6 YEARS LATER

The staff in the medical cabin were a bunch of worries who liked to overthink everything. Yes, I had happened to faint in the middle of the reserve and yes, it was only right that I was brought in to be examined to make sure that there wasn't anything really wrong with me. Surely now that I was awake and now that there were clearly no lingering signs of any harm, they could let me leave? But clearly, that was asking too much of them. The healers insisted that I remained strapped to this ridiculously uncomfortable bed so they could monitor my blood pressure and keep an eye on me. Merlin, all I wanted was to stretch my legs out and that simple request seemed too much to ask of anyone. I already knew the reason why I'd fainted so surely there was nothing else for them to check?

Closing my eyes and resting my head against the pillow, I decided to get some rest; I might as well make the best of this stupid situation. Merlin, the tests the healers had run confirmed what I had already told them but the healers were insistent that I let them do their job and who was I to stop them? Snuggling my head down further into the pillow, I settled to take a nap when the sudden thundering footsteps on the steps into the cabin had my eyes snapping open. Turning towards the doors that had just been pushed harshly open, I tried not to groan upon finding Charlie standing in the open doorway. Of course, they had told him and of course, he'd mkde a scene.

Wishing nothing more than to disappear into thin air, I watched as Charlie searched the cabin until his eyes settled onto the bed I was occupying. He crossed the room with quick paces, hurrying to my bedside and reaching instantly for my hand. Holding it snugly between both of his, he scanned the room, looking for something.

"Where's Healer Brill?" he asked quietly, eyes looking me over hastily. Without waiting for my answer, he called out loudly, "Where is the Healer? Is someone going to tell me why my wife is lying down in this bed and – ow!"

"Charlie," I hissed, retrieving my hand from his to pinch him harshly in the side. He jerked sharply away from me, looking down at me incredulously. When he opened his mouth to say something else, I narrowed my eyes at him and silently dared him to speak a word. He didn't bother to listen.

"Brill! Lours!" he called out loudly again, searching for the healers who were busy looking after patients that actually needed their help. Not that Charlie would bother to hear anything about it.

With a frustrated sigh, I released his hands and sat up abruptly. Charlie, who had been leaning over me, backed up to give me space to move. Not that he got far. Grabbing him by the front of his uniform shirt, I drew him closer to me and shook him slightly to ensure that he listened to me.

"Shut up, Charlie!" His mouth parted instantly as he tried to defend his actions, "I mean it."

"Wait, what?"

Sighing once more, I released my hands from Charlie's shirt and gestured for him to take a seat on the bed. Tucking my legs under me and sitting crossed legged, I patted the space beside me and made sure he sat. He joined me reluctantly, reaching out to take my hand as he waited for me to explain. Merlin, how was I possibly going to explain this?

"I fainted," I said, beginning with what he likely already knew. "The healers ran some tests on me and found out that it was caused mainly by fluctuations in my blood pressure. It wasn't what it was supposed to be and I fainted."

Charlie, knowing me better than to accept the words at face value, held my eyes for longer. When it became obvious that I wasn't going to speak up, he probed even further, "And? What caused the problem in your blood pressure, then?"

Healer Brill finally decided to humour Charlie then. The older woman crossed the room to check up on the results of the blood pressure tests and when Charlie's concerned gaze continued to bore into the side of her face, she assured him that it was fine now. Realising that she wasn't going to tell him why I had really fainted, he looked expectantly towards me. And Healer Brill, who had honoured the promise she made me by not speaking a word of it to Charlie, held my gaze to make sure I did as I had promised. I already knew that if I didn't say anything, she wouldn't hesitate to break her promise to me.

Lowering my head under the combined weight of Healer Brill's and Charlie's eyes, I tried not to sigh again. Forcing myself to eventually raise my head, I looked met Charlie's expectant gaze. He continued to wait not so patiently.

"Charlie," I started slowly, reaching out to take both of his hands in mine.

"You're beginning to really scare me," he warned, voice trembling slightly.

"Let me talk already and you won't be so scared anymore." He eyed me dubiously but I continued anyway, "You need to find out what the reserves policies on maternity and paternity leave are."

Charlie, who had clearly only been thinking one thing, nodded. He nodded in a way that told me that he was relieved to find out I wasn't dying but that he hadn't really understood what I was trying to tell him. It took a moment longer until he finally did understand and then, then the smile threatened to rip his face in half. Maybe breaking the news to him after fainting had been a good thing after all. Merlin knew I had spent the last few weeks stressing over how to tell him and right now he was so relieved that it wasn't anything dangerous that he was smiling so widely. Before I could even hope to tease him, he drew me into his arms and clung on so tightly and for so long that eventually, Brill had to remind him to let me go.