A bright light flickered, on-off, on-off; she opened her eyes slowly not knowing whether she was awake or dreaming.
"Mum?" She turned her head slowly, a sharp pain searing through her head as she did so.
"Molls?" she whispered softly.
"Mum, it's me. Don't try to talk, the doctors found you on the ward, collapsed. They said you need to rest, I'll go and get someone."
God, Alex thought. Her daughter was only 12 years old but she was so sensible, so caring.
She had made her way back home to Molly and once she was better she'd show her just how much she loved her. She wasn't going anywhere. But for now she needed rest, Molly was right, her head pounded and she could feel herself slowly drifting off.
"Listen, I dunno if you can hear me, Bols. The nurses are gonna be back in a minute, I need you to wake up. If I gave you a slap, would that help? They think that I shot you. I mean I did shoot you, but they think that I shot you…They're after me Bollykecks. Look, I am on the ruddy lam 'ere"
She woke with a start, Gene Hunt she thought, Why that man? Why does he infiltrate my dreams with such aggressiveness? I'm home now, and I know he's hurt and angry but it's not real, none of it is real. Sam Tyler believed in this world, this other world, but he was crazy, he must have been.
It had seemed real enough to Alex, those people, Chris, Ray, Shaz, all of them had seemed so lifelike. She had, in her comatose state, built them up in her head, sympathised with them, loved them even; but it was all just a dream, just Sam's dream really, that she had made her own. She was awake now, that world, as realistic and memorable as it was, was behind her now. She was alive, she was home, and she was back with her Molly.
She opened her eyes again, relieved to find that her head had stopped pounding, she could think more clearly now, concentrate on getting herself better.
"Ma'am? Are you awake Ma'am?" Shaz? No it can't be. "I don't know if you can hear me but you're in the hospital. You were shot but the doctor said you've been very lucky, the bullet missed your vital organs and you're going to be ok."
Alex starred at her, she did look a lot like Shaz, but it couldn't be her, she had made it back to Molly, she was back home in 2008.
"Nurse, is my daughter here?" she whispered. She felt silly for asking, she knew Molly would be here, she had been waiting to see her, the doctor had said so.
"Ma'am, it's me Shaz. Chris is here too, we're so glad you're awake. I'll go and get someone."
Please, please thought Alex I can't be here, I don't belong here, I belong with Molly, I was back, with Molly. This isn't my reality; this is all a dream, a figment of my overactive imagination, of Sam's imagination.
Right, Alex, it's ok, just shut your eyes, you must be dreaming, just go back to sleep and you'll wake up and everything will be normal again.