Holly was pale and shaky when she found Blake with Ross in the waiting room. As Holly neared them her legs buckled beneath her. Ross who had shot out of his chair managed to catch her before she fell. He transferred her to a chair. "Should I call your doctor?" He asked with grave concern.
"Mom, what happened? You were stable when I left you." Blake noted.
"It's Roger. Something is wrong"
Blake shot out of her chair and went to the doors but they failed to yield to her demand of entry.
"What happened mother?" Blake demanded accusingly. "Did you upset him by being there? I knew I shouldn't have let you see him."
Ross gently wrapped his arms around her waist, grabbing her flailing wrists in his hands as he did.
"Honey, Holly didn't upset Roger, he wasn't even awake, try to calm down"
He guided her to their chairs where he pulled her protectively onto his lap.
"Holly, can you tell us what did happen?" Ross asked.
"I went in and held his hand. I told him I was there, and that I was so sorry for what Ed had doneā¦"
Ross held up a hand. "Holly, please don't say anything like that in public. No charges have been filed, and I don't want to give anyone the power to make the connection between Roger and Ed until we know more."
Holly nodded; Blake stiffened.
"I felt his hand move under mine. He asked for Jenna again. He said get her, Jenna. I told him Blake was trying to reach her and then all of a sudden, an alarm went off, and the doctors threw me out."
Blake pulled away from Ross and went to the doors again. "Come on" She cried out.
When the doctor did finally appear, hours had passed.
"Mrs. Marler" he said pulling his surgical mask down and his cap off his head.
Blake jumped up "Yes, that's me" Ross and Holly joined her on either side. Ross, held her up while Holly fidgeted with her wedding ring.
"We had to rush your father into surgery. As feared the pressure in his skull became suddenly and dangerously high. We've relieved that pressure, and the orthopedic team corrected the breaks in his ankle and leg. Of course, those are the minor of the surgeries. The pressure in his skull was alleviated by a craniotomy. Once the swelling has subsided, we will replace that missing piece with a synthetic material. He had some blood clots which we removed, but the take away here is that if there are no further complications he should make a full recovery, but I must warn you it will take months to reach."
Ross felt Blake go limp in his arms.
"Is there anything else we can do here doctor? Ross asked.
"No. We've moved Mr. Thorpe to intensive care. He won't be allowed any visitors for the next 48 hours. His risk of infection is too high. What I suggest is that you leave us a phone number where you can be reached, and to go home and get some rest. You all look like you could use it."
Blake reached out and shook his hand lightly. "Thank you doctor. I appreciate it."
He nodded. "You're very welcome. I am about to go off shift, but I will leave instructions to call you immediately should there be any changes. You're also welcome to call the unit as much as you'd like to check on your father. Take care" He turned and disappeared behind the doors.
"You heard the man. Let's get you home. You have been awake since you woke up yesterday morning" Ross noted looking at his watch.
Blake nodded her head. "I'd like a shower, but I don't know how I will sleep until I reach Jenna. I called twice and got her machine."
"We'll worry about that later, let's get you home." Ross said guiding her by the elbow before stopping and turning towards Holly. "Can we give you a ride home, Holly?"
Holly's eyes went to the floor. She hadn't really thought about where she would go. She didn't want to see Ed. Michelle was safely with Vanessa. Where did she want to go. Suddenly she remembered, her house on River Bend was still on the market. She had delayed calling an agent after she and Ed married. It was staged for showings, so she could go there, but she'd need her car and clothes. She thought about asking the newlyweds to collect them for her, but knew that was too great an ask so she simply accepted with gratitude.
When Ross and Blake pulled up to the house Holly slowly got out.
"Would you like us to go with you?" Blake asked, holding the car door open with one hand and reaching for Holly's with the other.
Holly reached in and hugged her daughter. "No, thank you. You've done enough for me. I am so sorry this all happened. You two should be off cruising the Mediterranean, not playing nurse maid to your father and me."
While Blake agreed she'd never tell her mother that. "Mom, there will be plenty of time for a honeymoon. I'm just happy that Daddy will recover, and that your scare was just that, a scare. Now, go rest. In a few days I want to talk to you about this sibling of mine, and what you're going to about Ed."
Holly was suspicious of Blake's calm. She had to be raging under the surface, but apparently was holding it in. She had to hate Ed, and had to want to see him pay for what everyone suspected, but couldn't yet prove that he had done. Holly nodded her head, pat her hand and headed towards the back door.
The lights that were left on in the kitchen were still ablaze as she crossed the threshold. She listened for sounds of Ed, but heard nothing. She sighed heavily. She walked into the living room. His clothes still littered the ground. She kicked the shirt she dropped when her pain had returned. She gripped the railing and looked up the stairs. She dreaded climbing them, but she needed clothes, and a shower if she were afforded that luxury. Slowly she pulled herself up them.
In their shared bedroom Ed lie on his back, hand over his chest. He hadn't bothered to undress further than he had succeeded in doing so the night before. Holly glowered at him as she made her way to the closet. Slowly she pulled her day-old dress off of her body, as well as her undergarments. She caught sight of herself in the long mirror on the back of it. She looked ghastly, but was relieved to see her baby bump was still there. Not even twenty-four-hour prior she would have cringed, but today she felt nothing but gratitude for it.
She pulled her robe from the hook and wrapped it around her. The familiarity of it gave her peace. Further she pulled an oversized shirt, and some loose pants from two hangers before she quietly headed to her bedroom. The dresser drawer squeaked as she reached in for a bra and under pants. When she turned around, she saw that the noise had roused Ed.
He was sitting upright now. His head in his hands, groaning.
"Oh my God, what the hell did I do?" He asked before lifting his head. "Holly, where have you been? Where is Michelle? You look awful, are you sick?"
Holly remembered these bouts with confusion when he woke with a hangover. Her anger poured out of her like a volcano.
"What the hell did you do, Ed? Tell me that. Certainly, it's locked somewhere in your subconscious." Holly looked for something to throw at him, deciding on her hair brush from the top of her vanity.
Ed ducked but it grazed his head none the less. "Holly, I'm sorry, I will get to a meeting today, and I will take some time off from the hospital. But first I need to use the bathroom." He darted from the bed. She could hear him retching but didn't move from her spot. When he came back, he looked equally dreadful which gave her some guilt, for after all she was the reason, he had decided to drink in the first place, but that didn't give him a right to mow down Roger.
