Chapter 28

One day later...

'How am I to react when I see him? We must avoid all suspicion!' Sheldon asked Bertha, considering the depth of new events.

'You must keep yourself together. Act as though you are distraught to see your father in such a way. Pretend you want him to live!' Bertha demanded.

'Yes, you are right of course you are. Will it not look suspicious that I have not yet been to see him?' He whittled.

'No. Just say when you were informed of your father's severe illness yesterday afternoon that you were too proud to show your face as you could not stop yourself from weeping. Those fools will believe anything you tell them!' Bertha answered.

'Okay, it is time I left. It is not long until everything he owns finally becomes mine! There is just that bastard of a baby to get rid of now!' Sheldon yelled.

Bertha smirked as Sheldon headed to the front door and left the house.

'Oh Anne, you look exhausted. Did you sleep at all last night?' Wilma asked, gently running over her sister's shoulder.

'I did not. How could I? I have not left his bedside. He must wake soon, he cannot leave me and his unborn child!' Anne cried, more tear squeezing themselves from her eyes.

'Anne, have you thought of what you will do with the baby if he...you know.' Wilma said gently.

Anne's face looked as though it had been crushed by a bulldozer. She couldn't hide how much she was hurting at Wilma's awful insinuation.

'What? I will care for the baby just as I would if George was with me! And he will wake up, I just know it. There is no need to even consider such things.' Anne replied hysterically.

'I know you do not want to hear this but death comes for us all. George is not exactly what we would call young and an overdose is always serious. He has not yet woken and it has been almost 24 hours since he was found. You must prepare your mind for the worst.' Wilma tried to harshly explain.

'When did you become so cold?! Being with Sheldon has messed you up sister, you used to have such faith and innocence. He must not die, he cannot die! We have a life to start together, a family to make! You must believe he will make it, as do I!' Anne told her.

Wilma let out a deep sigh as she knew her words were falling on ears of denial. Anne couldn't bear the thought of losing her true love before they could even exchange their vows. Before Wilma could give her some reassurance, the doors burst open and Sheldon waded into the room.

'My goodness, father! He looks so pale!' Sheldon cried, running over to an unconscious George and clutching his shoulder. 'Has the doctors said when he is expected to wake?' He turned to Anne and asked.

'They do not know, nobody knows. Why do they not know anything! I have been waiting all night for him to wake up and tell me that he will be here for my unborn child and I but he has not!' Anne cried, completely losing herself in front of her enemy. Letting herself appear weak.

'He must wake! I cannot lose him! I have so much I need to say, so much I need to take back. Memories that need to over power the hurt I caused him!' Sheldon said, forcing a tear from just one eye and allowing it to drop onto his father's pillow.

'All is forgotten, it has to be in a time like this. You are his son! You are family, just as I will be his family one day soon, making us all family. We must stand as one and pull him through this!' Anne proposed.

Sheldon gave Anne an emotional smile, held together by his dampening eyes and his tired looking skin.

'Yes, we must! He needs both of us to get through this. But look at him! If he does not wake soon, it does not look good!' Sheldon explained. Wilma gave both Sheldon and Anne a look of sympathy and slowly left the room to give them some privacy. 'I would have been here sooner but in all honesty, I could not bear to face the world. How would that look? A Winchester breaking down at the thought of his father lying in a hospital bed. No, they would judge me and see me to no longer be a man of great stature. If he dies, I myself am the one that will be upholding the Winchester name. I cannot let him down, people must continue to respect me!' Sheldon told her with such raw passion lingering in his tone.

Anne watched him, mesmerised. Perhaps there still was something in the air. Respect, admiration, desire, passion...love?

'Yes, you must do what you must to keep your family name as respected as possible. But my baby. My baby must be a part of your future plans, no matter what happens to George. He would want that.' Anne replied, wiping more tears from her worn cheeks.

Sheldon gently stroked Anne's hair as it neatly fell from the updo wedding hairstyle and rested on her shoulders. His comfort was something that she didn't know she needed until that moment. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his hands being on her again.

'Shh. Do not worry, you beautiful creature. All will be well. You and your baby will both be well looked after, whether my father lives to see another day or not. It is true, we have had many differences but I think we have an understanding between us, an unspoken one yes, but we both know what there is between us. But you are part of the Winchester family now and that is where you shall always remain from this day forward.' Sheldon said, they were reassuring words to her ears.

Anne smiled with her eyes closed and allowed herself to feel vulnerable to a man she had spent so long hating. Her feelings for him conflicted peacefully in her mind as she happily swallowed the comfort he was offering her. He gently glided away from her when a doctor came into the room.

'I am sorry to interupt...whatever that was Sir but we have news. The officer that was collecting evidence from the Winchester household has confirmed it. Your father was poisoned.' The doctor said.

'Poisoned! But why? Everyone loves George Winchester! Nobody would ever want to harm him.' Sheldon exclaimed.

'We do not know Sir, not until the police have finished their enquiries. But his whisky has been found mixed with two full bottles of opium. Whoever did this planned it carefully, on his wedding day too. If I were you, I would consider thinking of his enemies. But for some good news, Mr. Winchester is showing signs of true strength and his body is reacting well to the treatment. It is likely that he will wake up and when he does, we can ask him ourselves about what happened.' The doctor said with a smile as he exited the room.

Anne smiled and held George's hand, feeling the hope that she had been wanting to feel since her wedding morning. Sheldon glared down at his father and wondered how he could survive such a thing. He then left the room, leaving Anne to her happy moment.