I was glad to find out that other people do what I have been doing for years now: re-writing scenes from GWTW and Scarlet. This is my version of what could have happened if Scarlett called for Rhett after the accident. Please let me know what you think... :-)

CHAPTER 1

"Rhett… I want Rhett…" she mumbled.

Melanie's eyes flashed. She stood up and headed quickly to Rhett's room. She found him in the same condition she had left him the previous time she had to give him news; sitting on the bed, unshaven and sleepless, endlessly smoking. The room was a mess. Cigar butts everywhere and dishes with untouched food.

"Captain Butler," she said softly.

He turned to her, his gaze blurred and vacant. He looked exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. And, she could tell by the smell of whiskey in the room, significantly drunk.

"Captain Butler, she is asking for you," she said giving him an understanding smile.

She watched his face changing rapidly. His eyes went wide with surprise and she could swear she saw a faint smile. He jumped on his feet, threw away his cigar and without even a word he run to Scarlett's room.

He went in full of hope. The sight of her, however, took his breath away. He sat next to her, an expression of unbearable pain distorting his features. She was cadaverous, her beautiful face full of bruises, her green eyes shut. What had he done to her? He took her hand on his and rested it upon his cheek.

"Rhett…" her voice sounded weak.

He leaned forward.

"I'm here," he said softly.

She let out a sigh of relief.

"You're here…" she mumbled. "You're finally here. Rhett, we must leave. Melanie, the baby… We must leave," she murmured full of agony.

He turned to Dr Meade.

"She is delirious. She will calm down once the fever drops," he reassured him.

He raised his hand and tenderly caressed the beloved face.

"I'm here. We'll leave, don't worry," he said, his voice hoarse.

He never left her side from that moment after. His presence alone had an immediate effect on her condition. Sick and feverous as she was, his voice was the only thing that could soothe her, when lost in delirium. She was showing small signs of improvement every day, as if she was drawing strength from his presence to fight and get well. And he wouldn't let anyone else take care of her. He wanted to be the one to cool her, when the fever was raising, the one to comfort her, when she was crying out lost in a bad dream, the one to stay awake next to her ready to respond to anything she might need.

He felt a cool had on his shoulder.

"Captain Butler," Melanie said smoothly.

He turned to look at her.

"Do eat something and try to get some rest. I'll be with her."

He shook his head no.

"Thank you, Miss Melly. I'd rather stay here with her," he responded wearily.

"You will make yourself sick. You must rest," she insisted.

"I don't want to leave her. I need to be here. She needs me."

He turned to Scarlett again, devotion written all over his face.

"I'm scared, Miss Melly. I'm afraid she won't get well. I'm so worried about her."

"Don't talk like that," she said at once. "She is going to get well. It takes time. The doctor said she is much better. You heard it yourself. You must be patient."

"I wish… It's the only thing I want."

Silence fell for a while.

"Scarlett is very lucky to have you," she said sweetly.

"How can you say such a thing!" he said sounding desperate for the first time since she knew him. "Look what I've done. Look what happened to her because of me."

He paused abruptly, his voice losing its steadiness.

"Come now," she said softly. "It was an accident, Ι know that. It wasn't your fault."

"No, you don't know. It was my fault. I was crazy with jealousy and I wanted to hurt her for she had hurt me. We quarreled. The things I said… This is all my fault," he murmured devastated.

Melanie sat on her knees and rested her hands on his arm.

"You are exhausted and you have lost your patience. You must calm down."

"I swear to you, all I've ever wanted was to give her everything. I knew better that anyone what you've been through during the war. I wanted to make her forget, I wanted to make her happy. And you see how splendidly I carried it off…" his voice cracked. "I harm her. All I've ever done is to harm her."

His eyes were moist.

"Captain Butler, please. I won't allow you to speak like that for yourself. I know well enough how much you love her; and how much she loves you."

He laughed a weary laugh.

"No, Miss Melly. I tried. I tried so hard to make her care. But all my efforts were in vain."

"You are wrong," she said confidently. "Scarlett loves you a great deal. Much more that she knows."

"I wish I could believe you. Even if it was true though, she'd never forgive me after this…" he bent his head.

"There, hush now. Scarlett is going to get well and everything will be corrected. You must be patient. It's going to be fine."

Indeed, the next day's dawn found Scarlett feverless for the first time in three days. Only then did he feel his agony settling down a bit. He covered her and let her sleep peacefully. He sat down on the armchair next to her bed relieved. Hiding his face in his hands he sighed.

She tried to move her head, but found it impossible. The pain made her temples pounding mercilessly. Even the smallest move was unbearable. She was thirsty. She half-opened her eyes, as if with terrible effort. She saw him sitting on the armchair. He was there… She hadn't dreamt of it. He was truly there.

"Rhett," she whispered.

He jumped surprised. He saw her looking at him and couldn't believe his own eyes. He sat next to her, his face glowing.

"How are you?" he caressed her face tenderly.

"Water," she said slowly.

He carefully tipped up her head and led the glass to her lips. Her face contorted with pain. She saw anxiety overrunning his.

"Are you in much pain?"

She nodded wearily.

"Do you want something to eat? Should I call to prepare something for you?"

"No, I'm not hungry."

Silence fell for a while. Then he spoke and his voice was heavy with remorse.

"Could you ever forgive me?" he looked straight in her eyes, full of expectation.

"It wasn't you fault," she answered weakly.

"How could I talk to you like that! I was so angry with you, so crazy with jealousy. I didn't know what I was doing, or saying. I wish I could take everything back, none of this had ever happened."

He knelt next to the bed and buried his face in her palm.

"Please forgive me," he murmured full of agony.

He could feel her hand shaking beneath his face.

"I was so scared these past days. So scared I'd lose you and I won't have the chance to make amends. I thought I'd go crazy with guilt. What would I have done if I'd lost you? How would I have lived? Please tell me you forgive me."

"I wanted this baby," her voice faded, hot tears dropping down her cheeks.

He raised his head to look at her. Profound pain was written all over her face. He took her hand on his. When he managed to speak, his voice was unsteady.

"Me too. I swear to God, if I knew, I would have come right back to you, whether you wanted me or not. I don't know what got into me, I lost my mind. Your words hurt me so much, and I wanted to hurt you back. I couldn't imagine that this would happen. I swear, I didn't mean a word I said. I was so glad when you told me, even though I didn't let it show. And when Dr Meade told me that…" he paused abruptly.

He looked hard in her eyes again.

"Do you believe me?" he whispered holding his breath.

"I do," she said and she squeezed his hand in hers.

He smiled faintly, suddenly relieved.

She was looking at him and there was only one thing she could think of. He was there after all. She was weak exhausted and broken, both her body and spirit; and for the first time in her life she knew exactly what she needed.

"Hold me, Rhett," she asked.

He lay down next to her and took her in his arms as gently as possible. Once safe in his embrace, she let herself free to cry; for his long absence, for the pain they had caused to one another, for the relief she was feeling because he was back. To mourn, finally, for the child she lost. Tears she couldn't stop began to drop down her face and muffled sobs made her body shake in his arms.

"Don't cry, my love," he whispered. "Please, don't cry."

He couldn't bear her pain, guilt took over his body again. Her sobbing grew louder.

"Shhhh… Hush, please hush… Everything is going to be alright, everything will pass," he was murmuring again and again, while caressing her hair, kissing her face. "As long as you are well. Everything else we will go through together. I'll do anything humanly possible to help you leave this behind, forget it and forgive me. I promise I'll do anything. Don't cry. Please, my love, don't cry."

His caresses and soothing words calmed her eventually. She stayed cuddled in his arms, her eyes shut, her fingers holding his shirt tightly, as if she was afraid he'll leave again. He was rocking her gently and rhythmically like a baby, until he felt her body heavier in his arms, a sign she had fallen asleep.

He stayed with her a little longer, watching her serene figure. He then went out of the room to tell everyone the good news.

"She is conscious, let her sleep," he told Mammy. "I want to take a bath and something to eat," he asked wearily.

As soon as he lay down on his bed, however, he fell fast asleep.