King of My Heart

Chapter 28 - When it all came apart

*1 month ago before the engagement was called off*

Liam Craig's POV

"Sir, are you ready to meet your bride?" The assistant at the bridal gown shop asked me.

Finally... 1 month of wedding preparation, we're merely just one more step away from my dream come true - to marry the love of my life.

Everything will fall perfectly in place after today's gown fitting session. For the first time, I'm going to see it for myself in person, my bride-to-be.

"Yes..." I clenched my jaws slightly as I nodded my head back at the assistant, still feeling nervous.

"Alright... here you go," The assistant unveil the curtains of the changing room, and there stood the woman who never fails to take my breath away.

She looked astonishing, so beautiful as she stood before me in that gown of swishing sheerness that pronounced her figure of elegance in an unspoken manner.

She giggled and then she said, "How long are you going to leave your jaw hanging wide open?"

That got me gravitated back to earth.

"So... how is it? Do I look good?" She asked as she spun around in front of me.

I grabbed her by her waist and she landed swiftly onto my chest. I combed the stray tendrils off her face and said with much certainty, "Just like an angel, forever and always."

She blushed and signalled me to release her when the assistant started giggling at us.

"So... Sir and Ma'am, do I take this piece as a yes?" The assistant asked.

We looked and smiled at each other without hesitation before replying to the assistant in a concerted manner, "Yes, please."

"Alright, I shall go change out now, see you in a while," Claire gave me a peck on my cheek before she left for the changing room.

I started getting dizzy, probably from the rush of happiness that Claire has given me.

Suddenly, I felt a trickle of wetness running down from my nostrils. I wiped it with my hands, only to realise to my horror that it was blood. I rushed to the restroom immediately and found myself bleeding profusely from my nose. The giddiness sets in once more as I was washing up. I shook my head and tried to stabilise myself as I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

Damn it... what's wrong with me?

"Liam, where did you go to?" Claire looked at me worriedly after I returned from the restroom.

"I was at the restroom, I think I ate something bad," I lied to her.

"Let me send you home now," I was adamant to send her home as soon as possible before she witnesses yet another probable episode of my bleeding.

After sending her home, I immediately went to Jenn Haines's hospital to get myself checked. Being a doctor myself, I was no stranger to the procedures. After a CT scan of my brain, I sat down in front of my colleague from the Neurological department, Dr Winston.

Dr Winston flashed my CT scan results against the light panel and then he clasped his hands together with much hesitation to bear the truth to me. A mannerism which I am familiar with whenever we have to deliver bad news to patients.

He didn't have to even say anything, one look at that black spot on that CT scan of my brain, I knew... I knew what happened to me.

He cleared his throat and asked me, "Dr Craig, there's a blood clot that is stressing at this spot in your brain which is the reason for all the symptoms that you're experiencing. I understand from your medical history that you had survived a concussion to your head before, however, as you should have already known, usually a clot like this would have gone off on its own after a few months of medication. When it doesn't, a surgical approach would be necessary. But that of course, comes with a risk, especially when your clot has now shifted to a risky position."

"Risky position?" I asked.

"Yes... very soon the clot that is stressing this position which is very near to your brain stem can cause a shut down of your respiratory system. Basically... you could go anytime. I would strongly advise you to arrange for a removal surgery as soon as possible," He explained.

"What are my chances?" I asked.

"We're looking at a 5% chance of survival and a... 90% chance of being in a vegetative state or a coma even if the removal was successful." He explained heavily.

The bolt of daunting truth struck me so heavily that I felt lost and void of all hope for the first time. My palms turned cold and sweaty and my hands trembled uncontrollably. I was shaking right from the core of me.

This is it, this is the day when it all came apart for us.

Fear. I felt fear, not of death, but of the promise that I have made to Claire. I could no longer uphold that promise.... that promise to be by her side for life. I was as good as a dead man now. I couldn't possibly make her marry a dead man. I couldn't even stomach the thought of making her a widow. I was in no position to ask her in hand for marriage, let alone her love for me.

As much as I don't want to hurt her, I would do whatever it takes for her to not love me anymore so that my departure from her life would bring no hurt to her.

"I know you need time to think through your decision..." Dr Winston tried to continue but I cut him off, "I'll see about it, thank you."

*1 week later*

Damn it... I was bleeding again.

Halfway through my work, I had to run off into the washroom to clean up my bloodied face from nose below.

"Liam?" A familiar voice came from beside me while I was washing the blood off my face.

I turned and realised Scott was standing next to me.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Scott asked, seemingly in shock.

Suddenly... I had this thought, this thought that Scott would be the perfect saviour for Claire in this plan of mine.

We walked off to an outdoor bench and we started talking.

"How's your treatment going?" I asked just to break the ice with him.

"Well, it's going great, I was here for a follow-up today actually," He said.

Then he frowned and asked, "Are you sick too?"

"Yes... And I think you're the only one that can help me here," I turned and said to him.

He gave me a baffled look and I continued to bear the truth to him, "I have a clot in my brain that has given me a death sentence. That explains for the bleeding."

His eyes widened in disbelief as he exclaimed, "Woah... What's going on?"

"I can't marry her. Scott, the last thing I want is to hurt her, and I need your help in this. I know it's unfair to you, but I hope you can be there for her instead."

Scott falls silent.

I shook my head and said heavily, "I know this is too much for you... maybe you don't have feelings for her anymore. I can understand if you..."

"No, it's not," He cut me off and then he looked at me and said, "I'm not saying this just because you saved my life. I'm saying this because... I still... I still love her."

I let out a smile of relief because I know Claire would eventually be in his safe hands. If I wasn't going to die, I would have probably knocked his teeth out for saying that he still loves Claire. Now that I was dying, what rights do I have to own a woman whom I can't give happiness to?

"Is there really no chance of getting treated at all?" Scott asked.

I gave him a weak smile and shook my head and then he said apologetically to me, "I'm sorry..."

Scott stood up and then he said, "But... promise me, promise me that you will try for her at least. She loves you, you're the one that she needs at the end of the day."