Open Wounds | Captain Swan

11. True Love is Infinite

[Sorry for the long chapter.]

She woke up to accelerating devices as the basis she rested her head on was shaking uncontrollably, like an enormous earthquake had erupted beneath her. She blinked repeatedly as her brain slowly translated the blurry visions that entered her pupils into real life objects. She saw nurses running into the room and followed their rushed pace until she reached Killian. Her eyes widened as she felt a strong force pull her up and drag her out of the room, despite her protesting movements.

A familiar voice penetrated her ears as she was panting on her place. He received blood from his father, the only human on this earth he shared blood with. How was – whatever was happening to him – this possible? Neither Emma, nor any living soul between the four walls of this hospital expected something comparable to this to happen, but fate surprised them.

The informal voice became clearly within seconds and she recognized David. She was astonished and flattered that he stayed and waited at the hospital all those hours. By now the morning had already arrived and the sun had reached the high sky only moments ago, no words were shared between the adults as the waited just outside his room, the only gripe they had was hope, but both had trouble maintaining it during these abiding moments.

"What the hell happened?!" Emma rudely yelled in a whisper once dr. Cameron exited through the door. "I thought he was stable?"

"Yes, but he got foreign blood and that brings along these reactions as a strong possibility." She explained, looking offended, but ignoring Emma's barking for the rest.

"I hope you don't mind me asking." David joined the conversation with his fabulous comment – note the sarcasm. "But what exactly happened in there?"

"Ah, yes. It's completely fine." She laughed. "He had thrombosis in his aorta. It probably got there because of the blood he received, but we are still running tests. Anyway, the important stuff is, we stabilized him...for now. But if we don't perform surgery on him today another blood clot will appear and he will eventually die."

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Emma shouted impatiently, which was more than normal for someone in her state, but a little disrespectful.

"Well, you see. There are certain risks." Emma stopped breathing, only a few air streams entering her lungs through her nostrils as she longed to scream as loud as her lungs allowed her to and cry more tears than all the seven seas contained. "We will be ferreting in his aorta, the most important vein in the body. If things go wrong, he will die or suffer from a permanent heart disease."

"Do it." She told Jen eventually, after a long and exhausting debate in her mind. Is wasn't really the surgery itself that made her worry and doubtful, it was the fact that his last breath would be without her, on the operating table. But on the other hand, if they didn't perform surgery she would lose him.

She nodded and handed Emma a pile of papers. "If you would sign these, we already informed the patient." Emma quickly scrabbled her autograph onto it before Jen would guide them into the room for their goodbyes.

David and Emma followed her into the room. Killian was lying flat on his back and his breathing were irregular, if you can call that breathing at all. He was hooked up on all kinds of devices that secured he stayed alive...for now.

She gasped louder than she was comfortable with as she covered her mouth and David grabbed the papers from her. His skin was so pale she doubted if he still had life trapped inside his body.

"Hey, Killy." She planted a soft kiss on the only reachable piece of skin she could find. He groaned as he lifted his hand from the sheets and brought it to her cheek, caressing her smooth skin with that last bit of energy he had. "It's okay, my love. Just go to sleep." She whispered to reassure him as dr. Cameron brought the anaesthetic into his system.