Again, there may be a scene or two you might not like in this chapter but, as always, I apologise in advance.
Also, thank you all for reading and leaving reviews :) I really do appreciate it.
Now, on with the chapter…
He's Gone - Part 6.
Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed in one of the special gowns that had been left for her to put on while waiting for doctor LaRue to return to do her examination, Clarisse's mind thought back to the time when her husband had been admitted to the same hospital they were in now with pneumonia, and she'd had her fall out on the balcony, leaving her with a dislocated shoulder and needing to wear a sling for seven weeks. However, the thing that stuck out more to her from that day was the conversation she'd had with Joseph, telling her that he would be leaving for a while, until things had settled.
"I was thinking while I was outside," Joseph said after a moments silence, a feeling of dread forming in the pit of his stomach as he spoke.
"What about?" Clarisse asked as she brushed the tips of her fingers through his hair once again.
"Well what with Pierre now knowing about us and our past, that perhaps, just until things are settled and back to normal, I should leave the palace and return to Italy for a while," he said and looked down at the bed, to scared to look up at her as she pulled her hand away from his head.
"You want to leave?" She asked sadly and watched as he finally looked at her.
"Only until everything has settled," he said as their gaze met, "a lot has happened this last twelve hours and it's certainly not going to be all back to normal this time tomorrow, it's going to take time."
And she thought it was ironic that they were once again all at the same hospital now and that he had left just that morning, for the exact same reasons as he did nearly three years ago. This time for things to settle after all that had happened over the weekend.
"Ok, I have brought you one of your polo neck jumpers, to help cover your neck. A pair of trousers, and other essential items that you might need," Sabrina said while draping the items of clothing over the back of the high backed armchair in the corner of the room, before turning towards her friend sitting on the bed, to see that she was a million miles away. "Clarisse?"
"Sorry," Clarisse said as she came out of her daydream and put her hand up to brush away her stray tears before looking at her friend standing across the room by the armchair. "I was miles away for a moment then," she said, a small shake of her head, "what were you saying?"
"I thought you were," Sabrina said softly and motioned to her clothes draped over the chair beside her, "I was just letting you know what I brought for you to change into."
"Oh of course, yes," she said, glancing towards the chair where she saw a pair of her black tailored trousers and one of her polo neck jumpers draped over the back of it, before looking back at her friend and watching as she moved to stand in front of her sitting on the bed.
"I thought I would bring you the polo neck, to hide, you know," she said, referring to the bruises that were slowly appearing on her body. "I know it won't hide the ones on your jaw, but at least it will cover the ones on your neck and on your wrists."
"Yes, thank you," Clarisse nodded and looked down at her hands resting together in her lap, wishing for this day to be over already. "I have one more favour to ask, if I may?"
"Of course," Sabrina said, studying her a moment.
"Will you stay with me when the doctor performs the examination?" Clarisse asked and looked back up at her.
"If that's what you want?" Sabrina nodded and reached her hand up, brushing a bit of her best friends hair back behind her ear. "Then I'll stay with you."
"Thank you," Clarisse said tearfully and nodded while looking back down at her hands still resting in her lap.
"Hey, it's okay," Sabrina said softly and watched as Clarisse nodded a little. "I'd do anything for you, you know that."
"I know, I'm extremely lucky to have you," Clarisse said as she looked up into Sabrina's eyes, "I appreciate you for everything that you have done for me this last couple days, and for never leaving me when I've needed you in the past, you know, for things to settle."
Nodding slighty, Sabrina knew exactly who she was referring too. "Sometimes sweetheart, it can't be helped," she said while taking hold of Clarisse's hands in hers and watched as she looked down at them resting in her lap. "You know that."
"I know I do, I just wish he was here that's all," Clarisse said while looking back up at Sabrina as she nodded knowingly. "Did you call him before you came to the hospital?"
"I did, yes, Rupert asked me to inform him what had happened before he saw it on the news," Sabrina nodded, "and he's on standby waiting for that call to tell him to come."
"I see," Clarisse said, nodding slightly, "I suppose Rupert told you to tell him not to come yet too, because we are being watched."
"I'm sorry Clarisse, I really am," Sabrina said softly, "but Joseph understands and told me to tell you that he loves you."
Nodding, Clarisse looked over towards the window a long moment. Wishing that he was there with her right now, but it just wasn't to be. No matter how much she needed him, it just wasn't ethical for him to be there. And hearing a knock on the door a moment later, Clarisse quickly brushed her tears away once again before looking over at the door. "Come in."
"It's just me, your majesty," doctor LaRue said as she stepped into the room. "Are you ready for me?"
"I am," Clarisse nodded and glanced to Sabrina stepping back a few steps from the bed before looking back over at the doctor. "Is it ok if Sabrina stays with me during the examination?" She asked.
"Of course, your majesty," doctor LaRue nodded as she slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and moved closer to her still sitting on the edge of the bed. "When you are ready we will start."
"Ok," Clarisse nodded, "I'm ready."
"Ok," doctor LaRue said and gave her a small smile before stepping closer to her and put her hands up, "tip your head back for me please, your majesty," she asked and watched as she did as she requested. "Thank you."
"It's okay," Clarisse said as she closed her eyes, wanting the examination to be over and done with as quickly as possible.
Examining the Queen's neck and jaw, the doctor eyed the forming bruises that were left by the prime minister's attack, when she spotted the small fading love bite that Joseph had given her on the curve of her neck when they were in the throes of passion the first night at the lake house, that had been, until now, covered by her blouse and collar of her jacket, and she thought about the news reports from yesterday. Between her and Joseph.
Surely the King himself wouldn't have left such a mark on his Queen, he's not that kind of person, or was he? But then who was she to know what actually goes on between the King and Queen behind closed doors. They were married after all.
Clearing her throat, she averted her gaze up to the Queen's face. "Do you have any pain, your majesty?" The doctor asked while taking a step back.
"Other than a bit of shoulder pain, the rest is just soreness around my neck, jaw and on my wrists too," Clarisse said as she looked down at the bruises forming around her wrists from when the prime minister grabbed hold of them to stop her from fighting back against him, and when he pinned her to the floor.
"Alright, I'll have a look at your shoulder shortly," the doctor nodded sympathetically, "but first, I'm just going to open one side of your gown now, to check for more bruises, and any other injuries you might have, your majesty," the doctor said gently. "Are you okay with that?"
"Yes, of course. You gotta do what you gotta do," Clarisse nodded and chewed on her lip, "but please just excuse the love bite on my... breast," she said nervously, her voice a mere whisper as she watched the doctor look up at her.
"That wasn't… he didn't...?" She asked, needing to make sure that it wasn't the prime minister who had done it, and watched as the Queen shook her head while briefly closing her eyes in embarrassment.
"No, it wasn't him," she said, shaking her head once again before looking down. "Obviously at the time, you don't think things like this are going to happen where people are going to end up seeing them."
"It's okay, your majesty," the doctor said softly and watched the Queen as she closed her eyes, for longer this time, and her cheeks turning a darker shade of red. "There isn't anything to be embarrassed about either, we are all adults here," she said quietly, realising that the King must be like that, or the reports about her and Joseph spending the weekend together are in fact true.
"Yes we are," Clarisse nodded and looked back up at the doctor. Feeling slightly less apprehensive now. But the memory of how she received the love bite on her breast in the first place now filled her mind. A bittersweet memory of her and Joseph together in his suite last night, making love when he should have been packing to leave. A memory that she really couldn't think about right now.
After the doctor had finished the examination for the police report, Clarisse got dressed into the clothes that Sabrina had brought to the hospital for her before making their way back to her fathers hospital room to find that her two sisters and Lyle had now joined Rupert and their sons in the corridor.
"Hello," Clarisse said as she and Sabrina approached them and watched as everyone looked up at them.
"Hey," Elaina said softly as she rose to her feet and stood in front of her, "Rupert told us what happened, are you okay?" She asked while briefly putting her hands up to cup her face in them before stepping closer and giving her a hug.
"I'm fine, how's père?" Clarisse asked as Elaina pulled her head back, to study her a moment before they stepped apart. "Has there been any news while I have been gone?"
"Not yet, no," Elaina replied with a shake of her head as she watched Clarisse turn to their younger sister and gave her a hug. It was absolutely gut wretching to see the bruises on her jaw, knowing that there were more of them hidden under her jumper from what Rupert had told them, and that she had been hurt by someone she and her husband had trusted. No one deserved to be treated the way she had been treated and it broke her heart that he had targeted her sister in that way.
"Are you okay," Addie asked quietly before pulling her head back just enough so she could see her sisters face.
"Well, I could be better, yes," Clarisse replied and they slowly stepped apart, "but this isn't about me is it? It's about père, he's the one lying in the hospital bed."
"Oh Clarisse," Addie said softly as she wrapped her arm around Clarisse's shoulders and moved her head closer to hers. "I'm here you know, if you ever need to talk to someone," she whispered in her ear and watched as Clarisse nodded.
"Thank you," Clarisse said and looked back up at her.
"Yes, and so am I," Elaina said as she extended her arm towards Clarisse and took her hand in hers, giving it a small squeeze, "and Lyle too."
"Absolutely, we are all here for you," Lyle said as he stepped closer to Clarisse and kissed her cheek. "And I want to apologise that I wasn't about earlier, if I had have been this might not have happened," he said and stepped back.
"You don't have to apologise, Lyle, I understand why you weren't about. You were doing what was required of you, and that couldn't be helped," Clarisse said and nodded slightly.
"Just remember that we are all here for you, alright," Elaina said.
"I know, and I appreciate it," Clarisse said when she noticed Rupert's bodyguard, Hugo, whispering in his ear a moment before walking off. "Excuse me," she said and walked over to her husband. "What was that about?"
"Not here," he said and reached his hand out, putting it gently onto Clarisse's arm while glancing to all her family stood a few feet away from them before smoothing his hand down her arm to take hold of her hand and began to lead her away from the others. Stopping once they were far enough away, he turned to face her and slipped his hands in his pants pockets. "It was to inform me that they know who it was that told the prime minister about Joseph leaving."
"They do?" Clarisse said in surprise while wrapping her arms round herself, "who was it?"
"Your ladies maid, Lydia," Rupert said and leant his shoulder against the wall while watching Clarisse as she gasped in surprise, "she's apparently confessed to telling him this morning that Joseph was leaving after he cornered her outside on the drive."
"Not Lydia?" Clarisse said, somewhat shocked as she stared up at her husband a long moment before looking down the corridor and placed a hand on her chest. She felt utterly and completely betrayed, to think it had been her own ladies maid that had been the one to give out this information. And after signing an disclosure agreement too. "It's can't be."
"I'm sorry," he said and reached one hand out, gently putting it on the top of her arm as she looked back up at him. "She's confessed to it, Clarisse."
"What about the other information, about the open marriage, me and Joseph being together, and that it was me on the balcony?" She asked in a hushed tone.
"I'm not sure if she's confessed to all that, or currently just the bit about telling the prime minister about Joseph leaving this morning. But we will find out," Rupert said quietly and watched as she nodded. "I promise."
"Okay," she said and turned, resting back against the wall beside Rupert still leaning against it with his shoulder.
But she didn't have chance to dwell on the fact it was her own ladies maid for long because the doctor arrived to talk to them all, and to break the news that they'd all been dreading. Their father had suffered a major heart attack and it was now just an machine keeping him alive.