77 The Concern

"Charlotte, let me take you home. You need rest." Gordon whispered to his wife that insisted on keeping vigil outside of the operating room.

"I can't! She'll be out of surgery tonight and how will she feel knowing her family all went home?" Charlotte asked.

"Edward will be here. He can let her know you needed rest." Gordon told her.

"She's not on good terms with him. She won't want him to stay with her." Charlotte insisted.

"I believe Edward intends to resolve that the moment she's awake." Gordon told her.

"Yes, but—" Charlotte started to say.

"As your husband, I am telling you that you're going home!" Gordon used a tone of voice she hadn't heard from him even when she first met him.

Charlotte turned her head from him. She was embarrassed because hearing him talk like that had caused her to cry. She started walking toward the exit briskly. Her back straight and her face set grimly. Edward caught a glimpse as she marched by.

He looked back at Gordon and raised his eyebrows.

"Good luck, brother. You're going to need it." Edward told him.

"What do you mean?" Gordon asked

"It's been awhile since I was married but I remember those looks that said I was in a load of trouble. Charlotte had that look just now when she walked by. It was nice knowing you, Gordon." Edward teased. Edward was actually glad for a bit of comic relief.

The ride home for Gordon and Charlotte was silent. Charlotte went straight to their bedroom when they arrived. Gordon followed.

"Charlotte, are you really angry with me because I wanted you to rest?" He asked her, feeling frustrated.

She turned to face him with tears in her eyes.

"She has no one. No biological family. Anna and Stella are watching her daughter. She's my sister-in-law. I just wanted her to have someone she considered family with her when she wakes up. But you ordered me out of the hospital." Charlotte told him.

Gordon sighed deeply. He understood Charlotte's point of view, but realistically, he would always put his wife's well being above anyone else.

He crossed the room to stand before her. He pulled her into his arms. At first she stood stiffly but eventually relaxed.

"I'll always have your well-being in mind and put it before anyone else's. I do understand how you feel, however, but I promise you, Edward loves her, and he will do right by her. He is very regretful about how everything was handled before today. You can trust him to make it right.

I saw how exhausted you are and I know being pregnant only adds to that. I promise, my only intent was to take care of you. Charlotte, I love you. I just want to take care of you." Gordon explained.

"I'm sorry!" She cried, her tears falling harder now.

He hugged her closer, and then lifted her in his arms like a princess. He carried her to the washroom and helped her bathe and then brought her to their bed and covered her up. He held her close as they both fell asleep, hoping tomorrow brought good news.

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The neurosurgeon finally came out to speak with Edward.

"I just closed her up. She had several areas of head trauma that had to be addressed, including reconstruction of her skull where her depressed skull fracture was located. She needed a good bit of blood. Right now, due to her diffuse axonal injury, she's in a coma. I can't tell you when she'll wake up, and we won't know the extent of the damage done until she does wake up. I can tell you I did my best." Dr. Yao explained.

"I want to be with her." Edward told him. Dr. Yao nodded.

"She's being taken to the VIP ward you designated right now. I want to prepare you though. Her face is bruised badly due to her skull injuries. She is swollen and her head is covered in bandages. I left a catheter inserted into her head to measure for inter-cranial pressure. Should the pressure become too elevated I will need to open her up again to relieve it. She has scapes throughout her body. Road rash if you will." Dr. Yao explained.

"I don't care how bad you say she looks. I just want to be with her." Edward insisted. The doctor nodded in understanding and took his leave. Edward headed toward Sara's ward.