Charlie sat in silence and watched Ruby sleeping. Every few hours a nurse or doctor would come and check on her stats, making sure her blood sugar levels were stable and to change her IV drip and insulin line. Each time Charlie held her breath, worried that the doctors would have something negative to say. But they didn't. They just recorded details into Ruby's chart, smiled at Charlie and walked out. She wanted to believe that this was a good sign but she didn't want to get her hopes up. Ruby wasn't out of the woods yet.
She stood up and stretched. She'd been sitting in that chair for hours and every part of her body was stiff. She ran her fingers through her hair and shook it out. Charlie walked around the chair and made her way over to the window. She gently pushed down some of the window blind visors and peered out through the window. It was a typically beautiful day. The sun was gleaming and the sky was blue. Outside she could see patients out for a walk with family members. Paramedics running their routine ambulance checks. She let go of the blind and yawned, placing her hand over her mouth.
"Charles", a guite voice from behind said.
Charlie turned around and looked at Ruby. She was awake, just barely, but she was awake. Charlie walked over to her bedside and leaned down, planting a kiss on her forehead.
"Hey you" she said, gazing into Ruby's eyes with concern.
She stood back and grabbed the chair, pulling it right up beside the bed. She sat down and grabbed a hold of Ruby's hand, making sure to keep away from the drip line as not to hurt her. She looked at her daughter and frowned. She looked lifeless. It was like somebody had sucked the life out of her and, in a way, they had. Charlie swore to herself,that justice would be served for what evil had been done to her daughter. If she wasn't so dedicated to caring for Ruby she swear blind revenge. But that's not what Ruby needed. She needed her, and she couldn't be there for her if she was serving a life sentence for murder.
She looked at Ruby and stroked her forehead.
"Are you in any pain?", she asked her,
Ruby nodded her head slightly, wincing and then looking at Charlie. Spoke gently.
"Yeah, my chh...my chest really hur...hurts", she said breathlessly.
"Ok, I'm gonna go get the nurse. I'll be right back".
With that Charlie got up from her seat and walked outside. She walked up to the reception desk and informed the nurse of her daughters discomfort and pain. The nurse told her she would be right in. Charlie turned on her heel and walked back in to the ICU. She walked back to her chair and sat down. She leaned in to Ruby and stroked her arm. The nurse walked into the room. Shw walked over to the drip stand. She removed the nearly empty IV drip and replaced it with a new one. Then, she checked Ruby's blood pressure, then her blood sugar levels and when she recorded all the data, she gave her an injection of morphine. Charlie sat and watched in a tentative matter. When the nurse was done she walked out.
"Does that feel better?" she asked.
"A little", Ruby replied.
Ruby tried to inhale a large breath, but it hurt too much. She licked her lips and gripped Charlie's hand tighter. She looked her in the eyes.
"Charles...abou...about what I said before....in thhh...in the house...", Charlie cut her off before she could finish. She knew what Ruby was talking about.
"Hey, it's ok. You were distressed...and scared. Just because you called me mum doesn't mean it has to be a regular thing. I've been Charlie your whole life and I'm perfectly ok with that", she said with a half smile.
Ruby shook her head lowered her eyes. She gripped Charlie's hand tighter, and then look back up.
"That's the thing. Char...Charlie when I was...when I was lying there...in your...in your arms..." she forced out between breaths.
Charlie shushed her and stroked her face. But Ruby persisted.
"....I realised....I can't change the past....or how...or how I was brought up. I ca...can't ch...change what I know. I can pretend your my sister for the rest of my life...bu...but...I don't want to keep pretending. What I'm...what I'm...I'm asking is, if it wouuu...would be alright, if I called you mum?", Ruby finished clearly out of breath.
Charlie sat up. Her heart beating faster, her eyes welling up with tears until finally a tear slid down her cheek. Charlie remembered her dream. All those missed opportunities. All that time she wasted pretending to be Ruby's sister. It could have all been so different. But Charlie knew she couldn't change the past. What she could do, was start fresh, a clean sheet. Hearing those words coming out of Ruby's mouth overwhelmed her. This is all she ever wanted. She never thought after the whole revelation that Ruby would ever feel this way. She started nodding her.
"Yes of course", she said through tears of sheer joy.
Ruby smiled gently and Charlie stood up and kissed Ruby on the forehead, stroking Ruby's cheek. Ruby closed her eyes and Charlie stroked her hair until she thought she was asleep. She sat back down in the chair and wiped away the tears from under her eyes. She leaned back and smiled. She began to play with the chain around her neck. A birthday present from Ruby. Just then she heared a silent whisper.
"......I love you Mum.....", Ruby said half asleep.
Charlie smiled and choked back tears to say the one thing she thought she'd never get to say to her daughter again.
"I love you too baby".