Heart at risk

19. Lose something babe,

TW: potential miscarriage, blood

Colin stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest as the scene unfolded before him. The air was thick with panic, and his mind struggled to comprehend the horror of what he was seeing. Blood—far too much blood—was staining the bed linens, soaking through Penelope's nightgown.

It was everywhere.

His breath hitched in his throat as the realization crashed down on him,

Penelope. 

She is in danger.

Rae, the housekeeper, was already at Penelope's side, her hands trembling but determined as she worked to control the bleeding. Her face was pale, but her movements were precise. She had wrapped a towel between Penelope's legs, trying desperately to stem the flow, but the sheer volume of blood made it clear this was beyond her abilities.

'Mr. Bridgerton you need to help me!' Rae's voice cut through Colin's shock. She turned to him, her eyes wide with fear but steady.

Colin snapped out of his daze at Rae's voice, his eyes locking with hers. The fear in her gaze mirrored his own, but there was also a determination that pulled him back from the edge of panic. He nodded, though he wasn't entirely sure what he could do.

'What—what do you need?' His voice was rough, barely recognizable, as he stumbled forward, feeling completely useless but desperate to do something—anything—to help.

'I need more towels, anything to absorb the blood!' Rae's hands pressed gently but firmly against the towel already in place, her knuckles white with the effort. As Colin turned to fetch more towels, the door creaked open, and another maid, wide-eyed and breathless, stepped into the room. The sight of Penelope, pale and lifeless on the bed, stopped her in her tracks.

Rae snapped her head up, her voice sharp and commanding. 'Go! Call the physician, now! We do not have time!'

The maid, startled by the intensity of Rae's tone, fumbled for a second before rushing out of the room, her footsteps echoing down the hall.

Colin grabbed the towels, his hands still shaking, and rushed back to Rae, who was battling against time and the relentless flow of blood. He handed her the towels, helplessness tightening in his chest.

Rae took them quickly, pressing them beneath the soaked ones with a grim look of concentration. 'We have to keep her warm,' she urged, her voice tense. 'Her body is shutting down from the blood loss.'

Colin's mind spun as he grabbed a blanket and gently draped it over Penelope, his fingers trembling as he tucked it around her. He barely recognized the fragile, pale figure beneath him as his wife.

The woman he loved so deeply, lay still—too still. His throat tightened painfully as he reached out, gently touching her cheek, willing her to stir, to give some sign that she was still with him.

Tears welled in his eyes before he could stop them, hot and overwhelming. He blinked furiously, trying to hide them from Rae. He was supposed to be strong, supposed to hold it together for Penelope—but it was impossible. His love for her was too fierce, too consuming. He couldn't lose her. Not like this.

He swiped at his eyes quickly, hoping Rae hadn't noticed, then took a deep, shaky breath. 'What...what can we do?' His voice cracked, betraying the emotion he was desperately trying to keep in check.

Rae paused for a moment, glancing at him with a mixture of empathy and fear in her eyes. She hesitated before answering, her voice soft but heavy with the weight of uncertainty. 'We can only hope the bleeding stops... and soon.'