So, Here I Am

Chapter Thirty Four The Hospital

Larry had arrived at the hospital, not sure where to go.  He assumed he needed to go to ER.  He found Issy sat in the waiting area. 

Issy "They won't let me be with her, Lar.  She has no family with her, no "next of kin".  Should we call A.J. ?"  She was visibly upset.

Larry "God, no, he'd kill him".  He had an idea. "Come with me".  He grabs Issy's hand and approaching a male nurse, asks

"Maggie McLean?  She was brought in after collapsing ?  She has no-one with her.  We're her family, bro".  Knowing what Maggie looked like, there was no way this giant black man and Maggie were related, he thought.  Larry wasn't giving up.

"She has no-one with her" he reiterated, "We're her family", he said looking the nurse directly in the eyes, holding out his hand for a handshake, a fifty dollar bill hidden in his palm.

Nurse "You got ten minutes, anybody says anything, you're in the wrong cubicle. 107."  Larry grabbed Issy, and they started running down the corridor to find Maggie.  They found 107, and opened up the privacy curtain slightly to go inside.

Machines beeped, she had an I.V. in her arm, she looked so pale and tired.  Larry started to cry first, then Issy cried because Larry was crying.  He loved this woman, he realised, she was his big sister, and now because Laurent couldn't keep HIS dick in his pants, he was going to lose her, just as they were getting to know each other.

Larry stroked Maggie's forehead, pushing her hair off her face. He bent close to her, and even though he knew she couldn't hear him, he whispered softly

"You don't deserve what he's done to you, Maggie. He's my other half, and I love him to death, but I hate him for what he's done to you.  I will make it up to you, Maggie, I will spend my days trying to make up for what Lau has done to you" Issy was crying even harder now, wondering just what she had done to deserve such an amazing man as Larry Nicolas Bourgeois.

"You don't need to do that, Larry" Maggie whispered.  She was awake now, and she had heard him.  She opened her eyes to find Larry on one side of her bed, and Issy on the other.

Larry "Ssshh, don't speak, it's OK, take your time"

Maggie "What happened, I fainted ?" Larry didn't know what to say.  She'd obviously endured a traumatic shock, and her body had shut down because her brain couldn't cope with what it was trying to process.   Self preservation mode again.   He decided to broach the subject as gently as he could.

"Do you remember what happened, Maggie ?" he asked, cringing, hoping she wouldn't go into meltdown again.

"I do, Larrbear, I do.  I just don't remember passing out, is all"  She was calm, unreasonably so. And in all her pain, both physical and emotional, she surprised the hell out of them with what she said next

"Hows Laurent, Larry ?"

"Doesn't matter about him" he replied, real bitterness in his voice.

"Yes it does Larry" she said. The machines started beeping insistently, her pulse quickening, her blood pressure rising at the thought of Laurent, and the direction her thoughts were taking her. The nurse they saw earlier came in to check what was going on, stopped the noise, and checked Maggie's pulse, talking her into calming down.

"You gotta calm down, Maggie, you'll make yourself worse.  You two, out!"  He ordered them "OUT !"

Larry "But we ..."

"But you're getting her all worked up, for whatever reason, so out " he was pointing to the waiting area.  "I'll keep you updated on her, I promise" he said with a brief, but genuine smile.  Larry and Issy walked hand in hand, back to the waiting area, looking like they'd lost their best friend, bereft.  Larry then called Laurent

Laurent "How is she ?

"She's awake, and get this, she's asking how YOU are !! I swear to god, you do not deserve ...."

"I know that Larry, you don't have to shove it down my throat, man. Is she OK?"

"Don't know. Her heart rate and blood pressure went up when she talked about you, man. They're keeping her in overnight just to make sure she's OK. Don't try to visit, just don't, you'll make it worse"  It was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do, wanting to comfort Maggie and knowing he couldn't, she wouldn't even want him there.  Why would she ask how he was ?

Larry "You OK?"

Laurent "No.  Don't know."  Larry didn't know what to say to his brother right now, usually there was no problem with communication at all, even unspoken, but tonight, he just didn't have the words, to either comfort, or criticise.

Larry " I called Eleni, and told her obviously we wouldn't be at the Gala.  She was pissed !"

"Shit, I'd completely forgotten about that!"

"Get some sleep, or try to, I'll see you later. Talk then"

Larry would normally tell his brother he loved him to end their call, but tonight, he just couldn't, and Laurent knew exactly why.