Gossip Girl: Prime
Chapter Two- Yessss, then Zero [Part Two]
Reporter: We're are live on Highway 42, which is an two hours out of New York, at the scene of a fatal bus crash that has taken the lives of twenty passengers and severe injuries to at least ten passengers. As word comes in, we have yet to learn what caused the accident as many factors have been brought in to play. Some witnesses to the crash said that the bus was cut off by an S.U.V. and could never regain it's composure, which ultimately caused the bus to collide against the rails and flip over seven times.
A warning sign
I missed the good part, then I realised
I started looking and the bubble burst
I started looking for excuses Come on in
I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in
I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones
That I started looking for a warning sign
It all felt like a blur to her, where she was racing against time just to get to Point A to Point B. Looking out the window did little to ease her worries as each building she passed only amounted to the millions she'd have to pass just to get where she needed to be. In the back of her mind, Blair wanted to remain calm and collected but she found her only source was to just be a jumble of nerves. Playing with her hands, Blair soon saw that they were shaking uncontrollably as the thoughts of doubt began to creep in. Praying that each time she looked at her cell phone, that it would the call she so desperately wanted and needed to have to know that he was okay.
When the truth is, I miss you
Yeah the truth is, that I miss you so
The screams and sobs filled his ears before his eyes slowly began to flutter open. Realizing that he was in a grassy area, Carter began to slowly come to as it began to register that he wasn't in a bus nor at home. The screams crashed against his eardrums as it brought him back to the reality of the situation. Sitting up slowly, Carter was in shock to see the carnage around him. It was like a death scene of thousands in a movie, where the moment was filled with somber thoughts and pain from loved ones dying at any moments notice. Looking on at his own injuries, Carter saw the blood that came from his thigh as a piece of glass stuck out. Beginning to hyperventilate, Carter's thought was to have Dan's calmness ease him through what he was supposed to do but he only realized that Dan was nowhere around. Slowly pulling the glass out of his leg, Carter gritted his teeth as the excruciating pain became unbearable at times.
A warning sign
It came back to haunt me, and I realised
That you were an island and I passed you by
And you were an island to discover
Lucy Giovani (onlooker): I was in the next lane, when I recognize that bus was wobbling and swerving around a bit abnormally. I jammed on the breaks once the bus flipped and got hit from behind, but in this scenario I was fortunate. I saw things that I never expected to see in my life, and my heart goes out to the families.
Come on in
I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in
I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones
That I started looking for a warning sign
Hobbling and grimacing in pain, Carter looked around at the dead and injured bodies trying to keep his composure at the scene. Searching and searching for Dan, Carter felt his heart sink with each step that he took as the closer he got towards the main road showed no signs of his friend. Standing for a moment, Carter looked around to see the bodies as they were for a moments as it just sunk in that nothing good could come at the end of the day. Tears falling from his face, Carter felt himself slowly breaking down as even though he knew he shouldn't look, his eyes couldn't do anything else but look on. Adults crying out in agony, children sitting next to dead parents, disfigured body parts; every possible horror surrounded him and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Thank God you're alive" Ivy said as she grabbed on to Carter's arm to get his attention before he quickly turned to face her. Looking on to see her arm in an unconventional like sling that was made from a jacket, Carter could see the blood seeping through as he just got lost in looking rather than speaking or reacting.
"We have to find Dan" Carter forced himself to speak just as he saw the ambulance pull up to the scene as they immediately began to treat those still alive
"….I think he's out further" Ivy said as tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled the events of the accident "He was up walking before the hit….he went through the window" she cried as Carter shook his head, unable to hear the events that had happened. Looking on at the carnage once more, Carter hobbled off down the hill "Carter, wait!?" she called out as the pace was a bit forced on his injuries but he had no time to access his pain, when he was in search of his friend. Trailing behind Carter, Ivy did her best to keep up.
When the truth is, I miss you
Yeah the truth is, that I miss you so
Pulling up at the hospital, Blair quickly got out of the car as she could only hear faint words said by Henry as she ran inside. Hurriedly walking, Blair had no clear indication of where she was headed but just that anyone would due at this point. The hospital seemed nice and calm, nothing like a mad house like she thought it would be. Walking up to the nurses station, Blair waited for a few moments as the people ahead of her walked over to their destination.
"How may I help you?" The nurse asked
"I'm looking for a Daniel Humphrey. He was involved in an accident and…" Blair said trying to keep her nerves under control
"I'll check to see if we have him in our system yet. We've had some come in, but they may not have been put into the system yet. So if you could wait for a few moments we'll try to get you the information you need" The nurse said as Blair just nodded
And I'm tired, I should not have let you go
Oooooooo
Coming to an uneasy and uncomfortable stop at the bottom of the bank, Carter looked around the area to try to find any sign of Dan. Pieces of glasses that were in the grass as he came down gave him hope that maybe his instincts were wrong, but nothing so far had made him feel the relief that he needed. Coming up behind Carter, Ivy's breathing became erratic as she joined in the search before her eyes landed on the little creek. For some odd reason, Ivy's eyes scan the creek excessively before she finally located what she had been searching for.
"Carter, he's in the creek. He's in the creek!" Ivy said in between sobs of hysterics before Carter darted off into the creek.
"Dan! Dan! Dan!" Carter yelled as he ran into the creek towards his friend. Grabbing on to his friends lifeless body, Carter paid no attention to his own pain as his own focus was to pull Dan to shore. Ivy's sobs rang loudly as her only concern was for Carter to do all he could to save Dan. "C'mon. C'mon. C'mon" he said as he began to perform CPR on Dan. Each time, Carter's hopes were piling up as each time he kept thinking this had to be the moment. Looking on at the blood coming from Dan's head, Ivy looked away as she couldn't bare to see the childhood boy she knew was now a guy laying lifeless. In a moment of despair, Carter pressed hard enough to get some sort of a cough from Dan.
"He coughed" Ivy said with a bit of hope as Carter felt for his pulse
"His pulse is weak" Carter said as he looked around to see if anyone was coming for them or if they even had enough time to even get waited on since Dan was so far out.
"What are you thinking?" Ivy asked "Carter, what are you thinking?!" she asked as Carter stayed lost in his thoughts
"I'm thinking I have to save him" Carter replied as he picked Dan up to throw on his shoulder. Barely able to maintain his weight, Carter mustered through the pain as the adrenaline of the moment was the only thing propelling him forward. "We follow this creek, go up the hill at the bridge to hail a car…" he began to say
"We have to go back up…" Ivy began to say
"If we go back up then we wait for help that isn't coming in abundance. If we go up the hill then we can get help from someone going on a different highway. One way or another, I'm getting him out of here" Carter replied forcefully as there was no debate on the matter once he began to hobble off down along the creek with Dan on his shoulder.
So I crawl back into your open arms
Yes I crawl back into your open arms
And I crawl back into your open arms
Yes I crawl back into your open arms.
Waiting nervously, Blair looked around at the other families that seemed to have no worries. Loved ones were all right, showing up for routine appointments and receiving a clean bill of health as the patients came out to greet their families. Though they weren't the patients from the bus accident, Blair felt a bit of hope. Running her hand through her hair, Blair could only hope that her good news would come soon, that she could stop worrying.
And I'm tired, I should not have let you go
Oooooooo
Tending to Dan, Ivy looked on to see the blood that was on her pants that came from his head. Carter had given up his shirt so that she could apply pressure but it still seeped through. Dan's eyes barely opened, which only made Ivy more nervous by the minute while Carter flagged down cars. Looking back to see how badly injured Dan was, Carter felt like time was of the essence. Walking out towards the middle of the road, Carter clenched his fists tight as he waited for the next car to come, knowing that it had to stop.
"Carter, what the hell are you doing?!" Ivy asked as she looked up towards the street to see Carter standing there. Seeing the oncoming car coming, Ivy became uneasy as she felt like Carter had lost his damn mind. Seeing the car get closer and closer, Ivy grew uneasy as the car came upon Carter only to come to a screeching halt. "He's crazy. He's crazy" she said shaking her head in disbelief
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Carter said as he hobbled over towards the drivers side "I need you to help. My friend, my best friend, he's injured and…I just need your help…" he pleaded with the driver as the man looked over at Dan on the side of the road with Ivy "Please, I just need you to help him" he said hoping that the man would oblige his wish
"Put him in" The man said before Carter waved over towards Ivy
"Thank you so much" Carter said as he tried to hold back his tears of joy at something finally going his way, no matter how bleak it was.
So I crawl back into your open arms
Yes I crawl back into your open arms
And I crawl back into your open arms
Yes I crawl back into your open arms.
Studying the nurse as she gathered with the other nurses looking on at the computers, Blair became nervous as she could tell that it wasn't some gathering of discussion as to where to put patients. Blair knew that something felt off and in that moment she felt her heart race at a million miles per hour. Shaking her head in disbelief as the nurse walked over towards her, Blair's trembling hands grew feverish as she just couldn't get herself to understand the concept of losing the love of her life.
Looking up at the floor indicator, Chuck folded his arms as he leaned up against the rails of the elevator. Changing his posture once he saw that he had reached his father's floor, Chuck saw the doors begin to open up as he wasted no time in stepping off the elevator. Heading towards his father's room, Chuck sighed as he could only hope that his father's anger wouldn't ruin what was winding down to be the end of his day. Not bothering to knock, Chuck made his way inside the room to see his father drinking on his usual glass of scotch as he entered. Setting his glass down on the bar, Chuck laughed to himself as he could only imagine how upset his father was if he had to put his glass down.
"What took you so long?" Bart asked
"Call it New York traffic or me not being in a rush to see you" Chuck replied as he took a seat on the sofa "Take your pick of which one suits this moment" he said
"I don't have time for your antics. Are you aware of your Uncle's whereabouts?" Bart asked
"I don't make it a habit to follow a grown man" Chuck replied
"You should, especially since he's meeting with the board" Bart replied
"And you know this how?" Chuck asked
"Because unlike you, I know Jack's return is never for the sake of dropping in to check on his adoring nephew" Bart said
"Jealousy isn't becoming of you father" Chuck replied with a bit of a smirk
"Is this really funny to you?" Bart asked in disbelief as he looked on at his son
"I've talked to my Uncle. He's of no mindset to go after you without my assistance, and since I don't exactly wish to exact any plethora of reasons of revenge on you, I hardly think his meetings are amounting anything but to catch up" Chuck replied
"So because you're not on board with him, he magically drops his ongoing pursuit of destroying me?" Bart asked "You're quite high on yourself for your own standards" he said
"No, I'm just tired. It's always something, something is always going on. For the of God, can we just put revenge and scandal on the backburner for at least a month" Chuck groaned in frustration
"Because people don't wait until you're ready to fight, they come after you in waves and drones. The fact that you carry on this mentality only let's me know that he's up to something. If he came by to see you in this mentality, it's only because he knows you're in no way shape or form prepared to defend your company" Bart replied angrily
"Then what would you have me do father?" Chuck asked as he gritted his teeth "Paranoia is at high due to the rampage of Ophelia, deaths still linger as no clear cut answer has been given to why such psychotic people can sit amongst us, gather with us at events, drink and toast with us. What would you have me to do? Because the way I see it, the mentality to not jump on paranoia and put the board up in arms is the only way we can weather this all ready tension filled time" he said as Bart walked towards his son
"Do your damn job" Bart said soft enough for Chuck to hear "That is what you do. If I have to stick my hand up your ass, to make you my personal puppet, I will do so before I let the likes of Jack think he can come in here and do as he pleases" he told Chuck in a stern voice "You have until tomorrow to get a heads up on Jack or else you won't have to worry about Jack over throwing you because it'll be me" he said before he turned to walk out of the room leaving Chuck alone in the room. Not liking the scolding his father had placed upon him, Chuck rolled his eyes in frustration before he reached into his pocket to grab his cell phone. Dialing the familiar number, Chuck waited as the phone began to ring.
"I need you to find out what my Uncle is up to. Anything and everything, get it by any means necessary" Chuck said before he waited for the confirmation to know the job would get done. Ending the call, Chuck wasted no time in getting up from his spot on the sofa as he walked towards the window to look out at the New York Skyline.
Watching as the gurney was rolled off, Ivy waited for a few moments to remember where he was before she finally looked on at the sight of her pants. Blood everywhere from her pants to her shirt, Ivy closed her eyes for a few moments as she just had to clear her mind. Taking in the sight of the county hospital and the mass amount of people that waited just for simple things not having to do with the accident, Ivy couldn't help but feel sick with worry. Walking out towards the waiting room, Ivy was able to find a corner in which she could sit until Carter would arrive. Just as she walked over towards the spot, Ivy immediately saw Blair walk into the hospital in a panic. Cutting her off to where she didn't have to waste her time in line, Ivy grabbed her by the arm as Blair quickly looked over to take in the sight of Ivy with blood stains.
"He's back getting his vitals" Ivy told her
"What happened?" Blair asked as she wiped away welled up tears
"It just happened so fast. All I saw was the bus rocking back and forth from some car cutting it off apparently. Dan was walking back from the bathroom….the bus flipped and tumbled, he held on at first but then he just let go" Ivy said as Blair shook her head, bracing herself for what she was going to hear as she had to ask
"But he's fine, right?" Blair asked
"He went through the front window…" Ivy said as Blair began to get emotional
"No, no" Blair said shaking her head in disbelief "But he's fine, right? Tell me he's fine" she said trying to hold on to some hope
"I can't say…we found him in a creek about a good distance away from the crash site. His heart rate was weak…" Ivy began to say just as Carter hobbled his way into the hospital to locate Ivy and Blair.
"How is he?" Carter asked immediately
"He lost a lot of blood, that's all they were telling me. I've gotten test to see if I'm the same blood type as him" Ivy said
"But what did the doctor say?" Blair asked quickly
"They haven't said much. All they said was that we had to wait until he gets examined" Ivy said
"If he goes through a fucking window then that should put him on the priority list of getting examined. Why aren't they saying anything?!" Blair asked as she became upset with answers she was being given
"Blair, she can't make the rules…" Carter began to say as he tried to calm Blair down but she had slapped his hand away so that.
"Don't touch me" Blair said sternly as she glared on at Carter just as Tyler, Eleanor, and Sean made their way into the hospital. Rushing straight over to Blair, the look of concern weighed heavily on Eleanor's face.
"How is he?" Eleanor asked
"…we don't know much" Carter said weakly as he saw the pain and worry that wore heavily on Blair as she just tried to stay present
"He has to wait to be examined…" Ivy said as Blair just shook her head in disbelief
"Which is a crock of bullshit if you ask me" Blair replied before she walked over towards the nurses station "Daniel Humphrey, can I go back to see him?" she asked
"Emergency patients are not allowed to have visitors until they've been checked in to the system" The nurse said as she continued to shuffle through paperwork
"He's here, I have people saying he's here. The doctor has yet to see him, can I at least see him to see if he's okay?" Blair asked
"Emergency patients are not allowed to have visitors until they've been checked in to the system" The nurse spouted out the same line while Blair grew more frustrated
"Is there anything you can do besides feeding me the same phrase? Can he get a transfer to his regular hospital, also known as a private" Blair asked as the nurse looked up at Blair with a glaring look
"Emergency patients are not allowed…." The nurse began to say before Blair quickly turned to storm off as she had to take a few moments to gather herself. Noticing the tension amongst the group, one of the male nurses that tended to the patients in the emergency room came out towards Blair.
"Are you here for Daniel Humphrey?" The guy asked
"Yes, as I've stated" Blair replied still annoyed as she looked over at the nurse
"I took his vitals and was back with him in the assessment…" The guy began to say as Eleanor and Carter walked over
"How is he? Can I see him?" Blair quickly asked
"Unfortunately I can't let you back until the doctor comes back, I don't exactly agree with those rules but I have to abide by them. I can say that he's lost a lot of blood so he will have to have a blood transfusion before going into surgery" The guy said
"He's been shot. Prior to this he was shot in the arm, did that play into anything?" Carter asked
"No. There's a lot of swelling to his brain, so he has a large contusion. We have him on machines to assist in breathing until we're sure that's the only injury he has" The guy said as Blair just tried to keep herself together
"And how soon can we get him into surgery? I know things are backed up but…" Blair began to say as her emotions were getting the best of her as tears fell without effort
"His level of seriousness is increasing, which means he's closer to surgery. We just need to have a guardian sign off on the surgery" The guy said
"A guardian? He's of age" Eleanor replied
"With this level of seriousness, we have to have a guardian since this is…" The guy began to say as Blair began to get where he was going with this
"So if he dies, then we'll know the risk. That's what you're alluding to, right?" Blair asked as her nightmares were only increasing before the guys pager began to go off
"I'm sorry but I have to get back. Just make sure you all get tested to see if you're a blood type and a guardian must sign off on the surgery" The guy said as he began to back away. Sighing in frustration, they all felt the weight of worry as Blair's want to shield her mother went to wayside since she was a nervous mess.
"I'll try to get a hold of Rufus" Blair said after a few moments of getting herself collected
"Blair…" Carter began to say
"Not now. Please, not now" Blair said before she pushed past Carter and headed outside while all Carter could do was watch her walk off with her cell phone in hand.
Hearing the door slam as he made his way out of his room, Chuck just laughed to himself at how clockwork his father was. Since his earlier threats, Chuck had manned the phones to cover every corner of New York to find out his uncle's deeds as it only grew to be not the typical Jack routine. Expecting Jack to be found at his usual strip club or at the smallest hole in the wall casino of some sort spending up all the cash money he had on him, Chuck was finding out within a matter of minutes that his uncle was not up to his usual. Looking on to see Chuck still in the penthouse, Bart could only assume that Chuck had come up with solutions for the mess.
"Have you had a change of heart?" Bart asked
"I don't believe being threatened leads me to have a change of heart" Chuck replied "But Jack is….he's not up to his usual tricks, which is a cause for concern" he said
"You don't say. Thank God we have a genius amongst us" Bart replied sarcastically
"This doesn't help, you berating me doesn't change anything!" Chuck yelled
"I shouldn't have to berate you to care about this" Bart stated
"Just because I'm not all paranoid doesn't mean that I don't care. You have no idea how much crap has happened in the span of weeks to the point where I know something is always coming. So excuse me if this week's tragedy being my Uncle doesn't have me up and arms because from my experiences, he wouldn't come after me nor try to take me out of my position at the company" Chuck replied
"Do you think Jack has loyalty to you?!" Bart asked
"Believe me, I know the family motto, trust no one and that especially means you" Chuck stated
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Bart asked
"I ask you to take care of Elizabeth and then that leads to her killing herself? I didn't want you to drive her to suicide" Chuck yelled angrily
"Your mother is out of whack with reality, there was no certainty of what she was going to do. You can't ask me to something then get emotional when it turns out to an outcome you didn't expect" Bart replied
"She's my mother!?" Chuck replied "Yes, I'm aware of the fact that she was crazy, but I didn't want her dead. I just….I just wanted her to stop lying" he said
"You see that's the key thing that make me know you're not capable of running the company…" Bart began to say
"Because I don't wish death upon a family member?!" Chuck replied sarcastically
"Because you don't have the balls to stand by your decisions. You're weak, you leave room for doubt to come in" Bart stated "I may have forced your mother's hand but if she killed herself, it was only because of her own guilt" he stated
"So that's it, you show no guilt in your last conversation with her being that of what I gather to be hostile? Nothing?" Chuck asked "Dad, I lost my mother. Regardless of who she was to you or to this world….I lost a mother" he said
"Or in the scenario you were faced with at the time, you lost a problem" Bart said before a knock came to the door. Turning their glares over towards the door, Chuck walked over towards the door as he opened it with no regard before he realized that Jenny was standing on the other side.
"Jenny? What are you doing here?" Chuck asked as he immediately saw the look of worry and distraught all over her face
"Is Bart here?" Jenny asked as she wiped away tears
"Yeah, he's inside" Chuck said as he stepped aside while Jenny made her way into the room. Noticing the blonde, Bart looked over at her with concern as he wasn't sure why she was here.
"Uh, it's Dan. He's been in an accident….we can't get ahold of my dad and…" Jenny cried as Bart wasted no time in going to grab his coat
"Chuck…." Bart began to say as he looked over to see Chuck on his phone
"I'm calling for the jet, just go" Chuck said as Jenny walked over towards Bart "Jen" he called out as she turned to look back at him "It's going to be fine. It'll be fine" he told her as Jenny nodded and acknowledge his words before she went with Bart.
Getting the go ahead from the male nurse that she could go back, Blair wasted no time in heading back towards the emergency care. Passing numerous patients that were in the emergency with gruesome injuries, Blair felt it hard to look on at some of them as it looked so painful. Continuing to walk pass the beds, Blair grew anxious with each step as she got closer and closer to where Dan was supposed to be. Seeing the curtain closed around a specific gurney, Blair could only key into the sounds of a machine going off before she realized that it was Dan. Opening the curtain for her, Blair bit down hard on her lip as she wanted to stop any sudden reaction that was for her to cry. His head was heavily bandaged with gauze filled with blood, his chest was scraped up to where they had to put wound healing gel on, his mouth propped open with a tube to help him breath while he lay asleep.
"I'll give you some time. I'll let you know when we get word about the surgery" The guy said before he left Blair alone. For a moment, Blair stood in disbelief as she looked on at Dan's tattered and bruised body. Walking over towards his bedside, Blair took a seat as she once again tried to gather her strength so that she wouldn't cry. Clutching on tight to his hand, Blair lowered her head as the struggle to not show emotion was harder than she imagined since it was only a few days ago that they were just so happy.
[Flashback]
Rushing into the house, Blair laughed excitedly as she held the paper up as her own proof that this was real. Closing the door behind him, Dan tossed his keys onto the counter before he ran over to jump onto the sofa in such excitement. Dancing around like joyful little kids, there was nothing more important than the news they had gotten tonight. As Dan began to take in the news, Blair quickly ran into the kitchen to grab any form of alcohol she could find along with two glasses before she headed back inside the living room.
"I…I can't believe this. I'm in total awe" Dan said with a bewildered look on his face
"This is incredible. I mean I knew this would happen but I didn't expect that" Blair said
"I know right?" Dan questioned "I don't think I've ever seen something like this in my life. This has completely changed my whole status" he said
"You've morphed into the Upper Eastside guy I've been searching for" Blair quickly chimed in "My toad became a complete prince onto a king" she said in disbelief as Dan just looked at her "What? We're being honest" she said
"I'm rich. I'm filthy, stinkin rich" Dan exclaimed
"We're rich again!" Blair declared "No more Target, no more reading sales papers as a form of torture for my budget conscience. I can get back to my annual retail therapy appointments" she said
"Uh, we're still budget conscience" Dan said as Blair hoped that Dan would let that be the one thing they let slide "This deal, this movie…I've achieved a dream. Blair, I literally achieved my dream of becoming financial stable and to….to be able to live a comfortable life" he told her as Blair opened up the bottle of beer that they had "We can get our house, I can support us…." he began to say
"That's if I wanted to be a kept woman. I'm fully enjoying me being dependent on myself, but it's a nice dream to know that you can" Blair quickly interjected
"Regardless, this is my work finally becoming my future. This is my career and my career is good, great" Dan smiled as Blair handed him the beer so that he could take a sip from
"You did it. Regardless of this substantially huge check and this contract that makes you a part of this movie….you did it. You've arrived Humphrey!" Blair declared happily before Dan picked her up to swing her around
"We're getting the house…." Dan told her "I want us to get that as our first purchase. I'm calling the realtor and we're getting the house" he said
"Are you sure?" Blair asked as he put her down while he began to pace the floor
"Yes, then we're getting ma…." Dan began to say as Blair became intrigued with where this was heading but Dan was able to catch what he was about to say "Managing cars. Cars that are manageable since….we might have to drive, so managing a car is essential" he said fumbling through with trying to cover up what he was about to say
"…right, because a car is completely within the realm of things we do together. We live together and now we'll own…cars together" Blair said feeling a bit dejected with what she thought was going to be a proposal of marriage "I'm happy for you. I love you so much and I know how much you wanted this. I've seen you at your lowest just trying to find your way through and for this…." she said as she became overjoyed with tears for his success "This is what you're supposed to do. It may have taken some time but you deserve this, you deserve this" she smiled against his lips as he leaned in to kiss her
"I couldn't have done this without you. I love you, I love you more than you'll ever know and I promise you that I will spend every day making sure you know that" Dan said as he broke the kiss "You're just as much as responsible for this as I am, just know that" he said as Blair just nodded as refusing it would only prove to lead to a debate from what he felt was true. Pressing her forehead against his, Blair kissed his cheek as she held both sides of his face as she felt like his accomplishment had become her own.
[End of Flashback]
Making his way inside the room, Carter stood motionless as he took in the full view of Dan. Listening to her tears, Carter couldn't help but feel his heart being torn apart with how much this was hurting her. Dealing with tears that were coming, Carter turned around as he silently wept to himself before he finally got control of his emotions. Forcing himself to proceed, Carter cleared his throat as Blair quickly straightened up.
"Ivy was a match. She's getting blood drawn" Carter spoke as Blair just nodded not anxious to talk in fear of breaking down "….he's going to be fine, right?" he said as he became choked up "He'll be fine, right?" he asked as Blair just hung her head
"I can't do this now Carter!" Blair said as her frustration showed "I can't hold your hand and make you feel all right. I can't, so don't put me in the position to say something….to say something I'll regret" she said as she turned to look at Carter with tears welled up in her eyes. Staring on at each other for a few moments before they were interrupted by the sudden appearance of the nurse.
"He's got the go ahead for surgery. We need to prep him" The nurse said as Blair quickly got up from her seat as a flurry of nurses came in as they were ushered out.
Hearing the can clash against the tray as it stopped it from getting stuck inside the machine, Sean bended over to grab the last soda as he carried over the sodas towards the group. Passing out sodas, Sean received his thank you's as he could only hope that it would serve as some bit of a dinner with night time approaching. The waiting room was packed with people waiting on news of their loved ones, which prohibited everyone from sitting together. Walking over towards the corner of the waiting room where Tyler sat, Sean tossed his friend a bag of chips before he flopped down in the seat beside him.
"I hate hospitals. All kinds and every form, I hate hospitals" Tyler sighed
"They're not exactly a friendly place to visit but I agree with the sentiment somewhat" Sean said before he grabbed the bag of chips and began to eat
"Somewhat?" Tyler asked
"My son was born in a hospital. I have to be thankful for a hospital for that reason" Sean said "Ro looked into the whole midwife thing and that was just horrifying and messy. Hospital saved my tile floors and my LCD flat screen" he said as Tyler shook his head
"Not much has been said as the cause to this accident. I keep checking the news reports and they just label it as a tragic bus accident" Tyler sighed
"An accident is an accident some. They hear accident and just assume the worse comes along with it without having much detail being given. Our society is very blah" Sean said
"Blah? Somewhat and blah?" Tyler questioned
"I'm expanding" Sean said
"Into what?" Tyler asked
"…I don't know. I'm just morphing and expanding" Sean replied "If you dislike hospitals so much, why are you a permanent fixture in this one. You usually pace around outside to avoid the ambience of a hospital feel" he said
"Because Dan is Blair's boyfriend and he's kind of like a cell mate with me in the dungeon that is Blair" Tyler said
"Your sister doesn't seem as…" Sean began to say
"You have yet to see it" Tyler quickly replied "Blair is every bit of crazy….but then there's the side to her that is worth every bit of the crazy" he said trailing off in thought
"Look who's finally appreciating the fam" Sean smiled
"This is my family, Dan included. What effects my mom and Blair…it effects me. I keep thinking about that whole ordeal with Ophelia and her almost finishing off the deal with Blair…I just realized that I like this family. I like knowing the crazy person is the one that's going to protect me. Sometimes knowing a crazy person is a benefit, and then it's satisfying to know that said crazy person has a tamer that understands the crazy" Tyler said as Sean sat in confusion as to what Tyler had said
"I have no clue what you just said. I heard a compliment, an accomplishment of you calling Eleanor your mother, and then I hear a bunch of stuff that made me think you were a part of a circus with a master tamer in the mix….possibly an elephant on a tight rope" Sean said as his attention shifted towards Serena's appearance with Trip in tow. Noticing Sean's sudden silence, Tyler grabbed the bag of chips as he saw this as his opportunity to eat.
"You shouldn't eat your feelings, it makes you more fat" Tyler stated as Sean looked at Tyler just as Serena walked over towards Sean and Tyler.
"Hey guys" Serena said "How is he?" she asked
"We haven't heard much, just that he needs surgery which requires a signature from a guardian" Tyler sighed
"What?" Serena asked in confusion
"Yeah, it's…strange and not what I thought would become" Tyler said
"Is everyone in here involved in the accident?" Trip asked as he finally spoke
"No, this is just…the hospital they have as their only option" Sean said as the awkwardness of the moment came in "This is the only hospital in the region" he said trying to clarify so that it wouldn't come across like he was trying to be mean
"Yeah, I got it" Trip smiled trying to ease the tension "Nice to see you again" he said as he offered his hand out to Sean. Exchanging eye contact with Serena, Sean forced a smile as he shook Trip's hand to show that he wasn't going to make this awkward for her.
"…same" Sean told him as he shook Trip's hand
"The main focus just has to be on Dan and him getting better" Trip said as some sort of a goal for everyone to achieve while Sean and Tyler nodded awkwardly.
"I think he just got his signature" Serena said as she looked over to see Bart enter the hospital behind Jenny.
Meanwhile…
Rushing over towards Eleanor, Jenny was immediately embraced by the woman as Bart walked up towards the nurses station. Anger apparent on his face, Bart bypassed the line as he worked his way up towards the front. Looking on at the tycoon, Ivy looked on as she was sure that something was about to happen. Moving closer towards the line, Ivy finally got to see the great Bart Bass that she had heard of in the flesh.
"Who's in charge?! I want to know who's in charge?!" Bart asked in a demanding tone as Eleanor pulled away from Jenny's embrace to head towards Bart just as Tyler stopped her from doing so.
"Sir, if you could just sit down…" The nurse began to say
"You've got a man on a gurney damn near dying and I have to come all this way to sign a fucking piece of paper for you do your damn job!? Give me a fucking break. This is ridiculous, this is absurd!" Bart yelled as Tyler stepped in front of Bart just as the head of staff came out
"Mr. Bass, what's wrong?" The head of staff asked as Ivy was surprised how a simple head of staff managed to get big eyed over the infamous Bart Bass
"I want a transfer. As soon as the surgery is done, I want my kid out of this place. I don't care if it costs money, the service that has been provided thus far has been crap…." Bart said as he berated the staff
"Will make sure he's taken care of during his stay…." The head of staff began to say
"I want the damn transfer!" Bart yelled as he nearly pushed Tyler over in his rage "Get him out of here the moment he's able to, but I don't give a damn on what you can do because you've done enough for me to see this is crap, bullshit, shit, every flagrant word in the book, this is the service to describe this facility. If by any means you're negligence leads to anything being wrong, I swear to God, I will wrap this hospital up in a swarm of lawsuits that it'll be a pile of dust by the time I'm done with it" he threatened as even though it was clear he was the rich guy that didn't belong, everyone in the hospital could agree that the service was horrible but unlike the rest, Bart was able to afford the options that would be given to Dan.
You got wires, going in
You got wires, coming out of your skin
You got tears, making tracks
I got tears, that are scared of the facts
Watching him as they rolled him by, Eleanor clenched on tight to Bart as she did all she could to keep herself together. Holding her close, Bart knew that he had to be Eleanor's form of strength as he knew better than anyone how much Dan meant to her. Rubbing his mother's back, Tyler stood behind as it all felt surreal to him. In his only experience of being in a hospital, Tyler felt like the one that was standing in the perils of the unknown with no one to understand, but this time he was amongst the few that knew what it was like.
Running, down corridors through, automatic doors
Got to get to you, got to see this through
I see hope is here, in a plastic box
I've seen christmas lights, reflect in your eyes
In the operating room, the surgeon moved carefully and skillfully as he knew with full knowledge the association Bart Bass had to the boy on his table. Looking up at the monitor to see that Dan was coding, the surgeon quickly backed up as they revived Dan once more. It was a touchy and close call, but with the type of surgery that was being performed with the brain, danger was always a risk at any point for even the healthiest of people in distress. Panic mode had been closely reached a few times as they struggled to get a heart beat but it was the sounds of a heart pounding that let them all know in the operating room that they were able to move on with the procedure.
"Scalpel" The surgeon said as the nurse passed him his desired tool
You got wires, going in
You got wires, coming out of your skin
There's dry blood, on your wrist
Your dry blood on my fingertip
Sitting in the front row of the hospital church, Blair drew upon every spiritual scripture she could think of as all she could do was pray. Mumbling and shaking through her words, Blair kept her head bowed as she rocked back and forth while she prayed. Drawing upon the little strength she had, Blair drew upon all that she had to put in to a higher being to see her through her moment of weakness. Sitting a pew behind, Serena put her hand on Blair's shoulder as she knew there was nothing that she could say that would suffice in this moment.
Running, down corridoors through, automatic doors
Got to get to you, got to see this through
First night of your life, curled up on your own
Looking at you now, you would never know
Studying the double doors intently, Jenny made it her key focus to will her brother out. Staring as if she could propel his body out, Jenny kept hoping and praying that she would be able to debate about the latest chick flick that she thought was good cinema opposed to what Dan felt, with her brother. Seeing the door open up with Dan being wheeled out on a gurney, Jenny began to hyperventilate as some bit of hope had been given back to her. Looking over to see Blair racing over to see Dan being wheeled down hallway in less than nine hours later, Blair looked on with anticipation for some sign that he was awake.
"The surgery went well" The doctor said as he walked up to Bart
"Is he awake?" Bart asked
"He's responded to a few motor skills but he may not wake as soon as possible. We're monitoring his brain function and his heartbeat, as long as those are stable then we're good until he wakes up" The doctor said
"How long until we're out of the woods?" Eleanor asked hesitantly as she knew Blair was looking on
"…The next twenty four hours are key. We make it through the full twenty four with good measurement of advancement then we can progress on with aggressive treatment with the neurologist" The doctor said as he forced a smile to appease the family while Blair quickly turned to walk away to her sanctuary.
I see it in your eyes, I see it in your eyes
You'll be alright
I see it in your eyes, I see it in your eyes
You'll be alright
Watching as everyone had began to pack it in for the night, the crowd dwindled down to somewhat manageable with some still receiving treatment, Ivy just looked on at the patchwork family that Dan had assembled. Billionaire tycoon and a fashion great of New York, both worried about Dan, seeing Dan as their own. Later on that evening, Rufus had made his way in to just so easily gather with two socialites as if it was just so natural for him. It was clear to Ivy that it wasn't the same social scene like when she was growing up. Noticing one of the common threads of the group was missing, Ivy made her way down the hall as she could see Blair sitting outside of Dan's room.
"Can I join you?" Ivy asked as she walked up to Blair
"I'm not sure I'll be much company under the circumstances" Blair muttered as she ran her hand through her hair while Ivy took a seat beside her
"I have a mother that's see's bingo as her form of escape and a father I don't quite know. Silence has been a friend I have come used to" Ivy replied as a silence came between them as they just sat looking on at Dan's room "I've always known him as Danny. I never saw him as Dan. He always thought I was teasing him, killing his man ego but he was just Danny to me because he was this little kid that always tried to impress me" she began to say as she thought back while Blair just continued her silence "I was in my second year of junior high, when there was this boy in my class that just made it his mission to pick on me. I was growing in my lady bumps as I called them then and he just kept calling them honkers. I was embarrassed because I was reaching my growth quicker than most girls. Like clockwork, I'd walk to school and there the boy was, teasing me. So one day, I has having a bad day. My mom was hounding me and my dad…nowhere to be found, just an all out horrible day. I was walking to school, expecting the bully and like clockwork he came. Danny rushes out of nowhere and starts to tell the bully to leave me alone. Within a flash, the bully punches Dan and knocks him down. Everyone's thinking that Dan has been knocked out cold, and I just feel horrible because Danny comes to my defense. Vanessa and I are freaking out and telling the bully to leave him alone, when Danny pops up to sucker punch the bully and just knocks him out. It was one day, but it was a day that I appreciated. He likes to scare you a bit, but I have no doubt he'll pop up from this" she told her
"Was the bully bigger?" Blair asked after a few moments
"He was younger. I'm talking elementary younger" Ivy said as Blair and her laughed "He was so proud but then so embarrassed. I mean his first fight was against a kid younger than him. It was so sad" she laughed
"He's never told me about that" Blair said
"He never will, he's too embarrassed to brag about something like that" Ivy said as he laughs calmed down
"….that actually helped. The embarrassing Dan story" Blair said as she was finding some bit of relief in hearing Dan's past
"How did Dan manage to snag an Upper Eastsider as his girlfriend?" Ivy asked "Was it his charm or him being sucker punched that did you in?" she asked
"We weren't the picture perfect romance as you would think now. He worked for my mom as the house manager, I know, stupid titles. It was him just being there that lead to us being more" Blair said.
"House manager is a nice title" Ivy laughed "So him being in your house led to the undeniable attraction?" she asked
"I should say no but it ended up that way" Blair said as she thought to herself for a few moments as a smile came over her in her thoughts of the beginning "I wasn't looking for him. He wasn't my idea prince charming. Mine was future corporate owner, who was fluent in three languages, had a knack for art, loved the classic literature, appreciated the Victorian era, and was basically a me with a penis…" she began to say
"And Dan didn't fit that bill by the slightest" Ivy concluded
"Not by a long shot" Blair said "He wasn't what I wanted at first but he became what I needed. He wore on me until it just fit for us to be together. He understood me better than I ever understood myself…and it just worked for us" she said "An unexpected fairytale of the best kind" she said as she laughed through the tears
"A fairytale that most would envy" Ivy smiled "I hardly think this fairytale is supposed to end like this. I'm sure he's bound to sneak in a sucker punch to this unseen bully" she said as Blair smiled on at Ivy
"Thank you" Blair said
"For what? The story?" Ivy asked
"For giving blood and for being here. Regardless of his like for the Upper Eastside, Dan's always Brooklyn through and through. I'm sure he'd be relieved to know he has Brooklyn coursing through his veins" Blair said
"You can take the boy from Brooklyn but you can't take Brooklyn from the boy" Ivy said "Yeah, that sounded better in my head then it did aloud" she said
Sitting on the rails outside of the emergency room, Sean took these few moments to go through his messages. Looking through the pictures that were stored of Michael's day from beginning to end, Sean just smiled as the days couldn't pass by quick enough until Michael would be with him in his new place. Michael had barely began to crawl, so every mental note that Sean could think of, he was making them to protect him from any ounce of pain that could come his way. Noticing the incoming message from his agent, Sean paused for a moment before he opened it up to read the message. Freezing for a moment, Sean read over again as he wanted to make sure he was reading it correctly. Just as he looked up from his phone, Sean saw Serena walking back towards the emergency room as the two slowly locked eyes.
"Got tired of sitting?" Sean asked
"Trip had to go home, meeting in the morning" Serena said as Sean nodded
"Right because he's the senator and all. Meetings on legislation and all that other fun stuff awaits. Maybe even international stuff" Sean said
"Don't do that" Serena replied
"Do what?" Sean asked "He could be working abroad or locally or anything. I'm not quite sure what a senator does" he said
"So you throwing in international is just by coincidence?" Serena asked knowing that Sean meant more by what he was saying
"Him. You're with him?" Sean asked "I mean you being with him just gives validity to my original accusations…" he began to say
"Oh, save it" Serena replied as she laughed in disbelief "Don't justify your bogus attempt to start a fight with it somehow having merit because I happen to be with the said guy. Not that I choose to argue outside of the hospital where my best friends boyfriend is fighting for his life…" she began to say
"We're not arguing" Sean replied
"This feels like it" Serena replied after a few moments "You let me go. For good reason, you let me go. In that you made your decision to lie to me. Trip was there, he…he grew on me until I could see that he was good for me. I haven't exactly had a great history with dating the good guys, there was you…and it ended in what was heartbreaking but then came Trip, another good guy. Don't fault me for something you pushed me to do" she said
"I feel like the guy that thinks he can stomach the girl being with another guy, so he puts on the brave face and laughs with his buddies but then he see's the girl" Sean said as he paused for a moment "He see's her with him, the guy he thought she'd never get with….and in that moment he's sick because he's thinking it could be any guy, but not him. Not that guy" he said
"You don't get to have a say in my life anymore" Serena replied "Maybe when you realize that, then you'll cure the sickness" she said before she headed back inside just as Tyler made his way out to see that it was a tense moment between the two that he had walked up to.
"She looked mad" Tyler noted
"Get used to that, I make her mad now" Sean replied as he jumped down off the rail he said as he looked around "I have to go" he said
"Because of Serena?" Tyler asked
"Because I have to" Sean replied as Tyler just sighed in frustration
"You coming back for her isn't working out to be a smart decision" Tyler said
"Ty, for once….stay out of my business!" Sean replied sternly "Just do that for me. I have to go but keep me updated" he said as Tyler just nodded
"Fine, whatever" Tyler replied as he agreed as Sean began to walk off before he came to a sudden stop. Turning back to see Tyler still standing in the same spot, Sean took a few moments.
"…are you still buying dinner tonight?…I kind of hoped…." Sean began to reason
"And this is the very reason why I stay in your business….I guess, yeah, I'm stilly buying" Tyler nodded before Sean continued to walk away.
Leaning up against the wall, Carter kept his hands dug in his pockets as he just looked on at Jenny and Rufus sitting with Dan. He was still unconscious, in a coma from what he gathered by the unspoken silence amongst everyone and the doctors. Blair had been a bag of nerves and worry as she went in and out of the hospital church with her mother, praying for any bit of a miracle to come her way. It was in this moment that Carter felt like this was his lowest point. The timeline of events replaying over and over in his head, each time Carter knowing that the consequences still involve the same conclusion due to the same cause. Walking out of the church, Serena sighed as the tiredness of the night was catching up to her. Letting out a yawn as she walked up towards Carter, Serena leaned up against the wall beside him as they both looked on at Jenny holding her brother's hand.
"It all seems surreal. I used to think trouble finding people was a myth, bad luck that people liked to believe in but…we just got through with one tragedy to head right into another" Serena said "I don't understand it. I really don't understand it or maybe I don't want to" she sighed
"Or maybe it's just the people surrounding the good" Carter said
"What do you mean?" Serena asked as Carter looked over at her with a bit of a smirk
"You know what I mean" Carter said "He should've never been on a bus. He should've been home, with Blair, fighting and debating over something that means nothing but is some sort of foreplay to them" he said
"Why did he take the bus?" Serena asked
"….because of me" Carter forced a smile "I had the notion that driving back home in the form of a bus would ease the pain of returning to New York. It was the dumbest thing, and the more I think about it….a bus?! A bus trip to ease pain caused by myself…" he said becoming emotional
"Hey, this isn't your fault. Dan was trying to be your friend…." Serena began to say
"Then I should've done the same for him" Carter quickly replied "I made the mess with Vanessa and instead of owning up to it, I moped around playing the victim to where Dan literally had to kick my ass into gear only to find himself as the victim in this scenario" he said "I should've never came to Maine. I should've…" he began to say
"There's a lot of things we should do but it doesn't change anything. We can't rewrite what has happened" Serena replied "This isn't your fault" she said as Carter wiped away tears
"They can't find a cause for this, there is numerous causes as to why the bus accident happened, which doesn't exempt me from anything!?" Carter said
"Accidents happen all the time" Serena exclaimed
"With a cause behind them" Carter replied as a silence came between. Serena racked her head, trying to find someway to get Carter to understand that this was just a mere accident "The reason why he was up in the first place, the only reason why he was walking the aisle….was because I want him to check the restrooms to see if they were sanitary enough" he laughed in disbelief as Serena just stood frozen "Exactly, stupid reason to have your best friend get out of his own seat to do something that you know you're capable of doing" he said
"It's still not your fault…." Serena began to say
"That should've been me!" Carter exclaimed "That should've been me up walking, that should've been me going through the window, that should be me in that bed. Not him, not like this!" he said in a demonstrative tone that caught the attention of those around them before Eleanor began to walk up to them
"Is everything okay over here?" Eleanor asked as she looked to see Carter wiping his eyes
"Yeah, things are fine. I was just…I was just trying to find out why the hell I'm even here" Carter said trying to play tough as Eleanor stood in confusion
"Excuse me?" Eleanor asked a bit baffled by his statement
"Nothing, he's not thinking clearly" Serena quickly replied
"No, I'm thinking clearly. Don't speak for me, I'm fully capable of speaking up for myself" Carter told Serena as he looked at her before he walked towards Eleanor "I shouldn't be here, I should be there" he said pointing over towards Dan
"And why would you say that?" Eleanor asked
"Because it's the truth" Carter replied "You shouldn't be here, none of us should….Dan didn't deserve this and I'm going to fess up to that" he said
"So you think by that admission then it just changes things? You think things are going to magically reverse to you being in critical condition? You think that's what we all are hoping for?" Eleanor as she looked Carter dead in the eyes
"I'm a man that believes honesty is key, so yes" Carter said as he tried to keep his brave face with Eleanor as out of the corner of his eye he could see Bart looking on intently "Let me do something that is right in this scenario. This is my fault and I'm owning it like I should've done to begin with" he said as he began to tremble
"You may want me to blame yourself because it's the only thing logical thing to do when you look at him, but I'm not giving you the cop out you need" Eleanor replied as Carter shook his head
"No, I did this. You all need to just admit that and…." Carter said
"And do what? Berate you?" Bart asked
"Ban together against the common enemy. Something? Something that puts one step towards Dan being out of this predicament that I put him in. Something, anything" Carter said
"I don't blame you. You may blame yourself, but I don't blame you" Eleanor replied before she quickly hugged him as he began to sob in her arms. Walking up towards the scene, Blair looked from Carter to Dan as she came towards them
"What's this?" Blair asked catching everyone's attention as Carter quickly pulled away from Eleanor
"How are you feeling?" Serena asked as rubbed Blair's back
"My boyfriend just had brain surgery, he's hooked up to machines to make sure he can even breath, he's dealing with a second rate medical staff with a speck of decent doctors and nurses, seeing his blood has become a typical thing to see at this point….how do you think I feel?" Blair replied as blunt and brash as possible before she looked over at Carter
"Why don't you let Serena get you something to eat and you two get fresh air?" Eleanor asked
"I'm not leaving. That's not an option and if that's what you were discussing…" Blair began to say
"No, I was just….I was admitting my part in this" Carter replied
"Which isn't shocking" Blair quickly replied
"Blair" Serena quickly replied
"No, I want to hear this. I've been waiting to hear this" Carter replied as he braced himself for Blair's sharp words
"…I'm not about to make you feel better. You want to blame yourself then go ahead, do your pity party. I don't have time to make you feel better because I don't know if you noticed Carter, but my boyfriend is in a damn coma!" Blair said as her anger built up in her words as her glare at Carter was more of pain and anguish with the situation rather than dislike of him. Stepping in front of Blair, Serena held her friend back while Ivy walked over to see what was going on
"Blair, this is not the place or the time" Serena told her friend to where she could only hear
"I'll go. I should go" Carter said as he quickly turned to leave as he met little resistance before he made his way out of the hallway
"Was that really necessary?" Eleanor asked "Regardless of what you may feel, he's still his best friend…." she began to say
"And he's just what to me?" Blair questioned "Things are not supposed to be like this. We had gone through the bad, things weren't supposed to be like this" she cried as she pleaded her point "I'm sorry if I'm the bitch or irrational with Carter, but I don't care. I do not care because the guy that I love is in a hospital bed trying to fight for his life. My focus is on him. What little bit of strength I have has to be for Dan, not aiding Carter's conscience. So I'm sorry but yes…it's necessary. You want to support then support but don't expect me to be dutiful because I'm scared out of my mind right now" she stated as tears flowed effortlessly just as Jenny made her way out. Looking on at everyone, Jenny tried to keep a brave face on but the tears got the best of her as Rufus's sobs rang loudly.
"We keep hope, right?" Jenny asked as she wiped away tears
"Yeah, we keep hope" Blair said as she walked up to give Jenny a hug as the two just held on to each other, letting tears flow freely.
Stepping off the elevator, Jack stumbled inside the office before he eventually fell to the floor. Rolling over onto his back, Jack laughed hysterically as he just reached over to grab his bottle of champagne. Sitting up on the floor, Jack opened up the bottle before he began to take a swig from the bottle. Getting up from the floor, Jack walked around the offices of Bass Industries as he just took in the scenery of the offices in it's true form rather than it being hidden in the hustle and bustle of people. Making his way into the Chuck's office, the CEO's office, Jack looked out the window as he just drank on his bottle of champagne before he heard the door close behind him.
"You're late for the party" Jack said as he turned to face Chuck "I've all ready started it" he laughed
"What was the reason for your visit to see my mother in Monaco?" Chuck asked immediately
"Monaco?" Jack asked a bit confused as he appeared to be more tipsy that he thought "Why whatever do you mean dear, sweet nephew…" he began to say as he walked over to Chuck
"Cut the crap. I know you were in Monaco, I know you visited her in the institution. So answer the question and stop the run around. Why were you there?" Chuck questioned
"Because someone had to see her!" Jack yelled "….Bart throws people away and we all follow along because the great Bart Bass says so but you can't do that in the real world. People are real in reality but not in Bart's world. You should know what it's like to be non-existent in his world" he said
"Okay, so you went to see her, which means you also were the one that probably got her released knowing that she was in not of sound mind to be released" Chuck quickly replied "Why? Why have her come back?" he then asked
"Why? Chuck, she's your mother" Jack replied
"A mother that I had no relationship with until you saw it necessary to send her back to me, because you're that type of uncle. You have such a soft spot for me" Chuck replied "Give me a break. You may have never been the authoritative type but you never had my best interest at heart" he said
"Is it that hard to believe that your mother coming back could've been the beginning of you having the family you should've had with her?" Jack asked
"She came back wrong!?" Chuck yelled "You stopped her from getting the treatment she needed, she stopped taking her meds and became some deranged person, who linked up with Ophelia Sparks. Tell me you see something wrong here?! Because I sure as hell don't" he told him
"What are you trying to get at?" Jack asked after a few moments of confusion as he looked on at Chuck.
"I'm asking you, what business did you have in Monaco?" Chuck asked as the tension began to build
"I gambled. I drank. I had sex. I drank on wine….and I went to work" Jack told Chuck "I went to work on getting what was rightfully mine. I went about proving that this company belonged in my hands" he said as Chuck looked at him in disbelief.
[Flashback- Quaternary "The Lying Games"]
Taking his seat on the couch, Chuck groaned in frustration as he began to feel like there was no right or wrong in this scenario that he was placed in. It was all just a bunch of choices that he was forced to make in regards to him trying to find some bit of truth. Looking on at the clock, Carter sighed as they knew they wouldn't have long before they needed to get back to the party. Observing the silence in the room, Bart looked on at his son as he could see that this was truly troubling him.
"What do you want to do?" Carter asked
"I want to get the truth but I'm not sure I'm willing to go to these lengths" Chuck said
"This is too risky" he said
"If it's what she wants then you have to give it to her" Carter said
"And if you say it's true then what? I'm screwed over" Chuck replied
"You give this to her because she's working with someone" Bart replied as he finally spoke up "You give this and it'll lead us to who. The stock loss will be stock loss but it'll mean nothing if we don't know what she's up to" he said
"So now we remove Russel from the equation and put in someone else that she's linked to" Chuck said "All from these findings you have?" he questioned
"Not just anyone…..Ophelia" Carter replied "She bought the remaining stock from Ophelia for Russel. Ophelia has collected off of everyone she's sold stock to but nothing in the ledger shows from Elizabeth, which leaves us to think that she's finally coming to collect or they have something worked up for something bigger…" he began to say
"She's coming after the company" Chuck concluded
[End of Flashback]
[Flashback; Quaternary "The Art of Revenge"]
"My mother bought stock from Ophelia. On the ledger, everyone showed a form of payment but next to my mother's there is nothing" Chuck told him "So we're thinking that form of payment is coming in other forms…." he began to say
"And that someone else might be involved" Carter said
"Someone else like who?" Tyler asked
"That we have to figure out since it's not you, but it's okay, this weave of confusing soap opera tendencies has me thinking anything and anyone could be possible" Carter said
"She got access to the stock through someone. My mother's not capable to just convince someone like Ophelia to hand over such a vital asset to the Waldorf company without ensuring that it remains untouchable to the Waldorf's" Chuck said.
[End of Flashback]
[Flashback; Quaternary "The Annunciation"]
"They come after Blair and use her to get the stock to the company, to coup d'etat the company" Carter said
"But none of this was about the company. They have the company, none of this is about the company" Blair stated "There's something bigger that we're missing" she said
"Maybe it's the fact that Tyler knew that Ophelia and Bex were some told you guys for the longest the item. That's something that wouldn't be tolerated within the Sparks family" Serena said
"Yes, but it's not like we were attacking them. We have a gay best friends, clearly we're down with the gays" Blair stated "She wants me involved in some means" she stated as the sliding door opened up to show Chuck making his way outside
"Which is why my mother is involved" Chuck stated "Elizabeth bought the stock from Ophelia but no repayment was made" he said
"That much we know" Carter said as Chuck pulled out an envelope from his jacket pocket
"That summer, the reason why we couldn't find her was because she wasn't in London….she was in Napole, a small town out of Monaco. I looked into it and it was mental institution that she had been sent to. Her records say that she was recovering from a traumatic event and sought spiritual healing" Chuck said
"And can I just relish this moment of finding out your mother is bat shit crazy, institution and all" Carter said as everyone just turned to look at him "I'm celebrating that fact because I told all of you for the longest that the woman was bats hit crazy" he stated
"Besides the point, Monaco seems to be the meeting place for all the players. Everything ties back to Monaco from Georgina being released under Monaco law" Jenny began to say
"So do we just assume that Ophelia is highly strategic in the art of revenge or just assume there's some looming puppet master that's waiting to pop out?" Eric asked
[End of Flashback]
In that moment it all became clear to him, from beginning to end it was beginning to align as the perfect manipulation that he found himself involved in. Looking on at the smirk that his uncle wore, Chuck just looked at him in disbelief as it was all the confirmation that he needed to know that his truths would come closer than he expected.
"It was you…you were the third person involved" Chuck said in complete disbelief as it all began to sink in for him "You took over the Waldorf company. You brought Ophelia back. You got Georgina released. You…you did this, you created this hell…." he began to say
"I had no part in what these women decided to do with their second chances. I merely closed the deal to put Bass Industries above everyone else. I took down the biggest company that would in return morph and merge with Bass Industries…." Jack began to say
"You stole the company!" Chuck yelled
"What do you think the business world is about? Making loyalty deals and friendship lockets?" Jack asked "This is a game of hunt or be hunted. I did what I was raised to do" he said
"Ophelia gets some sort of kangaroo court revenge, Elizabeth just what? Explain this grand plan that makes you just another business tycoon?" Chuck asked
"The fact that I don't let the trappings of loyalty and friendships bound me to doing what is best for the company" Jack replied "I did my job" he said
"The fact that you can't see the mess you've made, the mess that left a damn blood bath and put people I care about in danger….you're even more diluted than I thought" Chuck said
"People you care about? Nephew, you live and die alone in this world. Be rich and screw the other stuff" Jack told him as he held on to Chuck's face "I gave you yet another source of income to live off of" he smirked before Chuck pushed him away
"I'm blocking any move you plan to make with the board…" Chuck began to say
"You could try, but you won't succeed" Jack laughed "I'm bringing in a major, massive hulk of a company in what was Waldorf in Legacy. Combining that with Bass Industries, we'll be virtually unstoppable" he said "I have Russel Thorpe…I have the dream team of business…" he began to say
"We'll see about that" Chuck replied before he turned to leave
"I asked if you wanted to join….you should've taken my offer!" Jack called out as Chuck began to press the button to go down on the elevator. Once the doors opened, Chuck wasted no time in boarding as the elevator doors closed on the emergence of Jack. Slamming his hand against the elevator panels, Chuck groaned in frustration as he ran his hand through his hair.
Coming out of the hospital, Blair immediately began to gasp for air as she felt like every bit of the walls was closing in on her. Following behind her friend, Serena stood back for a few moments as the sound of the door closing could only give away her presence. Gripping on to the rails, Blair just pushed back and forth as she just tried to contain the emotions that were coming to her. Taking a sip from her soda as she walked up to the side entrance of the hospital with Justine and April in tow, Jenny felt a bit better as she appreciated the bit of food that she was able to eat since stepping out. All joining together, Serena shared a silent acknowledgement of April and Justine as they looked on at both Jenny and Blair to see how distraught they were.
"We heard you're protesting food. Since I happen to think hospital food sucks, I have decided to challenge your protest to get you a burger" Justine said as she handed the bag over to Blair
"While she got that, I knew better to get you the salad on the side" April said as she pulled the container out towards Blair. Looking on at the objects, Blair just looked from Justine to April
"I really can't…." Blair began to say
"You say that now but wait until you see the breakfast items waiting for you in there" Justine said "Take my advice and go with food that is recognizable" she said
"You won't have to leave the hospital. Food brought to your very hands, doesn't get any better than that" Serena said as she walked up beside Blair "We can even eat out here" she said
"That's not a good selling point" Blair said as she looked over at Serena
"It's your only option" Justine said as she began to open up the food to hand to Blair as she reluctantly took a bite out of the burger
"There, you happy?" Blair asked as she chewed
"Don't chew with your mouth open" Justine quickly replied as she took the napkin out to wipe the corner of Blair's mouth
"Keeping the topic light, how was your summer prior to this?" April asked as she looked on at Blair and Serena
"I got a job" Serena stated as Blair looked over at her "Peer mentor at a junior high school" she said
"That's great or is it?" Jenny asked
"It's good. I like it and it's something I'm interested in" Serena told them as she immediately thought to herself "I go back to school on Monday" she laughed as the girls joined in on the laughter while Blair continued to eat
"I thought I was going to get married" Blair said as she stopped eating for a moment to look up at the eyes looking back at her "…you guys know, I had the plan and all to get the proposal. I ended up getting a house instead. Big and spacious, one story with a good layout. We picked it out and everything, didn't want it at first but it just grew on me. We're supposed to hear back to see if the owner took our bid, which I'm sure he will because Dan took no risks" she smiled sadly in the thought of the plans they had all ready had in place for their future while Jenny felt tears well up in her eyes "Now it can't get much worse than it is now…I just want him to wake up now" she said as she began to cry before Serena wrapped her up in a hug while April joined in to do the same
"I want him to wake up too" Justine added as for that moment another bit of laughter came between them "I want him to wake up if not more than you. Bed head is far less attractive than if not caused in a sexual sense" she said as Blair got in a good laugh that dug down deep.
Run
Is this to be our fate
Hide
Freedom is ours as long as we escape
We walk in the shadows
We do
Find out what we all know
Our time is near
Getting out of the taxi, Carter looked on at the fatal spot of the accident that was now just an open highway. Showing no signs of a tragedy earlier before, carrying on like it was meant to be swept under the road to be forgotten. Carter closed the door to the taxi as he waved the driver off to leave him behind. With his hands dug into his pockets, Carter walked along the side of the road as he came to the part of the road to where any bit of logic began to kick in for him.
[Flashback]
Listening on to the music from the ear buds that he had coming from his ipod, Dan looked out the window. Watching the scenery pass him by, Dan was glad to be back in the moments where the open roads allowed him to think as opposed to the rushed feelings he got of flying. Enjoying life in the simplest of forms, Dan felt content in this moment. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Dan looked over at Carter before he pulled one of the ear buds out of his ear.
"What now?" Dan asked
"Let's play the who would do that game" Carter said
"I'm bored with that game" Dan replied "We cover everyone but Blair" he said
"That's because I'm trying to detox her out of your brain, since she's a permanent fixture in it all ready. I want these few hours to be Blairless, out of your mind and the focus of two amigos" Carter said
"So I just forget the fact that within the coming days I'm going to ask her to marry me" Dan laughed
"Basically" Carter replied "Just think like your single for this road trip without actually acting on being single. Enjoy your bit of freedom before you enter into the realm of marriage. I need to remember what single Dan feels like before we cross state lines and you begin a life I will be envious of" he said as Dan closed his eyes for a moment, appeasing Carter's wish
"….there, gone from my memory. I won't think about Blair or speak of her for the next hour" Dan said
"We're an hour away" Carter said
"That's all your getting" Dan laughed as Carter kept looking over his shoulder back at the restrooms "What's wrong now?" he asked
"Can you go see if sanitation occurs on this bus? I would but…I'm a bit terrified of what I may see. If I see it then I fear I may throw up every meal I've ever eaten" Carter replied as he made gagging noise
"I forget how sheltered you are" Dan sighed as he got up from his seat
"Union of both worlds. Just remember I'm the first merger of Upper Eastside to Brooklyn for you" Carter told him as Dan waved him off before walking down the aisle to the bathroom. Letting out a deep sigh, Carter turned to look out the window "This week can't get any worse" he sighs
[End of Flashback]
This is the way it ends
Don't tell me it's meaningless
There'll be no compromise
We fall in we too shall rise
You held me and taught me how I think I am ready now
If this is the way it ends
This is the way it's meant to be
Holding his hand in hers, Eleanor looked up at Dan as he lay asleep in the bed. Tears welling up in her eyes, Eleanor did her best to compose herself as she knew being strong for Dan was the key to surviving. Kissing the top of his hand, Eleanor said a silent prayer to herself before she got up to kiss Dan on the top of his forehead just as Rufus made his way down the hall to see Bart standing outside, looking in on the pair. Taking in the sight of Eleanor at Dan's bedside, Rufus had come to realize that this was among the normal to have Eleanor Waldorf and Bart Bass around.
"You raise them but you never think stuff like this can happen" Rufus sighed
"….we raise them for the cruel world it seems" Bart sighed "Regardless of social class, someone is always looking to bring us back to our lowest. It's the humbling point to scare us into realizing there is always a lesson to be learned" he said
"I trust that if there was a responsible party for this…" Rufus began to say before Bart turned to look at him
"Then they pay" Bart replied "Once it gets released as to who's fault this is, it will be dealt with. I assure you of that" he said
"…thank you" Rufus said weakly before he turned his attention back towards Dan
We will be spilled in blood
And this is the way that they'll remember us
Emerge from the shadows
We will Emerge from the shadows
Stroking Jenny's hair as she rested on her shoulder, Serena sighed as she looked over at the restless Blair. Still wide awake with no signs of sleep, Blair kept her focus on the double doors as she just waited for her time to see Dan. Glancing over towards Tyler, Serena made eye contact with him as he took it as his sign to walk over towards his sister. Taking a seat next to her, Tyler and Blair sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment before he pulled her towards him.
"I know you'll hate me for this but you need to" Tyler said as Blair tried to pull away
"I don't want to rest. I have to stay awake for my turn to see him" Blair replied
"And you will, after you get rest" Tyler said
"Ty, stop" Blair replied as she tried to stop herself from letting out a yawn but it was unstoppable
"See, I just got my evidence" Tyler said as he smiled at his momentary victory "You can take on the world early in the morning. Just rest" he said as she groaned in frustration
"Don't breath on me" Blair said
"Yes because that's what I plan to do" Tyler replied sarcastically as Blair put her head on his shoulder, trying to get comfortable before a silence came between them "….when this was me. I slept on Sean's shoulder. It was beyond awkward but I was too tired to judge. You think you can brave the night but sleep will eventually get to you" he said expecting to hear a reply but quickly saw that Blair had drifted off to sleep on his shoulder
This is the way it ends
Don't tell me it's meaningless
There'll be no compromise
We fall in we too shall rise
You held me and taught me how I think I am ready now
If this is the way it ends
This is the way it's meant to be
Looking on at the paper, Sean read it over to the point where he felt like he had memorized the paper. Glancing up from the paper to see his agent looking on, waiting for his reaction. Sean sighed as he put the paper down before he began to pace the floor. Coming to a stop in front of the window, Sean looked out on the new arena as it was within a matter of a month it would be christened with it's opening day looming.
"Is this the only way?" Sean asked
"It's the only way to repair your public image as just the guy that was a part of the reason Jason Peters died" Rich replied
"….going back isn't exactly how I wanted to do this. Going back…." Sean began to say
"You can't keep protecting her. This is your career. You're the one that's got the murderer tag on you. If you want New York to be your home, for you to play basketball here and only here so that you can have your family, doing this interview will allow you to do just that. This is your chance to clear your name and get back to who you were before. Sean Anderson, the basketball player, who has to provide. I can't force you into anything but you've been blessed with a shot to redeem your career, don't blow it" Rich said sternly as Sean found himself in a tough predicament of protecting what happened on the fateful day to protect Serena from having to relive the horrors she was trying to put behind or to let the world know once and for all that he was not behind the death of Jason Peters.
Under my skin they fade away
Here's to life with no regrets
See you again all one day
Give me love or give me death
Can anyone ever really say
Sitting at the bar with her magazine in tow, Ivy motioned for the bartender to get her another drink. Opening up the magazine, Ivy flipped through the pages to find nothing of use. Taking a seat in the bar stool beside her, the woman laughed as she looked on to see Ivy reading the magazine intently. Hearing the bits of laughter, Ivy groaned in frustration as she looked over at the woman.
"Do you have a problem?" Ivy asked
"No, I just don't see why you bring a society magazine in to the likes of this place" The woman replied
"Call it me wanting to know facts of New York" Ivy replied
"That's not New York, that's a different world. A world of the have's and have more" The Woman said
"Upper Eastside?" Ivy asked "I mean I knew it was always an unthinkable to enter into that world because of the obvious Brooklyn tag…" she began to say
"You don't enter into that world unless you're invited. There's no enter and take a seat. You go in and you hope to God you stay in without being spit out like an out of date fashion trend they dispose of on a regular basis" The Woman said
"So if you had to give me one tip on this said world, what should I know?" Ivy asked as she embrace the Woman's logic
"Know the five families" The Woman said "Archibald, Bass, Sparks, Van der Woodsen, and Waldorf. That's the vocabulary to get in and stay in, forget those names and you might as well forget your own" she said as Ivy took in what she was saying.
This is the way it ends
This is my life begins
If this the way it ends
Nothing is meaningless
There'll be no compromise
We fall in we too shall rise again
This is the way it ends
Then this is the way it's meant to be
This is the way it's meant to be
Once any bit of sun came up, Blair was up and about waiting for the go ahead to go back. Unable to monitor her every move, Blair was relieved to see that Serena and the girls were still asleep while Tyler had done his noble deed of taking their mother home so that she could get adequate rest for her own medical state. Once the doctor gave the go ahead, Blair found her place by Dan's bedside as she held his hand. An hour had passed to where she just held his hand, caressed his face so that nothing of imperfection would touch him as he rested.
"Everyone's waiting to see you. See you and scold you for scaring us like that" Blair said as she embraced the idea of talking to him since she hoped that he could take in what she was saying for when he did wake up "I told about the house. Not sure if that was supposed to be a phrase but I kind of had to have something worth talking about in regards to our summer. I'm not sure is tactful to talk about money since you've gained a substantial amount" she said as she hoped that he would laugh at her tease of him "You know this means that you have to go through the process of furniture shopping, so if you think you being in here gets you out of that task then you might as well wake up because we are furniture shopping together. You can even get that hideous futon you want, but it has to have some bit of taste. This is our first real home together, I want it be perfect. I want this house to be the beginning of our future together. We can grow in this house. We can make the memories that'll last forever in this house like you said. Maybe even have those twins or one, I'm hoping for one, if we're being brutally honest. One just like you…." she said as she began to tear up a bit "I just need you to wake up and make this happen. Let's get this future thing going because we can't wait anymore. So wake up…." she continued to push as tears fell freely from her eyes before she leaned forward to kiss him on the lips. Letting the kiss linger longer than usual, Blair pulled away quickly as she lowered her head for a moment and just cried. Trying to hold back had only opened the flood gates of emotions she felt as she tried to find solace in talking to Dan with no reply expected, when she had gotten used to all of his replies good or bad. Feeling a bit of nudge on her hand, Blair thought nothing of it as she just continued to cry.
"….where?" Dan muttered as he asked before Blair quickly looked up to see Dan's eyes fluttering open
"Dan. Dan" Blair said happily as her emotions went through the roof with excitement as she began to push the button for the nurse to come to check on him "You're in the hospital. There was an accident…." she began to say
"Carter? Ivy?" Dan asked
"They're fine. Minor injuries compared to what you sustained" Blair said as she caressed his face as he just trying to adjust to the reality "Oh, God. You have no idea how good this feels" she said breathing a sigh of relief
"…who…." Dan began to say as Blair kept looking over her shoulder, hoping the nurse would come in soon to give her the medical confirmation she needed to know he was okay
"I'm just seeing where the hell the nurse is. As soon as you get your diagnosis, you're getting transferred, if that's even necessary since you seem fine" Blair said as she rubbed his cheek
"….who are you?" Dan asked with confusion written all over his face as he looked on at her with no clear indication of him implying something else to where she might have misinterpreted while Blair looked on at him with a bit of confusion.
Author's Note- So there you go. Why not start of the story with a big OMG moment. Now granted I'm sure Dan wouldn't need a guardian to sign off on a surgery but that was all for story purposes and to ratchet up the intensity of life and death. I have to say that I really, really love Dan and Blair's storyline this story, it's a mixture of so many things and I think once it's all said and done, I think you guys will like where this will all go .I won't say much, but this...if you thought Dan and Blair were boring, I assure you I'll have you rethink that. Buckle up folks, you ain't seen nothing yet [I've always wanted to say that]
Sean/Serena/Trip will have a lot of angst. I love how people are picking sides now. It's feeling like Team Jacob and Team Edward.
