For AmarantaOL
Chapter 5
Melanie stepped out of the Butler's fine carriage swiftly walking towards her husband. As they neared, she embraced him with a sob escaping her lips.
"Oh, Ashley! It is not looking good for poor Scarlett." She wept.
"You need to tell Bonnie. Lying to her might be best. She spent the whole time so far crying or sleeping, but when she woke up she asked of Scarlett. If you have to stay at their house day and night just so Scarlett survives then do so. I can always send Beau and Bonnie to Aunt Pittypat's or Dilcy could watch them while I'm at the mill."
"I agree. Bonnie cannot know the truth; it will just tear her apart."
"What happened with Scarlett?"
"She fell down the stairs, Ashley. Can you imagine a fall that high! Doctor Meade is surprised she is still alive. And she lost her baby." The latter was said in barely a whisper. "Where's Bonnie?"
"In the kitchen. Shouldn't you go back over to be with Scarlett?"
"No. I will console Bonnie for tonight and go over in the morning. Doctor Meade and Mammy are taking care of Scarlett and they did not need extra hands in the way. Where's Beau?"
"He is staying the night at one of his friend's houses."
Melly nod her head and walked into the small house to find Bonnie. Lying was something Melly was not fond of doing, but when it came to a situation as fragile as at hand, telling lies to a child was not so bad. Children did not need to see or hear the harsh realities of the world.
"Hello, Bonnie," Melly said as she entered the kitchen and sat next to the child. "I have news about your mother." She received a sad curious look from Bonnie. "She is doing a lot better now, but she is still very sick. Next week, when your mother is feeling better you can go home. Until then you will stay here so your mother can get plenty of rest and you can play and be as loud as you want."
"I want mother!"
"I'm sorry, Bonnie, but Doctor Meade won't allow you to see her now. Not even your daddy can see her."
"Daddy bad. No like daddy." Bonnie said, pushing her plate away.
"Why do you say that darling?" Melly asked. She hated the idea of Bonnie not adoring Rhett.
"He hurt mommy an' me."
"How did he hurt you?"
"Took me away. I want mother."
Bonnie's desire to see her mother reminded Melanie of Scarlett during their evacuation of Atlanta. Melanie remembered Scarlett constantly saying how she wanted her own mother and everything would be fine because Ellen would take care of everything. She only prayed to the Lord that the same outcome did not come.
"I know you want your mother. I'm sorry I can't take you to see her. How about you tell me stories of your trip and I will tell your mother. Also you can draw her pictures. Let me get Beau's crayons and paints so you can make pictures and I'll take them to your mother tomorrow.
Rhett stormed into Scarlett's bed chamber at her screams. He would be damned if some pompous doctor kept him away from his wife in her time of need. The thought of Scarlett in such pain that could have, should have been prevented was eating at his soul.
Scarlett lay in the bed with a rag on her head and another on her chest. Her face showed purple busing. Her arms were above the sheets covered in bandages from the bicep to the fingers. Blankets were piled on the bed to keep Scarlett warm in a house that was already hot and muggy from the summer heat in hopes to sweat the fever out.
There was a shivering to her body as she whimpered and screamed. Her body was forced to stay in place with the heavy blankets pressed around her frail body to prevent further damage. In normal circumstances she would be kicking and waling her arms around during her night terrors until she quieted down on her own or Rhett came to her rescue to chase the demons away.
Rhett could not provide his wife with the coddling comfort she needed to calm down and rest in peace. She was in so much pain the medication she was given did not help and with her night terrors it only made things worse. Quickly, Rhett moved towards the bed, kneeling at the side and began to rub the back of his hand against her soft swollen cheek and humming a calming tune in her ear.
The shivering of her body slowed down until it stopped, but her whimpering remained. a trail of tears streamed down the side of her face to her ear. Rhett pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dried the tears by gently blotting her skin, hoping he was not causing further pain for her.
Desperately Rhett wanted to reverse time to prevent the horrific event from occurring. How he wished for some sort of magic to take away her pain and give her back the lost baby. If he showed his true feelings of joy at the prospects of a new baby, then Scarlett may not have felt like the caged lioness in his presence. He knew she feared him. Scarlett did not have the ability to read him or know his inner most thoughts. In fact he had treated her with indifference since he had been banished from her. In all Rhett was unpredictable to her as well as unreachable.
"Scarlett. Oh, Scarlett, you have no clue how sorry I am for putting you through this. I did not mean for any of this to happen. I went too far and blurted the first thing that came to mind that would hurt you, would your ego in hopes to take you down a peg or two as you did to me. I'm sorry. I should have acted like an adult instead of a bastard that couldn't get his way. You see, I love you so much that it hurts me. It pains me to know you don't love me; you won't let yourself love me because you are tied up on a girlhood dream.
"Love makes us do stupid things that we don't realize until the consequences have arisen. We always hurt the ones we love the most even if it is not intentional. This is probably why we constantly argue, why I am making you look like a fool. We can be so happy together, only if you give us a chance.
"Even though you can hear me, you will never recall what I am saying to you. I vow to thee, I will be more considerate to you and our family. I will think before I speak or act upon anything that may happen between us. I will try to make our marriage work. I will be your husband in the way I should have been and not let my jealousy get the best of me. One day, I hope you will come to love me a fraction of how much I love you. Please, please, get well. If not for me then for Bonnie. Remember, even if you don't remember anything else from my rambling, I love you." Rhett concluded by placing a feather light kiss to her lips.
As thought that feather light kiss were the very magic talked about in fairy tales, Scarlett's eyes fluttered open. Rhett's face was inches above hers as he witnessed the opening of her gorgeous rare emerald eyes. A small smile appeared on his lips as he thought "Snow White has awoken."