Pierce nodded and took Regina by the hand, as all of the rest of them rushed to the limousine and hurried into it, ready to go. The doors of the ambulance were closed and Ryder sat beside his father as the technicians worked swiftly around him, hooking Carter up to machines and testing him as they asked questions of Ryder and blazed off through the dark night to the hospital with the limousine right behind them.
Minutes became hours as the siblings and Regina waited in the small waiting room, sitting on uncomfortable chairs, pacing over hard old linoleum tiled floors, staring up at the buzzing fluorescent lights overhead.
Phones rang around them in unseen rooms, voices mumbled conversation now and then in hallways and behind doors. People came and went, and any time that someone walked into the room, the eyes of the Carrington’s were on them, searching silently for answers, their minds each filled with endless questions, their hearts racing.
Regina had offered to have food brought to them, but no one wanted anything to eat. Pierce and Lucas sat with paper coffee cups in their hands, filled with coffee from a machine in the corner of the waiting room. The champagne they’d all had, along with the immense joy of the evening, had faded away like a silent mist.
Regina watched them all, wondering what she could do and wishing, as they all did, that it had never happened. She looked up at Ryder, who was standing before a window that looked out onto the parking lot. He had one hand on his hip and the other was raised; his elbow propped against the glass, his thumb against his mouth as he stared off into nothing.
She rose from her chair and went to him, reaching her hand up to his back. Giving it a gentle rub, she leaned in close to him and spoke softly. “Is there anything I can get for you? Anything that I can do?” She detested feeling helpless. It only added to the misery of the night.
His head snapped around and he looked at her with cold eyes. “I need to be left alone.” He almost growled at her. She blinked in shock. He had never spoken to her so bitterly before, never been mean, and she was fully taken aback.
Realizing that he was going through a difficult time, she nodded and stepped away from him, her eyes steady on him as he turned from her once more and resumed his position of staring out of the window. She swallowed hard and went back to her chair, folding her hands together. None of the others had seen it; they were all pacing or staring at the floor and the wall and the clock that ticked on incessantly. She was relieved that none of them had seen it, though she knew that any comfort from them would have been a balm to the pain that his abruptness with her had caused.
It had cut her that he brushed her aside so callously, and she chose to push it away from her mind. He was going through a difficult experience, and she could be understanding and give him the space that he needed.
After what felt to them all like an eternity, the doctor came out to speak with them. All of them rushed to him, though Ryder was the last to join the circle, and he stood at the edge of it, watching and listening.
“Carter has had a heart attack,” the doctor began, making an effort to look into all of their eyes. “He’s alive, but he’s very weak.”
“Oh god!” Cami gasped, holding her hands to her mouth as tears began to stream down her cheeks. Lucas, Pierce, and Regina shared her sentiment, though each of them reacted to it differently. Ryder stood stock still and kept his eyes on the doctor, watching him in silence.
The doctor continued, speaking slowly and clearly to them. “He needs a great deal of rest and no stress at all. You’ll be allowed to see him in a few minutes. He’s being taken to his room. I’ll be here all night if anything happens or if he needs anything, and if any of you have questions, I am here to help.”
Pierce cleared his throat. “Is this something that he can recover from?” His usually confident and strong voice was thin and strained.
The doctor nodded and looked hopeful at best. “He can, if he is well cared for and gets the rest he needs, but there is never any guarantee of that. You have this time with him now. I’d use it well.” The doctor gave them a nod and Pierce and Lucas shook his hand before he left.
Camille wept and through her tears she thanked him quietly, and Regina did the same. Ryder closed his eyes and dropped his head, sliding his hands into his pockets. They all looked around at one another and Cami reached for Lucas, giving him a hug as much as she got one that she too needed, and Pierce reached for Regina, hugging her and then letting her go.
He and Lucas looked toward Ryder, but Ryder turned away from them and none of them said anything about it to him. A nurse came to them a few minutes later and said she would show them all to Carter’s room.
Carter was laying back in his bed, pale and weakened. He looked as if he had aged five years or more just since the party that night. The siblings all crowded around his bed, save for Ryder, who stood at the foot of it, a few feet back from the end of the bed.
Camille took her father’s hand in hers and held it as Regina stood by her side, and Lucas and Pierce stood on his other side, as Pierce held his other hand. The nurse gave them all an encouraging smile.
“He’ll be waking up soon, I think. Just remember to keep it short, he needs his rest.” She gave them a pointed but kind look and they nodded to her.
Almost as if on cue, Carter’s eyes fluttered open and he looked around the room in confusion. The nurse stayed at the edge of the room, ready if she was needed. He blinked a few times and looked at his children in horror.
“What… what’s happening?” he asked, trying to comprehend it.
Pierce sighed and closed both of his hands around his father’s hand. “You’ve had a heart attack. Just as we were leaving the gala tonight, you fell. You hit your head, too, but I think that will heal quickly.” He glanced at the bandage where Carter’s head had been cut. “We’re here,” he added, shooting a quick look at all of his siblings, “We’re all here.”
Cami tried to produce a smile for her father. “You’re going to recover from this. You will. We’re all going to make sure of it. They aren’t letting us stay long, they say you need your rest, but we’re going to come back tomorrow and we’ll be here with you until they let you come home. You’re going to be alright. You are.” She was swearing to him as much as herself, in desperate hope.
Carter sighed, opening and closing his eyes as if they were tremendously heavy and he was completely exhausted. He faded back to sleep and the siblings frowned with worry and shared looks between themselves.
Camille and Pierce moved aside so that Regina and Lucas could see him. Lucas rubbed his hand lightly over his father’s hand. “I’ll be back tomorrow, father. I promise.” Carter’s eyes fluttered open again as he looked over at his son.
“Yeah, tomorrow. I’ll be back. You get some rest and let the staff here take good care of you.” He tried to give his father a smile. Carter managed a nod. Then he turned his head slowly and looked over at Regina.
She gave him her own wide smile. “That’s no way to go down stairs, you know,” she said lightly, and Carter managed a weak smile in return. “We’re all going to look out for you. You’re in fine hands. The best of care. We’ll all be back. All of us.” She turned her head, looking at Ryder who had taken a few steps toward the foot of the bed. He was staring at Carter, and Carter saw him for a moment, meeting Ryder’s blue-eyed gaze, and then Carter slipped out of consciousness again.
“He’s out again.” Lucas said, looking at the rest of them. “He’s so tired.”
The nurse came out of her corner in the room. “He needs his rest now. It’s time to go.” She held the door for them and one by one they filed out. Cami, Pierce, and the Lucas. Regina was about to go after Lucas, but she saw Ryder leave his place at the foot of the bed and walk to the side of it, so she shook her head at the nurse and the nurse nodded and left, holding up a single finger to indicate that they only had a minute before they should leave.
Ryder stood at the side of the bed, staring down at his father. Regina had taken his place at t
he foot of the bed, watching Ryder. “He will be alright, Ryder. The doctor’s said that if he got some rest-”
He jerked his head up and glared at her. “I know what he said! I was standing right there!” He shot at her venomously.
She’d had enough of his anger. “Look, I know you’re afraid; we all are. None of us wants to see him go through this, we’re all worried. You’re not alone! I’m just trying to help you! Stop being so angry! We’re going to get him home and he’s going to be fine! We’ll look after him, and we’ll be here tomorrow and every day until he can come home!”
He narrowed his eyes at her and raised his voice slightly. “We will be, but it should just be us… the real family. You shouldn’t even be here! You’re not family!”
Regina felt a fire blaze up inside of her and she lifted her chin defiantly. “What are you talking about! Carter is my family now! He told me to call him father! He thinks of me and treats me as a daughter! I am family!”
“You’re not!” Ryder raised his voice again. “The only reason that he treats you the way that he does is because he doesn’t know the truth! But you and I both know it! You and I are lying to him, and we’ve been lying to him this whole time!” He raised his hand and pointed his finger sharply at her. “You are not family!”
Regina couldn’t say a word. His words had shot at her like a cannon ball from a cannon, hitting her hard in the chest and bringing her to her knees. Tears filled her eyes instantly and she was blinded by them. Her lips trembling as she tried to hold in all of her emotion, she turned on her heel and ran for the door, disappearing from the room like a shadow in the wind.
Ryder’s eyes filled with tears as well, though his were born of anger. He sank down into a nearby chair and dropped his head into his hands, weeping uncontrollably.
Carter turned his head from looking at the door that Regina had rushed out of, and he stared at Ryder, comprehension written in his eyes.
It was late that night when Ryder walked into their room in the mansion. He was bleary eyed and silent. He stopped only a few steps into the room, stunned at what was before him. Their bed was covered in suitcases and bags, and Regina was stuffing all of them with her clothes and belongings. She moved swiftly back and forth between the closet and then bed, shoving things into the depths of the bags.
He scowled and spoke sharply. “Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, walking toward her.
She turned and faced him, planting one hand on her hip. “I’m leaving, obviously.” She shot back. She wasn’t going to put up with him being hateful to her, no matter what his father was going through.
“What do you mean leaving? What are you doing?” He met her eyes with his and anger blazed in both of them.
“You told me tonight that I’m not family, and you knew that I thought I was. Since I’m not family and since we’re getting divorced anyway, I might as well leave now.” She turned and crammed a pair of jeans into one of the suitcases, and then reached for more clothes.
He shook his head in disbelief. “What? You can’t leave! This deal of ours isn’t done yet! I haven’t gotten my inheritance yet! He’ll be giving it to me anytime now, but it just hasn’t happened yet! You can’t go until I have my inheritance, or you don’t get a dime!” He shot at her.
She flipped around and faced him again, glaring hotly at him. “I don’t give a damn about the money anymore! I do give a damn about you and about this family that you say I’m not a part of! Keep your money!”
She zipped the last suitcase and yanked the bag onto her shoulder. Picking up both suitcases, she walked past him and out of their bedroom, heading for the front door of the house. She was done. If he was going to kick her out of the family that had accepted her and divorce her on top of it, there was no reason to stay and no reason to let him treat her like hell
She made it as far as the front door, but when she set one of the suitcases down and opened the door, his hand shot over her shoulder and slammed it shut again. She set the other suitcase down and turned to face him again.
“Don’t you dare try to stop me.” She snapped at him, raising her chin defiantly.
“You’re not going anywhere!” He insisted, his eyes fiery with anger. “Think about this, Regina. If you leave out of the blue like this, it’s going to cause father undue stress and he could die from it. If you leave, it may just very well kill him. Now, you say you love my father, that you care so much about him. Well, if you care so much, you’ll put his health needs above your petty temper, and you’ll consider what your thoughtless actions will do to him, and you’ll stay.”
She wanted to argue with him, but she had heard clearly what the doctor told them. No stress. She knew that he was right. Her leaving would cause great stress to Carter. She pursed her lips and drew in a deep breath as she glared at him furiously. “Fine, but if I have to stay then I’m moving to another area of the house so I don’t have to see you!”
Picking up her suitcases again, she pushed past him and headed for the staircase, going up to the second level to one of the many bedrooms on that level. She chose one at the far end of the house, settling in only a little before dissolving into tears and falling to the pillows on the big bed, weeping bitterly until she fell asleep.
Ryder stomped off to his room and slammed the door behind him. He paced around the room angrily and finally slumped down into an armchair, burying his head in his hands for the second time that night. Everything inside of him was chaos. Everything in him felt as if it was tearing him to shreds.
***
Carter was finally able to come home from the hospital, and he was put into one of the bedrooms on the main floor for ease of access both for him and for any medical staff who came to see to his care until he was well again. He wouldn’t be navigating the stairs in the house for a while, according to the doctor.
On the morning that Carter came home, Regina waited until the other siblings had all seen him, and then she went in on her own to visit him. He was sitting up in his bed with bright eyes and a warm smile for her. She went to him and hugged him carefully, kissing his cheek as he hugged her in return.
“I won’t break you know. You don’t have to hug me like I’m fine china.” He made light of it, giving her a chuckle.
“I’m just being careful.” She laughed softly. “You look good. You got your color back and you look like you’re feeling better.”
“I am feeling better.” He told her confidently. “Thank you. I’ve been resting and healing.”
She eyed the laptop that was sitting near him on the bed. “I don’t know if that’s considered resting, though…” She trailed off giving him a raised eyebrow.
He shrugged a little. “It’s business. It’s what I do. I’m just being careful to make it easy business, and I’m leaving the stressful things to Pierce.”
She nodded and his smile fell some then as he watched her carefully. “Speaking of business, what are you doing staying in another area of the house?”
Regina’s mouth fell open in surprise. She hadn’t expected anything like that to come from him. “How… how did you know?” She asked quietly.
“I know a lot more than you could imagine.”
She wasn’t entirely certain of what he meant by that, and she decided to play it safe. She didn’t want him to worry too much. “Well, newlyweds make love and war, don’t they?” She attempted a slight smile and he nodded and sighed. The disappointment on his face was obvious.
A few days after he had been home, he called a meeting with all of the siblings, asking them to come to his new room. They all walked in to find chairs waiting for them, lined up in a row, including one for Regina. They took their seats and gave him their attention.
He sat up in his bed and rested his hands on his lap, watching them all closely. “The time has come to give each of you your inheritance from me. I wanted to let you all know that I have made some changes to the arrangement, however. All of you will be receiving what we have
discussed in the past, except for Ryder.”
They all stared at him, though Ryder looked at him more sharply than the rest. Carter met Ryder’s stare for a moment as he spoke. “Ryder’s inheritance will be going in its entirety to Regina and to any Carrington children that she gives birth to.”
All of them gasped as they gaped at their father. Ryder was horrified. Carter looked at them all. “I’d like to speak with Ryder alone, please.” Obediently, they all rose and left, though Regina paused as if she wanted to stay. One look from Carter told her that she shouldn’t, and she walked out with the others, red faced and heart pounding hard, just as confounded as they all were. The rest of the siblings left, but Regina waited outside of the room, and she was able to hear what was being said inside.
Ryder rose from his chair and walked toward his father’s bed, his eyes locked on the old man. “What do you think you’re doing?” He demanded furiously, his cheeks reddening some with his anger.
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