His Majesty (Slide Away)

52.

The closest hospital to the theatre was the Omega Hospital, which was where Mimi was immediately rushed too. They closed an entire ward and shut off the main car park in order to get her there as quickly and safely as possible. The theatre had been on lockdown too when she was rushed out, and everyone outside had been evacuated for the ambulance to ensure that people did not get to see the Queen in such an awful state.

The doctors had performed emergency CPR on the Queen in the ambulance, and when after ten minutes she was still unresponsive and the ambulance had arrived at the hospital, they had rushed her into the closest room.

John had jumped in the back of the ambulance with her, and Martin had shared a car with Paul that had taken them both to the hospital.

As soon as Paul entered through the main entrance, he saw John, sat with his head in his knees. There was nobody around, not even a receptionist.

"Baby..." Paul sighed, rushing up to John, who on hearing his husbands voice, jumped to his feet.

Paul immediately embraced John, who hugged him tightly around his shoulders. The younger kissed beneath John's earlobe as the Alpha groaned out of anger and fear into his cloak. Paul knew he had to soothe John, calm him down, and he did so in the best way. He moved his lips away and climbed onto his tip-toes. Paul edged forward slowly, presenting his neck, where he had been marked, infront of the Alpha, who upon sniffing the Omega's lavender sent, calmed down. He took a deep breath, nodding and pulling his head back.

"Thank you..." He spoke, eyes gazing at the ground. He still seemed a little tense, but less panicky.

"Of course." Paul responded, before moving on. He placed a hand on the Alpha's side, looking around. "Where is everyone?"

"They cleared everyone out of the room, and the nearby wards. They rushed Mimi into Accident and Emergency, just down the corridor. But all other patients are on the other floors." He explained, before looking into Paul's eyes. "God, Paul. She looked so awful, a-and I just feel so guilty."

"Hey..." Paul soothed, moving the hand that was on John's waist up his body to caress his cheek. "Why, baby?"

"Because I persuaded her to come here! She... She now obviously wasn't fit to leave the palace, but I coaxed her into it!" He stressed, eyes going teary. This was bad, John rarely cried. "If, if- God forbid- she dies... It's on my hands!"

"John listen to me. She is not going to die. These doctors are insanely brilliant, I know, I have seen them in their work. Every time I have visited this place the doctors have always been incredibly talented and so respectful. They are remarkable." Paul reassured John. "And as for you, John, do not feel guilty. I know it is easy for me to say this, but I mean every word when I say that it is not your fault. We both know the real Mimi, we know that if she truly didn't want to go and didn't feel up to it, she would have said no. That is just how she is and always will be."

"Yeah..." John nodded, trying to take all of Paul's words in.

"And, whatever this is did not happen because she wasn't fit to leave the house. Yes, she seemed a little pale and peaky, but that is normal for an Alpha at her age... And I looked at her so many times during the entire show and she seemed perfectly well. She was clapping, humming, and even smiled at me a few times." John nodded, as if finally having understood. "Whatever this was caused by, I am pretty damn sure it was not because of anything you did or said. Like I said, Queen Elizabeth Mary is one of the most stubborn people I have ever met, if she didn't want to go, she wouldn't have done."

Paul could tell that his own heartfelt words had clearly helped John, who's shoulders had visibly untensed, and body as a whole had almost completely relaxed. He also was not gazing any more, actually focusing on things he was looking  at. When he looked at Paul, he smiled, though not a bright one.