"At a Loss"
(this is a more dramatic chapter, not as humorous as the others)
*******************
Scarlett and Lady Jaye had finished their work in the production of "Ah Leah!" and were cast in a new hit musical by their old producer James Stein. Lady Jaye was the lead and Scarlett was in the supporting cast. The performances had become even more taxing to get through for Scarlett since she had come down with the flu and been trying unsuccessfully to fight it off for a month now and only seemed to be getting worse. The nightly performance anxiety added to her flu was nothing short of torture.
"Why don't you see a doctor about this?" Lady Jaye asked Scarlett, who was laying in misery on the couch in Lady Jaye's dressing room. Scarlett still had a half hour to rest until show time. "I swear you're going to end up killing yourself! And for what - a bloody musical?"
"Why? So he can just tell me to rest and drink plenty of fluids? I already know this!" Scarlett grumbled into the sofa cushions with her arms wrapped around her stomach. Today a dull low back pain accompanied her flu misery as well.
"Then why don't you do it? That's what the understudies are for," Lady Jaye told her. "I don't know why you insist on torturing yourself like this."
"Because I've toughed out worse. Remember that mission in - ," Scarlett started to remind her.
"Oh God, not the bloody mission again where you fought on despite having the flu," Lady Jaye groaned.
"Yes! I did it then and I can do it now. All I need are my Zippy-Pep pills to make me snap-to for a couple hours. There'll be time to rest when I get home."
"Hmph! More like there'll be time to rest when you're dead."
"I don't want to get a reputation for flaking out on performances. Once I get on stage I'm fine," Scarlett told her.
"Why don't you try to eat something?" Lady Jaye suggested.
"What's the point? I won't be able to keep it down anyway. But hey at least the flu misery overshadows the performance anxiety now."
"I'm calling Duke. Maybe he can come here and talk some sense into you."
"No, don't!" Scarlett ordered her. "Falcon's been here all week and tonight is the first chance they've had to hang out. Leave them alone."
"Have you a better idea then?"
"Yes I do. Get my Zippy-Pep out of my bag and some water please?" Scarlett requested. Lady Jaye shook her head disapprovingly as she handed Scarlett her bottle of herbal and caffeine energy pills and a glass of water.
"Thank you," said Scarlett as she swallowed about ten Zippy-Pep pills, as she did for every performance ever since the flu hit her.
*******************
Scarlett struggled through the show as the dull pain in her low back and nausea was now accompanied by dizziness. Finally her last scene was over and if she could just make it back to Lady Jaye's dressing room she could lay down and rest. As she walked wearily backstage the dizziness became heavier on her. Suddenly a sharp pain hit her in the lower abdomen, followed by another but even more intense. The third one hit her so hard it knocked the wind out of her. She felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing her as she collapsed to the floor and gasped to catch her breath.
"What is happening to me?" she asked faintly as the pain blinded her. Then everything started going black.
*******************
As Scarlett drifted back into consciousness she struggled to see where she was through her blurred vision. The emergency room? Maybe an operating room? As she tried to determine what was happening to her she could vaguely hear the doctors and nurses talking around her:
"Blood sugar dangerously low."
"She's dehydrated."
"Get an IV on her."
"D&C procedure right now."
"You're going to go to sleep for a while."
*******************
Scarlett woke up in her hospital bed. Her pain was now dulled significantly and the nausea was gone. "Good, you're awake," a doctor greeted her as he entered her room. "How are you feeling Shana?"
"Like I just got hit by a truck," Scarlett wearily replied as the doctor looked over her medical chart. "What happened?"
"We did everything we could to stop the bleeding. I'm sorry but you miscarried," the doctor gently informed her.
"Miscarried what?"
"Your pregnancy."
"That's impossible. I wasn't pregnant," Scarlett corrected the doctor.
The doctor gave her a perplexed look then glanced at her chart again. "You were approximately twelve weeks along."
"No, that's impossible!" Scarlett protested. "I'm on the pill! And besides, I didn't even have any symptoms! You made a mistake on there!"
"Were you put on any antibiotics in the past few months? Because that will reduce the pill's effectiveness."
"I don't think so. Oh wait, I did for a lung infection three months ago - Oh God, no!" Scarlett gasped as she clasped her hand over her mouth.
"Well there's your smoking gun," the doctor commented as he wrote in her chart. "You say you didn't have any symptoms? No nausea, fatigue or missed cycles?"
"I've had extreme fatigue and nausea but that was a flu I haven't been able to shake. I didn't miss any cycles," Scarlett nervously explained as the tears started welling up in her eyes. She didn't want to believe that she had misdiagnosed herself with such devastating consequences.
"That wasn't the flu, those were symptoms of pregnancy," the doctor clarified. "Wildly fluctuating hormone levels in the first week or two after conception may prompt some bleeding from the lining of the uterus similar to a period. And the last one was most likely a sign of threatened miscarriage mistaken for a cycle."
Scarlett buried her face into her hands and began to tremble as the truth started to hit her. "Can we continue this some other time?" she asked as the tears started rolling down her cheeks. "This is a lot to take in and I'd like to be alone."
"Of course," the doctor replied. "You're going to be fine. You should be able to try again in just a few months. I'll be back to check on you in a couple hours." He made a couple more notes in her chart then exited her room.
"I don't feel fine," Scarlett wept as she turned to her side clutching her pillow while she absorbed all the new disturbing information. Try again? She wasn't even trying in the first place. In fact it had been the furthest thing from her mind to the point that she missed any symptoms. And how was Duke going to react? She agonized to herself until she was interrupted by a light knock on her door.
"Shana?" Lady Jaye poked her head through the door. "Is it all right if I come in or do you want to be alone?" Scarlett looked up at her with red puffy eyes and motioned for her to come in. "Oh Shana, I'm so sorry honey," Lady Jaye consoled her as she sat down next to Scarlett on her bed and cradled her head into her shoulder.
"You know then?" Scarlett asked as she cried on Lady Jaye's shoulder.
"Yes. I told the staff I was your sister when we brought you in here. But how are you doing?"
"I feel like I'm having a bad dream that I can't wake up from," said Scarlett, still crying as Lady Jaye held her. "How could this have happened? How could I be so careless? Maybe I wasn't meant to be somebody's mother; I couldn't even take care of this child before it had a chance to be born."
"Don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault."
"You and I both know that's not true."
"Come on now, you didn't even know," Lady Jaye tried to reassure her. "I know you; you would have done things a lot differently. But that's still no guarantee that this could have been prevented." Scarlett looked up at her best friend's sincere expression. The sadness in Lady Jaye's eyes was heartbreaking. She was obviously deeply affected as well but determined to stay strong for Scarlett's support.
"I would have wanted it you know," Scarlett quietly told her.
"I know," Lady Jaye tenderly replied as she fought back the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes.
"I'm never setting foot on stage again," Scarlett declared with resolve. "I'll never let this happen again."
"Sweetie please don't be hasty," Lady Jaye advised her. "You've just been through a traumatic experience. I don't think you're in the frame of mind to - ."
"On the contrary," Scarlett interrupted her. "I've never been clearer in my life. Where's Duke? Does he already know too?" Lady Jaye nodded her head.
"He's right outside talking to the doctor."
"So he knows then. And who else?"
"Me, Flint and Falcon," Lady Jaye answered as Scarlett looked at her uneasily at the mention of Falcon's name. "He was with us when we were told."
"I'd like to keep it that way. Nobody else. My father would be heartbroken if this got back to him."
"You got it," Lady Jaye reassured her. "You have my word."
Scarlett let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks."
"Are you ready for me to send Duke in?" Lady Jaye asked her.
"Is he mad?" Scarlett asked worriedly.
"At you? No, of course not," Lady Jaye reassured her. "He's distraught and worried about you. I'll go get him, he's waiting to see you," she said as she stood back up. "We're all here for you, you know that right?" Scarlett nodded and Lady Jaye left the room to send Duke in to see her. She was a nervous wreck over seeing him. What would he say to her? And how would he react to her? Would he secretly blame and resent her behind his typical strong front? She worried as the anxiety built up even more with every passing second. Her mind kept flashing back to how they first met and his infamous pick-up line:
Scarlett had just been assigned to a new special missions forces team. She had flown into the nearby city the evening before reporting for duty at G.I. Joe headquarters, and after settling into her hotel room decided to visit a nearby bar to get a drink and unwind. As she quietly enjoyed her martini by herself at the bar, her eyes automatically scanned the room, sizing up every patron in there. It was just part of her defense mechanism and training, which was set to work on autopilot by now. One small group of men caught her attention, or actually one man in the group to be precise: Mister Tall Blonde and Handsome. His blue eyes were piercing even from across the room. You couldn't help but notice him; he had a confident, commanding presence about him. She turned her attention away when she realized those piercing blues were looking her way.
As she finished her martini the bartender promptly put another in front of her. "I'm sorry but I didn't order another one," she told the bartender.
"You didn't, but HE did," said the bartender, pointing behind her. Scarlett snapped around to find him smiling behind her: Mister Tall Blonde and Handsome! Dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt that was almost too tight to accommodate his large muscles. He was built like a football player. But she could still take him if necessary, she thought to herself as she quickly sized him up and determined his weak points.
"Thank you, Drink Man," she said to the man behind her. "So tell me about yourself."
"I want to be the father of your children," he told her understatedly as he handed her drink to her.
"You don't even know me!" she laughed at him and his charmingly awful pick- up line.
"Yeah, how fucked up is that?" he smoothly replied.
"Very," she replied. "But just as long as you know."
"Knowing is half the battle," he joked. She rolled her eyes at him. A smooth talker AND a comedian, she thought as she wondered what other surprises he had. "So does she have a name?" he asked.
"Who?" she asked coyly.
"The mother of my children," he casually replied with a smile as he took another sip of his beer. "You."
She laughed at him again. She couldn't tell if he seriously believed in his pick-up line or if he was going out of his way to be so corny. Whatever it was, he had an incredibly charming way about it and she found herself strangely attracted to him despite herself. "You don't quit, do you Drink Man?"
"It's Conrad," he told her as he held his hand out to her.
"Shana," she said as she gently shook his hand.
"So what brings you here, Miss Shana?"
"An airplane."
"Smart-ass," he chuckled at her.
"Well I'd rather be a smart-ass than a dumb-ass," she replied with a smile, then decided to toy with him some more. "Actually I'm in town because our team is playing here tomorrow. I'm a cheerleader for the Atlanta Falcons," she told him with a straight face.
"I don't believe you. You're too gorgeous to be a cheerleader," he told her. She almost spit out her martini.
"Oh you are GOOD!" she laughed heartily as she stood up from her barstool and set down the bartender's tip on the bar. "But I really should get going now."
"You're leaving so soon? Don't I at least get one dance with you?"
"Sorry Drink Man, but I have an early day tomorrow," she told him as he walked with her to the door.
"Well, when will I see you again, gorgeous?" he asked her as he helped her into her jacket. She pulled her long hair out from underneath the jacket, casually tossing it in his direction.
"Try wishing upon a star!" she called out as she rushed out the door, leaving him behind in her dust. The next morning she reported for duty at G.I. Joe headquarters. As she was led to her C.O.'s office to check in she was shocked to see who was sitting behind the C.O.'s desk - Drink Man!
Scarlett's reflection was interrupted by a gentle knock on her hospital room door as Duke entered the room. His eyes gave him away: they told the tale that he had been to Hell and back. The sight of him broke her.
"Oh Conrad I'm so sorry!" She started crying uncontrollably.
"Shhh," he consoled her as he sat down on her bed to face her as he wrapped his arms around her as if he were trying to protect her. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault. I'm just relieved that you're still here and going to be okay."
"I don't feel like I'm going to be okay," she said as she wept on him.
"I'm here for you, Shana. Always."
*******************
"You're thinking about when we first met, aren't you," said Duke as he took the pitcher and poured a glass of water for her.
"How did you know?" Scarlett asked.
"Because I was too. You can't help it because of - ," he couldn't finish his sentence.
"That cheesy pick-up line," she said softly.
"I still mean it. If and when you're ready," he said gently as he stroked her hair.
"I can't think about this right now," she said solemnly.
"That's okay, sweetheart. You don't have to," Duke reassured her. They were interrupted - or saved - by a knock on the door.
"More flowers for you Miss O'Hara," announced the nurse as she entered the room carrying a large-scale arrangement of 10 stems of sunflowers, crisp greens and golden wildflowers in a large Baccarat crystal urn. Duke got up to help the nurse.
"Here let me help you with that," said Duke as he took the floral arrangement from the nurse.
"Thank you." The nurse smiled at him then exited the room.
"Oh those are nice, who're they from?" Scarlett asked. Duke set the arrangement down on the table and opened the attached card, clenching his jaw tight and furrowing his brow as he read the card to himself:
I regret hearing of your unfortunate experience. Get well soon darling.
Baroness Anastasia and DeCobray Public Relations.
"You look mad. Who's it from?" Scarlett asked.
"I was just having trouble reading this scribble. It's from the production crew," Duke lied.
"Another one? That wasn't necessary. These are so pretty, and I like the vase too. They really shouldn't have," said Scarlett as she turned away on her side to try to find a more comfortable position. Still looking angrily at the Baroness' card in his hand and wondering how the Baroness knew and what she could possibly want from Scarlett, Duke crushed the card in his fist and shoved it in his pocket.
*******************
(this is a more dramatic chapter, not as humorous as the others)
*******************
Scarlett and Lady Jaye had finished their work in the production of "Ah Leah!" and were cast in a new hit musical by their old producer James Stein. Lady Jaye was the lead and Scarlett was in the supporting cast. The performances had become even more taxing to get through for Scarlett since she had come down with the flu and been trying unsuccessfully to fight it off for a month now and only seemed to be getting worse. The nightly performance anxiety added to her flu was nothing short of torture.
"Why don't you see a doctor about this?" Lady Jaye asked Scarlett, who was laying in misery on the couch in Lady Jaye's dressing room. Scarlett still had a half hour to rest until show time. "I swear you're going to end up killing yourself! And for what - a bloody musical?"
"Why? So he can just tell me to rest and drink plenty of fluids? I already know this!" Scarlett grumbled into the sofa cushions with her arms wrapped around her stomach. Today a dull low back pain accompanied her flu misery as well.
"Then why don't you do it? That's what the understudies are for," Lady Jaye told her. "I don't know why you insist on torturing yourself like this."
"Because I've toughed out worse. Remember that mission in - ," Scarlett started to remind her.
"Oh God, not the bloody mission again where you fought on despite having the flu," Lady Jaye groaned.
"Yes! I did it then and I can do it now. All I need are my Zippy-Pep pills to make me snap-to for a couple hours. There'll be time to rest when I get home."
"Hmph! More like there'll be time to rest when you're dead."
"I don't want to get a reputation for flaking out on performances. Once I get on stage I'm fine," Scarlett told her.
"Why don't you try to eat something?" Lady Jaye suggested.
"What's the point? I won't be able to keep it down anyway. But hey at least the flu misery overshadows the performance anxiety now."
"I'm calling Duke. Maybe he can come here and talk some sense into you."
"No, don't!" Scarlett ordered her. "Falcon's been here all week and tonight is the first chance they've had to hang out. Leave them alone."
"Have you a better idea then?"
"Yes I do. Get my Zippy-Pep out of my bag and some water please?" Scarlett requested. Lady Jaye shook her head disapprovingly as she handed Scarlett her bottle of herbal and caffeine energy pills and a glass of water.
"Thank you," said Scarlett as she swallowed about ten Zippy-Pep pills, as she did for every performance ever since the flu hit her.
*******************
Scarlett struggled through the show as the dull pain in her low back and nausea was now accompanied by dizziness. Finally her last scene was over and if she could just make it back to Lady Jaye's dressing room she could lay down and rest. As she walked wearily backstage the dizziness became heavier on her. Suddenly a sharp pain hit her in the lower abdomen, followed by another but even more intense. The third one hit her so hard it knocked the wind out of her. She felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing her as she collapsed to the floor and gasped to catch her breath.
"What is happening to me?" she asked faintly as the pain blinded her. Then everything started going black.
*******************
As Scarlett drifted back into consciousness she struggled to see where she was through her blurred vision. The emergency room? Maybe an operating room? As she tried to determine what was happening to her she could vaguely hear the doctors and nurses talking around her:
"Blood sugar dangerously low."
"She's dehydrated."
"Get an IV on her."
"D&C procedure right now."
"You're going to go to sleep for a while."
*******************
Scarlett woke up in her hospital bed. Her pain was now dulled significantly and the nausea was gone. "Good, you're awake," a doctor greeted her as he entered her room. "How are you feeling Shana?"
"Like I just got hit by a truck," Scarlett wearily replied as the doctor looked over her medical chart. "What happened?"
"We did everything we could to stop the bleeding. I'm sorry but you miscarried," the doctor gently informed her.
"Miscarried what?"
"Your pregnancy."
"That's impossible. I wasn't pregnant," Scarlett corrected the doctor.
The doctor gave her a perplexed look then glanced at her chart again. "You were approximately twelve weeks along."
"No, that's impossible!" Scarlett protested. "I'm on the pill! And besides, I didn't even have any symptoms! You made a mistake on there!"
"Were you put on any antibiotics in the past few months? Because that will reduce the pill's effectiveness."
"I don't think so. Oh wait, I did for a lung infection three months ago - Oh God, no!" Scarlett gasped as she clasped her hand over her mouth.
"Well there's your smoking gun," the doctor commented as he wrote in her chart. "You say you didn't have any symptoms? No nausea, fatigue or missed cycles?"
"I've had extreme fatigue and nausea but that was a flu I haven't been able to shake. I didn't miss any cycles," Scarlett nervously explained as the tears started welling up in her eyes. She didn't want to believe that she had misdiagnosed herself with such devastating consequences.
"That wasn't the flu, those were symptoms of pregnancy," the doctor clarified. "Wildly fluctuating hormone levels in the first week or two after conception may prompt some bleeding from the lining of the uterus similar to a period. And the last one was most likely a sign of threatened miscarriage mistaken for a cycle."
Scarlett buried her face into her hands and began to tremble as the truth started to hit her. "Can we continue this some other time?" she asked as the tears started rolling down her cheeks. "This is a lot to take in and I'd like to be alone."
"Of course," the doctor replied. "You're going to be fine. You should be able to try again in just a few months. I'll be back to check on you in a couple hours." He made a couple more notes in her chart then exited her room.
"I don't feel fine," Scarlett wept as she turned to her side clutching her pillow while she absorbed all the new disturbing information. Try again? She wasn't even trying in the first place. In fact it had been the furthest thing from her mind to the point that she missed any symptoms. And how was Duke going to react? She agonized to herself until she was interrupted by a light knock on her door.
"Shana?" Lady Jaye poked her head through the door. "Is it all right if I come in or do you want to be alone?" Scarlett looked up at her with red puffy eyes and motioned for her to come in. "Oh Shana, I'm so sorry honey," Lady Jaye consoled her as she sat down next to Scarlett on her bed and cradled her head into her shoulder.
"You know then?" Scarlett asked as she cried on Lady Jaye's shoulder.
"Yes. I told the staff I was your sister when we brought you in here. But how are you doing?"
"I feel like I'm having a bad dream that I can't wake up from," said Scarlett, still crying as Lady Jaye held her. "How could this have happened? How could I be so careless? Maybe I wasn't meant to be somebody's mother; I couldn't even take care of this child before it had a chance to be born."
"Don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault."
"You and I both know that's not true."
"Come on now, you didn't even know," Lady Jaye tried to reassure her. "I know you; you would have done things a lot differently. But that's still no guarantee that this could have been prevented." Scarlett looked up at her best friend's sincere expression. The sadness in Lady Jaye's eyes was heartbreaking. She was obviously deeply affected as well but determined to stay strong for Scarlett's support.
"I would have wanted it you know," Scarlett quietly told her.
"I know," Lady Jaye tenderly replied as she fought back the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes.
"I'm never setting foot on stage again," Scarlett declared with resolve. "I'll never let this happen again."
"Sweetie please don't be hasty," Lady Jaye advised her. "You've just been through a traumatic experience. I don't think you're in the frame of mind to - ."
"On the contrary," Scarlett interrupted her. "I've never been clearer in my life. Where's Duke? Does he already know too?" Lady Jaye nodded her head.
"He's right outside talking to the doctor."
"So he knows then. And who else?"
"Me, Flint and Falcon," Lady Jaye answered as Scarlett looked at her uneasily at the mention of Falcon's name. "He was with us when we were told."
"I'd like to keep it that way. Nobody else. My father would be heartbroken if this got back to him."
"You got it," Lady Jaye reassured her. "You have my word."
Scarlett let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks."
"Are you ready for me to send Duke in?" Lady Jaye asked her.
"Is he mad?" Scarlett asked worriedly.
"At you? No, of course not," Lady Jaye reassured her. "He's distraught and worried about you. I'll go get him, he's waiting to see you," she said as she stood back up. "We're all here for you, you know that right?" Scarlett nodded and Lady Jaye left the room to send Duke in to see her. She was a nervous wreck over seeing him. What would he say to her? And how would he react to her? Would he secretly blame and resent her behind his typical strong front? She worried as the anxiety built up even more with every passing second. Her mind kept flashing back to how they first met and his infamous pick-up line:
Scarlett had just been assigned to a new special missions forces team. She had flown into the nearby city the evening before reporting for duty at G.I. Joe headquarters, and after settling into her hotel room decided to visit a nearby bar to get a drink and unwind. As she quietly enjoyed her martini by herself at the bar, her eyes automatically scanned the room, sizing up every patron in there. It was just part of her defense mechanism and training, which was set to work on autopilot by now. One small group of men caught her attention, or actually one man in the group to be precise: Mister Tall Blonde and Handsome. His blue eyes were piercing even from across the room. You couldn't help but notice him; he had a confident, commanding presence about him. She turned her attention away when she realized those piercing blues were looking her way.
As she finished her martini the bartender promptly put another in front of her. "I'm sorry but I didn't order another one," she told the bartender.
"You didn't, but HE did," said the bartender, pointing behind her. Scarlett snapped around to find him smiling behind her: Mister Tall Blonde and Handsome! Dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt that was almost too tight to accommodate his large muscles. He was built like a football player. But she could still take him if necessary, she thought to herself as she quickly sized him up and determined his weak points.
"Thank you, Drink Man," she said to the man behind her. "So tell me about yourself."
"I want to be the father of your children," he told her understatedly as he handed her drink to her.
"You don't even know me!" she laughed at him and his charmingly awful pick- up line.
"Yeah, how fucked up is that?" he smoothly replied.
"Very," she replied. "But just as long as you know."
"Knowing is half the battle," he joked. She rolled her eyes at him. A smooth talker AND a comedian, she thought as she wondered what other surprises he had. "So does she have a name?" he asked.
"Who?" she asked coyly.
"The mother of my children," he casually replied with a smile as he took another sip of his beer. "You."
She laughed at him again. She couldn't tell if he seriously believed in his pick-up line or if he was going out of his way to be so corny. Whatever it was, he had an incredibly charming way about it and she found herself strangely attracted to him despite herself. "You don't quit, do you Drink Man?"
"It's Conrad," he told her as he held his hand out to her.
"Shana," she said as she gently shook his hand.
"So what brings you here, Miss Shana?"
"An airplane."
"Smart-ass," he chuckled at her.
"Well I'd rather be a smart-ass than a dumb-ass," she replied with a smile, then decided to toy with him some more. "Actually I'm in town because our team is playing here tomorrow. I'm a cheerleader for the Atlanta Falcons," she told him with a straight face.
"I don't believe you. You're too gorgeous to be a cheerleader," he told her. She almost spit out her martini.
"Oh you are GOOD!" she laughed heartily as she stood up from her barstool and set down the bartender's tip on the bar. "But I really should get going now."
"You're leaving so soon? Don't I at least get one dance with you?"
"Sorry Drink Man, but I have an early day tomorrow," she told him as he walked with her to the door.
"Well, when will I see you again, gorgeous?" he asked her as he helped her into her jacket. She pulled her long hair out from underneath the jacket, casually tossing it in his direction.
"Try wishing upon a star!" she called out as she rushed out the door, leaving him behind in her dust. The next morning she reported for duty at G.I. Joe headquarters. As she was led to her C.O.'s office to check in she was shocked to see who was sitting behind the C.O.'s desk - Drink Man!
Scarlett's reflection was interrupted by a gentle knock on her hospital room door as Duke entered the room. His eyes gave him away: they told the tale that he had been to Hell and back. The sight of him broke her.
"Oh Conrad I'm so sorry!" She started crying uncontrollably.
"Shhh," he consoled her as he sat down on her bed to face her as he wrapped his arms around her as if he were trying to protect her. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault. I'm just relieved that you're still here and going to be okay."
"I don't feel like I'm going to be okay," she said as she wept on him.
"I'm here for you, Shana. Always."
*******************
"You're thinking about when we first met, aren't you," said Duke as he took the pitcher and poured a glass of water for her.
"How did you know?" Scarlett asked.
"Because I was too. You can't help it because of - ," he couldn't finish his sentence.
"That cheesy pick-up line," she said softly.
"I still mean it. If and when you're ready," he said gently as he stroked her hair.
"I can't think about this right now," she said solemnly.
"That's okay, sweetheart. You don't have to," Duke reassured her. They were interrupted - or saved - by a knock on the door.
"More flowers for you Miss O'Hara," announced the nurse as she entered the room carrying a large-scale arrangement of 10 stems of sunflowers, crisp greens and golden wildflowers in a large Baccarat crystal urn. Duke got up to help the nurse.
"Here let me help you with that," said Duke as he took the floral arrangement from the nurse.
"Thank you." The nurse smiled at him then exited the room.
"Oh those are nice, who're they from?" Scarlett asked. Duke set the arrangement down on the table and opened the attached card, clenching his jaw tight and furrowing his brow as he read the card to himself:
I regret hearing of your unfortunate experience. Get well soon darling.
Baroness Anastasia and DeCobray Public Relations.
"You look mad. Who's it from?" Scarlett asked.
"I was just having trouble reading this scribble. It's from the production crew," Duke lied.
"Another one? That wasn't necessary. These are so pretty, and I like the vase too. They really shouldn't have," said Scarlett as she turned away on her side to try to find a more comfortable position. Still looking angrily at the Baroness' card in his hand and wondering how the Baroness knew and what she could possibly want from Scarlett, Duke crushed the card in his fist and shoved it in his pocket.
*******************