The hospital was crowded, bustling with nurses and doctors alike. Nathan grabbed one on the nurses by the arm.
"Could you tell me where Audrey Wuornos' room is? I'm her husband, Nathan Wuornos." The nurse gave him a sympathetic look before nodding.
"Sure, sweetheart, right this way – is this man coming with you?" she nodded towards Duke.
"I'm a friend of the family," he said before Nathan could reply, and Nathan shot him a dark look "well, a friend of the wife anyway." Duke uncomfortably corrected. The nurse, cleverly, ignored the comment and led them to Audrey's room. Nathan's gut twisted when he read the words Intensive Care.
"Dr. Sharpe is in there at the moment," she said, pausing at the door "ask him your questions – he'll be working specifically on this case until your wife is well again." She opened the door and introduced Nathan and Duke to Dr. Sharpe. He was a middle-aged man, still clinging onto some natural hair colour, but not much. But Nathan's eyes were not for the doctor – they clung to the blonde, swollen-bellied figure lying, eyes-closed, on the bed. He rushed over to her, taking her hand in both of his. Her skin was cold. There were cuts and burns all up her arms, and there was a large gash just under her hairline that would scar.
"Is she sleeping?" a heart monitor beeped steadily in the background "She's just asleep, right?" the doctor looked uncomfortable.
"I'm afraid, Mr. Wuornos, that your wife is in a coma. Now, at the moment we don't have cause to worry – as far as we can tell, the baby is fine and there should be very little risk of miscarriage – but if she doesn't wake up in the next forty-eight hours there's nothing we can do. I'm sorry." He patted Nathan on the back uncomfortably. He didn't even look up – suddenly his world was ripped apart. What if she didn't wake up?
"What about the baby?" Nathan whispered, stroking Audrey's face tenderly. She didn't move; not even her eyelids flickered.
"If Audrey awakens, everything will go ahead like usual – if not, then she'll have to have a C-section. The baby is big enough to survive on its own now, though it'll be in Intensive Care for awhile. Then it'll be up to you whether you keep her on life support or not." The Doctor patted Nathan on his shoulder again and departed, leaving Nathan and Duke alone with Audrey. Duke sat on the other side, staring at Audrey. He was pale, his dark eyes wide and staring.
"Nathan," he finally said, seeming to realise that Nathan needed comforting more than he did "she's strong – hell, she told me off the other day for walking too fast. There's no way she'll let something like this bring her down. I'm gunna go find the others; they'll want to see her." Only after Duke had left did Nathan finally let himself cry.
"Audrey," he whispered "Audrey, can you hear me? Remember what I said to you before I left? Do you remember? I love you, Audrey, and our baby. I love both of you." He continued to whisper and whimper to her until the visitors started to arrive. Too many visitors to keep track of, the 'I'm so sorry's and 'don't worry, she'll make it's all blurred into one. Nathan never looked up from Audrey's deadly still form. Never stopped gripping her hand, saying her name. She looked so peaceful, swathed in pillows and blankets, it was almost easy to think she was asleep. Unfortunately, Nathan knew better.