Disclaimer I do not own anything related to Ashes to Ashes or Life on Mars. :(

Headaches and Hysteria

Ray walked alongside Alex as they followed a nurse no older than Chris along the sterile hospital corridor. Alex knew she was still in shock. Nothing that was happening felt real. It was always her that ended up in trouble, Gene was strong. He was the Manc Lion, always able to handle himself. This just seemed wrong. She looked up as she felt Ray touch her arm.

"Alex"

She stared at him mutely as the nurse motioned for them to sit down. She did as she was told but every cell in her body screamed that they were waisting time. Gene needed her with him. She needed to see him. The longer they were apart the worse it was. Ray rested a hand on her arm as she turned to face him.

"Just listen to the nurse yeah?" Alex nodded as the nurse began to explain the extent of Gene's injuries.

"Mrs Hunt. Gene got to us about half and hour after the accident. The Helimed team were able to stabilise his injuries but he is still very poorly. I'll take you into the ICU but before I do I need to get the doctor to explain exactly what has happened" The nurse watched as Alex nodded. She watched as the nurse got up and went to collect the doctor.

"They stabilised his injuries" Alex turned to Ray. "That has to be a good sign"

"Yeah" Ray felt sick. Gene Hunt had been his friend since uniform days. They had always stuck together. It felt wrong that his larger than life friend was stuck in a hospital bed. Especially now when he had been so happy. Everyone could see Alex and the children were his world. It seemed so unfair.

"He's going to be ok Ray. This is my Gene. My Gene" Alex watched as Ray smiled slightly "Nothing ever slows him down. He is going to be fine"

xxxxxxxxx

Chris was unnaturally silent as he sat at his desk trying to deal with the mountain of paperwork on his desk. The Alarby Road robbery should have been straight forward. They already had a court date, all they needed now was to get the remaining evidence on the armed robbers to the CPS and they were away. Today, without the Guv breathing down their necks, without Alex placating him and without Ray to make jokes he was finding even the most basic police paperwork a struggle.

"Sam?"

"Shaz" Sam looked up at the baby of the team.

"It was an accident wasn't it? I mean the Guv. What happened. It was an accident" She stared at him wide eyed as he nodded.

"It looks that way Shaz"

"What if it ain't?"

"Then we find out who caused it. Remember the lorry driver ended up in hospital too" Sam knew that was of little consellation but had no idea what else to say. Chris ran a tired hand over his eyes as voices could be heard in the corridor outside CID.

x

"I said I am fine Phyllis" Annie's shoes clicked on the tiled floor as her brown curls bobbed around her head.

"You are fit to drop my girl. That baby will be born in this nick at this rate" Phyllis tutted as she followed her.

"If it is, Fenchurch will be the baby's middle name" Annie watched as Phyllis stared at her in horror. "Look, I have to speak to Sam. I need to know what is happening to Alex and the Guv"

"Oh great, bloody great" Phyllis turned as DCI Litton walked towards them.

"Morning ladies"

"Sir" Both women tried to ignore him.

"Still working I see. Gene Hunt will have you all in an early grave at this rate. Work you to death he will" Litton laughed at his own comment as Annie glared.

"With all due respect Sir, sod off" Annie pushed the door to CID open as she walked away. Litton was about to explode in anger as Phyllis rested a hand on his arm.

"Before you go off on one, Gene is in Intensive Care. None of us know if he'll survive and it's killing them that Molly and Ruby may be left without a dad. So I'd pick your words carefully Sir" Phyllis watched as he paled.

"Intensive Care?"

"RTC this morning. Thank God none of the kids were wiv 'im" Phyllis shook her head. "He's in a bad way"

"Shit" Litton stared at her. The corridor was empty apart from the murder squad detective and the desk sargeant.

"Yeah, that's what I said" Phyllis left the murder squad's Guv alone in the corridor as she joined her friends in CID.

xx

Alex listened as the doctor sat down opposite her and Ray. He smiled kindly as Ray clutched Alex's hand to stop her fidgeting.

"As you know Gene was in a head on collision with a lorry this morning. The Air Ambulance was able to bring him here, where the team in A&E were able to stabilise him and preform some tests" The doctor watched as they nodded.

"Head on?" Alex shook her head.

"Yes, his seatbelt and airbags bought him enough time so that we could get him here"

"How is he?" Ray asked.

"He has multiple injuries. We have stitched the cut on his arm, set the fracture in this left ankle and carried out a CT of his head and neck. While we don't think there is any real damamge to his neck we have kept the stiffneck collar on. He is also using a machine to help him breathe. When you go in there are alot of machines around him. Each one is monitoring different things or giving him medication. At the moment we are keeping him asleep" The doctor watched as Alex stood up.

"Is he going to be ok?" Alex had to know. She had two daughters she had to tell. Molly had already been through this experience after Layton had shot her, there was no way Alex was going to lie to her. If Gene wasn't going to wake up she had to know.

""Honestly Mrs Hunt? We just don't know. It's up to Gene"

"I'd like to see my husband now" Alex watched as Ray hung his head. She knew the DS was trying not to cry. She desperately wanted to scream and shout, to fall to the floor in floods of tears but she couldn't. She had to think of Gene, of Molly and Ruby. She turned her attention back to the doctor who nodded before ushering her into a small room.

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Gene had the headache from Hell. For a moment he wondered what the bleedin' ell those nancy boys had put in his drink the night before. Then he remembered he hadn't been to either Luigi's or the Railway Arms for at least two days. Since Ruby had been born and Molly's adoption finalised he felt the need to loose himself in alcohol had all but vanished. While he would never be teetotal he certainly was not the drinker he used to be. So why the headache? Why won't my eyes open? Bloody hell my knee is killing me. What is that bloody beeping? Ah shit a brick, the lorry. My Audi, my bloody Audi! The prick in the lorry killed my Audi! Hold up, does that mean I'm a gonner too? Gene wanted to open his eyes but the effort was too much. He remembered swearing, the screech of breaks and the way the airbag had hit his face as the lorry had destroyed the car. Alex? Me girls? I can't leave them.

"Gene Hunt" Alex ran a hand along the bandage on his forehead "If you had changed your mind about going to the Railway Arms you only had to say. No need for all this" She wiped a tear away angrily as she stared at her husband's broken body. He was always so full of life, so strong that it nearly killed her to see him lying motionless in a bed while machines kept him alive.

"Sorry luv, another time yeah?" Gene tried to answer her but had no idea if he had said the words.

"I haven't told the girls yet. I didn't know what to say to Molly" Alex held his hand. She screwed her eyes shut as she prayed he would squeeze her hand. Do something, anything that let her know he was in there.

"Nothing to tell Bolls. I'm ok. I just need to wake up" Gene could hear every beep of the monitors, every word that Alex said. It was killing him that he wasn't able to touch her.

"Ray has gone to call Sam. Let them know what's happening. The doctor had to put your leg in plaster. He had to take your spleen out" ALex kissed his forehead. "All you have to do now is rest. I'll be here waiting. You just have to rest and then tomorrow when you're ready the doctors will wake you up"

Gene sighed as he heard Alex talking. Bit of a kip then wake up eh Bolls? I can do that. Didn't I say I hadn't been getting much rest? This is as good a time as any to get me beauty sleep I reckon. He turned his head as he heard children laughing in the background. A red Quattro was parked a few feet away from where he stood. He shook his head, remembering the coma dream Alex had told him about. No way, no bleeding way. Alex I can't stay here. ALEX! TELL THOSE PONCY BLOODY DOCTORS TO WAKE ME UP NOW! I AINT STAYING HERE!"

"Gene, squeeze my hand" Alex tried again. "If you can here me, squeeze my hand. Ray is back here now"

"'Ow is he luv?" Ray say beside her. Alex shrugged her shoulders as she watched her husband's chest rise and fall.

"I don't know Ray"

"Since when did you call my mrs Luv?" Gene snapped, well aware that Alex and Ray couldn't hear him. They were in 2011. He had no idea where he was.

He felt Alex kiss his forehead as a tear fell on his face. In Gene's world he felt it, just as he would have done had he been awake. It broke his heart.

"Bolls, it's ok. Don't cry eh luv. Don't cry"

"Wake up Gene" She whispered as Ray hung his head in his hands "I love you"

"I'm coming home Bolls, just you wait and see. I love you, you soft mare. Don't you forget it. I love you" Alex cried as the monitor began screaming in protest. Ray pulled her away as doctors and nurses began working on Gene's damaged body. Alex let Ray hold her as the tears began to fall. The last sound she registered was the doctor charging the defib and the deafening beep as he tried to shock Gene's body back to life.

A/N Ok, so where and when is Gene? Will he get back to Alex and the team? Who's going to tell Molly what is going on and will Annie and Sam's baby make an unexpected appearance? More soon. PS Thanks for the reviews.