but no sign of a puncture mark. Tiger Lilly pulled on the arrow once more, it was attached to something! The head of the arrow had imbedded itself into an acorn.
"Well that is a stroke of luck; you've probably saved the poor girl's life." Tiger Lilly muttered to the acorn. It was a curious thing to be hanging around the girl's next but it had indeed saved her life. An arrow to the heart is more often than not, fatal. This girl would merely walk, well limp away with just a nasty bruise.
Putting the acorn aside, she moved back down to the girl's leg. This was going to be the tricky part, and the most painful. Hopefully the herbs had done their job and dulled the nerves around the wound. Heating up her knife, Tiger Lilly moved to dig the rest of the arrow out of the girl's thigh. The girl was still unconscious, but she whimpered as Tiger Lilly retrieved the rest of the broken arrow.
Making sure there were no stray slivers in the wound, Tiger Lilly was pleased with her work and started to bandage the girl's leg. She applied more of the numbing paste for the pain that was sure to come. Next she brewed a strong tea that would numb the pain while she healed and hopefully break her fever.
Satisfied that she had done all that she could, Tiger Lilly picked up the little acorn and sat back. Waiting for a change and a miracle.
.....
Peter was pacing outside Tiger Lilly's teepee. Wringing his hat in his hands, stomach in knots he waited and waited. His chest constricted painfully when he heard Wendy's cries. He tried to rub out the pain but it wasn't working. It just sat there aching.
Peter swore. He should have never left Wendy alone. And because he had left her, she was in pain. Peter glanced down at his hands and glared at the traces of blood, Her blood. Anger boiled inside of him. This wasn't his fault! Someone shot her! And that someone was going to pay.
With no happy thoughts, Peter couldn't fly. So instead he marched over to where the lost boys and Wendy's brothers were sitting. John was trying to console Michael who hadn't stopped crying since they had come to the village. The lost boys looked like they were on death row. Downtrodden and laden with guilt. They all jumped up as soon as they saw their leader headed towards them.
Peter lit into the boys. "WHOSE ARROW!? I DEMAND TO KNOW? WHO SHOT WENDY?" Peter glared at each of the boys in turn. They couldn't bear to look him in the eye. Peter's voice became deadly quiet.
"And don't bother keeping it a secret because I WILL find out and when I do that someone is Dead."
Cubby couldn't handle the guilt any longer. Stepping out from the other boys he bared his chest to Peter.
"It was I, Peter. I shot the Lady. So strike if you must. Strike true."
John was watching the interaction, waiting for the offender to present himself and now he had. He looked down at Michael and then at the lost boy. Puffing out his chest and brandishing his umbrella "Sir my name is John Darling. You killed my sister! prepare yourself for..."
But before he could finish Peter grabbed his dagger and was about to strike the boy down. The rest of the boys ran to form a protective barrier around Cubby.
"Please Peter!" They begged. "Please don't kill him!"
"It wasn't even his fault!" Nibs injected.
Peter whipped around to face Nibs. "What do you mean it wasn't his fault? It was his arrow! And now because of him Wendy might die!"
Slightly spoke up "it's true Peter, it wasn't his fault! We were just following orders!"
Peter looked flabbergasted. "Following orders? FOLLOWING ODERS! Whose bloody orders where you following?! Who ordered you to shoot down a lady?!"
The twins pulled on Peter's shirt. "Tink said that they were your orders." "And that is was a big dangerous bird not a lady."
Peter felt the wind knock out of him. The betrayal stung. "Tink?...my orders? Tink did this?"
The lost boys all nodded vigorously. Peter looked around at his men, their eyes were telling the truth. Peter's voice became dangerously low.
"Go see what you can do to help Tiger Lilly. I need to have a talk with Tinkerbell."
Glad to be out of the line of fire the lost boys raced to see what they could do to help the Lady.
Peter turned to face the sky. Faking a light tone Peter called. "Tinkerbell! Oh Tink! Come here Tink I need to ask you something!"
Tinkerbell had been watching from a nearby tree. So she knew what was coming. Putting on her most innocent face she flew to Peter.
Yes Peter? What is it?
Peter snatched Tink from out of the air and brought her to face level. "Tinkerbell did you tell the lost boys to shoot Wendy down? And I want the truth."
Tink looked at Peter innocently, a pixie dust halo formed around her head.
Why Peter I would never do anything like that! I am sad you think me capable of such a brilliant idea. The halo turned into devil horns.
Of course I told them to shoot her down! I wanted her dead! She is a big ugly thing that can't fly and she is annoying and I wanted her out of the picture!
"Tink!" Peter accused. "How could you do that? You are my friend!"
Tink just shrugged her shoulders. No remorse for what she had done. Peter's chest stung.
"Well! You are my friend no longer Tinkerbell! I banish you for...for...for Forever! I do not wish to see your traitorous face again!"
And with that Peter threw Tinkerbell into the air and she was gone.
Peter fought down the sadness that was threatening to overtake him. His Wendy was hurt; his men had shot her, because his best friend had tricked them. Peter rubbed at his chest. The soreness was getting worse as the day wore on.
"PETER!"
The sound of his name shook him out of his reverie. Nibs came rushing into view, out of breath but a smile on his face.
"PETER! Tiger Lilly says the Wendy Lady is going to live! Come quickly!"
"Really? Are you sure?" Peter asked anxiously.
"Yes! Now come on!" Nibs pulled on Peter's arm.
Peter's hope soared! Wendy was going to be okay! He rushed after Nibs eager to speak to Tiger Lilly. The lost boys were crowded around Tiger Lilly who was holding up as small acorn. Peter pushed through the lost boys. She smiled when she saw Peter.
"Is it true? Is she going to live?!" Peter demanded.
Tiger Lilly held up the acorn. "The arrow that hit her chest was caught by this acorn, so it never hit her."
Peter beamed as he reached for the acorn. "My kiss! It saved her!"
Tiger Lilly did a double take. "Your what?"
Peter grinned and held up the acorn. "My kiss!"
Slightly, who presumed himself to be an expert on all things, looked at the acorn. "Aye that is a kiss. They are very powerful things!"
The lost boys ooed and aahed.
"When can I see her?" Peter asked eagerly.
Tiger Lilly looked at Peter and then at the acorn Peter held with some distain. She didn't know what a "kiss" was, but the fact that this unknown girl had one from Peter and she didn't, rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe she shouldn't have saved the girl's life.
Tiger Lilly sighed "She is going to be just fine. I took care of her leg, and she did have a fever but it's passed. You can see her when she wakes up."
Peter leapt into the air and crowed! OH how clever he and his kiss were! They had saved Wendy! The lost boys cheered, Michael was finally consoled and John was pacified. Peter landed back down on the ground, and was about to thank Tiger Lilly when a soft moan was heard.
"Peter?...Peter?"
It came from inside the teepee. Peter's heart raced, Wendy!
He glanced at Tiger Lilly expectantly. Tiger Lilly rolled her eyes and lifted the flap so he could go in. Once inside Peter rushed over to the cot where Wendy was laying. Her hair was damp from the fever, her skin was still pale, but she looked as pretty as ever, because she was alive!
Wendy moaned again and her eyes fluttered open. "Peter?"
Peter knelt down and gently held one of Wendy's hands. "Wendy? Wendy it's alright. Your safe!"
Wendy looked up at Peter with groggy eyes. Her head felt heavy and there was a dull pain in her chest and her thigh. "Where am I?"
"You were shot so I brought you to the Indian village where Tiger Lilly healed you! Everything is going to be alright!" Peter pulled out the acorn and smiled brightly. "My kiss saved you; it protected you just like you said kisses do!"
Wendy looked from the acorn and back up to Peter and smiled softly. "Your kiss saved me. How very clever."
Peter smirked "I know."
Peter moved to lift Wendy from the cot. "Come, there are some people I want you to meet!"
Peter helped Wendy stand up. She winced and almost fell over when she tried to put her weight on her bad leg. But Peter caught her and helped her limp out of the teepee. There was a crowd of lost boys and Indians gathered around the teepee to see the mysterious Lady.
Beaming like a child on Christmas morning, Peter turned Wendy to face the lost boys.
"Boys, Tiger Lilly, This is Wendy the story teller. I told you she was real."
Tiger Lilly's mouth dropped, that was the Wendy? Now she knew she shouldn't have saved her life.
...