So many of you awesome people have asked about this story, so I worked hard this weekend to try to get it right. I hope it doesn't disappoint. I had a hard time getting it where I wanted it to be, but making it seem organic and believable. Hopefully I achieved that. Thanks for all the support and for your patience. Hope everyone is well!
There was that beeping again, along with other noises in the background. As Dr. Clarkson ushered her into the dim room, that's all she heard. These noises would likely haunt her for the rest of her life. However, taking perspective, she realized they were also the noises that were keeping her Charlie alive at this point. She had to think about that, rather than the incessant beeping that signaled the code earlier.
Dr. Clarkson stopped abruptly in front of her and turned around. "Remember what I told you," he said softly as he looked into her eyes. "He's going to be pale. And he is in a medically induced coma, so he won't wake up. But I am of the strong belief that he can hear you, so if you want to talk to him," he paused, "in fact, you should talk to him. I really think it will help, so definitely do it." Elsie nodded and walked past Dr. Clarkson, eager to see her husband.
Even though Dr. Clarkson had warned her, she wasn't prepared to see her strong, sturdy husband in the state he was in. Oxygen mask on his face, IV's in his arms, and multiple machines surrounding him. The immediate lump in her throat almost suffocated her, but she made her mind strong and took a deep breath, albeit with tears pooling in her eyes. I need to be strong for Charlie, she thought. She walked to the bedside and looked down at him. As she did, Dr. Clarkson quietly left the room, allowing her as much privacy as possible.
Elsie reached her hand out and softly brushed it down the exposed area on his cheek. "Oh, Charles," she whispered, leaning in and brushing her lips against the very spot her hand had just vacated. She lingered there for a moment, with her lips feeling his warm skin. Warmth was good. Warmth meant life. She leaned up a bit and glanced at him from head to toe. She then put her hands over his that were above the blanket, and she sat on the edge of the bed.
"My darling, my dear, wonderful darling," she began, "I love you so much. Please, please, please," she plead, "don't leave me. Don't leave us," she said as she took one of her hands and placed it on her abdomen. "We need you. So much. I've lived without you for so long, Charles, and I know, after the past six months, that I can never live without you again. Please, my darling, please fight for us. I know you can," at this, Elsie's voice broke off. The lump came back into her throat and the tears were streaming down her face. Her Charles was a fighter, and she knew that he would fight hard for her. She took his hands again and squeezed them tightly.
"I'm here," she said. "I'm here, my love, and I'm not going anywhere until you are back with me again. Do you hear me, Charles? I am not leaving you again. I never will. I never should have the first time," she said, all of the emotions of years ago adding to those she was feeling now. The emotional burden was extremely heavy, but not too much to bear in relation to what her husband was going through. She leaned down again to kiss Charles' forehead, and then leaned her forehead against his. "Together," she said. "We are in this together. Always."
Nurses came in and out of the room continually to monitor Charles' condition. Elsie sat at his bedside, holding his hand and talking to him. She was exhausted. She knew she needed to get some rest, but she wasn't leaving him until he woke up. Because he was going to wake up. As she was considering how she could comfortably rest her head, Dr. Clarkson came in with two nurses following him. He walked over to Elsie and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Elsie," he began, "you need some rest. Staying up this long is not good for you or the babies."
Elsie nodded her head, and then said, "I know. I am exhausted. But that doesn't mean I'm leaving. I will just put my head down somewhere for a bit."
"Well," Dr. Clarkson began, "I knew you would be like this, so here is the deal," as he said this, Elsie began to interrupt, but Dr. Clarkson wouldn't allow her to do so. He raised his hand up, and continued, undeterred. "Elsie. As your physician, I need to think about your health. I had Anna bring some things for you and I want you to take a few minutes and freshen up. She is out in the hall waiting for you. While you are doing so, I will sit here with Charles until you get back. These lovely ladies will be bringing in a cot for you. I made special arrangements for you to be able to stay, but you are only allowed to do so if you promise me you will get some rest."
Elsie considered what he said for a moment and then reached out to grab his hand. "Thank you, Richard. I can't tell you how much this means to me. I promise you I will rest. You don't think he'll wake in the few moments I'm gone, do you?" she asked.
"It's virtually impossible. I just spoke to the doctor on duty, and they aren't going to start weaning him off of the medication that is keeping him in a medically-induced coma until tomorrow at the earliest," he explained.
At this, Elsie nodded and then stood, looking back at Charles. She took his hand again and leaned down to his ear. "I'll only be gone for a moment, my love. I will be back in just a few minutes, I promise," she said, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on his cheek. She turned to walk out, but not before saying "thank you" to Dr. Clarkson once again.
She woke with a start, sitting up quickly. Once she opened her eyes and came to, she came back to her reality, realizing where she was. It wasn't a nightmare, but a true, horrible reality. She looked over to see her husband lying almost motionless, oxygen mask on, still surrounded by the horrible beeping machines. Her hand was resting upon his, and his was still warm. Thankfully. She glanced briefly at her watch to see what time it was. 7:23. She slept for a good few hours, which was greatly needed.
She got up and leaned over him at his bedside. She grasped his hand tighter feeling the warmth of it, knowing that that warmth was coming from the blood pumping from his very active heart. He made it through the night, thank God. "Good morning, my love," Elsie said, leaning down to place a kiss on his cheek. "I'm going to pop to the loo for a minute, but I'll be right back," she said, squeezing his hand before she walked to the restroom.
After she felt refreshed, Elsie made her way back in to Charles' room, only to find a doctor and nurse next to his bedside, the doctor typing on a computer and the nurse dictating Charles' vitals to him. Elsie tentatively stood back, letting them do their jobs. When the nurse looked up again, she noticed Elsie standing there, and smiled softly to her.
"Ah, Mrs. Carson," she said, "how are you doing today?"
Elsie hesitated a moment. It didn't matter how she was doing, she wanted to know how her husband was, what his prognosis was. She smirked quickly and then responded, "I'm fine, thank you. Just anxious to know how my husband is. Is there anything either of you can tell me?" she asked nervously.
Once the doctor finished typing, he looked up at Elsie. "Come have a seat, Mrs. Carson," he said, motioning to a chair in the corner. Elsie's stomach immediately did a flip, her anxiousness exacerbated. When someone asks you to sit down, that usually wasn't good. She waited patiently for the doctor to organize his thoughts. It seemed like a lifetime before he began speaking.
"I am thoroughly impressed with how smoothly your husband made it through the night, to be honest. His vitals are all stable and his counts are normal, so things are looking good. We are going to start reducing the medicine that has kept him asleep to see how he does. I must warn you, however, that just because things are stable right now, that doesn't mean they will stay that way. His body underwent a significant amount of trauma, and when he does wake up, he will be in pain." As the doctor explained this, Elsie listened carefully, occasionally glancing over to Charles and then back to the doctor. She nodded her head in understanding. "We will, of course, give him medicine to ease the pain, but before we do so, we need to assess him and understand exactly what we are dealing with when he wakes up. Does this make sense to you?" the doctor asked.
Elsie wanted to shoot back with a sarcastic comment immediately, however she held her tongue. She needed to keep these people on her side to ensure that Charles received the best care possible. "It makes perfect sense," she answered diplomatically.
The next hour consisted of nurses and doctors coming in and out of the room, checking machines, putting various medications into Charles' IV, and assessing his progress. Elsie sat back, allowing them to do their job, but itching to be next to him holding his hand. Once it seemed that all was taken care of, there was one nurse left. Elsie was gazing out the window, seemingly lost in thought, as the nurse called her name. "Mrs. Carson," she said. At that, Elsie snapped out of her fog and gave the nurse her attention.
"Yes?" Elsie replied.
"At this point, we have done all that is needed to wean Mr. Carson off of the coma inducing meds," she explained. "It could take an hour, or five, for him to start coming to. It just depends on his body and how it handles medication. We will be in and out checking things, but if we are not here and he begins to wake, please press the call button as soon as possible."
Elsie nodded her head to the nurse. "I will be sure to do that," she said. "Thank you. For everything," she said sincerely. The nurse smiled and then made her way out of the room. Elsie then walked over to the side of the bed, pulling a chair up, and took Charles' hand.
"Hello again, my darling," she said looking down at his face. "I love you so much," she whispered as she leaned down to kiss his lips. She was so glad they had taken the oxygen mask off and put the cannula in his nose instead, making his lips available to her. "Come back to me, Charles. Please. Come back to me," she said, stroking his cheek. She kissed him again and sat down, laying her head on his lower abdomen and holding his hand.
He heard the incessant beeping before anything else. It was hurting his ears. It wasn't too loud, but the annoying sound was piercing his calm. Then there was the weight on his chest. It felt like someone had put a 100 pound weight on his heart, and the pressure was intense. Then, there was the warmth on his abdomen and in his hand. He moved his hand slightly and felt skin touching his own. His eyelids were too heavy to open yet, so he slowed his brain down to try to make sense of what he was feelin. Why was he lying here feeling this way? He thought deeply. What was the last thing he remembered? He knit his brow and tried, almost painfully, to figure out where he was and why he was there. Then, a flash of a memory came to him. Anna, tied up. Gun shots. Searing pain in his chest. Elsie crying, yelling out. Something about a father. Twins, she had said. He couldn't make sense of it all. He needed to figure it all out. Again, he tried to open his heavy eyelids, and was slightly successful, however the light was so bright.
It took him a good few minutes to open them completely and adjust to the light in the room. He was looking at the ceiling when he felt a slight twitch on his abdomen. He looked down and there she was. His very own angel, sleeping peacefully with her head upon him. God he loved her so much. He had to get through this so he could experience more of his life with her, his beautiful wife. He felt her hand in his and he smiled softly. He squeezed her hand slightly, relishing in the feel of her skin touching his. This. This is what life was for. For loving and enjoying every second possible with those who make you whole. As he was thinking about this, she began to stir. He lifted his hand and brushed his index finger delicately across her cheek.
She hadn't realized she had dozed off, and she thought she was dreaming when she felt a soft touch to her cheek. It took her a moment to come to and realize that it wasn't her dreams, but reality. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up, seeing the gorgeous eyes of her husband looking down upon her.
"Charles," she whispered, lifting her head up. She was so excited she wanted to burst, but she knew she had to be careful around him. She stood up slowly, taking his hand in one of hers and leaned over him, putting her other hand on his cheek. "Oh, Charles," she said. "My darling. You're 're here!" she leaned down and placed a chaste kiss to his lips, and then pulled back to look in his eyes. "How are you? Oh! I must alert the nurse," she went to move away, but his grip on her hand became tighter.
"Elsie," he whispered. "My Elsie." Elsie had tears in her eyes. She couldn't help the overwhelming emotions she was feeling having him back with her.
"Yes, my love?" she asked. C
Charles tried to swallow, but it was clear it wasn't easy for him. "Please," he said. "Just a minute. I want to just be with you for a minute. Just us," he squeezed her hand again and she nodded her head, leaning back down to him,again and kissing his lips.
"Of course," she replied. "How do you feel?" she asked tenderly, stroking his cheek.
"Tired," he said. "Chest hurts. Need some water," he said.
Elsie nodded her head, concern evident in her eyes. "I'll ask the nurse once we call her in here," she said. "Do you remember what happened, Charles?" she asked nervously.
He nodded his head weakly. "Mostly, I think. I need to figure out what part was reality, and what part was my dreams while I was out. How bad is it, Els?" he asked her, the worry evident in his eyes.
She paused for a moment. "Oh, Charles. You were a hero. You are a hero. My hero," she explained. "You saved Anna, my darling. You saved her. You are so brave," she said, tears streaming down her face. "That monster shot you and the bullet grazed your heart. They were able to patch you up and they are confident you will make a full recovery, given time and rest, thank God," she explained to him. She leaned down again, her hand on his cheek, and kissed his other cheek, holding her lips there for an extra moment. Charles lifted his arm up and wrapped it around her back, holding her there. He needed to feel her close to him to convince himself that he was really alive. Just her warmth and her scent invigorated him, filling him with positive energy.
"I love you,Elsie," he said. "So much. It was thoughts of you, of our life together, that pulled me through," he said softly. Her cheek was next to his and he could feel her wet tears. "No more crying, my love. I'm here. I told you I would never leave you again," he said, holding her tighter.
"I love you so much, Charles. I thought I was going to lose you." She paused for a moment, trying to find the words to explain her deep feelings for him. "This love I have for you is so strong, I've never known such a thing," she said. "It's almost unexplainable."
"I know," he whispered. "I know."
Elsie leaned up again and looked into his eyes, smiling as she did so, and then kissed his lips again. "I better get the nurse," she said, leaning over to get the call button. Just as she was about to press the button, Charles gently placed his hand upon hers.
"Wait," he said. Elsie paused and looked at him again. "I have to tell you something before I forget."
"What is it?" Elsie asked, taking his hand in hers and looking into his eyes.
"When I was asleep," he began, "I think I had a guardian angel with me. I dreamed that she told me I was going to be a father," he explained. "I know it probably sounds far-fetched, but I believe it, Elsie. I believe that I was brought back because in our future, somehow, some way, we will get there. At least that is what my angel made me think," he said.
Elsie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was worried about telling him because she didn't want to get his heart rate up, but now was the perfect time. After quick contemplation, she decided that it was good news, so it could only do good.
"Charles," she began, "did your guardian angel whisper anything else to you?" she asked.
Charles hesitated for a moment, but then confessed, "Well, she said that I was going to be a father and then she said twins, but I know that sounds ridiculous, so I didn't want to tell you that part," he said, almost embarrassed. Elsie giggled a little bit. "See," Charles said, "that's why I didn't want to say it. It sounds crazy."
Elsie shook her head at him. "It's not crazy, my darling," Elsie said pointedly, looking straight into his eyes. He narrowed his own eyes at her, confused. "It's completely true," she said, gauging his reaction and giggling. His eyes got big for a moment, and he searched hers again..
"True?" he asked. "Which part?"
"Both," Elsie said. "You are going to be a father, and we are having twins," she explained. "It was the last thing I said to you before they took you into surgery." She couldn't help the giant smile that adorned her face.
"Really?" he asked.
She nodded her head. "Really," she said. She then walked over to her bag and took the ultrasound photos out that she meant to present him with the previous day. She walked back to Charles' side and held the pictures up for him. "Charles Carson," she said, "I present to you your two babies," and she handed the pictures to him. When she looked to his face, there were tears running down his cheeks.
"My babies," he whispered in awe. "Oh, Elsie," he said. "Our babies." Elsie nodded her head, leaning down to kiss his lips gently. When she lifted her head up, she took Charles' hand and placed it gently on her abdomen and repeated, "Our babies," tears now streaming down her cheeks as well.