"Why hasn't she come round yet?" Bass paced up and down the side of the bed.
"Give her chance the body will only do what it can in its own time" The medic responded. "What of Tom?"
"If you asking if I have killed him yet then no, I was not going to leave her side. The men are amusing themselves with him as we speak, but don't worry I will soon be seeing him" He managed to speak calmly.
Charlie's started moaning and shifting where she lay.
"Bass? She murmured quietly with her eyes still closed. "Bass!" This time more urgent, panic setting in.
He ran to her side "Hey I'm here, I'm here, you're ok I got you" he wrapped his hands around hers.
Her eyes opened lazily feeling the light wash over them "Am I dead?"
"No, you're very much alive" he comforted her.
"He shot me, Tom shot me" a single tear rolled down her cheek bone.
"It's ok you are safe now, I promise I won't let anything happen to you again." He wipes the tear away.
She looked into his eyes "Bass I need to tell you…" a sharp breath caused her pain.
"Shh, just rest, and get better, I need to go and see to something, I will be back soon" He spoke gently. He kissed her hand he got up to walk away.
"No, wait, you going to kill him aren't you? Just remember if I had abided by those rules you wouldn't be here"
Bass stopped and looked over at her laying there looking at him. It wasn't a request to keep him alive, but it suggested to him that Neville was no better than he was, He had to face that it was true.
"Don't go anywhere" he said with a smile.
Tom had been shackled to the paddock gates outside, the troops had been taking it in turns to beat him to a pulp, Jason had stood there and watched this all happen fearing his own thoughts as to why he didn't want them to stop. He now stood there alone, Tom begging him to untie him.
Bass marched over. Toms face full of fear as Bass stood in front of him, calm and collected.
"You made a big mistake and I now laugh at your fate Tom Neville, I won't kill you, that's too much of an easy out for you, and expectant coming from me. Maybe I will leave you for Miles, or even her Mother, and I will take great pleasure in watching your demise… Oh just so you know, Charlie has survived your poor attempt at killing her, I wonder now how you ever became so high in the ranks in my militia, well I won't be blind sighted by you ever again"
He gave Jason a glance and walked away. He couldn't have gotten more than 3 feet away when a gunshot broke the silent night air.
He stopped knowing what had happened. Jason walked past him without saying a word and disappeared into the woods.
He turned around to see Neville's body slumped, chin on his chest, and a gun on the grass where Jason had been standing. A release of anger drifted away from him, knowing that the man who had tried to murder Charlie would never breathe again, but at the hand of his son. He knew he had done it for Charlie and not him, but at the same time he wished he had said something to him before he disappeared.
He dashed back to where Charlie was being kept, when he arrived she was sat upright, her arm in a sling to take some of the pressure off her chest, she sat with one hand cradling a glass of water in her lap.
When the Medic saw him arrive he made his way out, "The bandage has been changed, I will see you both in the morning" He continued and let himself out.
She looked up at him "I heard a gunshot, you did it didn't you?" looking back down at her glass.
He walked closer to her and sat beside her on the bed "No, I didn't do it" He spoke softly "Jason did"
She shot a look to him "What?"
"Yeah, I know to be honest I wasn't expecting it either, he has gone, I don't know where too" He said looking at her.
She paused for a few moments contemplating how hard that must have been for him to kill his own Father, something she could have never had the strength to do, or could she given the right circumstances? Hopefully she would never have to find out.
"Bass I need to tell you something and I'm not afraid to say it anymore, I held back because I was frightened of what it meant to me, and what it could cause. But after today, staring death in the face, I realised how important it was."
He shifted and sat in front of her "Should I be worried?" he asked her concerned.
"I hope it doesn't cause concern" She spoke back.
She took another glance at her glass then placing it on the table next to her.
"I am deeply and unconditionally in love with you" She looked up at him.
A breath escaping him in total relief, his heart beating deep in his chest, he leaned forward to her, his hand on her face running his thumb gently across her lips, she buried her face in his palm closing her eyes, feeling his touch.
His face closer to hers, keeping eye contact just in case she changed her mind, she closed her eyes and kissed him softly, he gasps quietly, kissing her gently back. "I love you too Charlotte and I will continue to prove that to you"
"Lay with me?" She asked.
He shifted to her side lifting his arm allowing her to cuddle into his side, as he wrapped his arm around her. She breathed in deep "I missed your smell" she said as she dozed off in his arms.
Having her in his arms again he would have happily dropped the Militia, just to disappear with her, take her away from all the death and violence that had surrounded them both for a lifetime. Being torn by love or war wasn't the best battle to fight after the day they had both had. He needed to wait for Miles to return.
That's when it would all begin, and explaining all this was going to be an interesting one.
Thank you all again for your reviews, did struggle with this chapter, just hope you all like it. Wishing you all a Happy New Year xx