Chapter 353

"Sebastian. How, how are you my love?" Pearl asked shakily.

She heard what sounded like stifled cries and nothing else.

"Sebastian. I love you so much. I'm so glad you are alive and coming home to me." She said.

"I'm. So. Sorry." She heard him whisper.

"No. No don't be. You have no reason to be sorry. It's ok. It's going to be ok." She said, trying to convince him and herself, too.

"Ok." He said. "I love you so much." And he hung up.

She put down the phone and covered her mouth. He sounded awful. He sounded like he was in a lot of pain, both physically and emotionally.

"Thank you for letting me talk to him." Pearl said to Auggie.

"He is alive, Pearl. And he is coming home. There is much to celebrate here." Auggie said.

"And there will be a war. This is awful." Jim said, shifting in his seat.

"So be it." Pearl said, showing her anger. She left the room and went to spend some time with the children, hoping to prepare them for what was in store.

Later that night, Dylan found Pearl in the library.

"Hey there." He said.

"Hey." She replied, looking up at him from a book.

"Christopher Reeve bio, huh? You're really getting yourself prepared for this, aren't you?" Dylan asked.

"Do I not need to?" Pearl asked.

"I mean, yeah. Of course. But you don't know what's going to happen. He could get better. There are so many new treatments. So many things what could happen. Try to relax a little. You haven't even seen him in person yet."he said.

"Dylan, you know me better than that. You know I have to figure this out." She said. He looked at her and nodded.

"I know." He said. She put her hands on her face and felt the tears fall. "Why Dylan? Why can't it just be easy?" Pearl asked.

"Because you were created to be strong." He said.

"I don't want to be strong anymore." She said.

"I know. I know, Pearl." He said. He pulled her into his arms and held her while she cried until nothing more would come out but silent sobs.

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"Pearl. It's time to go. He's going to be at the hospital in less than an hour." Auggie said. She grabbed her things and kissed the children, thanking Tia for taking them to Kensington for a few days.

"I'm ready." She said.

Dylan held her hand and helped her into the car. The entire wing was closed off and full of security. Pearl and Dylan were walked down a hall and into a large suite with a hospital bed and two couches. It looked like a hotel room.

"The helicopter is here." A nurse said. There was a large scuttle and Sebastian was wheeled in and transferred to the larger bed. It was an ordeal as they didn't seem to want him to move at all.

After several minutes and precise moving tactics, cords, tubes, monitors and other things hooked up, he was settled.

"Pearl. Pearl." He said. She could tell he was heavily medicated. He looked terrible. There were abrasions and bruises all over his face. He was almost unrecognizable.

"Pearl." He said again.

"I'm here. I'm here." She said, walking to where he could see her.

"Thank god. Thank god." He said. Tears fell from the corner of his eyes. "Please don't leave me." He said.

"Sebastian, I'm right here and staying at the hospital." She said.

"No." He said, shaking his head slightly. "That's not what I mean. Please, Pearl. Please don't leave me because of my… injury." He said.

"What? Bash, I would never leave you. Ever. I love you." She said. She leaned in and kissed his forehead. He smiled and more tears fell.

"We will get through this, together." She said. She sat in a chair next to the bed and watched him drift off to sleep.