Chapter Eight
After failing to convince Blair or Nate to leave the waiting room, Serena and Eric decided to head to the Aquitaine to get a change of clothes and maybe wash up. It was already midnight, and they were totally hammered. So, they half stumbled to the exit, and saw two people they didn't expect to see.
"Dan?" Serena said, amazed.
"Jenny?" Eric said at the same time.
The Humphrey siblings stood up from the chairs by the exit.
Eric quickly pulled Jenny aside before she could say anything and Serena watched the two distractedly before fixing Dan with a puzzled frown.
"Dan, what are you doing here?"
Dan rubbed the back of his head. "You must think I'm an asshole if you had to ask that."
She sighed. "No, I didn't mean –"
"And you would've been absolutely right. I'm an asshole when it comes to Chuck, and 95% of the time I'm pretty okay with that, but this is the 5% when I feel like an absolute asshat."
"I don't get you."
He shook his head. "Never mind. How is he?"
"Not good. He's in surgery now. They've been in there for three hours. But the doctor says that he will make it."
"What the hell happened?"
She sighed, not relishing the thought of explaining, once again, how Chuck covered up the shooting, his health problems et al. But she did anyway, and Dan's eyes widened with each revelation.
"Ah," he said awkwardly. "That's … I don't have any word to describe what you just told me."
"Trippy?"
"Close. But something stronger would be better. I don't even know how to react to this. I don't know anyone who was shot before. Though, now I do."
Dan was babbling. And he only babbled if he was uncomfortable.
"Dan. You don't have to be here if you don't feel like it," she said.
"No, I do want to be here," he said earnestly.
She frowned, confused. "Really. Why? I mean, no offense Dan, but you hate his guts. Especially after what happened with Jenny –"
"Yeah. But as a member of the human species possessing of a small amount of conscience, and since he's technically family –"
"Dan, thanks."
"Thanks?"
"For just being here, despite you hating him 95% of the time. Though if he knew that you were here pitying him, he'd probably kill you."
"Don't worry, Serena. I have a feeling that if we were going to have a one-to-one soon, I'll be the champ," he said, then winced. "Oh God, that was crass."
"Dan – " she began, but was interrupted when her cell beeped. Frowning, she took it out, read the message, and snapped her phone shut with a worried look.
"What?"
"He's out of surgery," she said nervously.
GG – GG – GG
"Jenny? Are you crazy? If Blair sees you here she'll kill you," Eric hissed.
"I don't care about Blair right now. I'm worried about you. And I'm really sorry about what Dan said. Since the whole Georgina thing – with the baby and all – he's been – ," she said.
He sighed. "Distracted, I know. How's the 'hide the baby' project coming along, by the way?"
"We had a close call two days ago when Dad came to the loft."
They both winced.
"Listen, you don't have to explain, Jenny. Dan and Chuck – bitter enemies is too simple a term to apply to them."
She gave him a small smile, then looked serious.
"How is he?" she asked softly.
"It's bad," he said, then bit his lip when he felt a surge of fear sweep over him. "He's in surgery right now. The doctor said that he'll probably make it, but the risk is there. I don't know what's going to happen."
"I'm sorry, Eric."
"I'm still dealing with the whole 'he was shot' part," he sighed, shaking his head.
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"Oh," he said, belatedly realising that she didn't know about the incident in Prague. "That's why he is so sick right now. Mom said that his wound – the bullet lodged in his liver – was infected or something like that. I don't really understand it all, but here you go."
"When the hell was he shot?" she cried out in surprise.
"When he was in Prague. He hid it from us. I don't know whether to kill him or hug him right now."
"This is messed up," Jenny said quietly.
"Yeah," he said just as mutely.
They fell into an uncomfortable silence for a while. Then Eric sighed.
"I know he's … complicated in many ways, but Chuck's been a good brother to me. Most of the time, anyway."
She nodded. "I think ..." she sighed, looked up and shook her head. "Before everything got so screwed up, he was trying to be one to me too. He tossed Damien out of his hotel once," she said, smiling at the memory.
He brightened at that. "Really? Why?"
"He caught Damien using me as a drug mule," she said.
He coughed at that. "He what?"
"Like I said, I was screwed up."
"No kidding."
She slapped him playfully. "Well, he actually made sure I got home from the Empire. Personally escorted me. I think he suspected I was going to bolt after Damien. I think he just understood what kind of person I was but he wasn't judgy about it, you know?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"I hope he gets better. I want him to get better, you know that right, Eric?"
"Of course." That was one thing he was at least sure about.
"Eric!" Serena called.
Dan and Serena hurried towards them. "Chuck's out of surgery," she said as she rushed pass him.
Eric looked at Jenny awkwardly.
"You better go ahead. Just give me a call if anything," she said.