Chapter 14: Anguish at the Hospital

Mary felt like it was all a dream, being removed from the car, hearing Bash tell her things during the drive. It all felt like a distant memory now, she could tell her body was being moved, positioned from a stretcher to a bed.

Was someone removing her coat? Yes it seemed someone had taken the time to remove her coat and set it aside with her bag as they placed her on a bed and pulled a blanket up over her. Her feet had felt cold for a moment's time, but that was only because someone had removed her heels and then a blanket had been placed over her feet as well.

A small prick was felt by her, though that too felt as if a dream was occuring. An IV had been started, and she heard the shouting of doctors and nurses overhead, and then suddenly bright lights flashed before her eyes. The doctor was examining her eyes with his flashlight, and she heard words like, "No pupilary response, prep the CT Scan." and others like, "Bring me the one who brought her in." followed soon after by, "We need a record of what happened to her, laceration on her head, concussed, non-responsive."

Fear coursed through her, as she heard more words coming from the doctors and nurses over her body right now. "Possible OR needed, if patient won't respond. Prep the room." Mary wanted to scream, to let them know she was alright, she wanted Bash. No she felt as if she needed to know Bash was there with her, where was he?

Bash! Bash!

Suddenly the bed was moving, whisking her away to the CT Scan as one of the orders had been called out. Panic was creeping in, she had told Bash she would be alright, hadn't she? She had to will herself awake, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots had to wake up.

Very slowly her fingers started twitching, one of the nurses took notice and paused in the wheeling of her bed. "Doctor! We have movement!" The doctor came over, placing a hand to her wrist, feeling her pulse and taking a moment to stare at her.

If it could even be thought possible, Mary Stuart was fighting back against whatever was trying to claim her into the darkness. Fear, panic, the fact that she could no longer hear Bash speaking to her, perhaps that was all part of it.

Once more, her fingers twitched, both hands flexing as she tried to find the hand she so desperately sought to find. Her lips parted as she fought to speak, the doctors staring at her increduously.

"B-Bash..." Mary breathed out, her hands clenching at the blankets as firmly as they could despite her weakened state.

The nurse rushed over to find Bash, "Is there a Bash?" She called out, her hands placed upon her hips as she looked around, her eyes stopping upon the first born Prince of France himself, unknown that it was he Mary Stuart spoke of.

Mary very slowly began to flutter her eyelids, panic still set within her core as she had yet to hear Bash's voice. The doctor started barking out orders once more, "I still want that CT Scan, but find this Bash and have him meet us there!" The bed began moving again, wheeling Mary off at a quickened pace to the CT Scan room.

Another nurse joined the one in the waiting area, whispering into her ear and nodding before running off to assist with the Queen of Scots and her treatment.

"Bash, please join me. We'll be going to the CT Scan room." She said, before moving to swipe her magnetic card over the pad on the wall to open the doors to lead Bash back.

The bed was wheeled into the room, and Mary was pushed into the machine with the whirling and buzzing of machines around her head. Where was Bash? Was he going to be there if she opened her eyes?

Sebastian followed the nurse further into ICU. As he was lead into a patient room, Bash saw Mary there, being checked and monitored by nurses and doctors. He made his way closer to her, unable to hear her voice through the flurry of medical personal. But he watched and read the flutter of her lips, and with widened eyes reached through the throng of doctors and nurses and grabbed Mary's hand.

"I'm here, Your Grace. Mary. I'm here. You're okay. You're going to be okay. Keep listening to my voice, Baby, I'm right here beside you." His lips were against the shell of her ear as he spoke, his breath warm on her skin. His blue eyes roved over her face in alarm. His hand over hers, his fingers gently caressing and massaging her own.

Mary heard it, and felt his hand holding onto hers. She grasped tightly to his hand, squeezing as her eyes fluttered open slowly. "Bash..." She said softly, looking up at him and smiling weakly as she looked at the doctors who just shook their heads at the fact that she was even awake.

"Well, the CT Scan should give us a better idea as to what is going on with her." The doctor said, as the room was slowly cleared to give Bash and Mary some privacy. The nurse pulled the curtain closed as they left, leaving Mary looking up at Bash.

"You know just...called me baby a few times now." Mary chuckled weakly, shifting on the bed though not daring to sit up or move that much. She brought her other hand, the one not occupied by his hand holding onto hers, up to his cheek to rest on it. "I'm here..." She whispered softly, looking into his eyes softly. "Did you...get them?" She asked, not sure if the culprits who had done this had been captured or not.

At the sound of her voice, and the feeling of her shaking, cold fingers on his skin, Bash realized that he let out a bated breath he hadn't known he was holding. It seemed as if, his throat had suddenly closed up, a lump forming that he also hadn't realized was there. His worried eyes softened, a relieved, pained look on his features. He swallowed thickly, trying to move his voice passed the swell of emotion that he - although he had felt varying feelings for the young Queen in the past - had never felt towards her before.

"What kind of non sensible question is that? I think you've forgotten who it is that protects you." He lifted the corners of his lips gently, trying to hide the shakiness he felt, trying to keep Mary calm and stable, and most importantly alert beside him. "So far, I've only called you Baby twice. Are you implying you don't like it?"

Mary moved to shake her head, but stopped herself due to the pain within it. "No...I actually like it." She admitted, knowing that he had caught them, of course he had caught them. She found herself grasping tighter to his hand, squeezing it as she smiled softly. "Thank you..." She whispered, coughing slightly as she realized how dry her throat felt right now. She knew she had scared him, but she had been trying her hardest.

"I fought to wake up...now when can I leave? I hate hospitals...and by now even my mother has heard of this..." She mumbled, blinking her eyes numerous times in order to keep them open. She could feel the IV in her arm, and hated it all the same. But she knew that it was necessary considering what had happened to her. She looked at him, gazing into his blue eyes that she had grown to love. "When they had the gun pressed to my back...my one thought, was knowing how badly you were going to kick their butts for doing this..." She admitted, knowing that there had been more, but she didn't want to say them.

His lips quirked at her bemused words, but the smile sobered when she brought up her captors. Reaching out, he delicately threaded his fingers through her hair, removing the small pins that held up her -now unruly - hair in certain places, and combed through her silky hair with his nimble fingers.

"It was something like that," he murmured, "though until those results come back, we're staying here." His brow quirked, daring the young queen to defy him. He squeezed her hand lightly as his lips gently feathered against her ear and kissed the cartilage there.

Mary sighed softly, contently as she looked over at him, "Do you think they'd get mad if you came onto the bed with me? I want to be in your arms...if only for a moment." She said, frowning ever so slightly as she thought back to the school halls.

She could have been taken, killed, but he did what he always did, save her. She owed him her life, but more than that though. She loved him, and it was even further intensified knowing that he would do anything to keep her safe. She squeezed his hand gently, feeling the way her body shuddered ever so slightly at the kiss that he bestowed upon her ear.

Bash's lips quirked, "Don't tempt me. I'm already breaking more than enough rules on the clock," he said in her ear, chagrined. He felt the goose bumps erupting on her skin and his smile slowly grew. "You were nearly indefinitely unconscious, and now look how you're reacting. The Queen of Scotland is quite a deviant." He pulled back, gazing at her full face a moment, blue eyes accessing her again before leaning further inward.

A loud cough from his pocket interuppted him, right before his lips met hers.

Stopping inches from her lips, Bash reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "...Jackson?" He said in bemusement, "You haven't hung up yet?"

"And left the fate of my Nissan in your hotheaded hands?" Jackson's southern drawl resounded in the air between Bash and Mary, "I think not."

"I've been at the hospital for a little while now, I'll hang up first."

"Don't you dare, Kid. Kissing on assignment is a violation of protocol."

Bash frowned, "What makes you think I'm kissing anyone?"

"If you're talking that bedroom talk, you're snogging."

"You're showing your age, Old Man."

"I'll shoot you in the leg." Bash heard sirens and noises in the background, "While you were flirting, I've already arranged things with the police. Though this incident can't be kept under wraps from the media, they'll only know what's been sanctioned."

"You issued an eight fifty seven?" Bash asked, brows raised.

"The police chief wanted to be...difficult."

"So our status?"

"All clear here at the high school. And the goods have already been imported home."

"Sounds like you don't need me on the line, then."

"On the contrary."

"Pardon?"

"It's only twelve in the afternoon, Kid."

"Your point?"

"You're not off the clock yet."

Bash sucked in a breath, and let it out slowly.

"So your little ROMCOM with Her Majesty is going to have to wait."

"I'm not so sure," Bash started, voice flat.

"Ten meter distance, Kid."

"There is a ten meter distance."

"I'll shoot you in the leg," Jackson said, and Bash knew that he saw through the lie.

"Well I'm already at the hospital, so I'll take the bullet."

"Don't show yourage, Kid."

"I don't think I can do what you're telling me to do right now."

"Your duty? Your job? Did you forget who the hell you are? Mister HRS?"

"I haven't forgotten anything."

"Bullshit."

"I'm serious."

"I thought I gave the title of HRS to a guy that had what it took to always use his head at all times. Not some snarky, snot nosed, Kid."

"I'm not sure the answer you're looking for."

"I know what you're feeling, Kid, but -"

"You've been saying that this whole time," Bash snapped, "but you, Jackson, have no idea what I'm feeling."

"You promised the dauphin she'd be safe. You're reeling from what happened, but you kept your promise - "

"It's more than just my promise. I -"

"Kid -"

"Did you run the numbers, Jackson? Because I did. At nine thirty this morning when we made it to the hospital. I ran the numbers, double checked them, and ran them again for two hours and forty five minutes. For two hours and forty five minutes I came up with calculation after calculation, and then other calculations that I hadn't even thought before added themselves to the list of ways I fucked up today. I literally, royally fucked up today, Jackson.

"And suddenly, at eleven thirty nine this morning, ten of twenty five calculations presented themselves in front of me, and I'm a fish out of fucking water, soaking them up as if they were the fucking ocean,Jackson, and I can't find it in myself to be the HRS or just another Tail when she's looking up at me with eyes like this. You have, no idea what the fuck I feel likeright now. So by all means, shoot me in the fucking leg, because I deserve way worse than that."

There was a short silence that stretched in the air. As the silence, the words, and the tension all settled in the atmosphere, Bash shut his eyes with a shrewd expression as he forced himself to look at the girl beside him, his expression pained by the realization that once again, Mary Stuart had left him completely overwhelmed and beyond flustered, to the point that he expressed it openly without second thought. He stared at her, his face unreadible as he hastily ended the call and stood before Mary with bated breath.

Mary stared back at him, reaching up with her free hand to cup his cheek as she slid her hand back around his neck. She didn't say anything, for she knew words couldn't mean as much as actions as this point. She hadn't realized it all, and she hadn't realized how much affection had seeped into his words, the panic, the fear, even the realization that he seemed almost incapable of not being around her, just like she was starting to not be able to stop thinking about him.

He had taken so many risks today, so much had gone out of control and she heard it straight from his lips just now. She hadn't realized how much pressure this was, how quickly things had gone from decent to horribly wrong today in the course of a few hours time.

Her eyes gazed intently into his blue ones, seeing the wear of the entire morning already weighing heavily upon his shoulders and mind. She took a small breath, pulling his head down closer to her own. Very softly her lips pressed against his, her hand still pressed against the back of his neck to aid her in kissing him.

Damn protocols, damn orders, in her mind she didn't want anyone or anything else right now. She had most likely been upon death's door, but returned from it so she could be with him. She knew that she didn't want things any other way.

She lifted her other arm, the one that held the IV within it, and gently placed that hand upon his cheek as she continued to kiss him.

Bash, no Sebastian was the one person she loved right now. She knew beyond a reason of a doubt, she loved him and would do anything for him.

Mary Stuart was going against everything her mother thought best, she was carving her own path, and doing so involved freely giving her heart to Sebastian, which she had already done the other day. She wouldn't let him go, and she would do anything to stay with him.

She parted her lips ever so slightly, taking in a breath as she kept the kiss going, nothing too rough or hard, simplicity and soft were her lips upon his. The hand around the back of his neck, its fingers began to tangle lightly within the back of his hair. while the hand upon his cheek, her thumb lightly traced small circles along his jawline.

Bash felt his unease growing at her tenderness, and at her simple, sweet affection. Against her lips, he whispered, "I'm sorry. If I had been more careful, you wouldn't be here right now. I - I'm sorry."

Mary shook her head, pulling him closer. "Sebastian...I am not blaming you for this." She whispered, placing both her hands on either side of his face. "Please...lay down with me? Please..." She asked him, staring into his eyes as she pressed her forehead against his.

"I can't do that," he said gently and apologetically. He paused a moment, then said, "When I realized that I was slow to save you, and that, you were in danger somewhere I wasn't...it seems I had forgotten what it was like to feel helpless."

The words were sudden to Bash's ears, but he knew that they were true. There was a swell of emotion within him that he had never felt before. There was a shakiness in his voice and in his hands that he had never noticed before. Had it always been there? "I was scared." The words felt so feeble, so foreign and pitiful, and yet Bash couldn't will any of the notions away. "I don't quite understand.." he admitted, swallowing thickly, "but when I realized I was going to be too late, I thought you were lost to me already, and it -" he frowned, unable to find the words.

He gave up, it seemed, because he shook his head and instead said to Mary, "Even if it took two hours, I'm relieved that I can be near you like this." Closing his eyes he gave her a weak smile, then gently slid his nose against hers in an eskimo kiss. "If it means anything, I'd lie with you if it wasn't for the fact that we still need to approach the matter of our relationship delicately. Perhaps I'll make it up to you once we're home."

Mary frowned slightly, but gave a nod as she smiled at the eskimo kiss. "And if we're speaking honestly here, then I want to tell you...my final thought was that I would miss our date. That I wouldn't get to see you smile, hear your laugh...see your stubborn face when I refuse to sit in the back." She said softly, lowering her hands to the bed as she felt a small pain within her head.

She knew that as soon as she would be released from here, they would head back to the castle where she would most likely get bombarded by people. "When we get back...could you find a way to sneak me in without having to speak to everyone? I don't think I could handle it right now..." She whispered, suddenly feeling weak and feeble, just like a girl who couldn't do anything on her own. "Bash...I'm scared, about being alone...anywhere..." She said softly, reaching out and taking hold of his hand as tightly as she could muster.

"As for this..." She indicated their entwined hands, "I am thankful that you're here...and you saved me, don't ever forget that. You, Sebastian. You saved my life." She said, looking over at him as she smiled softly, giving his hand a small squeeze as she closed her eyes for a moment. She wanted to go home, lay within his arms and just pretend the world didn't exist anymore, if only for a little bit.

His face was pained by her insistence. He didn't feel like her hero. He felt, more than anything, as if he had just been so slow. Too slow. So he gave a slight shake of his head and replied, "I'm glad it feels that way to you. I wouldn't want you thinking any less of me because of this." His gaze sobered even further as his eyes glittered at the Mary's words.

With gentle determination, he replied, "I won't let anyone hurt you again, Mary. As long as you're with me - as long as I'm meant to protect you, Baby, - I won't let anyone take you away." He squeezed her hands gently, before bringing them both to his lips. His lips skimmed her knuckles, placing tender kisses on each one.

His mind was whirling as he wondered what it all was he was referring to, and also whether or not he just made a vow he one day would fail to keep.