Connie was wide awake, the back of her head too sore for her to lie on her back as usual. She had had to get 10 stictches to close the gash in the back of her head which stung like hell but with Grace's hand in hers the pain was numbed. It was now nearing 2AM and she letting the rise and fall of Grace's breathing calm her down. The girl had insisted she sleep with her Mother and Connie couldn't blame her, she felt guilty about scaring the child but she had needed to say something, "Goodbye", "I love you", anything, with sand incasing her body and creeping up to her neck she had needed to hear her daughters voice. She couldn't have died without hearing the love of her life speak, to know that she was alright and to make sure she knew how much she meant to her.

And it had been Jacob, Staff Nurse Masters that she had so stupidly called him when she had arrived at the house. Jacob would have been the last voice she would have ever heard, saying her name, over and over until sand covered his mouth and he could only stare at her in terror and pain and helplessness. And she had felt helpless too, that he had been stuck under the beam and she wasn't physical strong enough to lift the thing off him.

And then after they had gotten back to the hospital she had pushed Charlie away when he had met her off the ambulance. He had tried to help her, make sure she wasn't badly injured, he was concerned, he was being her friend. But she needed to see Grace. She had taken her daughter into her arms and the tears just wouldn't stop, and then she looked out of her windows, through the blinds and he was standing there. And she found she couldn't look away from him because he was okay, he wasn't hurt and that made the uneasy feeling in her stomach go away. He was okay.

But the look in his eyes. That look made her want to rip out her heart and pull it in half because she was sure that his heart was shredded in his chest because of her. So she had kissed Grace and let Charlie take her to get checked out. After her stitches she had persuaded Grace to leave her to go and get her some water. As soon as she was gone she had looked at Charlie and tried to summon up a voice of some atthority.

"Has...erm..." She had stuttered. "Has Jacob been checked out?"

Charlie had nodded but he wasn't a fool, he knew something had happened between the two of them. The pining looks and vow of obvious silence hadn't had been as subtle as they had thought.

"He's okay Connie." Was all he had said before he had helped her off the bed. "Go home, Rita and I have got it all under control."

She had nodded and pulled him into a hug that he had returned along with a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm really glad you're okay."

And now here she was, in pain, exhausted and desperatley sad. Grace stirred and let out a sigh in her sleep. Connie shuffled down in the bed so her face was parrell to her daugher's. She reached out and brushed away a strand of dark hair that had fallen over her pale face. Grace's eyes fluttered open with the touch and she smiled sleepily at her Mother through the dark.

"Are you alright?" The girl whisphered.

She nodded then flinched at the pain.

"Do you need some painkillers? Are you in pain? I'll get you some water." The girl shot up and Connie only just caught her around the waist before she was up and stumbling through the dark for her slippers. She pulled the girl close to her.

"Mum." Grace moaned. "You're squeezing me too tight!"

This made Connie laugh, she loosened her grip and smiled when she felt Grace snuggle closer into her. There was silence as Grace got comfortable and for a few seconds Connie thought she had gone to sleep but the girl spoke, softly and slowly.

"I didn't ask..." She said. "I didn't see Jacob...and he was with you right...Mum, is Jacob okay? Did he get hurt too?"

Connie didn't speak for a moment. She wanted to know the exact same thing, yes Charlie had assured her he was okay, but she wanted to see him, make sure that he was patched up properly.

"Mum?"

"He's fine darling, they checked him out like they checked Mummy out."

Grace made a noise of understanding then a couple of seconds later:

"Can I say hello to him the next time I come to the hospital?"

Connie blinked and tightened her grip on the child again.

"Of course you can darling, he would probably like that."

Grace nodded and sighed.

"I love you Mum."

Connie kissed her head and closed her eyes. Grace fell asleep half a minute later and Connie felt herself finally relax. She could hold Grace in her arms because she was still here. And she could go into work tomorrow and see Jacob, she couldn't touch him, or kiss him, but she could talk to him and she could see that he was okay with her own eyes. He was alright, he got out, they got out, they didn't die. As she drifted of to sleep she reseasoned with herself that this was enough. She could see him everyday and she didn't need more than that. Her dreams played her sweet videos of Jacob holding her and Gracie hugging them both and a small family being built. Her dreams told her she was in love and in her dreams she accepted this, her heart beaming with joy. But tomorrow she would have to wake up and accept that she could only sneak glances at him and only be in love with him in her mind. They were alive and that was enough for now at least.