Summary: Maria comes to, realizing that she is in Georg's arms but she doesn't understand what exactly has happened. Darren is forced to face the reality of more than one situation, and Frau Schmidt proves her friendship to Maria. This is a short chapter. I'm sorry for that, but I think that it's needed as a bridge between what happened last chapter and what happens next. I promise to put extra love and care into the next one for you guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own TSOM or any of the characters.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Close Your Eyes

"Georg," Maria sighed looking up at him and seeing her own fear reflecting in his eyes. "It hurts," she cried out painfully. It felt as if there were weights tied to her lower stomach, ripping her insides out towards the ground.

"I know Maria, just hold on the doctor will be here soon," he said stroking her hair. When he looked around he saw the concern and fear on the various staff members that now surrounded Maria. To staff she was so much more than a fellow employee or occasional commander. She had really became one of their friends. She always found a way to make them feel as if they were her equals, even knowing she had far more authority than them.

Frau Schmidt rushed back outside to alert Georg. "The doctor is on his way, they said it is fine to move her in the meantime," She offered, noting Maria was still on the ground in Georg's arms. The children were still there, the staff was still there, and she knew Maria needed privacy.

"Please no, I don't want to make anything worse," Maria replied gripping Georg's arm weakly. He wanted to kiss her, telling her that she was going to be all right. But he hesitated when he looked up and saw Darren still sitting a few feet away. That wasn't his right anymore.

"Darren can carry you," Georg offered, trying to assuage her fears.

"Maybe we should just keep her here," Darren said. His mind was racing a mile a minute. Everything had happened so fast. When he first saw her walking down the aisle he realized how beautiful she was. But then, as she walked further down he saw the light in her eyes slowly begin to dim, dulling with each step she took towards him. Then, she collapsed on the ground in his superiors arms and he couldn't convince himself to act. The blood, he was almost sure what it was a sign of. But even knowing that, he couldn't force himself to feel anything.

"If the doctor said there is no harm in moving her, I think we should." Georg replied annoyed. He did not teach Darren to cower while experiencing fear. Darren had risen to the occasion various times while under his command, and he wasn't sure why he was failing to exhibit courage now. Georg looked up to Darren sternly and he looked away quickly, not willing to make eye contact with him.

"Liesl take your siblings," Frau Schmidt instructed motioning towards the Gazebo. She knew that they shouldn't be here for this. Liesl nodded and walked them away quickly.

"Maria, close your eyes," Georg instructed, feeling the blood now soaking his pants, and no doubt covering the ground beneath them.

"Why," she began. While she could feel the pain everything else seemed fuzzy. She wasn't sure why she was in Georg's arms, or why everyone was around her. The only thing she knew was she was afraid.

"Trust me, please." Georg begged. As she closed her eyes quickly he continued,

"Somebody help us up," unable to get to his feet with the position they had fallen in. A few staff members rushed over quickly, helping to keep them steady while Georg was lifted to his feet with Maria in his arms.

When he had gained his balance he turned towards the house. As the jackets fell from her body exposing the scene he heard the staff members inhale their breath deeply. Shock now apparent on all of their faces previously not understanding how bad it was. He gave them a threatening look to keep quiet and began walking towards the house slowly.

The stream of red was sliding through her fabric, dripping onto the ground. He could feel the hot liquid soaking his own clothes as well, and he knew that she was losing a lot of blood. Frau Schmidt nodded to him, letting him know she would take care of the grounds. He nodded back and looked forward not saying another word to anyone while walking into the house.

Darren stayed behind staring at the pool of blood that soaked the ground where he was just standing. His shock was interrupted briefly as the staff rushed around him, doing their best to soak up the scene that was left behind. Frau Schmidt called out her orders and turned inside to follow Georg. She followed the trail of blood inside the foyer, through the petals of heather still on the ground, up the staircases and back towards Maria's room. Just as she placed her hand on the door to open it, she heard Maria speak.

"Georg, I'm scared," she admitted, her voice shaking and crackling as she spoke.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you Maria, I promise." He said, biting his lip as he looked at the scene before him. Perhaps he could do everything in how power to make sure she was all right. But he feared he could not offer her the same comfort for the baby.

"And the baby?" Maria asked, knowing he was choosing his words carefully.

"We just have to wait for the doctor Maria, just breathe, one step at a time okay?" he replied. "Keep your eyes clothes for me," he pleaded when she began to flicker them open. He knew if she opened her eyes she was going to lose it.

"Georg you're scaring me," she said.

He shook his head violently, he could imagine how he would feel if the roles were reversed. The fact that he wouldn't let her open her eyes was scaring her, but he knew if she did the fear would only escalate.

"You don't need to be afraid Maria. I'm right here, you are staying calm and relaxed. You are already doing everything that you can do. So, all we need to do is just wait for the doctor. All right?" he asked hopefully.

Frau Schmidt's heart was breaking. It wasn't just for the knowledge that she knew Maria was losing the baby, it wasn't for the fact that Georg was leaving his children, but it was because she knew how much Georg truly, unconditionally loved Maria. The man had just walked the woman he was in love with, down the aisle to marry someone else, and was willing to leave them here to raise his children! Yet, the man who was supposed to love her, the man that she was just about to marry, was nowhere in sight. The woman that was injured was his betrothed, the baby that was being lost, was his. Yet, he was hiding outside unable to step up and be a man. In that moment she realized that she hated Darren.

Each time Maria walked out of their lives, it was for Darren. The one man who was supposed to be her best friend. She watched time and time again as the Von Trapp's went through endless suffering and she couldn't take it anymore.

"Where's Darren?" Maria asked.

"He's a damned coward!" Frau Schmidt announced finally pushing through the door. She didn't care if she was fired, she didn't care that she was over stepping her bounds, someone needed to say it.

Maria went to open her eyes and heard Georg say, "Ah Ah, no no no!" playfully as he shut her eyes with his fingers dramatically.

He looked over to Frau Schmidt giving her a very humorous smile at her outburst, and looked back to Maria. Frau retrieved extra blankets from the closet and began covering her. She could see the blood stains already spreading onto the bed. She knew that the excessive bleeding hadn't' stopped, so there was no point in having her change at the moment.

"Did I?" Maria asked Georg, not sure if she wanted to know the answer. Things had become fuzzy and the last thing she could remember, she was approaching the staircase with Georg earlier. Georg looked at her confused, and looked to Frau Schmidt who was giving him an encouraging look. However it only confused him more. Was she asking about the baby?

"Did you, what?" Georg asked, not sure what she was referencing. Frau Schmidt gave him a disapproving look and walked over to Maria.

"No my dear, you didn't marry him," Frau said. "What is the last thing you can recall?" she asked.

"I remember Georg, coming to do my door, telling me that I could do this." Maria replied.

Frau Schmidt gave Georg a surprising look and he blushed looking away quickly.

"I remember thinking it would be the last time I could ever let my heart ache for him," Maria continued feeling more confident with her eyes clothes. "That it would be the last time I could ever want to kiss him, to ever think of making love to him, to ever imagine this day, my wedding day I mean, and imagine it being with him," she confessed. Georg's face flushed scarlet red, listening to her speak her inner desires of him to someone else. The fact that she spoke of it so openly, so easily, shocked him.

"You really hate me that much?" Darren asked. He had come up to the doorway sometime before, and no one had turned around to notice him. It was one thing to know Maria loved Georg. However, to hear her speak on their wedding day about making love to Georg, it was just too insulting.

"I don't hate you Darren!" she pleaded opening her eyes. Thankfully she was now fully covered by Frau Schmidt. Georg however, was not.

"But you will never love me, like him." Darren said, more as a statement then a question.

"No I won't." She responded honestly.

"Right this way," Franz instructed as the doctor walked into the room.

"Let's give her some privacy," Frau Schmidt instructed standing to walk out of the bedroom.

It wasn't until Georg stood that Maria caught a glimpse of the blood soaking his clothing. Was the blood hers? She could feel her hands begin to shake and wanted to ask Georg to stay. However, Darren was standing there and this was, his child.

The two men hovered at the doorway, as Frau Schmidt waited for them to move so she could exit. Both of them were waiting, a silent, who will you choose, kind of moment. Did she even want them there? Georg considered bowing out and leaving things to Darren, but he knew he had been with Maria every step before hand. He felt if there were any questions, he would do best to answer them. Darren however, knew that Maria was his fiancé, whether she hated it or not, and this was his child. If anyone had a right to be in there and know what was going on, it was him.

Both of them stood, staring at her. The doctor shuffled uncomfortably, annoyed.

"Frau Schmidt, could you stay?" Maria asked. She couldn't chose between them but she knew that she didn't want to be alone. Also, there was a lot of the situation that was fuzzy and she figured she could fill in the blanks.

Note: Thank you guys for sticking with me! I love the reviews. I know that sometimes these come a little further apart then I think any of us would like. However, between work, my daughter, husband, etc. Sometimes it gets crazy! I really do try to dedicate time to this whenever I have a spare moment though, so thank you for being patient. Also, thank you for waiting on me when I take a little too long!