Up All Night - Part 3.
Stepping into Joseph's hospital room, Clarisse closed the door behind her and clasped her hands together in front of her a moment as she simply looked across at Joseph lying in the bed with his eyes closed and his head resting back on the pillow behind him. She could see his arm was in a sling to support his broken wrist, and the obvious cuts and bruises to his head, face and arms that the doctor had told them about, but it was still a shock and she had to chew on her lip to stop herself from crying. It was literally breaking her heart seeing him this way.
Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked over to his hospital bed while removing the straps of her handbag from her shoulder and placed it in the chair beside the bed as she turned to him. "Joseph?" She said softly and watched as he opened his eyes and lifted his head.
"Hello you," he said quietly while looking up at her as she put her hand up, gently resting it on his shoulder.
"Hello," she said softly. "The doctor just told me and your parent's about your injuries. You are so incredibly lucky."
"I feel it," he nodded and moved his good arm, slipping his hand in the opening of her jacket and placed it on her hip. "I'm lucky to be alive and escape with the injuries I have," he said as Clarisse nodded.
"What happened, do you remember?" Clarisse asked and watched as Joseph nodded.
"I was going to fast on a bend, lost control of my car and ended up rolling into a ditch," Joseph said, his voice raspy and hoarse.
"Oh my god," she exclaimed, closing her eyes as her hand instinctively went to her mouth as she tried to compose herself.
"It's ok Clarisse, I'm still here," he said and watched as she opened her eyes and lowered her hand while nodding.
"I know you are, and I am so thankful that you are," she said tearfully and looked down at her hand as she placed it on the bed beside him.
"Seeing you again is the only thing that's kept me going, I love you so so much," he said as she looked back up at him.
"I love you too," she said while putting her hands up to carefully cup his face and moved her head closer to place a quick kiss to his lips. "And I'm so sorry for what Pierre said, he shouldn't have said what he did yesterday."
"He told you then?" He said in surprise as Clarisse pulled her head back. "I didn't think he would."
"No he didn't tell me, Elaina did," Clarisse said, "and I can't apologise enough for his behaviour," she said while smoothing her thumb over his lips and down under his chin before pulling her hands away.
"You shouldn't be apologising for what he said, it should be him," Joseph said and shook his head ever so slightly.
"I know, but he's my son, I feel I need to," Clarisse said sadly and looked back down at her hands as she rested them back down on the bed beside him, "I just don't understand him, or why he would say these things to you."
"It's because he hasn't accepted how things are," Joseph replied and watched as Clarisse nodded before looking back up at him.
"I know, but surely he can see how happy you make me," she said.
"He can and that might be the reason why," Joseph said, "he knows you were never this happy with his father and he doesn't like that someone else can make you feel this way."
"Maybe," Clarisse nodded and contemplated what he said a moment. "Anyway, is there anything you need?" She asked.
"No," he said with a small shake of his head before nodding, "actually there is something you can do."
"Anything, tell me what you need and I'll get it," Clarisse said as she placed one of her hands gently back on his shoulder.
"Please tell me we aren't over," Joseph said as he looked up into her eyes, "I really don't know what I would do if Rupert snapped his fingers and you returned to him."
"That will never happen," Clarisse said with a shake of her head, "it's still you and me."
"But what about what Pierre said," he said and watched as she shook her head once again.
"He shouldn't have said that, yes me and Rupert were talking, but not about getting back together," Clarisse said and looked back into his eyes, "I promise."
"Ok," Joseph nodded and put his hand up to cup her face a moment. "Can you do something else for me?"
"Of course," Clarisse nodded and stepped closer to him at the top of the bed as he lowered his hand and slipped it back onto her hip under her jacket. "What would you like me to do."
"Could you get a new evening dress to wear for one of the nights that we are away for your birthday?" He asked.
"You still want to go?" She said softly, surprised he still wanted to go after what happened.
"Yes of course I do," he nodded, "it may not be for one of the weekend's we originally said, but it will be at some point and I want to do something special for you, so can you please get a new dress?" He asked as Clarisse studied his face a moment.
"Ok," she nodded and smiled, "I'll get a new dress for when we go away."
"Thank you, oh, and, don't show me it until the night you are required to wear it,"he said and removed his hand from her hip to take hold of her hand.
"Ok," she smiled and watched as he raised her hand up to his lips, to kiss the back of it when he noticed something.
"You're not wearing your wedding ring," he said, puzzled, as he brushed his thumb over her bare wedding finger.
"Oh," she said and pulled her hand back a little to look at her wedding finger. "With everything going on I must have forgot to put it back on after my shower."
"You'll have to make sure you remember to put it back on when you get home, before anyone notices it's missing," he said while slipping his hand back under her jacket and smoothing it round to her back. "Especially Pierre."
"I will," she nodded while looking down at her hand a moment, when Joseph lowered his hand onto her bottom, "Joseph," she exclaimed quietly while putting one arm behind her back and took hold of his hand, "what if someone was to come in and see your hand on my bottom? It wouldn't look very good, would it?"
"Oh come on now, I think we both know that's not going to happen," Joseph smirked, knowing she would have already had it covered.
"And how can you be so sure that someone might not just walk in," Clarisse said in amusement. "You do have a nurse that must check you."
"Well for one there is no way you would have entered this room without telling whoever is guarding the door, that under no circumstances anyone else enters while you are in here," Joseph said and she couldn't help but give a little laugh as she turned her head away, "that's what I wanted to hear," he said and smiled as she looked back at him. "I love it when you laugh, it makes me so happy."
"Hearing you laugh makes me happy too," she said and watched as he took her hand once again and held it against his mouth. "But I am relieved that you still have your sense of humour, it tells me everything is going to be alright. That you're going to be alright."
"Of course everything's going to be alright, but I just had a thought. With me out of action for the next few weeks," he said and watched as she nodded, "does this mean you are going to nurse me back to health once I am allowed home?"
"No," she laughed with a shake of her head, "that's another reason why your mother is here and staying at the palace, she's going to look after you and see to your every need." She smiled.
"Oh really?" He said, somewhat disappointedly. "There's me thinking you was going to do it."
"You know I would if I could," Clarisse said and he nodded.
"I know," Joseph said and looked across at the door, "I know."
"Now obviously, as you have just said, you are going to be out of action for a good while, I don't want you stressing yourself out with what's happening at the palace," Clarisse said as he looked back up at her.
"I know, I'm dreading it and the mess I'll return too once I'm better," Joseph said, "I have already warned the guy's to make sure they look after you while I'm off and I've told them too that if you come to any harm whatsoever, then there will be trouble. I'll hang every one of them by their toes in the courtyard if anything does happen."
"I don't doubt that for a minute," Clarisse said and smiled down at him, "but it will be fine, they have been wonderful so far. You will be proud of them all."
"Good, that's what I like to hear," he nodded and closed his eyes.
"You're getting tired," Clarisse said as he looked back up at her, "I will leave you to get some rest."
"Oh please don't," Joseph said sadly and grabbed hold of her hand, "I don't want you to leave."
"I will have to at some point you know," Clarisse said, "it's a security risk me being here for an hour let alone all day."
"I know it is," Joseph nodded as he thought a moment. "But I can't thank you enough for coming and seeing me," he said tearfully.
"Hey don't be silly, of course I'm going to come and see you," Clarisse said as she put her hands up to cup his face once again and looked into his eyes, "I just hate it can't be for longer, because I would stay with you all day if I could."
"I know you would," Joseph nodded while putting his good hand up onto her wrist as she moved her head closer and gently kissed his forehead. "I love you so very much."
"I love you too," she said and gave him another quick kiss on his lips before pulling back and lowering her hands. "I'll sit with you until you fall to sleep if you want me too?"
"Oh please," Joseph nodded and gestured to the chair beside the bed, "pull the chair closer."
"I will," Clarisse nodded as she turned and pulled the chair closer to his bed and took a seat. "Sabrina's in the hallway, she sends her love." She told him, realising she never told him that she was there too.
"Harry said earlier that she was with you," Joseph said as Clarisse held his hand in both of hers, "he's gone back home now though hasn't he?"
"Yes, he had to get back for the business but Sabrina is staying for a few more days," Clarisse said as she studied his face while smoothing her thumb back and forth over the top of his wrist. "Get some sleep now though, my love."
"Ok," he said sleepily and nodded while looking at her before resting his head back on the pillow and closing his eyes. "I love you more than life itself, you know."
"I know, and I love you too," Clarisse said and half smiled as she watched him slowly drift off to sleep. She hated having to leave him, knowing she would stay all day if she had the chance too but knew she couldn't stay for much longer, she had to leave for her safety, but now that she had seen him she felt a bit better. She felt relieved that he was going to be ok and would hopefully be allowed home in a few days time, where he belonged, and where she could visit him without the fear of being seen.