A/N: Thank you so much for your thoughts about last chapter, I love getting reviews! I am desperately trying to make everyone happy, but that might not happen, so I am going to apologize in advance if you walk away unsatisfied. Also, I am not a doctor nor am I studying to be one, so all information has been gathered on the internet. Without further ado, enjoy!
Chapter Ten
"Is there something else wrong?" Lily asks, looking up at Dr. Clare.
"It's your appendix, you have appendicitis. We need to rush you to surgery right away." Lily's eyes widen and she looks at Rufus, looking just as terrified as she feels.
Rufus has known Lily for about twenty five years, been married to her for over five and he can count on one hand the number of times she has looked at him in that way. It's an expression that is a mixture of fear and guilt tainted with a little uncertainty that is woven into her features.
"Surgery? Isn't that going to be dangerous for the baby?" Lily finally asks, her voice soft, her eyes wide. She feels Rufus squeeze her hand, giving her a dash of reassurance, but she can't reciprocate.
"Yes, but I am sorry to say that you don't have a choice, if your appendix ruptures you and the baby could both die. I promise that everything will be done to protect your baby. If you could change into this gown," Dr. Clare pauses to hand Lily a standard hospital gown, "a nurse will be right in to take you upstairs."
Lily mumbles a pitiful thank you while kneading the fabric of the hospital gown.
"Do you need help Lil?" Rufus asks, wanting to push aside everything Dr. Clare just told them for the time being. The only thing that matters is that they get Lily off to surgery. Lily nods and holds her arms up, closing her eyes briefly because of the pain. Rufus slips her shirt off and then her jeans, helping her ease the gown over her head. "I'm going to find a bag to put your stuff in." He turns and Lily grabs his hand, pulling him back.
"No, stay, I can't..." She breaks off as her bottom lip quivers. Rufus immediately puts the clothes next to her and coils his arms around her back, being mindful of her sore stomach.
"Honey, it's going to be okay," Rufus mumbles and places a kiss on her silky blonde tendrils. She wants to voice her doubts, show him that he can't predict the future, but instead allows his words to comfort her.
"Say something to make me stop crying…" Lily sobs against him, refusing to admit that she is scared even if it is written all over her face. Rufus chuckles beside himself and pulls back, cupping her cheek with his hand.
"I finally threw away that Lincoln Hawk t-shirt that you hate."
"Is it the one with the holes in the arm pit?" She asks against the soft cotton of his sweater.
"Uh huh," Rufus confirms and captures her lips with a soft kiss. A grin locks into place on her lips for the briefest moment, vanishing when she readjusts slightly, the reality of her situation coming back to her.
Luckily, someone knocks on the door, severing their conversation. Rufus yells for whoever it is to come in while moving his body so he isn't blocking Lily. He slips his fingers under hers and they wait for the nurse to tell them where they are going.
"Hi, I am going to take you up to the surgical floor." Lily frowns at the wheelchair, but there is not a chance that she is able to walk all the way to the elevators when she can barely take a step without wanting to cry. Rufus eases Lily off of the table and into the wheelchair, listening to her complain about the entire time. "I'll find a bag for your clothes and some consent forms, I'll be right back."
"Rufus, I was serious about naming the baby Noah," Lily says after a few moments of silence. She can hear Rufus sigh behind her. He places his hands on her shoulders, causing her to tilt her head up to look at him.
"Lil…" Rufus statement is cut off by the nurse returning with a bag for Lily's personal effects. Her clothes and jewelry are collected, a signature placed on each piece of paper and then Lily is wheeled to the fourth floor, Rufus holding her hand the entire time.
After Lily is situated in a vacant bed upstairs, the nurse attending to her runs off to grab an IV kit, which leaves the couple alone to talk again. Rufus stands next to his wife, his arm drapes over the side of the bed, their fingers sparring with one another. Lily hasn't said much since declaring their son's name downstairs. She feels like she should explain to Rufus why she kept hiding her stomach pain from him, but now may not be the right time. He might misconstrue it as her guilt talking rather than her actually apologizing.
She isn't given a chance because the same nurse is back and already wiping her arm with antiseptic. Lily jerks her head away, a grimace washing over her face.
"Lil, look at me," Rufus says with a laugh. He can't believe that his wife is still afraid of needles after all this time. Lily locks eyes with her husband, green on brown, just as the needle penetrates her skin. A wince slides out of her lips and she leans back into the pillows, her eyes fluttering closed for a quick second. She senses her husband rubbing her arm and conversing with the nurse about when Lily is going into surgery. Lily tries to block it out, but Rufus' voice calling her name forces her eyes to open.
"Is it time?" She asks, knowing that this unplanned surgery is no longer just a possibility, but now it's a certainty. His hand flies over her golden hair, tossing back a few irate ringlets that get trapped between his fingers.
"Yeah baby, it's time. I love you and I'll see you when you wake up." He finishes his statement with a captivating kiss to her lips, causing Lily's body to immediately react.
"Hmm…I love you too; please don't forget to call the kids and CeCe and…"
"The New York Times," He cuts her off, tossing a smirk downward while swiping his thumb over her cheek. She matches it and their lips connect with one final fleeting kiss, feeling the pressure of the nurses hovering behind them, not wanting to intrude on their moment, but are a constant reminder that Lily's condition is urgent.
Rufus steps back, signaling to the medical personal that they can take his wife to surgery now. Their hands slowly fall out of each other's grasp as Lily is being rolled towards the operating room.
"You can wait in the waiting room Mr. Humphrey, someone will be out soon to update you on your wife's condition," The nurse helping them downstairs tells Rufus. He nods, shoves his hands in his pockets, watching the nurse scurry to catch up with his wife. The swinging doors eventually meet each other, closing the door in front of Rufus, officially blocking him from being able to be with Lily. He takes in a breath, swivels on his feet and heads off in a desperate search to find a steaming cup of coffee and a semi-comfortable chair to sit in.
Back at the penthouse, Serena is constantly checking her phone, causing Eric, Dan and Jenny to do the same.
"Anyone heard anything yet?" Serena asks her siblings, each of them shaking their head.
"No, it's only been twenty minutes since we last texted them, they might still be waiting," Dan reasons with his step-sister. Serena frowns and turns her phone on to check to see if she has any messages.
"How did mom look to you Serena?" Eric asks, leaning back into the couch to get more comfy. A shudder runs through her spine, Serena can't get that picture of Lily throwing up and then bursting into tears the second she saw Rufus out of her mind. Serena has an inkling that Lily knew everything was going to get figured out the second Rufus appeared in the door way.
"I haven't seen mom that scared since your accident," Serena mutters quietly, a secret shared between brother and sister. Eric nods in understanding and puts a supporting hand on Serena's thigh,
"I'm glad Rufus is there with her and not dad. Dad better not show up at the hospital."
Holding a cup of coffee in his hand, Rufus sits down on a stiff couch, staring blankly at a painting with a far too bright palette for such a depressing place. His arm naturally drapes over the lip of the piece of furniture, tilting his head down slightly, expecting to lock eyes with his wife. He would give anything to have her leaning into him, sipping on her coffee like he is, complaining about much she hates hospitals and the dismal quality of the beverage she is sipping on. Rufus lets his arm slide down the couch when the reality that Lily isn't here finally sinks in. His hand hits his pocket, feeling the hard outline of his phone hiding underneath the denim. His mind is telling him to call their kids, explain the situation and ask them to come here, Alex in tow.
Alex, what is he going to tell their youngest child? It is far too late to drop off the toddler at the nanny's and he is positive that none of his and Lily's children is going to elect to stay behind. They will want to be here, waiting for any news about her and the baby named Noah, according to his wife.
Rufus slips his phone out of his pocket and dials Serena, not realizing that all of their other children are clustered around her, waiting anxiously for any news on Lily.
"Rufus! What is going on?" Serena asks, picking up the phone on the first ring. Jenny, Dan and Eric stealthily lean closer towards Serena, wanting to hear Rufus' side of the conversation as well.
"It is her appendix; Lily…was rushed into surgery about ten minutes ago." Rufus voice fragments; he gives himself a momentary reprieve by biting the inside of his cheek.
"Oh my god," Serena whispers and puts a hand to her mouth as her eyes water. "We are on our way right now."
Rufus doesn't even bother to argue with his strong-willed step-daughter. He knows that there is no point. As much as he has seen Serena argue and become frustrated with Lily, Rufus realizes how much mother and daughter love each other.
"Serena, don't forget about Alex, I want her here too."
"Of course, right, we will bring Alex and see you in about twenty minutes." Serena hangs up the phone and lets it crash into the coffee table. She tentatively wipes her eyes and looks up at her siblings eagerly waiting for a report from her. "Rufus said that Lily is in surgery right now. We need to grab Alex and meet him at the hospital."
Serena watches her siblings have three different reactions to the news she just told them. Jenny scrapes her teeth across her bottom lip, her azure eyes shimmering with tears, Eric buries his head in his hands and Dan raises his eyebrows.
"Okay…who wants to go get Alex and who wants to tell Chuck?" Dan poses.
"I'll get Alex; there is now way I am talking to Chuck." Jenny stands up and heads up to her younger half-sisters room.
"I think we should wait to call Chuck, he doesn't do well with situations like these, especially when they have to deal with mom," Serena explains, remembering how Chuck disappeared after Lily finally revealed that she thought she had cancer. It took Blair bartering with Chuck for him to finally talk to Lily after ditching many family events.
"Let's wait to call Chuck, we should get there first and see what is going on first," Eric suggests. He is close with his adoptive brother, but he knows how destructive Chuck can be. Eric realizes that Rufus has enough to deal with than having to babysit Chuck.
"Good idea," Serena and Dan say in unison as Jenny comes down with a slightly awake Alex.
"Hi Alex," Serena stands up and goes to the coat closet to snatch up their coats. The toddler furrows her brow, she isn't sure why her siblings are here and her parents aren't.
"Guys, where my mommy and daddy at?" Alex asks her voice thick with sleep. Serena bites her lip while slipping the tiny trench coat over the three-year-olds shoulders.
"We are going to see them now Alex, but we have to go, okay?" Serena is aware that her answer won't satisfy her younger sister's curiosity, but they don't have enough time to explain the intricacies of Lily's condition to Alex.
"Okay Sewena, we go now. 'Mon guys, we go see my mommy and daddy!" Alex points towards the elevator doors. Dan, Jenny, Eric and Serena don't have the heart to tell Alex that they won't be seeing Lily, just Rufus. They want to hold off Alex discovering how sick Lily is for as long as possible. Plus, they aren't sure what Rufus wants Alex to know about Lily.
Rufus' finger hovers over the call button for CeCe's name on his phone. He really doesn't have the mental or emotional capacity to deal with how his mother-in-law usually is. She will probably find a way to criticize Rufus while simultaneously poking holes in their relationship. Hopefully, CeCe will be too worried about her daughter to give their marriage a second thought. The idea seems like a high improbability, but Rufus did promise Lily that he would call her mother. He recognizes that Lily wants her mother here when she wakes up.
"CeCe, hi, it's Rufus," he says when his mother-in-law picks up the phone.
"Rufus? What's wrong? Why are you calling so late?" Rufus rolls his eyes, he can hear something being set on a table, probably a bottle of gin; he muses.
"It's Lily, she has appendicitis. The doctors just rushed her into surgery now. She wants you to come early." He scratches his head while waiting for a response on the other end.
"Oh…I will be there in a few hours…" CeCe hangs up the phone, too rattled to say anything else. Rufus is astounded as he clicks the end button. He was expecting CeCe to yell, scream, or say anything that would make Rufus roll his eyes or cringe. Instead, he got stunned silence. He isn't sure which he would prefer coming from his mother-in-law. She must be awfully worried about Lily; he thinks to himself and shrugs. All that matters is that his wife flies through the surgery and is back to making fun of him for being so concerned about her.
CeCe volleys her phone back and forth in her hands. The voice inside her head is telling her that she should be charting a jet to New York to be with her daughter, but she hesitates. She has to make an important call to ensure that Lily is getting the best care possible. Her fingers scamper over the screen, dialing an important number.
"William, it's me, wake up." She barks into the phone, not caring how late it is at night.
"Nice to hear your voice too CeCe, what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?" William can picture his former mother-in-law rolling her eyes from wherever she is currently.
"What do you know about my daughter?"
"I dropped made sure she got home safely after her and Rufus had a fight at dinner. Why?" William makes sure to throw Rufus under the bus while giving himself credit for having Lily's back. He has played this game with CeCe for a long time now. CeCe furrows her eyebrows, if her daughter and Rufus had an argument, why was he the one calling him and not William? "CeCe…are you still there? What's going on with Lily?"
"Rufus just called and said that Lily is in surgery. Can you go over there and tell me exactly what the hell is going on with my daughter?" William sits up suddenly and turns on the light, squinting when it illuminates his hotel room.
"I'm going over there now; I'll call you when I have an update." William knows that getting close enough to find out information about Lily is going to be hard. There is no way in hell Rufus is going to want him there and his kids don't trust him after he assured him that Lily is fine. Thankfully, William is a doctor and has connections at the hospital from his residency days. Slip one of them enough money and they will give him the desired information.
Serena pays the cab driver while Dan, Eric and Jenny, carrying Alex, get out of the car.
"Thank you," Serena waves to the cab driver and turns toward her siblings. Alex rests her head on Jenny's shoulder; she slept in the car, but is still pretty tired.
"I wanna see mommy and daddy," Alex demands sleepily.
"Okay, Alex we will see them soon, let's go," Serena leads the group into the hospital, checking with the receptionist briefly to find out where the surgical floor is. What they didn't know was someone took a picture of them, sending it into Gossip Girl, triggering the latest blast.
Spotted: Serena Van der Woodsen arriving at the hospital with all of her siblings in tow. Looks like checking in is about to become a family affair. Where are Mr. and Mrs. Lonely Boy at this time of night?
Blair hears her phone beep while in bed with Chuck. His lips colliding with hers are distracting her from grabbing her phone that is resting on the night stand.
"Hold on," Blair pushes Chuck off of her to acquire her phone, wanting to see if her best friend has any explanation as to why their drinks were cut short. Her eyebrows rise at the blast and she places a call to her best friend, looking for answers.
"B, I can't really talk right now," Serena snaps into the phone. Blair is taken aback. Her eyes flicker over to Chuck who has migrated over to the bar and is now making himself a drink.
"I just wanted to make sure everything is okay. You received a phone call from your mother and then bolted. Now Gossip Girl has a blast out about you and the rest of the Brady Bunch. S, what is going on?" Serena rolls her eyes as she steps off the elevator, spotting the back of Rufus' head right away.
"Is Chuck with you?" Serena asks, stepping to the side while the rest of her siblings chat with Rufus.
"Yeah, why?" Blair's chocolate orbs flutter over to Chuck, rolling her eyes when he winks at her.
"My mom is in surgery, I am not sure if Chuck should know yet. B…I don't know if my mom is going to be okay." Blair swallows her immediate response so she won't alert Chuck. She feels for her best friend and can tell that Serena is really scared.
"Hold on S," Blair bypasses Chuck to go into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. "Serena, are you still there?"
"Yes…" Serena can feel her throat become thick with tears, making swallowing near impossible.
"Serena, I promise Lily is going to be fine, I will be there as soon as I can."
"Okay," Serena doesn't even bother to tell her best friend that she shouldn't come, Blair won't listen anyway. Blair opens the bathroom door to face Chuck, swallowing another sip of whiskey. She grabs her long Burberry double breasted coat and heads for the door. Chuck cups her elbow, bringing her back momentarily.
"Chuck, stop, Serena needs me." He raises his eyebrows, wondering what his girlfriend could be hiding from him.
"Blair, I'm Chuck Bass, whatever it is, you can tell me." Blair nibbles on her bottom lip; she agrees with her best friend that Chuck wouldn't handle the news about Lily well. However, Blair has a feeling that Chuck will find out eventually.
"Serena needs me, I have to go," Blair jerks her arm out of his grasp and bolts out of the room. Chuck grabs his navy blazer off a chair and follows the petite brunette into a town car.
Serena clears her throat and faces her stepfather, wondering where her siblings are wandering off to.
"Serena," Rufus stands up and engulfs the teenager in a hug. Serena almost loses it again, she feels so guilty for not telling Rufus about Lily earlier, even though her father promised there was nothing to worry about.
"Rufus, I'm so sorry," Serena whispers and senses him step back.
"Serena, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for." Rufus and Serena sit down next to each other on the couch while Jenny, Eric and Dan are getting Alex something to drink in a nearby vending machine.
"My dad said my mom was going to be fine. I shouldn't have believed him; I should have come to you instead." Rufus puts a reassuring hand on Serena's thigh; he doesn't blame her because Lily acted the same way except his step-daughter didn't lie to him like his wife did.
"It's okay Serena; your mother did the same thing. If you want, I could help you talk to your father after this is over." Serena gives him a closed-lipped grin. She is sorry for all the times she has chosen her dad over Rufus who obviously cares more about her and Lily more than William ever did.
"Thank you, I just hope he stays away for now." Serena whispers as her siblings come back over to where they are sitting. Alex seems perfectly satisfied holding her bear in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.
"Daddy, open dis for me pwease," Alex asks, thrusting the bottle in Rufus' direction. Rufus grabs it, opens the bottle and hands it back to his daughter, scooping her up in the process. Alex gives Rufus the bottle and hops off his lap, walking around the waiting room. Jenny, Dan, Eric, Serena and Rufus exchange confused glances, wondering what Alex is doing.
"Hey sweetie, what are you looking for?" Rufus asks.
"Mommy," The toddler answers simply and holds her bear closer to her chest. Rufus sighs and stands up, picking Alex off the ground.
"Al…" Rufus trails off; he doesn't know how to explain this without causing his daughter to cry. "Mommy is sick; the doctors are getting her better right now." His heart shatters when Alex's green eyes fill with tears.
"No daddy! I don't want mommy to be sick!" Her tiny arms coil around Rufus' neck as she sobs into his t-shirt. "I want my mommy!" Serena, Eric, Jenny and Dan observe Rufus attempt to comfort the three-year-old without trying to cry himself.
I don't want your mom to be sick either, Rufus thinks to himself and presses a kiss to Alex's temple.
"I know baby, but you will see her really soon. I think if you go to sleep, mommy will be here when you wake up." Rufus doubts the three-year-old will even bother to try to fall asleep. Alex wipes her eyes and looks up at her father, tucking her bear under her chin for support.
"Daddy, mommy is gonna be here soon?" Alex asks, trusting her father to answer her honestly. Rufus rustles Alex's blonde tendrils, securely wrapping his arms around his daughter.
"Mom will be here soon and then we can all go home." Rufus looks up at the older kids, silently asking him not to dispute what he just said to Alex. Eric, Serena, Dan and Jenny receive the message and go back to talking amongst themselves.
"Chuck! Slow down," Blair chases her boyfriend into the lobby of Lennox Hill Hospital. She regrets wearing her new sky-high peep-toe pumps almost as much as she regrets letting Chuck come with her. The second she blurted out the hospital name to their driver, Chuck realized what was going on. She watched him fumble through emotions similar to the five stages of dying before he bolted out of the town car.
"Where is she?" Chuck commands to the poor receptionist working at the desk. Blair steps in front of Chuck and asks where Lily is. When they step off the elevator, the Humphrey-Van der Woodsen clan turns to face them.
"B! I told you not to bring him," Serena loops arms with Chuck, bringing him away from Rufus and the other siblings, especially Alex. The three-year-old has never seen Chuck in this state; Serena and Blair have too many times.
"What did you want me to do, S? Tie him to a chair and run?" Blair snaps back. Unfortunately, Alex spots her older brother and jumps off her father's lap, walking towards the trio huddled in the corner.
"Chuck! You here," The toddler is beaming at Chuck, not seeming to notice that this isn't a routine visit. Serena shoots her adopted brother a warning glare; he cannot lash out at Alex no matter how scared he is.
Rufus stands back, watching Blair, Serena and Alex disarm Chuck. He doesn't know how Chuck is going to react to Alex, but the toddler isn't afraid of him. Surprisingly, Chuck kneels down so he is eye-level with Alex and gives the toddler a bear hug. Alex giggles and drops her head on Chuck's shoulder, feeling comforted by him. Blair and Serena are absolutely floored by Chuck; he really seems to have a soft spot for his younger sister.
"Mommy's going to be okay Chuck," Alex whispers and brushes a kiss to his cheek. Blair looks over at Serena who quickly stops a tear from rolling down her cheek. Chuck sets Alex down and grabs Blair hand, pulling her away from the rest of the family.
Serena snags Alex's hand and brings her back to where Rufus, Jenny, Eric and Dan are sitting. Alex sits back by Rufus while Serena sits down next to Dan. Serena allows Dan to wrap an arm around her shoulder. She turns into him briefly, leaning on her step-brother for support momentarily.
Chuck leads Blair to an empty hallway, both of them keeping quiet until they are alone. Blair splashes both hands on his cheeks, recognizing the lost look in his eyes, having seen it many times before.
"What do you want to do Chuck?" Blair asks purely with no judgment or expectations. He clears the cobwebs constricting his voice and looks down at his girlfriend.
"I can't be here."
"Do you want me to come with you?" Blair is torn between supporting Chuck and Serena. She did promise her best friend that she would stay with her, but leaving Chuck to his own devices isn't necessarily a good idea.
"Stay, Serena needs me more than you right now." Chuck finds her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze as well as a kiss on the forehead before leaving Blair to find her way back to the waiting room.
"Hey B, where's Chuck?" Serena asks when she sees her best friend. Blair sits down next to her, finally getting a good look at Rufus since she got here. He looks haggard and stressed out, which is to be expected given the circumstance. Blair has never had an in-depth conversation with Rufus, but he is usually warm towards her whenever she is at the penthouse. Sure, he took Jenny's side when she and Blair were locked in a war, but he was willing to look past it. According to Serena, that is Rufus' most redeeming quality; his ability to forgive and move beyond without holding a grudge.
"He went back to the Empire," Blair says and watches Alex curl into her father, using her bear as a pillow. The toddler, who she affectionately calls Little Humphrey, waves at her with a tiny smile. Blair returns the wave and leans back into the couch cushions.
"B, you should go after him, you know better than anyone how Chuck can be," Serena reasons with her best friend. Blair quirks an eyebrow, wondering if her best friend is truly okay or is doing a really good job of hiding it.
"You sure you don't need me here?" Blair asks, reaching for her Chanel bag on the floor. Serena nods, her unruly blonde hair bouncing along with her.
"Yeah, I'll call you if there is any news," Serena promises with a convincing smile. Blair nods her head,
"As much fun as it is to hang out with you Humphrey's I need my beauty sleep. S, don't be afraid to call me if you need me to come back." Blair tells her best friend, reaching over to give her a one-armed hug.
"Well, Blair was slightly less unbearable than usual," Dan comments. Jenny and Eric nod in agreement while Serena rolls her eyes at her step-brother. Rufus carefully lays Alex on the couch next to him; the three-year-old has fallen back asleep.
"Dad," Dan says to Rufus as he sees a nurse walk towards the family. Everyone, sans Alex, stands up, watching the nurse approach them.
"Mr. Humphrey? I noticed that we forgot to discuss your wife's medical history. Can we go over that real quick?" Rufus wordlessly nods and steps away from the kids, following the nurse over to the counter.
"How is the surgery going?" Rufus blurts out, not realizing he said it.
"I can't say, but I will tell the surgeon to give you an update as soon as possible. Now, I noticed that after her surgery last year that your wife developed an allergy to hydrocodone. Do you know if she still allergic to the drug?" Rufus' eyebrows spurt together; he doesn't have a clue as to what the nurse is talking about.
"Surgery?" Is all Rufus can ask because he is still trying to process what the nurse just relayed to him.
"According to our records, your wife had a d and c about ten months ago."
"What's a d and c?"
"It's a surgery most commonly performed if a woman has an abortion or an incomplete miscarriage." The nurse can tell that Rufus didn't know anything about this so she puts a hand on his arm.
"I'll tell the surgeon that you would like an update." The nurse leaves a very confused Rufus to go back to his family. He breezes his kids who are tracking him with his eyes.
"Dad?" Jenny asks, noting the devastated expression on his face. Rufus spins around, facing their children who are wondering about Lily.
"She's fine, I need a minute," Rubfus grounds out, walking briskly down the same empty hallway that Blair and Chuck were conversing in before.
Lily had a surgery and never told Rufus about it. Did she get an abortion? No, that isn't like Lily and it doesn't make sense since she is pregnant now. If she had a miscarriage, why wouldn't she just tell him? Of course it would be a difficult conversation to have, but he is her husband, he deserves to know. They would be able to move past it together rather than her having kept this from him. She had to have known that her secret surgery would come out eventually, right?
Rufus puts those questions on the back-burner and flips back to ten months ago. He went out of town for a couple days with Panic and Lily stayed behind to take care of the kids. Who took care of Alex while Lily was recuperating from the surgery? Rufus bites his lip; he can't believe that he simply didn't notice his wife having a surgery, but apparently he did. Or, Lily went to such great lengths to hide it that there was no way for him to find out.
"Anyone want to venture a guess as to what that was about?" Eric asks, his eyes darting from sibling to sibling. Serena and Jenny shake their head.
"I should probably go talk to him," Dan stands up and goes in search for his father.
William steps off the elevator, peeking over a giant bouquet of flowers. The only people he can see are Serena, Jenny, Eric and Alex who is sleeping on a couch. Rufus and Dan are nowhere in sight, which is good for William. Unfortunately, there is no way to pass through without the kids seeing him. They are quietly talking amongst themselves; William hopes to use this as a distraction.
"Dad?" Eric asks, seeing his father hiding in the flowers. Serena glares at her father and stands up. Jenny touches Serena's arm, garnering her attention for a brief moment.
"I'm going to take Alex somewhere else," Jenny whispers and picks up the toddler, being careful not to jostle her. Serena waits until Jenny walks out of earshot with Alex to talk to her father.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Serena asks out of exasperation. Between dealing with Chuck, Blair, Alex, Rufus and the situation with her mother, Serena has reached her limit. The last thing she wants to do is hear her father lie more to her and Eric about Lily.
"I wanted to give these to your mother," William hands Serena the flowers. She sets them on the couch, crosses her arms and raises her eyebrow, waiting for an explanation from her father. "Serena, Eric, if I knew your mother wasn't fine, I would have done more, I promise." Both Serena and Eric shoot a disbelieving look at their father. The words I promise mean nothing anymore to them when it comes from their father.
"You should go dad, I don't think Rufus would want you here." Serena tells her father. Rufus doesn't need any more stress, especially after whatever the nurse told him about Lily. Eric silently agrees with his older sister, whatever trust he had in his father is gone now. He tried to build a relationship with him even after his father faked his mother's cancer. Things were going well between him and William, Eric was perfectly satisfied with his father popping into town whenever he felt like it because his mother is much happier with Rufus. However, Eric no longer wishes to see his father since he lied twice about his mother's health.
"Please tell your mother that I hope she gets better." William puts a hand on Serena's shoulder before turning on his heels and walking out of the hospital. Eric puts his hand on his sister's arm, wanting to know how she is doing.
"Should we throw those flowers away?" Eric asks. Serena briefly smiles and tosses the flowers her father bought for her mother in the trash. She doesn't know how Lily feels about William, but Rufus wouldn't want them to be given to his wife.
William storms out of the hospital, he not only didn't get to find out any information about Lily, but his own kids basically disowned him. He dials CeCe's number as he is getting into a taxi. He is going back to his hotel and packing, he needs to disappear again.
"William? What did you find out?" CeCe asks while ordering someone to put her luggage onto her private jet.
"Lily is in surgery when I got there, I didn't get to find out anything else."
"Why?" William doesn't want to blame the lack of information on Serena and Eric; so instead, he will just blame it on Rufus.
"Rufus didn't want me there, which is expected. I am leaving New York now. Are you coming here?"
"Yes, I should be there in about two hours. I'll see you when I get there."
"CeCe I'm not…" William realizes that CeCe has hung up on him while they were talking. He rolls his eyes and decides that maybe staying in New York wouldn't hurt, especially since CeCe is coming here. He will just stay in his hotel room and wait until he gets confirmation that Lily is okay before jetting off to Europe.
Dan finally finds his father in an empty hallway, arms crossed, and a deep frown marring his face.
"Dad?" Rufus turns towards his son's voice, managing only a tiny half-smile.
"Hey son," Dan takes this an invitation to stand next to his father, mimicking his pose.
"Is there anything you want to talk about?" Rufus shrugs, feeling utterly exhausted and defeated. As much as he loves Lily, he will never figure her out. Sometimes it's a fascinating quality, being with her so long and still discovering new things about her. Other times, like this, it's frustrating and hurtful. She hasn't fully let him in, even after all this time. He has to scratch and claw for every inch of her heart. Sometimes, she will reveal parts of herself to him, but never the full picture, leaving him to figure out the rest for himself. How are they supposed to stay married and raising children together if she can't trust him?
"Lily kept something from me and I don't know what I should do about it." Rufus doesn't think his son would understand something he is still trying to wrap his head around. Plus, if Lily didn't tell him, she definitely wouldn't want her step-son to know. Dan sighs, having been in this position with Serena when they were dating and with Rufus whenever his father and Lily would get in a fight.
"Dad…" Dan stops to scratch his temple, "I…uh…don't know how to say this because I love Lily and I know you do too, but she doesn't seem to trust you as much as she should. Have you ever considered leaving her?"
Dan was expecting anger from his father or some yelling, but instead he sees a flash of guilt flicker across Rufus' face. Dan can tell that his father has mulled over separating from Lily before,
"I love Lily more than I have ever loved anyone. I don't think I could leave her even if I tried. I couldn't imagine my life without her." Dan looks at his dad, he understands that his father has tried to build a life without Lily and move on with Alison, but it didn't work.
"Well…what are you going to do about it?" Dan asks Rufus as Jenny catches up to them, holding a sleeping Alex nestled against her shoulder.
"Do about what?" Jenny asks her father and brother and readjusts Alex on her arms. Rufus sighs and stands up, taking Alex from Jenny.
"I was asking Dad about what we should do for Christmas," Dan lies to his sister.
"Dan! Now is not the time to talk about it, idiot," Jenny mumbles the last part under her breath. Alex stirs while Dan rolls his eyes at his sister.
"Daddy, is mommy better?" Alex asks softly. Rufus glides his thumb across his daughter's cheek,
"No baby, mommy is still sick." Alex sighs against him and closes her eyes again.
"Jenny, where are Eric and Serena?" Rufus asks out of curiosity, wondering why all of their kids haven't come to find him. Jenny's eyes dart away, she doesn't want to tell her father, but she feels she should.
"They were talking to William," Jenny whispers, fully expecting the anger to rise up in Rufus' face.
"He's here?" Rufus asks his voice dangerously low. Jenny nods her head and Rufus puts Alex back in Jenny's arms so he can briskly return to the surgical waiting room.
"Dad, wait," Dan chases after him, Jenny following close behind, while trying not to jostle Alex too much. Rufus bursts into the waiting room, seeing Eric and Serena sitting on the couch, disappointment etched into their faces.
"Where's William?" Rufus asks Eric and Serena.
"I told him to leave, the flowers are in the trash," Serena answers Rufus. Rufus wedges himself between Eric and Serena, wrapping his arm around both of them. To his surprise, Serena drops her head on Rufus' shoulder in the same fashion as her mother.
"I don't know how he knew mom was here, we didn't tell him," Eric tells Rufus. I know who did, Rufus thinks to himself, but he doesn't say that to the kids. He is guessing that as soon as CeCe hung up on him, she called William to have him come here to snoop around.
"I'm sorry you guys had to deal with that alone," Rufus says sincerely. It isn't Serena or Eric's fault that William lied to them. He feels for Lily's kids and hopes that they know that they can trust him to be a stable father figure in their lives.
"What did that nurse tell you about mom?" Serena asks, pulling her head up to maintain eye contact with her step-father. Rufus hesitates, if he were to lie to them, he would be just like William.
"Oh…they just wanted to know what medication she was allergic to." Rufus settles for half a lie. He doesn't want any of the kids to know about his wife's secret surgery until he gets a chance to talk to Lily about it. Serena furrows her eyebrows, what Rufus' told her doesn't make sense, he looked really upset.
"Did grandma say when she was coming?" Eric asks Rufus.
"She'll be here whenever her gin runs out," Serena quips. Rufus laughs, Serena is becoming more like Lily the older she gets.
"I talked to her about an hour ago, but she didn't say when she was flying in…." The end of Rufus' sentence gets tangled up in a yawn. He cups his mouth to stifle the sound. It's been a long day, carrying over into an even longer night. His eyes flutter over to each child; each looks more tired than the next. It won't be a popular decision, but Rufus is going to suggest it anyway. "Guys, why don't you try to get some sleep, I promise I will wake you up if I hear anything about Lily."
Everyone shrugs, too exhausted to even argue with Rufus. Serena and Eric slump in their seats and close their eyes. Jenny gently lays Alex on the couch next to her and Dan offers his lap so she can place her head on it. Rufus watches each kid fall asleep one by one before he unexpectedly falls asleep as well.
The surgeon emerges from the operating room, his cap off, his head hanging down. Serena nudges everyone, including Rufus at the sight of the doctor.
"Rufus, get up, the doctor is here," Serena says, lightly shaking his shoulder. Rufus jerks awake and rubs his eyes, standing up slowly. He doesn't like the look on the elderly man's face; it's an expression of failure.
"Are you Mr. Humphrey?" The surgeon asks Rufus who slowly nods.
"I'm Dr. Jones, the surgeon who operated on your wife…" The doctor breaks off to scratch his head. "I'm sorry to tell you…she didn't make it. She went into septic shock and there was nothing we could do. I'm sorry for your loss." Rufus' mouth hangs open, his eyes fill with tears. Serena turns to Eric, sobbing into his arms. Jenny does the same to Dan and poor Alex has no idea what is going on or why everyone is crying. Rufus has to explain to the toddler that her mother, his wife has just died.
"Rufus get up, the doctor's here," Serena says, lightly shaking his shoulder. Rufus flinches; he is still shaken up from his dream. He sees the surgeon walking toward them, expressionless. The kids are already up, even Alex, who is clutching onto her bear tightly. Rufus steps in front of the kids, holding up his hand for the surgeon to shake.
"Hi, Mr. Humphrey, I'm Dr. McCanna, the surgeon who operated on your wife." Rufus double blinks; he is scared for what the doctor is going to say.
"Is the surgery over?" Rufus asks, feeling Serena place a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes, the surgery is over, but there was an unforeseen complication with your wife's appendectomy."
"W…What kind of complication?" Dan asks for his father who looks like he is about to unravel.
"We were able to remove the appendix successfully, but your wife had already developed an infection because of delay of time it took to get her into surgery. For now, she is on high dose antibiotics to clear up the infection, but we have kept her sedated to give her body a chance to heal. We will monitor her very closely and assess when the appropriate time to wean her off of the sedatives is."
"How's the baby?" Rufus asks when he is able to find his voice again.
"The surgery so far hasn't affected the baby, but I can't say any long term effects her infection will have on the baby." Rufus clings to the words so far, trying not to build himself up with too much false hope.
"When can we see her?" Serena asks the doctor what everyone else is wondering.
"We have moved Mrs. Humphrey to room 4332, you can see her whenever you like. I will be back to check on your wife after I finish rounding on my other patients." Dr. McCanna brushes past the family, giving them time to let the information sink in.
Rufus rubs his face in his hands while the other kids turn to each other for support. Dan hugs Serena as Jenny hugs Eric. Rufus has no idea how he is going to explain this to Alex, he promised her that Lily would be fine and she's not. They don't know when she is going to wake up or any lasting effects the surgery will have on her or the baby.
"You guys can go to her room, I'm going to stay here with Alex," Rufus says to the kids. He can't see his wife right now, he is still so mad at her. As much as he doesn't want to be, Rufus can't let his anger slide. They wouldn't be in this situation right now if Lily didn't wait so long to admit that she needs to go to the hospital. Instead, she lied to him and went behind his back with William. Furthermore, she hid a surgery from him that he has absolutely no idea about. He will go to Lily's room eventually; he just needs a few minutes to let go of some of the anger he has before going to visit his wife.
Serena gives him a peculiar look, wondering why he isn't rushing off to be with Lily. Something had to have happened that Rufus just found out about for him to be acting this way. Regardless, Serena still wants to be there for her mother.
"Okay, we will be right back," Serena flips her golden hair over her shoulder and heads off to find her mother's hospital room. Eric and Jenny follow her, but Dan hangs back to stay with Rufus.
"Dad, are you so mad at Lily that you can't even see her?" Dan asks and shoves his hands in his pockets. Rufus shakes his head and sits down next to Alex.
"No son, I just want to explain Alex what's going on first. I will see her when Serena, Eric and your sister come back."
"What are you going to tell Alex?" Rufus inhales deeply and shrugs.
"I have no idea, I promised her that Lily would be fine and she's not." Rufus runs his hand through his hair and sighs. Dan puts his hand on his father's shoulder.
"Dad, it's not your fault, there is no way you could have known that Lily's surgery was going to have complications." Both men look at the three-year-old who is fast asleep, clutching her bear, completely unaware of what is going on with her mother.
Serena, Eric and Jenny locate Lily's room and push back the sliding door. The room is silent except for the beeping of the machines.
Lily's body is a road map of tubes and wires sticking out from all different points on her flesh. Her blonde is fanned out on the pillow and her skin is ghostly white.
"Oh my god," Serena whispers and touches her mother's arm. Eric grabs Lily's hand and gives it a squeeze before he lets go. Jenny leans her head on Eric's shoulder. She wishes that her step-mother was awake and they could all go home, pretending that this surgery never happened.
"Serena, she is going to wake up," Eric assures his sister. Serena wordlessly nods and leaves the room. Jenny starts walking after her, but Eric snags her hand.
"Just let her go," he whispers. Jenny nods and stands next to Eric, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
Serena manages to make it to the bathroom before completely bursting into tears. She reaches for her phone and dials her best friend.
Blair is lying in bed with Chuck when she gets a phone call from Serena. Chuck is fast asleep, so Blair is able to sneak past him with her cell phone. When she picks up the phone, all Blair can hear is her best friend sobbing on the other end.
"S, what's going on?" Serena regains her composure only slightly to answer her best friend.
"T-t-there were…complications with my mom's surgery. B, can you come?"
"Of course Serena, I will be right there."
"B, don't tell Chuck, h-h-he can't know."
"He won't, Serena, it's going to be okay, I will be there soon." Blair hangs up the phone and leans on the counter for support. Serena didn't go into detail, but Blair rarely sees her best friend cry. Blair agrees with Serena that Chuck shouldn't know about Lily, but he will be furious with her if she keeps Lily's condition a secret from her. Blair scribbles him a note and puts two aspirin with a glass of water on the nightstand for him. She gives Chuck a kiss on the cheek and quickly flees his Empire suite before he wakes up.
Eric, Jenny and Serena come back in shambles after seeing Lily. Rufus gives Serena a comforting hug as she numbly sits on the couch next to him, accidentally bumping into Alex. A green eye opens and then another, until the toddler is fully awake. Rufus reaches over Serena to pick up Alex, setting her down in his lap.
"Hi daddy," Alex whispers and reaches for her bear lying next to Serena. Serena hands her the bear and waits for the toddler to say something.
"Hey Al," Rufus wraps his arms securely around his daughter, brushing a kiss to the top of her head. He doesn't want Alex to see Lily, not if the older kids couldn't even handle it. Although, he knows his stubborn daughter will want to.
"Daddy, is mommy better now? I wanna go home wif her and you." Rufus scratches his temple and nibbles on the inside of his cheek.
"Al, it's going to take a long time for mommy to get better." Alex crinkles her eyebrows with worry; she isn't sure what her dad is telling her.
"I wanna see mommy, daddy. Can we go?" Alex hops off of Rufus' lap and waits for her father to catch up with her. Rufus grabs her tiny hand and mumbles to the kids that he will be right back. He picks the toddler up and stops in front of Lily's room.
"Al, if you don't' want to see mommy right now, we can go okay?" Rufus bites his lip, this probably isn't a good idea, but the little girl won't let it go until she gets to see her mother. Rufus pushes the door open and walks in, swallowing a gasp when he sees his wife.
He senses Alex become stiff in his arms. The toddler has seen Lily asleep many times before, but this is obviously different. Alex tucks her head in Rufus' neck while he reaches to grab his wife's hand.
"Daddy, mommy sweepin, but she won't wake up," Alex informs her father, her eyes wide with intrigue.
"She will wake up soon baby, she is just really tired." Rufus lies to protect his young daughter. Alex taps her chin, trying to think of a way to wake her mom up.
"If you kiss her, she wake up daddy, silwy," Alex shakes her head as if it's that simple. Rufus tickles Alex to make her laugh, hoping that he will smile too.
"I'll try," Rufus bends over and gives his wife a quick kiss on the lips. He half expects Lily's eyes to flutter open and her hand being placed on his cheek, bringing him in for an even deeper kiss. However, Lily is still sedated, showing no signs of waking up anytime soon.
"It didn't work daddy, mommy is really sweepy. We should let her sweep. 'Mon," Alex puts her finger on her lips to signal quiet and points to the door. Rufus is glad that Alex seems to think that his wife is just sleeping; he isn't going to tell her otherwise.
Rufus carries Alex back to the waiting room where the kids are sitting as they have been for the past few hours. Blair has rejoined them, providing support for Serena.
"Hey Little Humphrey, did you see your mom?" Blair asks when she sees the three-year-old is set down next to her. Alex nods in confirmation.
"Uh huh, she is really sweepy. I tell daddy we should let her sweep." Blair raises her eyebrows at Alex's answer; she didn't think the toddler would have that kind of reaction to seeing her mother.
"Oh, well you are right Alex. We should let your mom sleep," Blair agrees with Alex.
"Hey Blair, where Chuck go?" Alex asks, making the connection that Blair and Chuck were here together earlier.
"Oh…uh…Chuck is at home sleeping. He is really tired too." Blair is hoping by the time that Chuck wakes up and realizes where she is, Lily will be up and talking. The chances of that are slim, but Blair can hope.
"Mommy will be up soon so we can go home," the toddler informs Blair, smiling brightly. Serena and Blair are willing to play along because they don't want the toddler to start crying.
"I am going to see Lil, can you guys watch Alex?" Rufus asks the kids.
"Yeah sure dad. Alex are you hungry?" Dan asks his half-sister.
"Yup! We bwing mommy food too for when she wakes up," Alex tells Dan. Dan nods and holds his arms for the toddler to jump into. Alex giggles and allows her brother to carry her. Serena, Blair, Jenny and Eric follow Dan and Alex down to the cafeteria.
Rufus watches the kids huddle into one elevator, the doors closing in front of them. He scratches his head, checks the time on his phone. He wonders if CeCe is coming soon, she didn't give much indication as to her arrival time on the phone.
He wills himself to get off the couch, the need to see his wife overpowering his need for sleep. Rufus manages to find his way back to Lily's room. He pushes a chair close to the bed and picks up his wife's hand, clasping onto it tightly. Rufus keeps waiting for Lily to open her eyes, bitch about being in a hospital bed, and berate everyone around them until she is allowed to go home. She isn't though; she is heavily medicated with an infection rampaging through her body.
Rufus thinks back to when he first met Lily. She was a nineteen-year-old girl with a camera in her hand, too stubborn for her own good. He fell in love with her determination, kindness and humor. Even though they were separated for many years, he never stopped thinking about her or loving her.
"Honey, you have to wake up," Rufus whispers and brushes a wayward blonde ringlet away from her face. All he hears in return is the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, the continuous beeping of the monitors. He comprehends that his wife isn't going to spontaneously wake up and be fine, but he feels so helpless. His hand falls from her hair, to her cheek and lands on her swollen stomach. He caresses it, feeling little kicks underneath his palm.
Rufus remembers when Lily fell and hit her head when she was pregnant with Alex. He was terrified and he thought he would never have to feel like that again, but he was wrong. It is worse this time than it was the last because he isn't sure if Lily is going to be okay. He promised her that she would be and he wants to make sure that his promise isn't broken. He sighs, stands up and presses a kiss to her forehead.
"I love you Lil and you need to wake up so I can yell at you." He jokes lightheartedly, and then lets the smile fall off of his face. Stubborn woman, he thinks to himself as he stares down at his wife. Of course Lily would make it impossible for him to be angry at her, only his wife would be able to do that. Only she has the ability to anger him and make him so worried about her at the same time. Rufus meant what he said when he told Dan that he can't live without Lily.
Rufus sits with his wife for a little longer, willing himself not to fall asleep. He wants to stay awake long enough to see Lily wake up, but he is struggling to keep his eyes open. He hears a knock on the door and turns, waving to Dan and Jenny to come in the room.
"Hey daddy, I got you and mommy food. Dese not waffles, but it's okay for you and mommy right daddy?" Alex gives Rufus a bag full of food.
"They are wonderful, thank you baby." Rufus sets the bag on the hospital tray and looks at his daughter; she is still in her pajamas. Alex climbs in his lap and touches Lily's arm. "Where are Serena, Eric and Blair?" Dan and Jenny exchange nervous glances with each other, deciding who should tell their father.
"Gamma's here daddy!" Alex announces, not seeming to pick up on her sibling's looks of apprehension. Rufus sighs loudly and internally rolls his eyes. CeCe is the last person he wants to see, but she is Lily's mother, she has every right to be here. Dan and Jenny try to bite back laughter when they see the look on their father's face.
"Should we tell her to leave?" Dan asks with a light-hearted tone.
"No, she will just buy her way in here," Rufus jokes and stands up. He twists, places a kiss on Lily's cheek. "I'll be back sweetheart," he whispers in his wife's ear. Dan and Jenny follow their father into the waiting room. Serena and Eric are chatting with CeCe. The older woman looks almost as tired and worn out as him.
"Hi CeCe," Rufus says quietly. To his surprise, his mother-in-law comes over and hugs him. Rufus is too stunned to even speak as he wraps his arms around CeCe.
"Rufus, what happened?" CeCe already got William's version of the story, but she wants to hear Rufus' side since he is closer to Lily. Rufus' eyebrows spurt together; he thought that she knew everything from talking to William. He wants to snap at CeCe, tell her that Lily doesn't need her here and that they were doing fine without her. However, this isn't about him, it's about Lily and his wife would want her mother here, regardless of their strained relationship.
"Lily didn't tell me her stomach was hurting, but I could tell that something was wrong. We got into a fight and then she called me, so we came here. The surgeon did an appendectomy, but there were complications since we waited so long to get Lily here." Rufus doesn't want to make it seem like he is blaming his wife, but he is trying to be honest with CeCe.
"Where is she now?" CeCe asks Rufus.
"She is in a private room down the hall. The doctor's said that they are keeping her under sedation for now."
"Okay, I think I am going to go see her. Rufus, you should go home for a little, you look like crap." Rufus smiles slightly, he was wondering when the old CeCe would come back.
"I…I want to stay here until Lily wakes up." He protests, but his shoulders slumping in exhaustion tell a different story.
Serena and Blair rejoin the circle forming around CeCe and Rufus, trying to catch up on the conversation.
"Rufus, I called Scott, he is coming in on the next flight out of Boston." Serena informs her step-father. Rufus didn't even think about calling Scott, he has been too preoccupied with controlling the chaos here in New York.
"Thank you Serena." He drapes his arm around Serena's shoulder briefly.
"I was telling Rufus that he should go home for a little bit," CeCe brings up, hoping to get support from the kids.
"Yeah, dad, we promise to call you if there is any change in Lily's condition," Dan says. He knows that his father has been here for over four hours, waiting for Lily to get out of surgery.
"Daddy, I wanna go home," Alex says and looks down at the pajamas she is still wearing. Rufus bends down and picks up his daughter.
"Okay sweetie, we can go, but just for a little bit." He sets Alex down so she can grab her coat and bear.
"Call me the second you hear anything about Lily." Rufus tells the kids who nod. Rufus slips his jacket on and clasps Alex's hand, taking a cab back to the penthouse. He feels incredibly guilty for leaving Lily there, but his daughter comes first and Lily will understand.
"Daddy, when we get back, will mommy be up?" Alex asks during the cab ride home. Rufus tosses his daughter's hair back,
"I don't know honey, I hope so."
"She sweepin forever," Alex comments with an eye roll. Rufus laughs at his daughter's interpretation of his wife's condition. He is glad that Alex thinks that Lily is just sleeping because it would break the toddler's heart when she finds out that her mother is still sick. Although, Rufus doesn't know how long he can keep this ruse going, Lily might be sedated for the next day or even longer. It's going to depend on when the doctor thinks Lily is well enough to be brought out of the medically induced coma she has been put in.
"Mommy must have been really tired," Rufus says with a smile. He hopes he isn't being a bad father for lying to his daughter. Rufus doesn't really understand the intricacies of Lily's condition; it would be unrealistic for Alex to.
"Yeah, why does she sweep there tho daddy?" Alex asks. Rufus' eyes dart out the window; he wasn't expecting that question from his curious daughter.
"The doctor told her that she had to sleep there," Rufus lies. Alex nods in understanding,
"Oh, I pfink that mommy should come home today, I really miss her."
"I do too baby, so much." Rufus whispers to Alex. He can tell his little girl looks sad, even though she is trying to hide it, a trait she definitely picked up from Lily.
Chuck rolls over in the middle of the night, expecting to roll on top of Blair. However, all he meets is the empty side of the bed, his girlfriend isn't there. Chuck's eyes flutter open as he blindly reaches for the bedside lamp, switching it on. Not only is Blair not in bed, but she isn't in the suite anywhere. Her cell phone, coat and purse are all gone. Chuck walks over to the mini bar, pouring himself a drink all the while thinking where his girlfriend could have gone in the middle of the night. As his lips collide with the rim of the tumbler, he slams the glass down on the table.
How could he be so stupid? Blair is at the hospital and the only reason she would be there is if Serena called, asking her to come back. His girlfriend kept the fact that Lily is getting worse from him because she knew how he would react.Chuck swallows the rest of his whiskey and snatches up his black coat, slamming the door of the suite behind him. He is going to the hospital to see Lily, whether Blair wants him there or not.
CeCe watches Rufus leave the hospital with Alex who is basically a clone of Lily. She wants to go see her daughter, but a part of her is scared to.
"How did Lily seem to you?" CeCe asks Serena and Eric who are sitting next to her on the couch. Dan and Jenny have fallen back asleep after they said they planned on going back to the loft.
"What are you referring to? Now, when she is sedated or six hours ago when she couldn't stop throwing up and begging me to call Rufus?" Serena snaps at her grandmother, wondering why it is taking so long for her to go see her own daughter. CeCe's eyes widen at Serena's mention of her step-father.
"Why would she want you to call Rufus? I thought they got into an argument." CeCe ponders. Serena shrugs,
"I don't know, but it seemed like mom knew that Rufus would be able to calm her and be able to help her." CeCe merely nods at what her granddaughter is telling her.
"Yeah, Rufus always knows how to get through to mom, it's weird," Eric comments. CeCe smiles,
"Rufus has always loved your mother more than anyone I have seen." CeCe mutters and stands up. "I am going to see Lily, I'll be back."
Eric scoots closer to Serena after their grandmother goes off to search for Lily's room.
"Did grandma actually say something nice about Rufus?" He asks in amusements. Serena shakes her head,
"I have no idea; I am too tired to care. Where did Blair go by the way?" Serena looks around, curious as to why she hasn't noticed her best friend's absence before.
"She's over there Serena," Eric points to where Blair is sleeping on Dan's shoulder.
"Oh, that makes sense," Serena comments and giggles. Then, she slings her arm over her little brother, letting him get some sleep. Serena knows she won't be able to fall asleep until her mother is awake, even though that seems like less and less of a possibility that she will be able to last.
Rufus lets Alex wander upstairs to her room while he goes into his, jumping in the shower quickly to wake himself up. He mainly came home to appease his kids and mother-in-law; he isn't going to be able to fall asleep until he has an update about his wife.
He wishes like today was like any other morning. Rufus would jump in the shower first while Lily is still sleeping and then kiss her to wake her up, spending some time in bed with her alone before Alex came to join them. They would then fluidly move around each other to get Alex and themselves ready before separating for the day with a fleeting kiss. When Rufus steps out, he swears for a brief moment he can see Lily buried under the covers, waiting for him. She isn't there, only the blankets. Rufus gets dressed and then goes to check on his daughter, wondering if she wants anymore food.
He stands at the threshold of Alex's door, watching her watch a movie. Alex catches him staring at her and pats her tiny bed, wanting her father to sit next to her. Rufus obliges, they don't have to rush back to the hospital anytime soon, and he can afford to watch a short movie with his daughter, keep them distracted so they don't have to think about Lily.
"Daddy, I make card for mommy," Alex declares and jumps off the bed, heading over to her coloring supplies. Rufus watches his daughter color for a little bit, noticing how focused she looks. His cell phone buzzes on the comforter, causing Alex to look up at her father. Rufus picks up the phone, noticing that his step-daughter is calling him.
"Hey, what's going on?" Rufus asks. He hears a sniff on the other end of the line and looks over at Alex who is happily coloring away.
"Rufus…I think you should come back to the hospital…now."
A/N 2: Okay, that's where I am ending it for now, I am hoping that you guys liked this chapter. I always value your input, so tell me what you want to see next chapter. Thanks for reading and please leave a review on your way out!