Names and Letters Chapter 13:
Charlotte was vaguely aware of the pain erupting everywhere, every breath she took seemed forced, as if brick upon brick was laid on her chest. She tightened her hands around the steering wheel and pushed her body back in the seat, coughing at the mixture of smoke and some other rancid smell, before she realized it was her.
She tried to signal her hands to let go of the wheel, but her fingers wouldn't budge, white and taunt around the black leather. She felt dizzy and could hear something in the distance. It took her a moment to realize it was a siren.
She turned her head, crying out in pain as her neck gave protest. She couldn't remember why she was here. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was an empty passenger seat and a broken, red windshield.
Eric was the first to get to the hospital, but he knew that Blair was only minutes away, along with Chuck and the rest of the family. He wondered if he would ever get Blair's hysterical call out of his head. But right now it didn't matter, as he ran on autopilot to the front desk of the sterile room.
He felt dull and removed from everything as he asked for his goddaughters room number. She had already been moved out of the E.R., unlike Sebastian from what he understood. It would take Georgina another three hours to get back into the country. The nurse silently lead him to the room and commented that only two people where allowed to be in there at once and that her cousin was already in there.
Eric just nodded, wondering how Tommy had already gotten here when Blair barely knew. His hand gripped the cold mental handle and opened the door silently, looking in. He didn't step through the threshold though, the dim light illuminating the scene.
It wasn't Tommy, but Aidan who was holding onto Charlotte's limp hand, talking softly as his other hand was patting down her hair. Eric started to wonder about why he was there, but before he could get one step into the room, he noticed Charlotte's feet. They weren't covered by the standard blue blanket, they were just laying there dull and lifeless. Eric backed up into the hallway and closed his eyes.
Eric almost jumped out of his skin from being woken up by a perfectally manicured hand shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes only to see none other then Blair Waldorf looming over him.
"When did you're family change the locks?" she demanded, her eyes red and puffy, "The maid had to let me in."
"Uh..." He couldn't stifle a yawn, which only got an annoyed look in return. "Lovely to see you Blair."
"Is S here?"
Looking at Blair more closely, Eric frowned. His sister and her had use to be best friends, but that was about four years ago. He couldn't explain the frantic tone of Blair's voice, nor could he come up with any reason why she was so desperate to find her former BFF now.
"She lives with Dan now Blair."
"Dammit..." Her small figure collapsed on the floor, and she just started crying. Panicked, Eric got down next to her, engulfing her in a huge hug like Serena use to do to him every time he scraped his knee when he was little. He rocked her back and forth, and wondered where the hell his step-brother was. He was definitely not equipped to deal with a Blair Waldorf Breakdown.
Finally, after her sobs turned to sniffles, he ventured to ask her what was wrong in the most soothing voice he could muster. She pulled out of his embrace slowly and gave him the most searching look he had ever received, her eyes piercing into his soul it seemed.
"Chuck and I had a huge fight. Chuck slept with a complete skank. So we're pretty much over. Forever."
"Blair, thats horri..."
"Oh. Did I mention I'm pregnant with the devil's spawn as well?"
Eric blinked once. Then he blinked again, looking at Blair's face, to her stomach, and then back at her.
"What?" He finally managed to get out, in a strangled voice.
The fact that she took a deep breath should have warned him he was going to get more of an answer then his shocked brain was ready for.
"Oh yeah. Pregnant. Me. I'm not even married. I mean, I just found out and naturally I was freaking out. What would daddy say? What would Eleanor throw at Chuck. I mean we are engaged, but it's not exactly a public engagement. And Chuck was being..." Blair looked around the room, trying to search for a word bad enough to encompass what exactly she was feeling towards her fiancé.
"Chuck Bass?" Eric offered helpfully.
"Exactly!" Blair gave a weak smile and Eric noticed her hand protectively cover her stomach. "I was just getting so mad at him, and we got in this huge fight. Well... You know the rest."
Eric nodded, speechless. What was he suppose to say? Especially since he noticed Blair had yet to remove her engagement ring which Chuck and he had shopped for.
"Oh." Blair said, startled and looked down, clutching her stomach.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." She looked up at him and gave a weak smile, "Do you want to feel?"
"Feel what?"
Blair rolled her eyes and took Eric's hand, placing it on her stomach. It only took a moment before he felt it. Then it was there again. He looked up at Blair and gave the goofiest smile of his life.
"Your the first one to feel that besides me..." Blair said, staring off into nothing for a moment before looking back at Eric. "Do you know that it constantly kicks? Never a moments peace."
"It's amazing Blair."
They sat there in silence for a while and Eric's hand never left Blair's stomach. He couldn't comprehend something growing inside tiny Blair Waldorf. And he had never felt a baby kick before either. Eric wondered what Chuck would do when he felt this.
"Eric," Blair's voice sounded suddenly, breaking the silence. "I need to ask you two favors."
"Of course." Eric said automatically.
"I want you to be godfather."
"Wha..."
"Shut up. You're a good person Eric. You are exactly what this baby needs. And your the second person to know or feel this child, so it's fitting." She stated, giving him no room to back out, not that he wanted one as he felt it kick again.
"Okay, what's the other favor?"
"You can never tell Chuck."
Eric didn't know how to react right now. It felt so wrong for Charlotte's feet not to be moving. The first time he ever got to know her she was kicking in Blair's stomach. Then after that she was always restless, always doing something with her feet. Bouncing them, moving, shaking. Nervous gestures as she tapped her feet waiting. Even when she was sleeping, she would move her feet. Always so restless.
And now nothing. Not even a twitch.
Eric wondered if Blair would be as disturbed at this as he was.
Chuck thought that if he clenched his jaw any more, his teeth would break from the pressure. But he saw no other options at the moment. He had things he had to do and he couldn't let this feeling that was building up inside him get in the way.
He wished his driver would speed more. It was bad enough that for hours they didn't know what happened. He remembered the look of complete horror on Blair's face during the end of the call, and since then everybody has been frantic or hysterical.
Except him and his father, because they knew someone had to be able to do things clearly in the face of whatever was happening. Bass men had to put feelings aside sometimes, but that didn't mean they weren't there underneath the surface. And for the first time in his life, Chuck knew he looked like his father.
His hand automatically rubbed Blair's back as she cried into his silk shirt, as he looked out at the city passing him by. Tonight the blurring lights would give him no comfort. He wouldn't have any comfort until he could see his daughter breathing and his queen look relieved.
If it wasn't for the fact that the bastard who got his daughter into the situation was already in the ER, Chuck would strangle the kid too.
Blair clutched onto Chuck for her life.
For so many years she had been alone and independent, but she couldn't imagine going through this without him to hold onto. And he didn't say a word, just held her. No more anger, because there were more important things for them to concentrate on.
The most important thing.
She couldn't get the sound of her daughter's scream out of her head, it kept replaying in her mind. Like a sadistic soundtrack with one song that would be forever in her mind. She shuddered against Chuck and he just held her closer.
For some reason Blair thought sadly that no one was holding Alabaster right now and that just made her shake more.
The driver let them out at the hospital entrance and Chuck lead the way. Behind them, Blair saw the rest of the Van der Bass family piling out of another limo, but keeping a respectful distance. Dan was basically holding Serena back though and she looked almost as much of a mess as Blair felt.
Chuck held back a growl as he approached the desk as he watched the two on duty nurses eying him up and down. Normally, he would take it as a compliment, but right now anything or anyone that acted like the world was alright while his daughter lay alone hurting was the enemy.
He curtly asked the closest nurse for the room number, and kept pace next to her as she lead the way, giving small details of Alabaster's injuries, informing him that a doctor would be by later and that there could only be two visitors at once.
Chuck smirked at the last part and thought of the vast Bass bank account and how it could probably buy numerous visitors.
The feeling of Blair suddenly letting go of him put him into a momentary shock, his arms suddenly feeling very cold as he watched her run the length of the hallway. Chuck clenched his jaw tighter together when he saw Blair stop next to Eric, giving him a quick frantic hug before they started conversing.
Chuck dismissed the nurse and stood his ground, watching them talk, both shotting glances at the door closest to them. For some reason his feet wouldn't move as he watched them interact, a slow burning feeling building in him.
"What's going on Charles?" His father's voice asked behind him. Calm. Collective. Like a true Bass.
Turning around, Chuck suddenly felt the hallway was very small. Before him was his father, dressed in a suit per usual. Tommy, Dan and Serena forming their own private hug party, and his father and Lily standing close together holding hands.
All where looking at him expectantly.
Before he could open his mouth to speak, they could all hear Blair voice clearly ring through the halls.
"Like hell he is staying in there with her." She said harshly enough even for the nurses at the front desk to hear, "He isn't family."
Blair turned away from Eric and looked at the door. She was aware all eyes were on her at this moment. Raising her head high, she gripped the metal knob firmly and took in a deep breath. She had never been afraid of opening doors before and she certainly wasn't going to start being afraid now.
And nothing was going to keep her away from her daughter.
The room was dark except for a table lamp placed on the bedside table. That was the first thing Blair noticed as she let the door shut behind her. The second thing was how cold it felt, not comforting at all, just cold. She walked towards the bed and looked down at her daughter, completely ignoring the intruder.
Blair focused on Alabaster's eyes, wide and teary as she looked up at her. Focusing on anything else would just bring all the red and purple into focus, all the stitches. Blair couldn't deal with that. All Blair could do was give a sigh of relief that her baby was fine as she took her free hand gently and squeezed it, sitting down in the chair right next to the bed.
Alabaster returned an equally weak smile before, her eyes unfocused. Blair's gaze quickly took in the IV pumping pain killers into her daughter's body and wondered how she was even awake. But she was glad she was awake. Alive. Breathing. Well.
Everything else could be fixed.
Blair looked over at the young man across from her with distrust. As a Waldorf, she could deal with many things at once. But her daughter needed her full attention and she couldn't worry about the enemies son right now.
Alabaster's eyes finally fluttered closed after a few minutes, but her breathing remained even.
Blair took the opportunity to mouth get out to Aidan, fixing him with a look that would freeze Medusa.
Tommy looked at the sight before him with a hollow feeling in his stomach.
The nurse had come around again then moved everyone into the waiting room, insisting that they couldn't crowd the hallways, no matter how fat their bank accounts were. His uncle Chuck and grandfather were talking to the doctor right now. The thick chart which the doctor held made Tommy want to puke.
Lily and his father were talking to his mother, trying to calm her down. Trying to tell her that Blair would find her when the time was right. Ever since they got the phone call, all his mother could talk about was getting to Blair. And now to be so close, yet far away, must be torture.
And Eric was just pacing in front of the entrance to the hallway. Prowling for his chance. No one could talk to him. Lily had tried, only to get a dead look and a cold shoulder.
Tommy knew he probably would never feel a fraction of what Eric, Chuck or Blair felt at this moment.
Except he did, in a different sort of way for a complicated reason. One he was trying desperately to forget.
Eric stopped his pacing and stiffened, before quickly walking down the hallway. Nobody but Tommy noticed this, Everyone involved in their own little mini disaster. Not one noticed Aidan walking into the waiting room from the entirely wrong direction either.
Tommy stood up and went over to his cousin, weary already.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in a whisper, taking his arm and leading him out of the room before anyone had a chance to notice him.
Aidan looked tired too, and for once not drunk.
"I was here to have my wrist and..." his voice trailed off.
"Do you know what happened to Charlotte and..." Tommy couldn't even bring himself to say the name.
"Yeah." Aidan replied, looking uneasy for a moment, "Do you want me to find out how he is doing? I mean, considering you two..."
Tommy nods, cutting him off before he can say the dreaded word. The word that could destroy his life. His family.
"Find out." Tommy says after a minute under his cousin's penetrating stare, "I have to get back."
With that, he headed back to the waiting room.
AN: Here it is finally, after a ton of rewrites. I'm sorry I didn't get it out faster, but I've been busy with college. I hope everybody likes it. Hopefully I will post the next chapter sometime next week, which will basically be Alabaster's POV from waking up in the hospital, until Blair gets there, plus some other stuff. I know it isn't as long as some people will like, but I thought anything more would be too much. As always I want to thank all my reviewers, you guys are awesome. And I hope you enjoy it! :)