Chapter 18

It took us almost an hour to get to the hospital by taxi since the medical team that airlifted August from the Sphinx would not allow me to fly in the helicopter with him.

As soon as we burst through the sliding doors of the emergency department, the stark white lights and the antiseptic smell of the hospital hit me like a ton of bricks.

Rushing to the reception desk, I inquired about August, my heart pounding in my ears over the murmurs and beeps that filled the room.

Dressed in blue scrubs, Nurse Dina nodded calmly as I spoke, then she told me, "Yes, he's being evaluated at the moment." She glanced at something on her computer screen but didn't give me more information.

"Can I see him?" My words came out rushed, desperate.

"Not while they're assessing his condition. You can have a seat in the waiting room, and we'll let you know as soon as we hear something." She pointed toward a set of doors to our right.

How could I possibly sit still and wait, while August was in there alone, suffering, or worse, dying? The thought just made my stomach churn.

"Can you at least tell me his condition?" I asked. "Are his injuries life-threatening?" I held my breath for her answer.

"All I know is that he was conscious when he came in," Nurse Dina offered, which was a relief, but did little to quell my anxiety. "I'm sorry I don't have more for you."

"That's a good sign, Veronica!" Daphne exclaimed from behind me, her attempt at reassurance clear in her tone. "Come on, let's head to the waiting room."

Reluctantly, I walked to the waiting area with Caleb and Daphne. At least it was less overwhelming than the rest of the ER, with pale beige walls and rows of blue fabric chairs. A few other worried faces looked up briefly as we entered, obviously harboring their own stories of fear and concern.

I began pacing immediately, wringing my hands together. "I still can't believe this happened."

"He'll be okay," Daphne said.

"How can you know that?" I said, frustration bleeding into my words.

"It's what I believe, and I'm sticking to it," she said firmly.

"This is all my fault," I said, shaking my head in disgust. "If I hadn't been so close to the edge of the platform, there would have been no need for August to keep me from falling into the ditch. He's here in this hospital because of me. This is a thousand times worse than going to jail."

"I disagree," Caleb said with hesitation. "Not about the jail part, of course. The fault lies on the parents of that unsupervised child. Nobody in their right mind should let a little kid run around on top of a slippery platform above one of Egypt's oldest monuments. It's not a playground."

"Or maybe we can blame August himself," Daphne said.

I whirled around to face her. "How can you say that?"

She shrugged, looking calm, like she believed it. "It's obvious he'd do anything for you, without a second thought for his own safety or wellbeing. That's not a fault, though. That's simply pure love. You would have done the same for him, I'm sure of it."

That part was true. In fact, I tried to reach for him before he fell, but my reflexes just were not fast enough. Luckily, I didn't actually see him hit the bottom of the ditch, or that moment would be etched in my mind for the rest of my life. The bad news was, the only thing I could do was wait and hope that he was going to be okay.

A few long hours later, a middle-aged doctor with a gentle face, framed by graying hair, finally exited the ER and called out my name.

I rushed to him and asked, "How is he?"

"He's going to be fine," he said.

I felt a sob catch in my throat.

"August has a slight concussion, a fractured arm, and a few bruises and scratches," he added. "He must have some angels watching over him because usually the outcome is a lot worse when someone takes a fall like that. We expect a full recovery."

The relief was overwhelming, and tears immediately streamed down my face as I thanked him.

"Can I see him?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion.

"Not just yet. He's being moved to a private room. We'll let you know as soon as you can visit," he explained before excusing himself.

Caleb and Daphne wrapped me in a hug, their warmth and love a tremendous comfort as I tried to relax.

"See? Everything's going to be fine!" Daphne said.

I nodded, wiping my tears away. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost him."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore," Daphne assured me. "Now, call Queen Annabelle and give her an update. She'll want to hear the good news."

I had already called August"s mother twice—once during the taxi ride to the hospital and then again from the waiting room just after we had arrived. Since August had taken the royal jet for his trip to track me down, the queen had been prepared to charter a jet and fly to Africa if his condition had been life-threatening. Fortunately, I could reassure her that there was no need for her to travel to Africa, and that her son was going to be just fine.

I pulled the phone from my purse and made the call. The phone rang only once before she picked up.

"Veronica?" she answered, her voice understandably laced with concern. "How is he? Tell me what you know."

"He's going to be okay, Your Majesty," I said. "The doctors have just finished evaluating him. He has a slight concussion, a fractured arm, and a few bruises, but nothing life-threatening."

"Oh, thank goodness—that is a relief," the queen said with a deep sigh, the relief palpable in her voice. "They said he would be fine then? No damage to his brain?"

"Absolutely. August is strong, and the doctor said he expects a full recovery," I confirmed. "He's being moved to a private room now, and they'll let us see him soon."

"I need him to call me as soon as he's able to," Queen Annabelle said firmly. "I want to hear his voice. Now that there's nothing to worry about, he needs to know that there are responsibilities waiting, and it was utterly foolish of him to gallivant around Africa at a time like this. I thought he'd gotten that out of his system after his trip to South America. Please tell him from me that once he's discharged, I expect him back in Verdana immediately."

"I understand. I'll tell him," I replied, my voice calm yet assertive. "We will see you soon."

There was a slight hesitation on her end. "We? Why would you be coming to Verdana? That is unnecessary."

"Your Majesty, I won't be leaving August's side until he has fully recovered. I'll be accompanying him back to Verdana. I'm going to be there for him."

Her tone softened when she said, "Very well, then. Thank you, Veronica."

We said our goodbyes, then I ended the call. She had no idea what her son had been through lately, and how accident prone he had become, but that story wasn't mine to tell.

"She didn't want you to go to Verdana?" Daphne asked.

I shrugged. "It was hard to tell, but queen or not, she does not have a say in the matter."

Caleb grinned. "That's my sister right there. Don't mess with her."

Luckily, it was less than an hour later when we were informed that August had been transferred to a private room, and that we could finally see him. I don't think I've ever walked so fast to get on an elevator in my entire life. Arriving at the third floor, the doors swung open, and we walked to room 312 and stepped inside.

I did my best to hold it together, even though August looked like a truck had hit him, with his usually vibrant face marred by scratches, his eyes glossy, and his left arm secured in a soft cast. Despite the sight of him in this condition, I couldn't help smiling through my tears as I approached the bed and reached for his hand.

"You scared me beyond words. How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Not too bad—they gave me something for the pain, and I'm happy to say it is working. I'm just tired and a little drowsy." August gave a slow nod, then squinted at me for a moment before tilting his head slightly. "And who are you exactly?"

My heart practically stopped.

My mouth fell open.

Images of soap opera amnesia stories flashed through my mind. The doctor had mentioned he had a slight concussion, but had they failed to actually check him for amnesia?

A few seconds later, I saw the corner of August's mouth twitch upward, and that was when I knew I wanted to kill him for his cruel prank.

"You're terrible!" I scolded, relief washing over me.

"Sorry—I had to lighten the mood somehow. You all looked like you had just seen a horror movie when you saw me," he said, his laughter filling the room, joined by Daphne and Caleb. "I'd better not laugh. Everything hurts around my ribs when I do."

I exhaled, shaking my head while trying to fight the smile creeping onto my face. "You're in so much trouble," I said, half-serious. I sat down on the edge of his bed, the warmth of his hand in mine grounding me as I thought about his fall again.

"You okay?" August said, obviously noticing my state change.

"The thought of losing you hit me hard," I said as my eyes filled. "So much so that I could barely breathe on the way here in the taxi. Before you fell into the ditch, I was just about to tell you I had forgiven you for everything and was ready to leave our past behind us. But really, more than anything, I wanted you to know that I should have given you a chance to explain your side of things, and for that, I'm truly sorry."

August's eyes brightened with a mix of relief and joy, the corners crinkling in a genuine smile as he squeezed my hand. "That means everything to me, Veronica. Hearing you say that ... It's all I've been hoping for. I love you so much."

"I love you too, August," I said as emotions surged inside of me. I smiled as best as I could through the tears and leaned across the hospital bed to kiss him.

Suddenly, he groaned, the sound muffled between our lips. I pulled back instantly, concerned I had caused more injury to him.

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, my hand flying to cover my mouth. "Are you okay?"

August managed a wry smile at the discomfort. "I'm fine. Really. I guess I'm going to be a little tender for a while, but never let that stop you from kissing me."

"I think I'm going to cry," Daphne said. "That was a beautiful moment."

Caleb leaned against the doorway with a grin plastered on his face. "Looks like the prince survives another day. Were you a cat in a previous life? How many lives do you have left, man?"

"Enough to keep us all on our toes," Daphne said with a smile. "I'm glad you are going to be okay."

"Thank you," August said. "Never a dull moment with this woman. But, you know, this never would've happened if you'd made that August-proof checklist you talked about."

"You're right," I laughed, "but now I'm thinking of scrapping the entire list and just going with one item: ‘August never leaves the palace. Ever.'"

"That's no fun," he protested, his eyes twinkling before he glanced down at our intertwined hands. "And just so you know, you've been holding my hand for quite a while now. Be careful, or people are going to speculate that we are back together."

"Let them," I retorted with a smirk. "And speaking of talking, you need to call your mother. She was very worried and said she expected a call from you as soon as you're physically able. I've been keeping her updated. Only about today, so you know. The rest is up to you."

"Thank you for that," he said. "I'll call her."

"And, for your information, she expects you to be on the royal jet back to the palace as soon as they discharge you," I said.

"That's not a surprise," August said with a chuckle. "She doesn't want anything else happening to her future king."

"Neither do I," I added quietly as I squeezed his hand.

"It looks like I'll only be in here for one night," August said with a reassuring smile. "The doctor's just being cautious and wants to monitor me overnight. But if the tests come back like he expects, I should be out of here by tomorrow morning."

"That's fantastic news!" Caleb said.

"Tomorrow, I'll have the pilot drop the three of you off in Kastonia first, before he takes me home," August thoughtfully said.

"That won't be necessary," I assured him, my voice firm.

August arched an eyebrow. "You want to go back to Verdana with me?"

I nodded. "Of course."

"I certainly could use a vacation after this vacation, and I can't even remember the last time I was in Verdana," Caleb said. "Wouldn't that be an amazing trip, Daphne?"

"I agree with you wholeheartedly." She nodded enthusiastically, playing along. "I would be thrilled to visit. If only we knew someone who lived there."

"If only …" Caleb nodded, scratching the side of his head, pretending like he was trying to think of somebody.

I shook my head in amusement at them. "You two should start your own comedy show."

August chuckled. "Fine. You all can join me in Verdana. The entertainment will help me recuperate faster."

"Yes!" Caleb exclaimed, then high-fived Daphne. "By the way, the reason Veronica said it won't be necessary to drop her off is because she boldly told Queen Annabelle she'd be accompanying you back to the palace and she wouldn't take no for an answer."

I sighed. "I did not use those exact words."

"That's impressive," August said as he studied me, then nodded his approval. "Look at you, standing up to my mother."

"And just so you know, Veronica also said she wasn't leaving your side until you made a full recovery," Daphne cheerfully added.

"Well then," August said, his tone playful as his gaze locked with mine, "I guess I'll have to make sure this recovery lasts at least fifty years."