"So that's why you left?" Charlotte asked quietly.
"I couldn't ruin your happiness, Charlie. But...it seems that I still didn't wait long enough."
"Daa, you should have told me then," she choked back a sob.
John Cross burst into a violent fit of coughing, doubling over in his bed. When he withdrew his hand from his lips, blood covered his fingers. "You have had enough given to you in this life, and all of it was terrible things. I did not want to ruin the happiness you've managed to take hold of."
Charlotte eyed the blood and gulped audibly. "You're dying, too. Aren't you. That's why you summonned me." Her voice grew irritated. "I've been here for almost three days, Father. You tell me this now?! Why not when I first arrived?"
"I still wasn't sure I wanted to tell you. When you told me that you still were not married, I couldn't reveal your mother's death. But," he errupted into more hacking and coughing. After catching his breath, John laid back against the pillows looking pale. "But my time draws near, with every shallow breath I breathe...death is beckoning me, Charlie," he wheezed.
"Daa no," Charlotte said softly, leaning forward to take his hand. "You'll oull through this." John shook his head weakly.
"Charl-" he coughed again; hacking up more blood then before. "Charlie...please! You must listen! I've not been a father to you these past few years," he managed to wheeze breathlessly. "You must forgive an old man, I've been foolish."
"Aya, Daa....You know I love you. These past few days have been wonderful. I feel like we've grown so close. Daa please! Fight it! For me!"
His chest heaved in effort to breath in enough air to speak again. "I'm not whole without your mother, Charlie. Without her, I am nothing. I-" he broke off into another coughing fit; this one more violent than all the others. CHarlotte stood up hesitantly and screamed for the doctor who rushed inside, pushing her out of the way.
"You should go into the other room."
Doing as the doctor bade, Charlotte skulked through the door and crossed over to the roaring fire that was lit. She jumped slightly as the door to her fathers room was slammed shut.
Several minutes later, Charlotte watched the doctor emerge slowly. "Well?"
He was silent for several moments, removing his glasses to clear the lenses. "I'm sorry miss Charlotte. Your father has passed."
Surprisingly, Charlotte didn't cry. Her fathers words about how he wasn't whole without her mother had touched her deeply. She knew what he meant, for it was exactly how she felt when she was parted from Brian. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel if he died.
It might have seemed strange to the doctor, but Charlotte stood, a smile on her face and headed for the door. She knew her father would want her happy. Sure, the tears would fall sooner or later, but right now, she had to get home to the man she loved more than life.
(to be cont.)
"I couldn't ruin your happiness, Charlie. But...it seems that I still didn't wait long enough."
"Daa, you should have told me then," she choked back a sob.
John Cross burst into a violent fit of coughing, doubling over in his bed. When he withdrew his hand from his lips, blood covered his fingers. "You have had enough given to you in this life, and all of it was terrible things. I did not want to ruin the happiness you've managed to take hold of."
Charlotte eyed the blood and gulped audibly. "You're dying, too. Aren't you. That's why you summonned me." Her voice grew irritated. "I've been here for almost three days, Father. You tell me this now?! Why not when I first arrived?"
"I still wasn't sure I wanted to tell you. When you told me that you still were not married, I couldn't reveal your mother's death. But," he errupted into more hacking and coughing. After catching his breath, John laid back against the pillows looking pale. "But my time draws near, with every shallow breath I breathe...death is beckoning me, Charlie," he wheezed.
"Daa no," Charlotte said softly, leaning forward to take his hand. "You'll oull through this." John shook his head weakly.
"Charl-" he coughed again; hacking up more blood then before. "Charlie...please! You must listen! I've not been a father to you these past few years," he managed to wheeze breathlessly. "You must forgive an old man, I've been foolish."
"Aya, Daa....You know I love you. These past few days have been wonderful. I feel like we've grown so close. Daa please! Fight it! For me!"
His chest heaved in effort to breath in enough air to speak again. "I'm not whole without your mother, Charlie. Without her, I am nothing. I-" he broke off into another coughing fit; this one more violent than all the others. CHarlotte stood up hesitantly and screamed for the doctor who rushed inside, pushing her out of the way.
"You should go into the other room."
Doing as the doctor bade, Charlotte skulked through the door and crossed over to the roaring fire that was lit. She jumped slightly as the door to her fathers room was slammed shut.
Several minutes later, Charlotte watched the doctor emerge slowly. "Well?"
He was silent for several moments, removing his glasses to clear the lenses. "I'm sorry miss Charlotte. Your father has passed."
Surprisingly, Charlotte didn't cry. Her fathers words about how he wasn't whole without her mother had touched her deeply. She knew what he meant, for it was exactly how she felt when she was parted from Brian. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel if he died.
It might have seemed strange to the doctor, but Charlotte stood, a smile on her face and headed for the door. She knew her father would want her happy. Sure, the tears would fall sooner or later, but right now, she had to get home to the man she loved more than life.
(to be cont.)