A Second Chance

Chapter 5

"We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance." - Harrison Ford

Since the early morning of the accident, Charles has been at the hospital every day making sure Diana is getting the proper care she needed. Along with her siblings, they would meet with her care team every day for her prognosis which seemed to get better. Still, Diana needed to remain in the coma until the swelling continued to go down and her body shows more improvement.

Charles made arrangements at a hotel nearby and had clothes sent so he would be able to change each day. Most importantly he kept his sons updated on their mother's condition. Both William and Harry are happy their mother is still alive and making progress. He also kept his parents informed of their former daughter-in-law's condition.

After Diana's family and friends would leave for the day he would stay and keep vigil beside her bed until he began to get tired. The next morning he would be right back at the hospital waiting until Diana's siblings arrived.

Five days have passed since the accident and another day has turned into night. Charles sits by Diana's bed holding her hand, praying for her, and watching the monitors as they continue their beeping. For four nights, he reminisced about the happy times they had together. Despite what everyone thought, at one point in time, he loved Diana.

He smiles as he thinks back to their honeymoon when Diana made him dinner. Earlier that day during the interview with the press she was asked if she had cooked for him yet, to which she replied she hasn't. Later that night with some encouragement Diana made him a very good dinner.

He thought back to when they went to the Bahamas when Diana was still pregnant with William. She was just starting to show. Her little belly sticking out while she walked around in her pink two-piece bikini. She looked so adorable.

Then the time leading up to Harry being born, they were so close to the point they were almost inseparable. He doted on Diana every day leading up to Harry's birth. Sadly after Harry was born, things changed. He was disappointed that they didn't have the daughter he longed for, but he loves his son and is thankful he was born healthy.

Charles goes over to the window looking at the overcast sky. For the past few days, all it did was rain. Considering the circumstances blue skies and sun weren't necessarily needed.

How it looked outside is how he was feeling on the inside. He didn't know what to do now considering he was afraid of losing Diana. It's obvious she still means a great deal to him. But would she be willing to take him back after all they had been through? The cheating, the scandals, the lying.

Turning to look at the woman lying in the hospital bed, she's not the same girl he met seventeen years ago. They didn't take the time to truly get to know each other, nor try to understand. His expectations of her were extremely high, failing to realize she was only twenty years old and being forced into the spotlight. Expected her to swim in dark waters with no help. Never took the time to get her the proper help she needed. It was easier to ignore her or tell her she was crying wolf when she simply needed him to love her the way she loved him.

But what about Camilla? a small voice in his head says.

He indeed loved Camilla, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. He felt he needed someone who understood him and could love him and all his flaws. Share the same interests that he was once mocked for. He knows he owes her an explanation especially since he hasn't returned any of her calls since arriving in Paris. He needed time to sort out his feelings about both women.

Just then a knock was heard. Looking up the doctor entered.

"Excuse me, Your Highness, I'm just coming in to check on the Princess," the doctor says.

"Ok, do you need me to leave?"

"No Sir, I just wanted to make you aware."

"Thank you," he says moving his chair and having a seat while the young doctor began his examination.

While in the middle of the examination, Richard enters the room.

"Excuse me Your Highness, Ms. Parker-Bowles is on the line. She says it's urgent."

Charles lets out a sigh. He might as well get it over with.

Entering another private room Charles sits down and picks up the receiver.

"Hello Camilla," he says.

"Hello Fred," she calls him by the nickname she gave him, "I'm glad you finally decided to take my call."

"Yes, I've been very busy the past few days," which wasn't completely untrue.

"I'm sure you have, you know overseeing Diana's care."

"Yes, it's a joint effort between Diana's siblings and me."

"I'm surprised they let you have any say at all considering you two aren't together anymore."

"She is the mother of my sons, and despite everything we were friends."

"So I'm sure when she wakes up you will want to be more than friends?"

Charles doesn't say anything because when Diana does wake up who is to say she would want to be with him again?

" I don't know," he says.

"I need you to be honest with yourself, most importantly you need to decide who you want to be with. I don't want to be strung along or you come running back to me whenever she bores you in bed."

Charles cringes as he wished he never discussed his and Diana's sex life. It was true, sex with Diana didn't excite him as it did with her. What could he expect from a twenty-year-old virgin? Hell, on their wedding night, she didn't even know what to do while they were in the act.

"Camilla, I need time to think, I'm just going through a lot right now."

"Fine, I hope you make the right decision."

Charles puts the receiver back onto the phone. He only hopes he makes the right decision too.