Chuck breathed deeply through his nose. He suddenly felt his body ache and couldn't lift his body up. His eyelids felt like cement, refusing to open. Chuck groaned in pain and slowly opened his hazel eyes with difficulty to be in a stereotypical hospital room. The plain white walls contrasted with vases of flowers and colourful get well cards. Why would people want to send him anything? Chuck felt something-someone holding his hand. There slouched asleep was his favourite brunette Blair Waldorf. He saw sprawled on the couch beside his bed was his father. Never in a million years would he ever expect to see him there.
He pushed himself to a sitting up position unaware that he was squeezing Blair's hand in the process. Making sure this was real, Chuck let go of her hand, felt his face and pinched himself for good measure. He saw Blair shift positions and she squinted her doe eyes up at him. She rubbed her eyes probably not believing what she was seeing.
"Chuck? You're awake!" Blair exclaimed. Before he knew it she jumped on him pepping kisses all over his face. It took Chuck by surprise but he wasn't complaining.
Blair stopped and slapped him hard on the arm, "You basstard! How could you do this to me?"
"Ow! Do you have something against this arm Waldorf? And for the record it wasn't my fault!"
"I mean, I've missed so much school because of you! And for what to see you're still alive?"
Chuck rolled his eyes, "Waldorf I think we both know that you don't mean that."
Bart seemed to be waking up. He stretched his arms wide and opened his cold blue eyes. He too rubbed his tired eyes unsure of what to make of the situation.
"Charles," was all Bart could utter. Chuck braced himself for upcoming criticism, but nothing came. Just then the doctor with bright green scrubs carrying a standard clipboard opened the door looking astounded.
"Impossible," the doctor spoke with amazement. He scurried in having a boatload of questions for Chuck.
"So Charles," the doctor fiddled with his clipboard, flipping the pages eagerly, "when did you wake up?"
"Just a couple minutes ago. How long have I been asleep?"
"Just over two weeks," the doctor replied.
"How you do you feel? Any dizziness, nausea, aches and pains? Anything?"
Chuck sighed, "Look can we please skip twenty questions?"
Blair smirked at him while Chuck looked at his father who gave him a hard look. Chuck wiped the smirk off his face and remained silent.
The doctor was scribbling some notes down and Chuck replied, "I only feel sore."
The doctors nodded and proceeded to run blood tests and made sure Chuck was stable.
"Well it seems you are going to make a full recovery Mr. Bass," the doctor said clicking his pen closed.
"So is there any medication he needs to take to get better?" Bart asked.
"Short term yes, long term no. We will release Mr. Bass from the hospital in another week to monitor him and make sure everything is fine. Other than that nothing else is needed," the doctor concluded and exited Chuck's hospital room.
Chuck turned to Bart who was already on his phone with a client. Chuck's heart sank at the sight of his father giving a nod and then leaving his hospital room, probably flying out to Tokyo tonight, leaving him alone with Blair. A part of him was scared to be left alone with her, scared to tell her how he really felt, well especially since it didn't happen last time.
Blair took his hand into hers, "So I have been doing a lot of thinking, reflecting and this waiting thing? I don't think it's going to work out. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly the most patient person."
"I know Waldorf. I know you better than I know myself. You know that."
"So I have something to tell you. Chuck Bass even though you're an arrogant, cocky, self-centered, heinous, manipulative, crude, wommanizer-"
"Can we get on with this Waldorf, "Chuck said irritated.
"Let me finish," This will take all day, Chuck thought. His dad already told him daily what is wrong with him. He thought Blair thought of him differently. She made him want to be a better person.
"evil, conceded basstard," Blair paused, "But I see through all of that and see the real person underneath it all. I see someone who is kind, giving, trustworthy, loyal, honest, sincere, eccentric, charming, smart-"
"Keep going Waldorf," Chuck said with his classic Bass smirk.
"Don't let it go to your head Bass. But you understand me like no one else does, not even Serena and you make me feel special and wanted. Even though I was scared to say this I'm not anymore. You scared me Bass. I thought I was going to lose you, and I realized I can't bear that." Blair squeezed his hands harder, Chuck caressed them knowing what was coming.
"Because I love you," Blair finished looking straight in his eyes, through to his soul. Chuck sat there in shell shock. The butterflies in his stomach went crazy and only just because of those three little words. They always say actions speak louder than words; in this case they were wrong. Chuck noticed Blair waiting for something. For him to reply back to her. But nothing came. It was all happening too fast for Chuck, he needed time to think, mule things over. He wanted to tell her he loved her but not this way. How could his I love you compare to hers? She stood by his side through all of this and recited all the qualities he possessed. Good and bad.
"Uh," Chuck stuttered. It was all his vocal chords allowed him to say. The smile on Blair's face erased to a frown. Chuck's heart sank at his incapability to express his emotions. Blair let go of his hands and picked up her large tote bag.
"Blair," Chuck called after her.
She stopped at the door way and turned her head around. He could tell she was desperately close to the verge of tears.
"I'm sorry-" that was all Chuck could say.
"Sorry. You're sorry? That's all I hear from you! You make that word unusable. This time, sorry isn't good enough," Blair spat storming away, leaving Chuck like he always would be-alone.
Chuck picked at his cardboard tasting food. This is what the hospital considered to be dinner. He had spent the last ten hours staring at the boring white wall. He lost Blair forever this time. He blew it. How hard is it to say three little words? They may seem little but they hold big meaning. Chuck wondered how things will be after he leaves the hospital. There was a knock on the hospital door.
"Come in," Chuck said. Finally someone to talk too, he thought. The door swung open to reveal his ex-best friend, Nate Archibald. Great.
"How's your boyfriend Archibald?" Chuck greeted coolly.
"Dan? He's good actually," Nate stepped inside his postage stamp sized hospital room.
"How are you?" Nate said looking at the IV's Chuck was hooked up too.
Chuck rolled his eyes, "Spare me the pity Archibald. I already get enough looks like that on an everyday basis."
"Well at least you haven't changed at all," Nate chuckled trying to lighten up the mood.
Chuck didn't laugh. It's not like he didn't have enough issues going on with his dad and Blair but now he had to abandon him for Humpty Dumpty, when he needed him. Some best friend he had.
Nate sat down on the seat that Blair was in, "Look man, I'm sorry for about what happened at Yale and Dan, but he's my friend now. Is there any chance if you'll forgive me?"
In hell, Chuck thought. Chuck took a deep breath trying to cleanse his bad thoughts from his mind. Chuck nodded a yes. So he couldn't utter the words, a nod was good enough. Nate looked relieved.
"Thanks Chuck. So when do you get released?"
"In a week, "Chuck replied. Nate always got away with so much. Chuck decided to let it go. He had bigger issues to worry about other than his idiotic renewed best friend.
"I gotta go meet Dan to play some soccer. Next week we'll hang out."
"Okay, have fun with your boyfriend," Chuck teased trying to lighten his mood.
"Oh I will, Nate replied with his perfect smile glistening. Nate stood up and gave a final wave to Chuck. Alone again, Chuck thought grimly. Chuck pushed away his dinner, and remembered something. His mom. He was convinced what happened was all real. Actually getting to talk to her, touch her and be in her presence.
She showed him how his future would look like if he were still in it. However being back nothing of that seemed to be happening. She lied to him. It was probably the opposite. His family would have been celebrating his death not mourning it. Chuck sat in his crisp white sheets pondering about what that thing was. A dream? Hallucination? Heaven? Hell? It wasn't as if he didn't have any time to think about it. He had all the time in the world.
Big Bart Bass sat in his office catching up on the three weeks of paperwork he had missed watching Chuck. He said he wanted to be a better father but had proven to do little when Chuck had awoken that afternoon. He didn't know what to do, what to say. Oh sorry son for almost sending you to your death didn't cut it. Bart sat up straight in his office chair, and looked out the window down on the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Families roamed the sidewalks and Bart spotted a father and son in Central Park, playing catch.
"Hi dad," seven year old Chuck Bass stood his head barley over Bart's oversized desk. Chuck reminded him so much of her it hurt to look at him.
"Hi Charles," the slightly less age Bart spoke not looking up from his paperwork.
"Do you want to play catch with me?" Chuck asked holding out a couple pairs of baseball gloves and a ball.
He seemed so innocent at that age. Bart still not looking up from his paper replied," I'm sorry Charles but not today I have lots of work to do. Maybe another time."
Chuck slumped his shoulders in rejection but Bart was so busy with his work he didn't even notice.
"Do you promise?" seven year old Chuck asked.
"I promise," Bart replied.
Bart looked back at his overwhelming amount of paperwork. He never did keep his promise. Bart knew Chuck must be lonely in the hospital. Bart took one last look outside his window and knew he needed to change. He couldn't desert his son any longer. Bart took his suit jacket and went to do something he rarely did. Spend time with his son.
Bart opened Chuck's hospital room door to see his son staring at the plain white wall in boredom. Chuck gazed over to see who had come to see him and a look of surprise washed over his young face.
"Father," Chuck greeted formally.
"Hello Charles, how are you feeling?" Bart could see Chuck wince at the sound of his full name.
"Fine, it's not like I have swine flu or anything," Chuck replied.
His son always had witty humour. Bart actually cracked a smile. His mouth muscles weren't used often and this was about to change. Bart knew he needed to talk to Chuck.
"I'm sorry Chuck for having you deliver my business deals." Chuck seemed to snap his attention when he didn't use his full name.
"It's not your fault you didn't know."
He was so much like her it scared him.
"I'm not just sorry about that, I'm apologizing for everything. Always putting business before my family."
"Its okay dad, I mean why would you want to spend time with me? I'm a screw up for a kid and I-"Chuck stopped himself just realizing he said all of that out loud. He probably though that's why he hated him so much. Bart knew how the sentence was going to end. All of that was a lie. It's just ever since Evelyn's death everything hasn't been the same. He closed himself up like a clam shell.
"You're not a screw up Chuck. It was my fault I didn't teach you what you needed to learn. My question is why you would do that stuff?" Bart had always wondered what motivated his son to do drugs, drink, and god only knows what else.
"Because I could. To get your attention, instead of having it focused on your work all the time," Chuck answered quietly.
"I know I've been a terrible father," Bart confessed, "But I want to change."
"You probably have somewhere to jet off too," Chuck said fiddling with his bed sheet. "Where to now? Monaco? Japan? Australia?"
"I'm not going anywhere," Chuck looked up, "I've been off work for three weeks making sure you were okay."
"It's okay dad, you don't have to lie to make me feel better."
"I'm not lying, just ask Blair." A look of remorse came on to Chuck's face for a split second but wiped off instantly. He truly was a Bass man.
"Where is Blair? She never left this place when you were unconscious."
"She just went home was all," Chuck replied quietly.
"Don't lie Chuck something is wrong. In fact why don't you start from the beginning when you two got together."
Chuck looked at him in surprise. His dad actually wanted to spend time with him. It was a nice welcomed change.
"Don't you have paper work to do?"
"That can wait. So," Bart sat back on his chair, "From the beginning."
A true smile formed on Chuck's face and he said," Alright so I guess this all started the night you agreed to the business deal for Victrola..."
A/N: So, what did you think? Thoughts? Opinions? REVIEW!