Above All Else

Chapter Four

I'm walking down the hallway with the doctor when Henry walks from the nursery, looking very irritated and very dashing. He smiles, holding up his arms.

"How's everything looking, doctor?"

I dread this. He's going to flip out.

"Good Henry," I murmur, before the doctor can. "We're just going to take a few x-rays."

"X-rays? Whatever for?" he asks, stopping before us. He towers above us both.

"It's just a pre-caution, sir. Her heart rate is a little slower than I'd like it to be."

Henry's head tilts, as if he doesn't understand. "I'm sorry... her heart?"

"Henry, don't lose it. It's only a pre-caution," I mutter, touching his arm. "I won't be long... I'll find you when I'm done."

"I'm going unless you want to see me really lose it, Mia," he says low, glaring. Crap. He has too much to worry about to have to deal with this too.

"Henry, I feel fine."

Henry looks past me to the doctor. "We'll follow you, sir."

"Sir?"

I look back and there's Ron to the rescue with his trusty iPad. "Sir, you have a meeting with the Duke of Sussex in five minutes. He's just arrived."

I rub his chest then, kissing his cheek. "I'll see you right after, Henry. Alright?"

"Cancel the meeting," he growls, making me turn around in surprise. Oh... I hadn't suspected this. "Tell him something important arose and I will call him personally to apologize for not seeing him today."

"Henry," I utter, gaping. Ron bows and turns, hurrying down the hall. Henry looks at the doctor, who's staring at us. He quickly begins making his way towards the infirmary on his own.

Henry stops before me, fuming. "What do you know that I don't, Mia?"

"Nothing! I just don't want you to worry for nothing!"

"Mia, this is your life we are talking about. You cannot keep these things from me!"

"I'm not keeping anything from you-"

"Then why were you doing everything in your power to do this alone?"

I close my eyes, turning, starting down the hall. "Just... I don't know. Let's go. We're probably fighting about nothing!"

"We are not fighting, Mia! I am concerned!" he says, cutting in front of me to stop me in my tracks. "I had to live my life as if you were gone from it this past month! I will do anything to prevent that from happening again!"

"I am here, Henry! I am alive and well and this x-ray will show that! Now let's go!"

I walk around him, angrily, ignoring the bows from the guards standing watch. I'm being unreasonable, I know it. But I'm truly just as scared as he is.

I just can't tell him that.

...

My eyes flicker to Henry's as I lie on the large white x-ray machine. He's behind the window, his arms crossed over his body. I watch his finger lightly trace over his bottom lip, clearly in deep thought.

Seeing me watch him though, he nods, encouragingly. I nod back, swallowing deeply. The nurse puts the goggles over my eyes then to protect them.

"Ready, your highness?" the doctors asks into the microphone. I nod again, clenching my hands into fists beside my body.