Guys! I'm so so so so sorry it took me so long to post this chapter! I had some issues that I wasn't expecting to come my way and couldn't find the time to write. I hope you understand! And thanks so much for the reviews and for reading it! :)
ChapterThree
It all happened very fast. Bright lights blinded Robin. A loud sound of a horn rapidly approaching his ears and a deafening noise of breaks somewhere. Before he can actually understand what is happening, he feels a strong tug and all the air leave his lungs. The windows start breaking everywhere around him. The car is moving again, and turning, and once more, and then it stops.
Desperation takes over him when he finally comprehends what is going on.
All sorts of emotions take place in his mind and heart. Regina. Henry. Roland. That is all he can think about in this moment. His life.
His whole life passes like a movie in his mind. He can manage to hear people screaming and someone trying to talk to him, but it's all very distant and he feels something is wet on his head, something is dripping from it, it's red and it is staining his pants – Regina will be mad– It's blood. And just before he can register anything else, everything goes black.
§
After Robin left, Regina was fast asleep again and it did take her a while to become aware that the loud noise intruding her dreams was actually coming from the phone roaring next to her. She cracks her eyes open, eyelids still heavy with sleep, and barely lifts her head from the pillow before answering it, clearly annoyed.
"Good Morning. Here is from the General Hospital. May I speak to Mrs. Locksley?"
She is up in a heartbeat. Out of instinct, she reaches the other side of the bed to touch Robin and confirm that he is back home. When her hand touches the sheets, panic begins to take over her. With a lump in her throat she manages to reply.
"This is she."
Tension grows fast inside her, making her fully awake within seconds. Suddenly, the room feels too small and it is hard to breathe, her mind is in full speed with all sorts of scenarios going through it.
"Madam, your husband was involved in an accident and was brought to the E.R.. Unfortunately, he suffered a big trauma and needs to go into surgery as soon as possible."
Oh, God. Oh, God! Robin! No!
"I… I'm on my way" Regina hangs up the phone, but she can't move. She stays frozen for a few seconds, looking to nowhere. Her heart is in her throat, her hands are shaking and she still finds some difficulties to breathe.
When she finally is able to fall out of her trance and realizes that she hasn't done anything at all since she ended the call, she starts moving. Regina runs into the closet and finds a clean underwear and a bra, picks some random blouse from the drawer and rushes out of the room, grabbing the first jeans that she sees on her way out.
By the time she arrives at the hospital, Robin is already in surgery and all she can do is wait for some intern to come and give her some news about his condition, but no one seems to know anything which leaves her with the nerves on the edge.
Sitting on a chair near the E.R. entry, she tries to calm her breathing and have positive thoughts. The urge to cry and let the desperation take over is tremendous, but being the strong woman she is, she tries to hold on and stay calm at all costs.
She hasn't called any of their parents yet. And she can't get herself to make those calls. She won't be able to hold herself if she does that. Not until she has any news about his condition. Not until she is able to see her husband.
God… Please Robin! Don't die on me… I need you. The kids need you. You are my everything. I don't know what I'm gonna do without you. No! Na, no, no… I can't think that. I can't. You have to get out of this. Please, please, please.
She puts her hands on her face and repeats those last thoughts like a mantra. Over and over again.
There is exactly where the doctor finds her four hours later.
"Mrs. Locksley?"
Regina lift her head as soon as she hears her name and when she sees the doctor figure, her heart starts pounding in her chest even harder that it was only seconds ago. She doesn't say anything, her voice stuck in her throat.
The doctor, then, clears his throat and starts speaking: "Mrs. Locksley, your husband suffered a big trauma because of the accident and had to have brain surgery. We were able to contain the cerebral hemorrhage, but he hasn't gain consciousness yet"
Regina lets out a breath she hasn't realizeshe is holding and tries to stay calm for the millionth time.
"When is he going to wake up?" She knows that is not how things happen. He won't be able to tell her precisely when or how he is going to wake up, but she needs some kind of comfort, something to hold on to.
"The damage was quite big, but I was able to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, I can't answer your question. It could be in a few hours, weeks, or even… I'm sorry. The body needs time to heal. We can't know just yet."
Her head is aching and her heart starts speeding again. There are tears in her eyes, but she won't let them fall. So she takes a deep breath and nods slightly.
"Can I… Can I see him?"
"Of course. Please, follow me."
She hates hospitals. Everything about it. To begin with, it's a cold place. Not only because of the temperature itself, but also because of the people around you. The doctors seem to be in an automatic mode all the time. Whether by the lack of sleep or because they are already really accustomed to the environment and the conditions of their patients, she doesn't know, but they actually appear detached and devoid of any feeling. The place in general is quite impersonal and surrounded by sick people, and the way people look at you… It is a little creepy. Then you have the characteristic smell that it has. The mild touch of alcohol and formaldehyde in the air, which makes the stomach turn, an odor that sticks in the head.
So, yeah. She definitely hates hospitals. Especially now that the love of her life is stuck in one of those beds.
When Regina enters the room, she stops and her eyes go straight to where Robin is lying on the bed. Seeing him in this state is not easy. Undoubtedly, one of the hardest moments of her starts feeling dizzy immediately and has to hold herself as best as she can so she won't burst into tears right there at the door.
The doctor excuses himself as she makes her way to the bed where he is lying. Robin looks completely weak, he is intubated, with all those wires tied to him and a bandaged head.
It seems impossible not to cry now, and so she lets some tears run down her cheeks as she raises her hand hesitantly and caresses his face.
"Robin..." She chokes
"Please, don't leave me. Please, wakeup. Please..."
The room in quiet for a while and she doesn't take her eyes from him, as if she is expecting for him to suddenly wake up. But that won't happen right now. She sits in a chair near the bed, still watching him and crying as some happy memories of them go through her mind. She knows she can't stay too long; she still has to make those calls. Let their family know what is happening, talk to their kids. Oh, the kids! How am I gonna explain this to two children?
A new wave of hopelessness takes over her, but she has to face it. And rather sooner than later. So she takes a deep breath, wipes her face and stands. She gives him a kiss near his ears and begs one more time for him to wake up before leaving the room to make those calls.
§
Is has already been three days and there is no change in Robin's condition. He remains in his bed, in deep sleep, with all the wires still attached to him. Regina can't deny the conflicting angst, sadness and despair that insist on making presence inside her the entire time.
The doctors have been talking about taking final measures, start thinking about unplugging him, accepting that maybe he won't come back and that she should move on. But she won't, it is way too soon for that. She will keep fighting, and will never quit because Robin taught her better than this, he taught her to have hope and she will never give up on him. She can't.
She hasn't left the hospital yet. Their parents have been alternating between visits and taking care of the kids. They brought change o clothing for her and tried to convince her that she needed to go home and rest, that she should go see Roland and Henry. She knows she should. They must be making questions, asking for their parents. But she knows they are safe and being well taken care of. She knows she is not being the mother of the year, but she can't go home.
She leaves the room as few times as possible, only to eat something or call the kids. But other than in those moments, she stays by Robin's side. Caressing his hand, watching him, praying for him to come back.
Sometimes she gets lost just by looking at him. Remembering all the good moments they were able to share until now. From the moment they lie eyes on each other for the first time, passing through the first I love you said, until now. And then she always starts crying, because this can't be it. They haven't lived everything yet. They still have so many dreams together. There are still so many moments to be experienced and shared. She needs him to be with her, with their family.
His family has been tireless. Going back and forth between the hospital and the kids. She is grateful, not only for his family, but for hers too. They try to help with everything they can and, even if they are feeling a great pain as well, they try to comfort her and give her hope when she seems to be losing it.
So, that is why she finds herself right now in the cafeteria, trying to push some food into her, even though she can stomach anything these days, listening to her mother in law rambling about something, but not really paying attention. All she can think about is how useless and tired she feels right now.
She pushes the plate forward and put her head in her hands in an attempt to stop all those feeling. The food doesn't have any taste and she can't eat it anymore, she is feeling dizzy again.
"Darling, you need to eat" Her mother in law says with worry in her voice.
"I can't…"
"Look, if you don't want to do it for your own good, then do it for your kids. They need their mother now more than ever, and they need you to be healthy. And… Do it for your husband as well… Robin would…" She tries to reason with Regina, but is cut off.
"My husband would what? My husband and my kids are all I can think about! I'm trying. I'm doing the best I can. I spend the whole day between holding it together for my kids, fighting whichever doctor that comes my way telling me nonsenses about unplugging my husband and moving on, like it was just like that and having hope that I won't lose the love of my life. I don't want to eat. I can't! Don't tell me I'm not thinking of them!" She raises her tone, letting the desperation and the fear take over her. She is crying now, and she doesn't care anymore.
"Regina… I know… It's hard. I know it is, believe me." And there is so much sadness in her voice that Regina immediately stops crying and looks at her.
Of course she knows. It's her son. Her only son. And yet here she is, comforting me. How selfish of me… If it was one of my kids, I wouldn't be able to remain so calm, much less to comfort someone else…
"I'm sorry… God… I'm so sorry. How are you holding up? How can you be so calm?" She breathes and squeezes her hand that is on the table.
"I'm… Honestly, I don't know. I'm feeling like any mother would feel. Devastated. But we need to have hope. Always."
"I can see that Robin took after you with this hope thing…" Regina said with a little chuckle while wiping her eyes and gets an answer in a form of a small smile.
They settle in silence for a few minutes before that. Each one lost in their own deep thoughts. After a while, Regina lets out in a deep sigh "What if he doesn't…" But she isn't able to finish her sentence, her eyes already filling with tears.
"He will… He has to. He still has his whole life ahead of him. And I'm sure he knows that, he is fighting. He is a fighter." Her mother in law answers in a convinced tone.
"That he is."
Regina rests her back in the chair and goes back to her thoughts and tells herself that Robin will be awake soon, he just needs more time.
They decide they had enough of the cafeteria atmosphere already and they need to take a walk, breathe some fresh air for a change, especially Regina.
They go to the hospital's open area for the walk, mostly in silence. It's the first time Regina allowed herself to spend so much time away from Robin's room since she got here. She feels calmer now, but the fear and the endless anguish inside her are infinite and never seem to go away.
She closes her eyes and lets the sun touches her face, just breathing in and out. There is when an intern comes out pushing the doors in a rush, disturbing the quietness of the place and shouting her name.
"Mrs. Locksley, Mrs. Locksley!"
Regina stops dead in her tracks. She doesn't turns to the sound of the intern's voice in fear that he is bringing her bad news. When he finally reaches her, he bends, resting his hands on his knees, clearly he has been running up and down looking for her. That terrifies her even more.
"Madam, I've been looking for everywhere" He says out of breath.
Regina finds the strength to turn then, but she is shaking and her eyes are wide open. "Yes…" She tries, but her voce cracks.
"Madam, is your husband. He… He is awake."
"What?"
A broken gasp leaves her mouth and she can't speak anything else.
