Page 29 of Royally F*cked

“May I come with her? Is that an option?” I ask her nurse.

“I’ll go,” Jude returns to my side at just the right moment. “Ottiline and I are old pros at this, right?”

“I want Charlie to come too!” she protests. “Please!”

Jude looks at me and then to Ottiline’s nurse.

“It’s fine with me.”

“Let’s go then, before we’re late,” her nurse says.

Jude and I do our best to stay out of the way while Kathie, Ottiline’s nurse, moves around with practiced precision.

When everything is ready, Jude sits down on the side of the girl’s bed and holds her hand. Then he begins softly singing.

“Lord, we come before Thee now. At Thy feet we humbly bow; O do not our suit disdain! Shall we seek Thee, Lord, in vain?

In Thine own appointed way, now we seek Thee, here we stay; Lord from hence we would not go, till a blessing Thou bestow.

Grant that all may seek and find Thee a God supremely kind; heal the sick, the captive free. Let us all rejoice in Thee.”

By the time he finishes the last verse, Ottiline’s medicines are finished, and the sweet girl is drifting off to sleep.

Jude whispers a soft goodnight to her and slowly stands.

Kathie walks out into the hallway with us and thanks Jude for his help.

“It’s no problem.”

When she pauses at her computer and begins typing, Jude asks if there have been any updates on Ottiline’s condition.

“Her numbers are holding steady but there haven’t been any major improvements like we hoped for,” Kathie says, stoically.

“And any news on a foster family for her?”

Kathie frowns. “I’m afraid not.”

Jude shakes his head. “You’ll call me if anything changes?”

“Yes. Of course, Your Highness.”

“Kathie, it’s just Jude when I’m here. You know this,” he says with a smile.

“Right. Jude,” she turns to me. “And may I call you Charlie?”

“Oh! Absolutely,” I nod enthusiastically.

“She seemed really taken by you. Will you be coming back?” Kathie asks me.

“I’d like to,” I answer without even checking with Jude.

Not even wild horses could keep me away from this place now.

“Great. It was wonderful to meet you. And I should really get back to work. I’ve got some charting to do before Ottiline’s next round of meds.”

“We will let you get to it.” Jude places his hand on the small of my back. “We should get back to the party and check on our other guests.”

There’s a piece of Jude that seems to have been left behind in Ottiline’s room. His entire mood shifts as we step onto the elevator, but I watch in amazement as he slips on a cheerful mask the moment we’re back around all the children.

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