Prompt #18: Unforeseen
Crossover: Glee/Revenge
"You look entirely too pleased with yourself," said a suspicious Aiden.
"I always am," Nolan replied. "What's your point?"
Aiden leaned in toward the other man's ear, repressing a smile when Nolan involuntarily shivered. "I know you and I know there is no one to whom you are more loyal than Emily. Given her precarious state, for you to look so smug means something."
Nolan shrugged him off. "There's no one I love more than Emily," he murmured.
Aiden pulled back and frowned, wondering again about the incredibly complex and nuanced relationship between his girlfriend and her best friend. Nolan Ross was often dismissed as merely Emily Thorne's lapdog, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Nolan was perhaps the only with the audacity to challenge Emily when it was warranted. Even Aiden himself sometimes held his tongue to keep the peace, but Nolan was completely unafraid of her. That either made him very stupid or very secure in the knowledge Emily would never hurt him.
Of course, she often hurt him. It was never intentional and usually the result of one of her schemes backfiring. There were moments Emily was deliberately cruel with Nolan because she didn't want to hear what he had to say, even when – especially when – he was right. She didn't always listen; in fact, she usually didn't. But she heard him. He was often the only one she could hear.
Aiden also knew that if anyone ever hurt Nolan, all of Emily's machinations would pale in comparison to the unholy apocalypse she would unleash to avenge him. He often wasn't sure what she truly felt for him, he hoped it was love, but her feelings for Nolan? They were perhaps the truest, if not the only, emotions she was capable of possessing.
"What have you done?" he repeated.
"What I had to."
Aiden paused. "Would Emily approve?" he finally asked.
"I don't care."
Aiden nodded. Whatever Nolan had done had been in Emily's best interest and whether she would like or appreciate his efforts was irrelevant. That meant he had done the right thing.
The Graysons were in the waiting room, most pretending to care that Emily would live.
The only one who appeared to be actually concerned was Conrad. This was both surprising and not. He was the one most directly responsible for the travesties committed against David Clarke, and therefore Emily by extension, but he had always admired Emily for her cunning and intelligence. He enjoyed seeing his wife bested, and no one had delivered Victoria more comeuppances than Emily Thorne.
Victoria was posed grandly in an uncomfortable chair, smirk ever-present, as she wished over and over again that Emily Thorne would soon die, preferably in the most painful and bloody way possible. That her son was responsible for his new wife's condition wasn't her concern; protecting him was. She had already sown the seeds that her husband's mistress was the assailant, so all she had to do was wait for said seeds to bear fruit.
Daniel looked sullen and morose, as he always did, and his glassy eyes suggested he was still drunk.
Charlotte wasn't sure what to feel or how to behave. Part of her liked Emily, but she had heard so many horrible things about the woman she considered an honorary sister, she decided to take her cue from her parents and wait and see.
A slight man dressed in pale blue scrubs and a face mask exited the double doors to the surgical wing and wandered into the waiting room proper.
Aiden narrowed his eyes as he caught the quick glance of recognition between this man and Nolan. The man just as soon blanked his eyes and quickly strode in Nolan's direction.
"Mr. Ross, if you'll come with me, I'll brief you on Ms. Thorne's status."
Nolan offered a brisk nod and stood, unsurprised when Victoria immediately followed.
"Excuse me," she said sharply, "but Emily is now a Grayson and a member of my family. I insist you tell us how she's faring."
The man raised an eyebrow before removing his mask, coolly staring at her before again regarding Nolan. "We can speak over here," he said, gesturing toward the corridor.
Victoria couldn't believe the gall of this nonentity's dismissal and said as much.
"Mrs. Grayson," he calmly began, "who you are and what you want is of no interest to me. Your son may be married to Ms. Thorne, but that paperwork has yet to be ratified by the County Clerk's office. Nolan Ross is still listed as her emergency medical contact and holds her power of attorney; thus he and only he is entitled to be informed of Ms. Thorne's condition. If you wish to dispute this, I suggest you consult hospital counsel and wish you good luck."
Conrad leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and smirking as he savored this moment.
"And who are you?" she seethed. "Emily was given into the care of Dr. Rogers."
"I am Ms. Thorne's personal physician. I was already en route from Zurich to Southampton to attend the reception, so when I received word Ms. Thorne was rushed to the hospital, I made an immediate detour and assumed control of the situation." He paused in consternation. "Do you have any further questions?"
"I was unaware Emily had a private physician."
"I was unaware it was any of your business."
Victoria faltered only momentarily. "If you're based in Zurich, it stands to reason you have no privileges at this facility," she said triumphantly.
"I was vacationing in Zurich; I am based in Paris. Emergency privileges were rushed through and approved."
"By whom?" she demanded.
"The Surgeon General, who is a personal friend."
Victoria blinked.
"Who are you?" Daniel demanded. "Emily never said anything to me about having her own doctor."
"My name is Kurt Hummel."
Everyone other than Aiden and Nolan stared. Aiden kept his face a mask, but Nolan was barely fighting his snickers. If asked, he would dismiss them as stress.
"How do you know Emily?" Victoria said softly.
"How is that relevant?" Kurt volleyed. "I am her physician of record. If you wish to challenge it, again I refer you to the hospital's counsel."
"Who would undoubtedly reiterate Lord Hummel's claim," Conrad said blandly.
This was a man in whom he had no interest in engaging, far too aware of his reputation. Kurt Hummel was born in Ohio, but held dual citizenship with France thanks to his late mother, a French aristocrat descended directly from Charlemagne with the title and money to prove it.
He had breezed through undergraduate and graduate studies with apparent ease, becoming a physician when he was only twenty-two. He was also a well-known and regarded philanthropist who had continued his grandmother's legacy of raising hundreds of millions of dollars for notable and worthwhile charities, specifically those concerning the health of women and children.
He sat on numerous boards and was friends with the world's most influential people, though he was notoriously wary of the press and drove the paparazzi to distraction with his avoidance of them. He was the godfather to numerous children of celebrities. He often accompanied Angelina Jolie on her UNHCR missions as her director of medical personnel.
His charitable trusts geared toward this country were overseen by Alicia Florrick, a partner at a highly successful Chicago law firm and wife of the governor of Illinois. His personal attorney here in the States was Olivia Pope, who had the ear of the President.
There were even unsubstantiated rumors he had ties to organized crime, specifically to Santana Lopez, an Argentinian oil and gas mogul. There were other rumors, ones which strongly suggested Kurt Hummel was not a man to be crossed if you valued your own secrets.
Kurt Hummel would not be impressed or intimidated by Conrad Grayson, with his paltry tens of billions, nor by his wife, the allegedly infamous Queen of the Hamptons. It was apparent to all he was merely humoring them and appeared to be enjoying the experience.
"Thank you for protecting Emily, Kurt," Nolan said, making sure to stress they had a personal connection. "I know she's receiving the best possible care now that you're here. How is she?"
Kurt gave a brief nod. "Do I have your permission to discuss this freely?"
"You do."
"Ms. Thorne is currently in stable but serious condition. Her prognosis is good. She was shot twice in the abdomen; the bullets have been removed, but her wounds are serious. Thankfully the bullets didn't fragment, although one clipped an artery that was subsequently repaired. A blood transfusion was required and performed with no complications.
"She sustained a serious skull fracture to the back of her head from her impact upon the water, but I don't suspect it will cause permanent damage. She may experience headaches or migraines until she has healed from post-concussive syndrome. As a precaution, you should be aware she might also suffer mild to severe memory loss due to the extent of the injury."
"Memory loss?" repeated a helpless Nolan. "How severe?"
"It's difficult to say until she regains consciousness," Kurt patiently explained. "It's entirely possible her mental acuity will be perfectly fine, but in cases of such trauma, retrograde amnesia is not out of the realm of possibility. This means she might have no memory of the traumatic event or those events directly preceding it."
Victoria and Daniel exchanged a look.
Nolan sighed. "Worst case scenario?"
"If she has retrograde amnesia, it's possible, though not probable, that it won't be temporary. In effect, she would lose all her past memories but still be able to create and retain new ones. Given Ms. Thorne's young age and otherwise overall excellent physical health, I doubt this will be an issue, but head trauma can be tricky and I want you prepared."
Nolan swallowed heavily and gave a weak nod. "Anything else?"
"Various strains, sprains, and contusions which will heal with time. Thankfully there were no spinal injuries." He paused. "Sadly, because of where the bullets struck, I had to perform a unilateral laparoscopic salpingo-oophorectomy.
"This means I had to remove one of her ovaries and fallopian tubes. It's a fairly straightforward procedure, but due to the damage caused by the bullets, it was necessary. The other ovary and fallopian tube are perfectly intact, as is the uterus. There should be little scarring and Ms. Thorne should experience no significant difficulty in conceiving."
Nolan slowly exhaled.
"Well, I'm sure Emily will be so relieved," Victoria said snidely.
Daniel snorted. "Maybe next time she'll actually be pregnant."
Kurt turned toward him. "The next time she gets shot, Mr. Grayson, or the next time she conceives?"
Daniel blinked owlishly, his muddled mind sensing a trap but not quite sure how to escape it.
"You'll have to forgive my son, Dr. Hummel," Victoria said. "The truth of the matter is that Emily created a fictitious pregnancy to force a marriage between herself and my son."
"I wasn't aware this was the nineteen-fifties," Kurt said blandly. "Your family is not without resources, Mrs. Grayson, and an accidental or unwelcome pregnancy no longer requires a legal ceremony to placate the masses."
"My son is a gentleman," she said stiffly.
"Despite all evidence to the contrary. Regardless, it appears you are misinformed. Ms. Thorne was indeed pregnant. Sadly the fetus did not survive."
Aiden and Nolan said nothing, doing their best to ensure their faces never betrayed even a modicum of surprise or laughter. They easily inferred that Kurt had falsified medical records which would undoubtedly stand up to relentless scrutiny. Victoria wouldn't care about this phantom child, but Daniel and Conrad certainly would, thus widening the wedge between them.
"W-What?" Daniel whispered, collapsing into his chair. "There really was a baby?"
Kurt nodded. "There was. Ms. Thorne was in the very early stages and the impact of both the gunshots and her fall caused her to miscarry."
"I don't believe you," Victoria said baldly.
"I couldn't care less," Kurt easily replied. "Emily contacted me when she suspected she was pregnant to request recommendations for an obstetrician. There was no confirmation other than a home pregnancy test, but I know she had made an appointment for an examination and ultrasound."
He arched a brow. "It was widely reported she and your son were ambushed by the press and the appointment never rescheduled due to the wedding preparations. Her bloodwork shows elevated levels of HCG, estrogen, and progesterone. Her uterus presented with recent trauma which will heal. A dilation and curettage was necessary. She was pregnant."
"I demand a second opinion!" Victoria huffed.
"You are not in a position to demand anything. I have catalogued my findings and if any of her records or specimens go mysteriously missing, or if the hospital's mainframe is attacked, I will file the appropriate charges."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I don't make threats. I make promises."
He turned back to Nolan. "Would you like to see her? She's still unconscious, but I'm sure your presence would be welcome."
Nolan nodded and followed Kurt, dragging Aiden with him.
Charlotte stood and took off toward the cafeteria. She desperately needed caffeine and time to herself to think.
"You couldn't have been more obvious," Conrad said.
Victoria rolled her eyes. "He knows nothing."
"Not yet," her husband warned, "but he is not unintelligent and your idiocy has planted suspicions. It's best if you and Daniel leave. Perhaps you should stop by the closest church and pray that Emily does indeed wake up without her memory intact. That is, if God listens to you anymore, if he ever did."
She scoffed. "If he did, we wouldn't be married."
He looked at her and their son with disgust. "Then pray for that as well."
Nolan and Aiden flanked Kurt as he stalked down the hallway.
"That was quite a performance," Nolan said casually.
Kurt nodded. "Thank you. You may bow." He chuckled when Nolan actually did.
"Was she pregnant?" Aiden whispered.
"No, but no one will be able to prove differently."
"How do you know her?"
"I've known Emily for years," was all Kurt would say.
Aiden looked past him to Nolan, who nodded once. "Dr. Hummel is Inner Circle."
Kurt sniffed. "I wouldn't liken Emily Thorne to Voldemort. She actually knows how to plan an attack, and she would never be so overt or crass."
Nolan grinned. "How long are you staying? At least until Emily is released, I hope."
"Any commitments I have can easily be rescheduled," Kurt said, smirking, "and the Hamptons are lovely this time of year."
Aiden thought Kurt's presence would either be the most wonderful or terrible thing since Emily had begun all of this.