Choices TRR Liam/MC: Injured

Part Two: Reunited

"Drake" Alice woke suddenly to the familiar voice and found herself lying in a soft bed, under warm covers, in a modestly sized and softly lit room. She moved to sit up but found herself momentarily paralysed by a horrible aching in her chest and side. She breathed in sharply and let herself fall back. Memories of the night before came back to her as she wondered how she had come to be in this room, in this bed. "I now invite Duchess Alice, the future Queen of Cordonia, to address you all..." the last words she heard her fiancé say, that and a terrified yell as he tried and failed to get to her through the chaos... as she faced the gun... and grimaced as she felt the echo of the bullet hitting her side. She breathed in sharply, voice shaking. She tried to imagine a world in which her love was not beside her, but all she felt was darkness, emptiness. The voices from the next room brought her back to full awareness and she refocused to listen to them.

"But she's okay?"

"She and her baby are safe in the city, absolutely fine" Liam... Alice's heart leapt at his voice, she trembled and felt tears welling at the relief of hearing it again. If she had never heard it again...

"I personally made sure that they were safe and in good hands before we left, if that means anything" Bertrand...

"Are you okay Drake? You seem to be missing a shirt" Maxwell... she would almost have laughed at his jovial approach if she wasn't so deep in relief and exhausting.

"I, ah, used it for-"

"Oh my gosh there is so much blood here!" Hana...

"She's okay, like I said, she's sleeping. I think she should rest more"

"Drake is right, she will need all her strength to face the press"

"Bertrand! You can't be thinking that, Alice can't see them while she's recovering!"

"I need to see her – just see her"

"Of course Liam, she's in the next room" Alice heard movement towards the door to her room.

"Hana think about this, the people need to see that –"

"No Bertrand, this is about Hausmann right now, she can't answer difficult questions when she can barely move"

"Exactly, she needs rest, you never know when she might have to face a dance challenge again"

"Maxwell be serious..."

The voices faded as Alice's focus switched to her fiancé, who closed he door behind him and looked surprised to see her awake.

"Alice" he said softly and came to sit at the edge of the bed. She blinked her tears away quickly and gave a small smile as he gently brushed a few hairs from her face. She closed her eyes briefly and leant into his warm touch.

"Liam" she said, her voice hoarse. She coughed a couple of times and winced at the feeling of a branding iron to her side. Liam offered her water from the bedside table, but she struggled to get up. He pulled back the covers to help her and exposed the bandages wrapped and secured around her waist. He froze, more worry and guilt on his face than had flooded Drake's the night before. He handed her the water bottle and she took a sip before turning her head to see Liam without twisting her body. "Liam please don't-"

"I'm so sorry Alice"

"-Apologise" she finished, "please, it's not your fault, and I'm fine"

"You're not fine!" Liam looked shocked at her statement, "you were shot!" his voice was never raised but his shock was quickly replaced by guilt. She could not dispute that, if she was honest with anyone it would be him, of course.