Chapter One

Tom stood in her doorway, looking at his beautiful wife sitting on the floor painting with their 3 year old daughter, Ellie-May. It had been 4 years since he had married Sam and they had left Holby to start a new life together, away from the hospital and all the memories it held for the couple. Tomorrow was the first time they were returning to the ED to see their old friend and colleges and Tom was nervous, no one in the ED knew about Ellie-May, apart from Fletch who was given the great honour of becoming Uncle Fletch seeing as Sam and Tom had no Brothers or Sisters.

'Daddy' Ellie-May shouted, 'Daddy come and look at what I have done!'

'Alright I'm coming' sighed Tom as he walking into the kitchen and knelt down next to his daughter, 'It's beautiful sweetheart'. Tom smiled before he tickled Ellie-May under the chin before turning to his wife who was busy putting the paints away, 'and your beautiful too' he teased before kissing Sam passionately on the lips which Sam quickly returned.

The kiss was broken by Ellie-May running up to her parents going 'Ewww Mummy, Daddy that's yucky!'

Sam turned to face Ellie-May and laughed at the face Ellie-May pulling before turning back to Tom and whispering 'later'. Tom gave Sam a small nod before picking up her daughter and making her fly around the island in the centre of the room.

'Mummy look at me I'm flying like a bird' Ellie-May chanted.

Sam smiled at her daughter, she was becoming more like Tom everyday with her curly dark brown hair and cheeky attitude. 'Right sweetheart, it's time for your bath' Sam said before taking Ellie-May from Tom and carrying her up the stairs.

Half an hour later Sam came down the stairs 'Ellie-Mays fast asleep' she said to Tom as she walking into the living room, sat on the sofa next to Tom and picked up the glass of wine that was on the coffee table. 'Happy anniversary baby' Sam said sweetly as she held her glass up to Tom.

'And happy anniversary to you too' Tom replied, before putting his empty wine glass on the table and standing up. He held out his hand towards Sam and pulled her up off the sofa before kissing her passionately. After 5 minutes Tom broke away from the kiss and walked upstairs with Sam following closely behind. He pulled her into the bedroom and shut the door with his foot before pushing Sam onto the bed and kissing her passionately again.

45 minutes later, Sam and Tom were both lying in bed, their hands intertwined. Tom was staring up at the ceiling thinking about seeing all their old friends again and introducing them to their daughter. He looked over to his wife who was asleep. She looked so perfect. Tom fell asleep thinking about how he ever got this beautiful woman to be his wife. Little did he know that this time tomorrow, his beautiful wife would be fighting for her life...

Chapter Two

'Come on Sam, we are going to be late!' Tom shouted from the car as he fastened Ellie-May into her car seat before handing her a bag full of paper and colouring pencils ready for the 2 hour journey back to Holby.

'Im just coming' Sam replied before locking the door and getting into the car. Sam was always late when they needed to be somewhere. Tom remembered the times when Zoe would often moan at them because of their poor time keeping skills. Sometimes Tom found it funny to listen to some the excuses that Sam came up with and he was sure that Zoe often moaned just to hear them too.

The drive was relatively quick as there seemed to be no traffic about, even in the motorways for which Sam and Tom were both relieved as it meant that they didn't have to listen to Ellie-May asking them how far away they were every 5 minutes.

'Mummy I need a wee wee' Ellie-May cried as she, chucked her paper onto the seat next to her and started kicking the back of Sam's chair.

'Just hang on for 5 more minutes baby, and then we will be at the hospital' Sam replied, smiling at her daughter in the mirror.

Suddenly a car came speeding across the junction and smashed straight into the car. Ellie-May screamed as the car spun around. The car stopped spinning. Tom felt blood dripping down his face but he didn't care, all he needed to do was make sure his girls were ok. That's all that mattered to him right now. 'Ellie-May are you hurt' Tom asked, switching into doctor mode.

'No daddy' Ellie-May replied.

'Ok just stay still for me then and tell me as soon as you feel ill ok?' Tom told Ellie-May before turning to face Sam. Her face was a mask of blood and her body looked limp. Her eyes were shut and her breathing shallow. Tom was shocking, his beautiful wife was hurt, dangerously hurt by the look of it, a single tear found it's way down his cheek as he took Sam's hand in his own and hoped that he would get a response.

Nothing.

He felt for a pulse, there was one but it was very weak, his mind went blank, all his years of medical training went out the window, he couldn't remember what to do. Ellie-May was still crying, in the back of the car but all Tom could think about was Sam, his wife and everything that could happen to her: paralysis, brain damage, death. These thoughts kept racing around his head until the sounds of sirens brought him out of his thoughts.

Dixie's POV:

As we pulled up to the crash sight, I saw a car that looked familiar but I didn't really know why. I jumped out and ran towards the car, their was a lot of blood. In the back of the car as a child, she looked about 3 and she seemed terrified, which wasn't really surprising after what had happened. In the front of the car was a man and a woman, I didn't really see who they were until I opened the door on the passengers side.

'Bloody hell, Sam, Tom, what the hell happened?' Was all I managed to say. I started to check Sam over, I had to prioritise her but Tom needed someone to look at his head so I ran over to Jeff who has just declared the driver of the other car dead.

'Jeff you need to get over here now mate, it's Sam and Tom' I said quickly trying to tell Jeff everything in a short space of time.

'Hang on Dix, you mean Sam and Tom Kent? Are they ok?' Jeff replied, he seemed shocked, I know he was very close to Sam and it must have been a shock seeing as we haven't seen them for 4 years but right now he needed to help me save their lives.

'Yeah, Sam and Tom Kent, Toms got a head injury, but Sam looks dangerously bad' I shouted as I ran back to the car, 'oh and theirs a little girl in the back'. I think I must have shocked Jeff even more when I told them that Sam and Tom had a child in the back of the car. She was definitely their child, the spitting image if Tom.

Normal POV:

Dixie ran back to the car and continued to sort out Sam, Jeff radioed for another ambulance and ran around to Tom's side of the car.

'Jesus, Tom what happened?' Jeff asked, he couldn't believe what he was seeing but he had to stay professional.

'Just sort out my wife and my daughter, I can wait' Tom replied. He looked back towards Ellie-May who had started to realise that something wasn't right with her Mum, she kept calling her name and trying to touch her.

'If that's what you want' Jeff said, his voice shaking from shock 'what's your daughters name and how old is she mate?'

'Its Ellie-May and she is 3' Tom answered, tears were falling thick and fast as all he wanted to do was talk to his wife, to hear her say she was ok, to hear her say anything, but he knew that wasn't going to happen right now, possibly never again.

The ambulance journey was long, they had managed to all get into one ambulance. They pulled into the hospital and Tom picked up Ellie-May, holding her close, as he walked behind Sam into the ED.

'Okay guys, this is Sam Kent, 32 years old, involved in an RTC, her GCS is low and there is a pulse but it is weak' Jeff shouted as he pushed Sam through the doors in the ED where everyone was stood around chatting.

Chapter Three:

Tom saw the look of horror and shock on their faces, not only because of Sam but because they saw Tom holding a child. Zoe, Ash, Tess, Robyn and Lofty went in to help with Sam whilst Charlie and Fletch walked towards a very anxious Tom.

'Come on Tom, let's get that head seen to' Charlie said, in his soft, caring voice that was also full of worry. Tom reluctantly handed Ellie-May over to Fletch, the one person who knew about his child before following Charlie to cubicles.

Fletch POV:

I saw Jeff come through the doors and I got the usual adrenaline rush that you get from not knowing what's wrong with a patient, but then I heard the patients name and I felt sick. That's when I saw Sam, looking so weak. Behind her was Tom and Ellie-May, right now I know that I have to be strong for her because I'm the only one here who knows about her, and right now she doesn't know what's happening to her Mum.

I walked over to Tom and Ellie-May with Charlie, and after some persuasion, Tom handed Ellie-May over to me so he could go and get treated and then go and see Sam.

I walked into the staff room and put Ellie-May in front of the TV before making myself a strong cup of coffee because I was in a state of shock. I got out my phone and text Nat;

'Going to be very late home. Sam and Tom Kent have just been brought into the ED after being involved in a serious RTC! Don't know when I will be back, got to stay and look after Ellie-May as Sam is badly hurt and don't know if she is going to make it. Send my love to the kids. Love you Fletch x'

I don't care what Nat thinks, right now I have to be their for my friends.

Normal POV:

After Charlie finished cleaning up Tom's face, he took Tom into resus. The sight terrified Tom. His beautiful wife was lying on a hospital bed, a tube down her throat, wires everywhere, machine keeping her alive. Tears started to roll down his cheek as he walking over to Sam and kissed her gently on the forehead before sitting on the stool by the bed and taking her hand. He moved his thumb in circular motions, something he always did to calm Sam down when she was upset, it worked with Ellie-May too.

'She's going up to theatre in 10 minutes, there is internal bleeding and they want to repair the damage before it gets worse'. The voice made Tom jump, he turned around to see Zoe standing there. 'I didn't know you had a daughter' she continued,

'That was the idea' Tom replied, it was clear to Zoe that he was scared, but he wouldn't admit it. 'Fletch is the only one who knows, he is her Uncle because me and Sam, we don't have any siblings, it was meant to be a surprise today, well a nice surprise but that's not really worked out.'

'Whats her name then?' Zoe asked, she was so worried about her friends right now and she just wanted to help.

'Her names Ellie-May, shes 3 years old' Tom replied bluntly.

'Its a beautiful name, Tom..'

'Look Zoe, do you mind if I have some time alone with Sam?' Tom asked, quite rudely, all he wanted to do was be by himself, so he could talk to his wife, alone, in private.

'Erm, yes, of course, i will be outside if you need me' Zoe seemed taken aback by what Tom had said, but she understood that he was scared so she turned around and quietly left resus.

Tom waited until he couldn't hear the tapping of Zoe's designer shoes, and he turned back to his wife 'Every time something's come against us, we have fought through it together. Never letting anything break us apart. When i was addicted to the diazepam and I hit you, you never walked away and you helped me get through it. Then everything to do with my Dad, you were still there for me. I don't deserve you Sam, you are so special, so amazing, so beautiful that I don't deserve to have you. Your stubborn too, just one more drop of stubbornness please, I need you, Ellie-May needs you. Please Sam, you can pull through this, you are so strong. Please don't leave us, I love you so much Sam!' By the end of his speech Tom was in tears, he couldn't hold it in any longer, he had never loved anyone like this before.

The door swung open as Zoe and Max walked through the door. 'Its time Tom' was all Zoe could say, there were tears forming in her eyes, but she had to stay professional and strong, she had to set an example to the rest of the staff.

Tom kissed Sam's forehead before muttering 'I love you'. He watched as Sam was wheeled away and he realised that he may never see his wife again. Slowly Tom walked back to the staff room where he saw Ellie-May asleep under a blanket. He pushed open the door slowly.
S
Fletch turned away from the breakfast bar and enveloped Tom into a hug. It was clear Tom had been crying and Fletch wanted to be there to support him, but he couldn't think if the right words so he decided a hug would have to do.

After pulling away from the hug, Tom went and sat on the sofa next to Ellie-May, he snuggled up under the blanket and quickly fell into a deep sleep wondering about the future of his family.

Chapter Four:

'Tom'

Tom awoke to someone calling his name, Zoe.

'Tom, wake up'

'Sam?' Tom questioned.

'Im so sorry Tom, there was a complication in theatre, Sam, well she didn't make it'

Tom stared into space, did Zoe just say that his wife was dead? That his beautiful Sam was dead? He couldn't take it all in. Tears raced down his cheeks, what was he going to do now?

'Daddy, why are you crying?' The voice pulled Tom back to reality as he realised that he had to tell his 3 year old daughter that she was never going to see her Mummy again. He dreaded the idea. He looked over towards Zoe, behind her stood Fletch who looked like he has been crying, it was clear Zoe had too. He didn't know how to tell Ellie-May, he didn't know what he was going to do without his wife by his side.

'Daddy what's happened? Is it Mummy?' Ellie-May questioned

'Sweetheart I'm so sorry' Tom whispered. Ellie-May realised what had happened, she started to cry and shout for her Mummy but all Tom could do was hold her close, he felt so useless, so alone.

Chapter Five

'Tom? Come on Tom wake up, it's only a dream!' Zoe shouted, shaking Tom to th and get him to wake up.

'Sam?' Tom questioned.

'The operation went well, Sam's still unconscious but she is off the ventilator, you can go and see her if you like, I will stay with Ellie-May' Zoe replied calmly, she knew that this news would lift a great weight off of Tom's shoulders.

'She's not dead?' Tom questioned again, still unsure if this was his dream or not.

'No Tom, you were dreaming, go and be there for your wife when she wakes up, go on go!' Zoe told Tom with a tone of voice you don't want to mess with.

Tom looked over at Ellie-May who was starting to stir, he kissed her on the cheek and whispered 'Mummy's going to be ok' and Ellie-May sprung up of the sofa with a massive grin on her face. Tom had never seen her so happy.

'Mummy's going to be ok' Ellie-May chanted over and over again, making Tom, Fletch and Zoe laugh.

'Ellie-May, stay here with Zoe and Uncle Fletch for me' Tom said quickly, 'I'm going to go and see Mummy and when she is awake im sure Uncle Fletch will bring you to see her'.

'Yipee!' Replied Ellie-May and she ran over to Tom to give him a big hug 'I love you Daddy'.

Tom kissed his daughter and said 'I love you to baby girl' before walking out of the staff room towards one of the private recovery rooms, where Sam was starting to stir from her operation.

'Tom' Sam croaked

'Hey, I'm here. Don't ever do that to me again Mrs Kent, I was so worried about you!' Top said, tears rolling down his face, but they were tears of joy and relief not pain an sadness.

'I love you' was all Sam could reply'

I love you too' Tom said, before kissing Sam passionately on the lips, 'Ellie-Mays with Fletch, don't worry about her, she is fine, Fletch is going to bring her up soon' he continued before sitting back into the plastic chair, taking Sam's hand and gently rubbing his thumb in circles.

This morning he thought his wife was dead, and this experience made him realise how much he truly loved his family.

The End