He placed the palm of his hand flat against the glass door. He dipped his head slightly and watched as she leaned forward, the fingertips of her right hand brushing the dark hair back from her daughters pale face. The sadness that surrounded her caused him to inhale, his heart aching for what lay ahead for the beautiful surgeon and her little daughter. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, watching her closely as she looked up.
The tears pricked at her eyes as she saw him, she inhaled deeply and shook her head,
"Hey," he whispered, by her side in a second, watching her as she gently took her hand away from her daughter and stood up,
"Michael Spence… what are you doing here?" She whispered as he took her arm and pulled her into his chest. He felt warm and comforting as she rested her head into his neck, one arm around her waist, his other hand at the back of her head. Her hands lay gently on his chest, her breathing fast and erratic.
"It's okay to cry," he told her softly, a kindness exuding from him, that surprised them both, "I won't judge you if you cry,"
That was all the persuasion she needed and she allowed the tears to fall down her cheeks. Hot, wet tears pressed against his chest, soaking through his shirt, his clever hands held her too him as she cried. He rested his cheek against her forehead, closing his eyes and letting her fall apart in his arms, "I've got you," he whispered quietly, "You don't have to be so brave,"
He gently manoeuvred her so he sat onto the large chair, her body curled up against him, her head tucked neatly in between his head and shoulder. He rocked her gently, watching how her breathing slowed as she finally gave into the overwhelming tiredness she had been feeling over the past week.
Zoe opened the door slowly and smiled into the darkness, "You finally got her to get some sleep?" She spoke so quietly, her eyes falling upon Connie's tired form,
"My next aim is to get her to eat something when she wakes up," Michael told Zoe quietly, "How has she been?"
"She hasn't left Grace's side," she admitted, "She hasn't opened up to any of us… I don't think she's slept for days,"
He closed his eyes momentarily, "I've got her," he told Zoe, "Don't worry… I'll look after her."
Zoe nodded, "I can see that… Sam's here… with his new fiancé… he doesn't know how to handle her,"
Michael smiled, "He never did."
