Summary: Just divorced Chuck thinks everything is said between him and Blair. But why does she show up at his doorstep at night? Future Fic.
AN: There's no other way to say it: I'm simply overwhelmed. 48 reviews for the last chapter and that within a week. I'm not even ashamed anymore, that I basically begged for feedback. You're guys are amazing! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Big, fat, special thanks goes to my beta Eileen for bringing some sense into the mess I write!
Another great thank you goes to Sandra (Stella296), without her I wouldn't have updated in six month's or so.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gossip Girl or its characters.
Way Back Into Love
Chapter 17 : Morning beautiful
"Morning beautiful," Chuck smiled down at Blair in his arms as her eyes fluttered open.
Returning the smile Blair let her hands roam over his chest. "Morning handsome."
The events of last night rushed back into her mind. Their encounter in the bathroom. How perfect he had been afterward, when he had put a bathrobe around her and brought her to bed. Lying there with her until she had fallen asleep, he had told her multiple times that he loved her and that she was beautiful.
A small kiss later she closed her eyes again, sinking into the cushions, leaving Chuck amused, "What? I can't recall any activity from last night that would cause you to be exhausted."
Blair just smiled, deciding that she wouldn't acknowledged that question with an answer. Instead she scooted closer into his embrace.
He kissed her forehead, then frowned for a second and replaced his lips with the back of his hand. "You feel warm," he said slightly alarmed.
She shrugged. "I guess that's just bed warmth."
His expression was serious. "That's not bed warmth. You're burning up."
Chuck rolled over to his side of the bed and reached for something in his nightstand. Blair gaped when he took out a thermometer.
She looked at him with wide eyes. "You keep a thermometer in your night table? Whatever happened to condoms, handcuffs and nipple clamps?"
"All still there, don't worry. Just a drawer beneath," he explained turning the thermometer on.
"Good to know you've got your priorities in order," she mumbled with the measuring stick under her tongue. "How long does this take anyway?"
"Shush," he ordered. Just then the thermometer beeped and he took it out studying the small screen.
"It's just a little bug anyway," Blair trivialized.
"100.6," Chuck told her, the lines of worry growing. "I'm calling Dr. Parker."
She ignored the sudden tight feeling in her chest. "That thing is probably broken. What kind of stone age prototype is that anyway? One should think that the billionaire Chuck Bass could afford something better."
"We're not taking any chances here," he blocked her objection. "I'm calling your doctor."
"It's seven in the morning on a Sunday," she tried again. "You can't call her this early."
"She probably should have chosen a different job then," was his dry response as he hit the speed dial with her doctor's number.
Watching him call Dr. Parker and describing the situation, she couldn't help but wonder how much of their life had changed in the last few weeks.. From the obvious changes of her body to the fact that Chuck Bass owned a thermometer and used explicit medical terms in a conversation. Yet she didn't know whether she preferred their old life to the new.
He hung up and looked at her resignedly. "She wants you in the hospital in half an hour."
"Just because a slight of temperature?"
"100.6 isn't slight, it's a fever. Your immune system is wear as is, and getting drenched by last night's rain didn't help.. Now, don't give me that look and get dressed." His tone didn't allow for any argument.
Rolling her eyes, Blair swung her legs out of bed ignoring how light headed she felt. Grabbing some clothes from her closet, she made her way to the bathroom. The idea of getting dressed and more importantly undressed in front of him had her positively wincing. Her self consciousness had returned with the morning's sun. Last night had been different—different lighting, a different mood, it had felt right. While she had no regrets about doing so, in broad daylight, he'd see how damaged her body really was.
He watched her from where he sat on the edge of the bed. "I thought we agreed that we put this behind us."
She looked at him, aware that probably all of her insecurities and emotions were visible on her face and went into defensive mode instantly.
"I'm feeling like shit, alright? Can we please do the pep talk about my body issues later?" she snapped at him.
"We're not going through this charade all over again, Blair," he said stepping towards her, his hand cupping hers where she held her bathrobe tightly pressed to her chest. His tone grew a bit softer. "I thought we were past this."
"I don't know if I'll ever be past this," she studied the floor, unable to look at him and face the disappointment in his eyes.
He let go of her hand and kissed her forehead. "Get dressed."
Sighing she went into the bathroom forcing back the tears. I'm such a bitch. She figured. He had been so wonderful last night. After what had happened, he hadn't even come near suggesting sex, knowing she wasn't ready, without her having to spell it out. He was aware that there wasn't much Samantha Jones within her. Not in her current situation at least. Only the thought of being naked while sleeping with him, had her writhing with complexes. And Chuck understood and waited patiently. Just for how much longer would he?
When she was dressed and ready, stepping out of the bathroom, Chuck just finished adding a few pieces of clothes into her Louis Vuitton Carryall overnight bag.
"I put your hospital bag on the bed. Check if you have everything you need. I'll just go freshen up."
Hospital bag? Blair thought, mentally cringing at the thought. Was that really necessary? Dr. Parker would probably just prescribe her some antibiotics and send her home. Chuck was clearly overreacting.
As she got dressed in the bathroom, it took all her willpower to ignore her growing fatigue and she was burning up from inside. The fact that she was already short of breath this morning indicated that things were bad, and about to get worse.
After barley half an hour in the emergency room, Blair had been moved to a private room and was hooked up to an i.v. of antibiotics. Her temperature had risen to 101.1 by the time had reached the hospital. According to the nurse her inflammation blood levels were throughthe roof while her white blood cell count was dropping. In other words, her immune system was pretty much fucked.
As Dr. Parker stepped into the room with a serious look on her face, Chuck felt his heart drop.
"So I guess I'm not leaving anytime soon, huh?"
"You picked up some kind of infection, Blair. The good news? It's not a virus, so there's a good possibility that the antibiotics will knock it out," the woman explained.
"And the bad news?" Chuck asked - not sure if he wanted an answer - while squeezing Blair's hand tightly.
"If the antibiotics don't fight the infection, it's possible that Blair will develop a condition called septicemia," the doctor said while checking the flow rate of the antibiotics.
Watching the oncologist, the bad feeling in Chuck's stomach grew even worse. He was familiar with this sort of behavior. Whenever a employee at Bass Industries had fucked up they avoided to look at him directly, distracting themselves by pretending to check their cell phones or working on their computers during a meeting.
"Could you translate that for people who don't have a medical degree?" Blair pleaded, surprising him on how relaxed she seemed.
"It's a severe infection spreading through you blood system and can lead to organ damage. And..."
"And what?" Blair demanded.
"It can lead to complete organ failure."
As Chuck tightened the grip on Blair's hand he felt her squeezing back.
"It's just a possibility I have to inform you about. For now we'll attach you to some higher potent antibiotics. It's very strong so you may experience some side effects."
"Right, because I'm short on those," Blair said dryly.
If it wasn't for her strong grip, not even Chuck would've suspected that the bad news at effected her at all. The way she lay there in her nightgown and robe, she looked absolutely calm and collected. Chuck often wondered if that was the way she had reacted to the cancer diagnosis in the first place. With a cool ice queen surface, handling it like a business deal. He felt regret that he wasn't there to hold her hand back then.
"What side effects?" he asked.
"Headaches, nausea and sensitivity to light are very likely."
As if on cue, the conversation was over, a nurse stepped into the room carrying a fresh i.v. bag While she exchanged the bags, the doctor left the room "I'll see you later Blair."
Chuck kissed the back of Blair's hand before jumping up and following the doctor. "I'll be right back."
"Dr. Parker!" he called after the woman who'd just left the room.
"Mr. Bass," she acknowledged him.
"Is it possible to tell me how Blair caught this?" he asked. "Besides being soaked from the rain last night. Was there anything else that might have caused this?"
She shook her head. "No. She could've caught in anywhere. It was probably something that a healthy person's body could fight without noticing it at all, but Blair's immune system is very weak."
"She was feeling so good lately," Chuck said more to himself than the physician. "Better then she has since she started chemo. Is it ... I mean..."
"What?"
"We started sleeping together again. Is it possible..." Chuck couldn't finish the sentences. Could it be his fault that the woman he loved was lying in a hospital bed?
"You mean that she caught it from you?" Dr. Parker asked in a soft voice.
He simply nodded.
"I'd say that's pretty unlikely. During years of sexual relation with the same person your bacterial flora adjust, so you're not much of a threat for her."
"Not much, but still-"
"Don't be worried, Mr. Bass. This has nothing to do with you, more with the fact that Blair shouldn't have gone through her last chemo session. I advised her against it, but she simply couldn't be convinced."
"What do you mean?"
She pursed her lips. "I think you should talk with Blair about it."
Skeptical about what Blair had been hiding from him, but at least reassured that he wasn't the reason for her condition Chuck nodded. He thanked the doctor and went back into her room.
"I don't like it when things that concern me aren't discussed in my present," she told him frostily.
"You stubborn old screw," Chuck told her, kissing her softly. "You weren't supposed to have that last round of chemo, Blair."
If she was surprised he knew about it, she hid it well. Not so much as shrugging her shoulder she looked at him.
"Don't cry over spilt milk," she told him. "Fighting this infection is my priority right now."
By the time the sun began to set, Blair had already received the third dosage of antibiotics – she was only supposed to get four a day – and the side effects where at a maximum. Her temperature had risen 101.7 to, but was holding steady for the past few hours.
Blair felt weaker and worse than she had through any rounds of chemotherapy she received so far. She had a raging headache combined with the pains that the infection brought on her.
Ever since they had arrived here this morning Chuck hadn't left her side for more than five minutes. The only time he'd left her side was to talk to Dr. Parker and once when he went to the bathroom. Blair would have sworn that if he could get a catheter so he didn't have to leave her side he would have said yes.
He had taken off his tie and jacket. She had to admit with the upper buttons popped off and hair disheveled, he looked pretty hot. Considering her pounding headache, it was a wonder that she had even noticed, when she heard his stomach growling loudly
"Okay that's it," she decided. "You're going home. Eat something, take a shower, get more comfortable clothes, I don't care. Just get out of here for a little while! God knows I would if I could! There's nothing you can do here right now anyway."
"There is no way-" he tried to object, but was immediately knocked down.
"Go," she said again. "The sleeping pill the nurse gave me is starting to kick in anyway. I promise not to die in your absence."
"Don't even joke about that," he said seriously.
"Chuck, you have no idea how much talking physically hurts me right now," she said. "So please don't argue with me."
"I'll be back in less then two hours," he told her kissing her forehead. "I love you."
Chuck was barley gone for ten minutes when Blair had rolled up into a fetal position and fell into a restless sleep. She woke up every five minutes from the pain. Once she even asked the nurse to turn down the thermostat in her room. When the nurse told her the air condition was at maximum, she checked her temperature which had risen to 102.6.
Every time she woke up the world around her seemed more blurry and she felt more disoriented. The room around grew hazy. Why was her nightstand white all the sudden? For years there had been a cherry wood night table next to her bed. And what had happened to the bed? It used to be bigger. And this definitely wasn't her Egyptian cotton bed linen.
The light from the opening door ripped out her thoughts, as did the growing headache. She heard steps and voices coming in, unable to open her eyes through the pain.
"Ms Waldorf?" a female voice said. "Your temperature has risen again, we're going to put a cooling pad under you. We have to roll you on your side for that."
Blair heard the words but her brain couldn't make any sense of it. Why were there people in her bedroom? Where was Chuck?
She felt a pair of hands grabbing her hips and shoulder. With all the strength she had she fought those strangers.
"It's alright Ms Waldorf," a different voice said. "We'll be finished in a minute."
Trying to sit up Blair felt a strong pair of hands pushing her back down and rolling her to her side. "Where's Chuck?" she called out. "Chuck? Chuck!"
Then she was on her back again, feeling a cool surface beneath her. The hands gone. Still she couldn't stop the tears rolling down her cheeks. What did these people want from her? Where the hell was she?
The cool pair of hands taking one of hers between them, made her struggle for a short time.
"It's alright Blair," a voice whispered. "I'm here."
She calmed immediately. Wherever she was, if Chuck was here holding her hand, it would be okay.
"I don't know what's worse, how I acted last night or how frightened I felt," Blair was sitting up in bed, slightly leaning back against the cushions, her eyes only half open. By the morning her temperature had dropped back to 102 and she was coherent again.
"I knew I shouldn't have left you," Chuck had felt bad from the moment he had returned last night, seeing Blair toss restlessly. It had taken a few hours before she had been able to reorient herself.
"I don't think you have the power to lower body temperatures, Chuck."
"The fever has gone down constantly since I came back," he responded, only half serious.
A knock on the door made both of them look up. Dr. Parker stood there, files in her hand. What she told them wasn't surprising to Chuck - after last night - but still devastating.
"Blair, you're septic. The antibiotics aren't working. We're gonna have to increase the dosage."
"And so will the side effects?" Blair knew the answer before asking the question out loud.
Chuck didn't even look up to see Dr. Parker nod. He knew the answer as well. As the physician was left, both of them were left silent, hands joined.. For the hundredth time this month he thought why she had to go through this? Why not him? He deserved punishment. He had done so many bad things over the years and had always gotten away, while she had received her punishment almost immediately every time. So how fucked up was karma that she had to go through all this?
The silence was broken when there was a knock on the door. Eleanor stood there, looking more worried and motherly then Chuck had ever seen her before.
"Mom," Blair said with a small smile. "What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?"
Eleanor stepped into the room, sitting on the bed, opposite of Chuck, looking at him directly and for the first time in years with less hatred than usual.
"Someone called me," she explained finally taking her eyes off him to study her daughter.
"I knew that I shouldn't have trusted you when you left the room voluntary," Blair gave him a look as if she couldn't decided if she should be thankful or pissed. The confrontation kept Blair busy long enough so she wouldn't notice that Eleanor needed to compose herself at the sight of her weak looking daughter.
By the time she turned to her mother, Eleanor wore her most encouraging smile. "How are you feeling dear?"
"Never worse would be an understatement."
"Oh Blair," Eleanor monopolized Blair's other hand.
"I should give you two some time," Chuck suggested, standing up and giving Blair a tender kiss. "I think I'll use the time to get something low quality from the cafeteria."
"Charles," Eleanor called after him. "Thank you."
He just nodded stepping outside and closing the door behind him. Standing outside the room he took a deep breath. Things were bad, really bad and he couldn't do anything at all about it.
The tightening feeling in his chest grew stronger and stronger. He loved her so much. What would he do if he would lost her? He had just gotten her back. With large steps he went towards the exit. He needed some air. With Eleanor in there, he knew Blair was in good hands..
As the next few days passed, Blair's condition didn't improve. The sepsis was getting worse so the antibiotics had to be upped to the maximum dosage. With her temperature constantly over 102, her body slowly began to shut down. She was barley conscious most of the time. Sleeping all day long, because her body needed all the energy it could muster for healing.
Six days after Blair had been readmitted to the hospital, it was late afternoon as Chuck was seated on Blair's bedside like always. Eleanor and Serena were on a quick break at home. Just like Chuck the only reasons for them to leave the hospital room were showering and to change their clothes.
Chuck had rested his head on the mattress, closing his eyes for only a second as he felt her hand brushing through his hair.
Looking up he could see her eyes opening a bit. It had been almost two days since she opened her eyes and as she did now he felt his heart jump in joy.
"Blair," he called out happily, kissing her hand.
"I love you," her voice was so hoarse it was barley audible.
"I love you, too," Chuck responded kissing her palm, holding her hand at his lips.
As he looked down at her fragile figure in the bed, seeing how she had to fight hard to keep her eyes open and how every breath she took seemed to cause her more pain, Chuck knew what he had to do.
"I'll be okay, Blair," he said right into her ear. "If fighting is too hard, if you're too tired and if it hurts too bad. If you feel it's time, you can go. Don't worry about me."
He sat up so he could look into her eyes just before she couldn't hold them open anymore and drifted back into a peaceful slumber. Exhausted, he joined her in dreamworld only a few minutes after she had fallen asleep.
A dangerous sounding alarm had him jolting awake. Before he realized what happened a team of nurses and doctors had stormed into the room, checking her non existent vitals.
"No peripheral pulse," a nurse stated.
"Femoral is gone, too!"
"She's flatlining."
Blair's head was pulled back by a doctor and a mask was put to her face, trying to secure her breathing. Meanwhile another nurse was starting cardiac massage. Chuck could hear a doctor calling orders on what drugs he wanted injected.
He couldn't tell how long all of this was going on, maybe an hour, maybe only for a minute. He stood silently in a corner of the room, the strangest memories running through his head.
Blair preparing for a dinner party, how she'd freaked out when the salad dressing didn't turn out the way she wanted it to.
Blair as a teenager lying on the couch in 1812, sick from too many bellinis.
The way her skin felt after she'd gotten a facial.
Her neurotic way of organizing her underwear drawer.
"She isn't responding," he heard a doctor's voice through a curtain. "Get me the paddles!"
A nurse started to cut her silken nightgown open with a pair of scissors.
"What are you doing?" Chuck managed to choke out.
One of the doctors he didn't know, took a brief glance in his direction, before yelling at a nurse: "Get him out of here! Now!"
"No!" he contradicted. "I want to stay with her!"
"You have to let us do our job, here!" Without giving him further chance to protest a nurse had guided him outside, telling him to wait there.
The last glimpse he got of the woman he loved was the view of her getting a breathing tube down her throat, then the door was shut.
Chuck sat down on a chair in the hallway and buried his face in his hands. That was how Serena and Eleanor found him, both of them understanding immediately.
The doors of the room being pushed open, had Chuck, Serena and Eleanor jumping up. Two doctors and two nurses rolled Blair out on her bed, covered in a sheet up to her chin. Between her lips was a breathing tube over which a nurse pumped air in with a bag valve mask. Several bags hung on the at the bed attached iv pole. She was rolled away hastily by the team. It was Dr. Parker who came up to the waiting family.
"She's in a coma and will be moved to ICU," she explained. "CPR has her temporarily stable, but we need a decision."
"Concerning what?" Chuck wanted to know.
"Not here," Dr. Parker insisted, leading the group into a conference room.
"Her heart only stopped for about three minutes. We have to run some tests to see if the oxygen shortage has caused any permanent damage. But I'm quite sure that won't be an issue."
A collective sigh of relief when through the room, however, it did not last long. Surely she hadn't lead them into a separate room to tell them that everything was fine. Hell, her heart didn't stop because everything was fine.
"The antibiotic isn't working as we hoped." No shit, Chuck thought as the doctor paused. "We have two options now. One, we keep her on the treatment and hope that we'll see some progress before her organs shut down completely."
"How much time would that give her?" Eleanor looked alarmed.
"With what happened today, I'd say about two days. Four at the most."
Chuck felt like he wanted to throw up. He couldn't say a word. It was like his tie cut had off his air supply.
"What's the second option?" Serena asked, clearly not liking those odds.
"Chances are that the infection has developed a resistance to our treatment, so I'd like to use two different antibiotics. One is broad spectrum, the other one is even stronger as the one she's on now."
"Do it." Chuck said, finding his voice.
"There are some serious risk to thos drugs. They are both very powerful so they could easily overwhelm her system, something she wouldn't survive with her current weakened state," even the doctor seemed anxious. "There is also the possibility that the drugs themselves could do damage to her organs and she wouldn't survive that either. If that would be the case, it would happen within the next twelve hours."
Serena laughed a humorless bitter laugh: "So you're saying if we do nothing she could die, but if we do something she might die faster?"
"What about the coma?" Chuck asked.
"It's not that uncommon. Her system closing down is just so it can find the energy to heal itself. By the time the temperature is at a acceptable level and the infection goes back she's likely to wake up."
"How quickly do you need a decision?" Eleanor tuned back in.
"I'll have the new possible treatment prepared, so if you decide for it, we will be able to start right away," Dr. Parker said before locking eyes with Serena. "Let me know your decision as soon as possible, Serena."
"Her decision?" Chuck and Eleanor called out simultaneously.
"I have power of attorney," Serena informed them earning two dropped jaws.
"That's ridiculous," Chuck said, shaking his head. "I've had power of attorney for years."
"No you don't Chuck," Serena said clearly something else on her mind then legal facts at the moment. "She put me in charge a little less then two years ago."
A little less then two years ago? It didn't take Chuck much to figure out when exactly Blair had made that decision. Around the time she must've found out she was pregnant. He jumped up, pushing his chair back.
"Well, I guess I'm not needed here then," he declared, getting ready to leave the room.
"Chuck!" Serena called after him. "We should all discuss this! It's what Blair would want."
"No. When she signed that piece of paper she made sure that it isn't what she wants," with those words he slammed the door shut behind him.
Staring at the empty glass of his third scotch was how Lily found him as she entered the bar across from the hospital fifteen minutes later.
"Charles," she greeted him slipping onto the bar stool next to him.
"Lily," he nodded. "Can I invite you for a drink?"
"I'll have a dry Martini," she said half to him, half to the bartender, earning a surprised look from Chuck that she actually took him up on his offer.
"What about the 'You shouldn't be drinking here at such a time'-pep talk?" he asked bitterly.
"If this isn't a proper time to get drunk I don't know what is," she shrugged.
They sat next to each other for a while, quietly sipping their drinks as they stared into space. Surprisingly Chuck was the first one to break the silence.
"You know, she made it pretty clear when she put Serena in charge that she doesn't want me there."
Lily wasn't sure if he was talking to her as much as he was talking to himself.
"That's just plain stupid, Charles," Lily stated, her voice hardening a bit. "When Blair put Serena in charge you weren't on the best terms. It was a logical decision."
His only response was an angry huff.
"I know the real reason you're here and not at Blair's bed at the moment and so do you."
"Why don't you enlighten me, mother?" Chuck practically spat the last word.
"Charles," her voice soft despite the insult. "I know how much you love her and how frightening this is."
Growing still he kept his eyes on the spot on the wall where the paint had started to peel.
"I know you have this strange idea that you don't deserve to be happy and that everyone who loves you will leave you eventually," she grabbed his chin forcing him to look her in the eye. "I'm still here aren't I?"
It took Chuck a second to realize what the salty taste on his tongue was.
"I know you're hurting Chuck. But Blair needs you. You can't let her down," Lily continued.
Chuck shook his head slowly. "I can't go in there. I can't go in there and watch her die," the next words were so tearful they were barley audible. "I love her too much."
Lily embraced him in her arms giving the opportunity to let the strength, he had held up through all of the last months for Blair, fall down. She held him slightly cradling him, like the lost little boy he was that moment.
A big cup of coffee, a few splashes of water and ten minutes later Chuck was back to his former strong self, walking down the hospital floor towards Serena and Eleanor.
"I'm glad your back, Chuck," his stepsister's words sounded truly honest.
"We discussed the possibilities," Eleanor announced, not really seeming to care that her former son-in-law was back. "We will wait. Give her more time to fight off the infection."
Serena agreed with a hesitant nod.
After a second of considering the options again Chuck shook his head. "No. She had time with this drug. It's clearly not working."
He understood it now. Blair had made a decision. And now they had to honor it.
"Are you saying we should try the new antibiotics?" Serena wanted to make sure she was understanding what he was saying.
"What utter nonsense! All this will do is kill her faster!" Eleanor jumped down Chuck's throat. "She needs time!"
"Her heart stopped beating and she came back! She wants to fight!" Chuck told Eleanor, in an equally sharp tone, before turning to Serena. "We have to give her something to fight with!"
"Do you really think so, Chuck?" Serena seemed to be wavering, her certainty slipping.
"I know she'd want to try something different. Even with the risks," Chuck said completely confidence in his tone.
"You can't possibly know that!" This time Eleanor practically exploded and screamed at Chuck. "It's easy for you to put her life in danger. That's exactly why you shouldn't have a say what happens to my daughter!"
"Eleanor that's enough," Lily stepped in, her voice sharp.
"Easy for you to say," Eleanor continued her rant. "I'd like to see how you if it was Serena in there, not even breathing on her own!"
Seemingly out of nowhere Dr. Parker stepped to the group, "I'm gonna have to ask you to keep it down or to take your conversation outside."
"No need for that," Serena cut in. "I've made my decision."
Four pairs of eyes turned towards her. Lily being the only one able to speak. "You did?"
"I want the new antibiotics," as Serena had spoken those words Chuck let out a breath of relief, while Eleanor gasped in horror.
The physician nodded, already issuing new instructions. "We'll start right away."
As the four people were alone again, Serena made an attempted to explain her decision to Blair's mother. "Listen Eleanor," she started putting a hand to her shoulder.
"Don't you dare touch me!" Eleanor snapped jerking away. "My baby girl is going to die and it's all your fault!"
With those words she took a last hurtful look to her right were the nurse attached her daughter to a new iv bag behind a window, before storming off in the other direction. Lily followed at her heels.
"Thank you," Chuck said to Serena as they had turned towards the window where they could watch Blair.
"I didn't do it for you Chuck. I did it for her. Because I think it's the best thing for her," Serena explained, not taking her eyes of her best friend.
"Don't worry about Eleanor," Chuck said, reading his stepsister's thoughts. "She's not in control of what's happening here and she's afraid."
"I'd give anything to be in her place," Serena admitted.
"Actually controlling what's happening is even scarier," he figured.
Serena nodded. "No matter what you or Eleanor said before, I'm the one with the responsibility. I am the one who decides. If she dies I'll be the one that killed her."
Chuck put an arm around his shoulder letting her head rest on his shoulder. "She will survive. And you'll be the one who saved her life."
It was about eleven at night when the second of the two new antibiotics had completely infused into Blair's system. Chuck and Serena had gotten clearance to enter the room, but not without some preventive measures though. Since Blair's immune system had reached its lowest point, the danger for her to catch an additional infection was higher then ever. Both of them had to wear a surgical mask, gloves, scrubs and hide their hair beneath cap.
Dressed like that they sat at her sides, not talking to each other, carefully watching the nurse who came in occasionally to check her vitals, relieved when she seemed satisfied with what she saw.
"How will we know it's working?" Chuck asked sometime around midnight.
"When the inflammation blood levels clear and the fever goes down," she explained. "For now she's holding steady. She's not getting any worse."
Neither Serena nor Chuck slept for a single minute that night. The anticipation was too great. No matter what would happen, they'd be with Blair through it.
At five in the morning the fever dropped.
The minute her shift started at seven in the morning Dr. Parker stood at Blair's bed, updating herself on last night events. For the first time in days her face seemed to relax a little as she studied Blair's file.
"Blair's blood work improved even more than I had hoped," she said the hint of a smile on her lips. "I think it's safe to say we are on a good way."
"How long till she will wake up?" Serena asked.
"I'd like to keep her in a medical induced coma for the next few days. Give her body time to recover," she gave the siblings in front of her an encouraging look. "The worst is behind her."
By the time the doctor was gone Serena finally dared to leave her best friends side. Getting up she stretched her sore limbs. "I'm going to call Eleanor."
"I don't think you have to," Chuck smiled, indicating her to look out the window to the hallway.
Eleanor could be spotted talking to Dr. Parker, most likely receiving the same good news as them. Chuck could almost see the tension falling off her. He could tell because that was exactly how he had felt.
Without greeting either of them Eleanor entered the room, putting a hand on Chuck's shoulder, while smiling at Serena thankfully. She didn't have to apologize or say anything about what happened last night. Both of them understood what she couldn't verbalize.
It was a few hours later as Chuck, Serena and Eleanor sat at Blair's bedside and a doctor came into the room. The grim expression on his face had all of them standing up straight.
The doctor shook the hand of Eleanor "I think we haven't met, yet. I'm Dr. Conrad, the on-duty doctor for this unit."
"Eleanor Waldorf-Rose," she introduced herself. "You have news, I presume."
"No good news I'm afraid," the doctor said. "Blair's last scan showed mild heart damage. We will have to change the chemo protocol drastically, if she survives the infection."
Before the doctor knew what hit him, Serena had grabbed him by his scrubs pulling him outside into the hallway, Eleanor and Chuck following right behind them.
"No idea if you missed your sensitivity training, but if she's in the room you so much as imply that she might not recover. Ever."
With that she let go of the stunned doctors clothes. In that moment, Chuck and Eleanor fell a bit in love with Serena.. They both understood now why Blair had wanted her best friend in charge. The blonde was maybe shallow at times or easily distracted, but when it mattered, she would fight like a mother bear for the people she loved.
When the resident had left, Serena turned around, tears visible in her eyes. Chuck hugged her tightly thanking her quietly that she'd shown strength when he hadn't been able to.
Two more days passed till the doctors agreed that Blair had made enough progress to be removed from the respirator and should be woken up out of the medical induced coma.
From the agonizing moment when the tube had been removed – Chuck had held his breathe until her chest started rising and falling on it's own – he refused to leave her bedside, wanting to be there when she woke up.
"She's taking her time, isn't she?" Eleanor sipped on her coffee, pulling a chair up to Blair's bed.
One day had gone by as Chuck waited for her to wake up, so he gave his former mother-in-law a weak smile and nodded.
"Blair always knew that if you wanted to be the center of attention you don't come on time," she studied her daughter's face with a tenderness, Chuck had never seen on her before. "When I was pregnant and the due day arrived, the doctor told me that I was nowhere near delivery. After almost ten days they already considered inducing labor or preform a c-section, when just like that my water broke. And even then it took her another twenty three hours."
She smiled a bit at the bewildered look he gave her before adding. "Don't be inpatient with her. My daughter likes to do things on her own time schedule."
And as always mother turned out to know best. As if to mess with Chuck she picked the one moment Nate had forced him to – under the threat of physical violence - either get some coffee or something to eat.
When Blair fought her way through the fog, her eyes fluttered open slowly, the first thing she found focus on was Nate sitting by her side, cradling his daughter in his arms.
"Nate?" she asked with a hoarse voice.
"Blair?" for a moment he looked so startled, nearly dropping the baby. Then a big grin spread over his face. "Welcome back. Oh man, Chuck is going to kill me!"
It was clear to Blair that Chuck had other things on his mind, then getting revenge on his best friend, when she spotted him in the doorway, smirking at her with tears in his eyes.
"Morning beautiful," he greeted her.
To be continued
AN: Alright, even though I had a lot of opportunities in this chapter I didn't leave you with a cliffhanger. I think that deserves me... hm... let's say 20 to 30 reviews? *bats eylashes*
Thank you reading! I hope you enjoyed!