Next to Me

Chapter Eleven: Shocking Awakenings

Charlotte moaned softly as she felt the darkness finally lifting away from her, she was so sure that she was dead that she was surprised that she actually felt pain; her right arm felt heavy and she couldn’t move her fingers while her left leg ached as she slowly started to remember what had happened.

The blonde slowly blink her eyes open before she looked around the unfamiliar room where she was laying; her mouth was dry and it was clear that she had been there for a while.

“I wouldn’t move too much,” said a voice making Charlotte’s eyes snap towards the door, she stared confused at Sergio wondering what was going on; the last thing that she clearly remembered was laying in the room where Victor was holding her and Sergio entering the room.

“Sergio?” Charlotte asked softly wondering what had happened, her voice was hoarse and she had a feeling that it hadn’t been used in a while; the Sevillian moved to sit next to her bed as he watched her closely wondering how to tell her what had happened and what he had done.

“Stefan said that you were lucky… you had stage four haemorrhaging when I brought you to him and you nearly died before I could do that,” Sergio said softly as he carefully handed the blonde some water to drink, he was still worried about her and he knew that he was going to make sure that she was safe from now on.

Charlotte sipped on the water carefully, her blue eyes watching him curious about what was going on; she ached slightly and she knew that there was something that she was missing.

“Your arm had a traumatic fracture but Stefan was able to reset the bone and your arm will have to remain in a cast for another seven weeks,” Sergio said gently making Charlotte nod as she looked down at the cast on her arm; she figure that she’d been out of it for about a week and that there was still more for her to hear.

***

Charlotte rolled her blue eyes as Stefan checked her over, she nodded her head along as she listened to what he told her; she was a little pleased with she was no longer wearing a hospital gown since with a little help from Sergio, she had changed into a pink bunnies vest and short set.

“Okay… now I want you to stick to eating soup for today before tomorrow moving onto something light and easy tomorrow,” Stefan said as Sergio leaned against the far wall, he knew that the Sevillian had already told her a little about her injuries and what had happened.

Charlotte nodded her head, she couldn’t believe that she’d been out for a week and didn’t even remember being rescued; she looked at Sergio curiously wondering if she’d said something to him before she had died.

“So I’ll be back in a couple of days to check on you,” Stefan said as he packed away his things before he left the two behind; Sergio closed the bedroom door behind him as he moved to sit next to the blonde knowing that he had to tell her that her old life was over.

“It’s bad isn’t it,” Charlotte said softly as she watched him knowing that something had happened while she had been unconscious; she chewed on her lip wondering what she was going to do now.

“I had to bring you to Seville,” Sergio said shaking his head as he prepared to tell her that to the world Charlotte Perez was died; he swallowed wondering how she was going to take the news that her life was finished.

Charlotte stared at him worried about what had been going on while she had been out of it, she had a feeling that this wasn’t going to be easy whatever it was.

“To protect you… I had no choice but to fake your death,” Sergio said as he watched her closely, he watched as the blonde stared at him shocked about what he had said; she had never thought that he would do that for her.

Sergio carefully took her good hand and squeezed it as he comforted her, he knew that this couldn’t be easy for her; she had lost her entire life, she had been forced to give up everything because she was in love with him and for what she had done for him.

“So I’m dead?” Charlotte said as she looked at the man sat before her, she knew that he would have done it for the right reason but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t a little upset about what was happening.

Sergio nodded his head as he took a deep breath knowing that he would do anything for the blonde even if she sent him away for destroying her life.

“I’m sorry,” Sergio said as he looked down at his hands knowing that he would do anything for her to have a normal life but it just wasn’t possible anymore.

***

Charlotte glared down at the chicken soup as Sergio set it in front of her, she knew that she couldn’t have anything heavy to eat but she would do anything for a bacon sandwich right now.

“Come on Charlotte for me por favor,” the Sevillian said as he looked at the blonde knowing that she wasn’t happy about her diet that Stefan had put her on; but he knew that it was good for her right now to do as she was told until she was better.

The blonde stared at the soup for a moment before she sighed and nodded her head knowing that he wasn’t going to let her break the doctor’s rules.

Sergio sat down next to her and watched her eat, he knew that his father expected him to be at the family dinner but he wasn’t going to allow Charlotte to be alone right now; he needed to be here with her while she recovered.

“Sergio… you don’t have to do any of this,” the blonde said gently as she carefully ate the soup, she knew that her stomach was going to be delicate for a few days and she didn’t want to throw up anytime soon.

Sergio looked at her for a moment before shaking his head, he had no intentions of leaving her in the care of someone else unless he had to; his mother had forced his father to give him some time before he returned to the family business and he was going to use that to his advantage.

“I do… it’s my fault that you are in this position,” Sergio said as he looked down at his hands, he felt horrible that she had nearly been killed and he knew that it would haunt him forever that in the five weeks that he had known her that she had ended up like this.

“Sergio… it was never your fault,” Charlotte said shaking her head as she reached out and took his hand, she had never blamed him for anything that had happened to her and she had a feeling that since the moment her brother disappeared that something like this was going to happen.

“I’ve known since the moment that I met you that there was something special and I know this isn’t the time to think about the future but I love you,” Charlotte said as her blue eyes stared up into Sergio’s knowing that she couldn’t deny her feelings.

The Sevillian smile as he watched her, he doubted that she remembered that she had already told him that but to hear it again when she was more aware meant everything to him.

“I love you too,” Sergio said before he kissed Charlotte, he didn’t care what it took he was going to protect her from the world.