Young Royals Season 3 (Version 3)

Chapter 104

They entered the city and neared the hospital. The mood in the car become even more tense as they watched out the windows waiting for the building to come into view.

Everyone was silent and Wilhelm began to think about August. He wondered if he could actually have done this to himself as a last resort, to avoid responsibility again, but then Sara spoke quietly to her brother, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I think it's my fault." Wilhelm and Simon both turned to look at her, questioning.

"What do you mean?" Simon asked, glancing back at Wilhelm momentarily.

"After the verdict, I think he needed help. He looked at me like he did, and I ignored him."

Wilhelm and Simon looked at each other again, hesitating, then Simon spoke to Sara. "It's not your fault. You tried to help him."

Sara looked down at her hands in her lap then back out the window. Simon could see she didn't believe him and still blamed herself.

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Malin went inside alone and spoke to the admissions nurses but August's mother Louise wouldn't allow anyone in to see him. They wouldn't share information about his condition either. Malin phoned Wilhelm and he reported back to Simon and Sara who waited with him in the car. Malin asked what she should do.

"Stay there. I'll call you back." Wilhelm hung up with her and looked through his contacts. He was disappointed to realise he didn't have Louise's number. He decided to try something else with little hope of success.

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Louise sat beside her son's bed in the ICU, her shoulders slumped and her eyes red from crying. She was finally beginning to doze off in the chair, exhausted from the ordeal and wondering if she would ever speak to her son again.

She'd seen a change in him at the beginning of the trial, maybe even earlier. She could see that he was depressed and hopeless, but he also seemed more humble, like he didn't care about his image and status the way he used to, and she could see that he truly regretted what he'd done.

When he finally admitted it in court and apologized, she could see he meant it too. But she never suspected he would do something like this, exactly as his father had done when he saw no way out. But then she wondered how she could be so naive.

She closed her eyes, leaning against the side of the hospital bed but suddenly she heard a buzzing. It stopped then began again. Several more times. She opened her eyes and realised it came from the pocket of August's jacket that hung on the back of the chair. She reached into the pocket and pulled out his phone.

Wille calling...

She considered the phone in her hand then scanned around the empty room, wishing Rickard would come back through the door, but he didn't appear. The phone continued to vibrate in her hand that had begun to tremble. Almost unconsciously she swiped the screen to accept the call and slowly brought the phone to her ear.

"Hallå?"

"Hej...Louise?" Wilhelm glanced up at Simon and Sara beside him in the car.

"Ja? Är det Wilhelm?"

"Ja...ehm, I'm sorry. I'm here at the hospital with Sara...we were hoping to see August. Could we see him?"

"Why do you want to see him?"

"Um...I know it's strange. My father told me what happened and she'd like to see him. Could she go up alone maybe?" Wilhelm asked as he looked directly at Sara, realising it was more important that she go. She nodded at him, approving.