Chapter 2 of reckless :) please read and review, it makes me happy :P x

... SAM'S POV

Bolts of pain rushed through me. I couldn't move.

Cautiously, wincing at the light, I opened my eyes to find Dixie's kind face staring back at me. I had a burning pain in my head, which was probably why she was pressuring the side of it. My leg also sent jolts of pain searing through me as the ambulance rode over the stones in the road. My shoulder was painful, but enough to forget about.

"Hey princess, how're we doing?"

I smiled at Dixie as she sat by me.

"It hurts... a lot"

"I know sweetheart, you've had 5mg of morphine so you shouldn't feel it too badly. Do you want some more?"

I shook my head, screwing my eyes as it hurt my head. As much as the pain cursed through me, I did not want to tell Dixie this. Instead, I didn't resist as the swirls of black pulled me back again.

...

"Jeff! Hurry up mate, she's gone under again, we need to get to the the ED now!"

Jeff put his foot down, mad blue sirens enabling him to weave his way through the traffic.

Finally, the ambulance reached the ED. Jeff and Dixie unloaded the trolley from the back and hurriedly smashed it through the doors of Holby City. The staff were prepared around the corridor.

"Jeff what have we got?"

"Okay this is Sam Nicholls, GCS 15, BP 90 over 60, she's had 5mg of morphine, fell from about 50 feet, dislocated shoulder, trauma head injury, broken leg in three places, breathing is laboured and query spinal fractures."

The staff gasped as they realised who was lying on the trolley. In particular, Tom and Dylan, who were standing at the end of the corridor, looked horrified as their love was wheeled through the ED in a critical condition.

Tom and Dylan went straight through to recus

... TOM'S POV

I watched my beautiful Sam as she lay vulnerable on the bed.

"On three... One, two, three..."

The team transferred her into recus and lifted her light form. I sparked into action, retrieving the incubation kit from the side as I saw how she was struggling to breathe.

"Tom can you incubate please?"

Shaking, I pulled a long, clear tube and accurately inserted it into her throat. Then I attached the ventilator and began to squeeze the bag until I was sure it was working.

Holding my head in my hands, I stood to the side and watched Linda and Lenny reset her bones in her leg with a crack.

"Ok she's stable. Can we have her transferred to an isolated room please, Tom, are you fine to treat her minor injuries?"

"...Yeah that's fine."

I followed the bed as she was pushed to a quieter room.

As soon as the staff left us alone, I ran to Sam's bed and took hold of her hand.

"You're going to be ok Samantha. They've fixed you up now. You're going to be absolutely fine baby." I sat there, staring into her face, her gorgeous, motionless face. The loud ventilator breathed for her and the heart monitor was beeping fairly slowly, echoing around the room.

Jeff had told me what had happened.

"How could you be so stupid Samantha?! I told you... You're life may not be important to you but it means the world to me. You can't just keep risking it for other people!"

I felt bad for shouting at her when she looked so frail and vulnerable.

"I'm sorry Sam... Just please, get better... Please wake up"

There was no response, so I shook myself to my senses and started to treat her.

I popped her shoulder into place gently, attaching a sling so it wouldn't move. I caressed her skin on her arm with my fingers, stroking it in little circles, not realising what I was doing.

Then I wrapped the bandages round and round her leg, before setting the bones in a stiff cast.

I did not notice that I was crying. Tears dribbled onto Sam as I helplessly shook. I didn't know why I was crying really, I wasn't the one lying on that hospital bed.

Next, I addressed the head wound. It was a hard hit against the ground and had slightly fractured her skull. Moving her soft brown hair out of the way, I stitched the gash quickly and stemmed the trickling flow of blood. Then I booked a CT scan and took her up in the lift.

Sam hates small spaces, from Afghanistan, so I wanted to get the scan over and done with before she woke up. Watching my patient through the glass window, I let my tears run free.

Back in our quiet little room, I examined the scan and was pleased to say it came back clear.

Sitting by her bedside, I watched Sam peacefully sleep. I held her hand gently and brushed her tanned forehead softly with my lips.

"Sam, Sam please forgive me. I'm so sorry I let you go, I should've known you'd do something stupid. Just please, wake up baby."

There was nothing but the continuous beeping of the monitor and the faint wheezing of Sam breathing with the oxygen mask.

"Sam? Please please please. I love you so much. I don't know what I would do without you. I'm so so sorry Samantha, I'll make it up to you. Just please. Wake up. Please Sam. Or... Squeeze my hand if you can hear me. Just show me that you're still here."

I felt the slightest pressure on my fingers. Hopefully, I watched her eyes as her lashes flickered open slowly. Smiling at Sam, I gazed into her beautiful blue eyes as they met mine. They were glazed over and I knew she was trying to hide her pain as she swept the slightest smile over her features. However, this soon turned into a grimace.

"Ow. Tom, what happened?" Sam faintly whispered, the wheezing getting heavier.

"It's ok baby don't talk. You fell down that quarry remember?"

Sam's eyes widened.

"Great... I guess I can't return to work anytime soon then."

"It's ok Sam... I'll look after you..."

Sam gently smiled at me.

"It's going to be fine. You won't have to stay here for too long. I love you.

Sam softly gripped my hand as her reply.

A few hours later into the night, I sat Sam up carefully and smiled as Fletch came in, along with Linda, Dixie, Jeff, Charlie and Big Mac.

"How you doing sweetheart?" Fletch asked Sam, aware that she was still weak and fragile.

Sam smiled at him

"I'm fine thanks" She replied, removing the mask to talk. I could tell she hated feeling so vulnerable in front of all her colleagues.

"If you need anything princess just let us know, yeah?"

Smiling again, she lifted the mask.

"Thanks Jeff."

"Call to 3006. An elderly female has collapsed at her home in Windsor road, over."

"3006 received. On our way. Sorry Sam, got to go. Feel better ok?"

"Yeah guys, we should probably all leave them in peace. I'm sure Sam is very tired." Linda told the others, coming up and touching Sam on the shoulder. She didn't hear her whimper of pain as it moved her shoulder slightly.

Before leaving, Tess stopped by the door.

"Oh Tom, Sam will have to be admitted for a week or so, until she's ready to move. If you want we can move you two to a quiet room upstairs where there's no noise and 2 beds?"

"That would be absolutely fantastic Tess"

...

A week later, and Sam was ready to go home.

"I'm sick of lying down Tom. When can we go?"Sam asked, trying to sit up but failing.

"We've been discharged, I just didn't know if you were ready yet."

"I'm absolutely fine! So we can go now...?" Sam asked me, hopefully grinning.

"Yes... we can go." I replied, sighing.

She had been given crutches yesterday and I had attached another sling so her arm wouldn't move. She'd really hated me for that, because it was her left arm and she wanted to be able to use it, but it was too weak. Up until two days ago, she couldn't breathe properly without the mask, but now she was fine and ready to go home. I kept insisting that she use a wheelchair as it would be easier since her shoulder was dislocated as well, but she decided to be independent with crutches. Even so, she resisted when I tried to help her up but thanked me after she wobbled and I caught her.

Sam gently stood up from the bed, wobbling on one crutch and wincing as her shoulder moved. I held her other arm steady, careful not to hurt her. We made our way downstairs via the lift. On reaching the ground floor, the staff were gathered round reception to wish Sam well as she left.

"Thanks, yes I will, don't worry, I'm not coming back anytime soon."

I could see it was hurting Sam to walk so I tried my best to get her out of the crowd of milling staff as soon as possible.

As soon as we exited the doors, Sam stumbled. Zoe helped her up and set her on her feet carefully. "Alright then. Call me if there're any problems."

As soon as Zoe left, Sam let her features relax and let out a small shaky breath.

"Ow. That hurt..."

"Are you ok Sam? Should we go back in?"

"NO! No it's ok. I just want to go back home and sleep. I'm so tired"

We made our way into my black Audi and I helped Sam as she struggled to sit down.

"Tom I'm fine, I can do it!"

We finally arrived home, unfortunately hitting traffic along the way. Sam's eyelids were slowly drooping and I could she she was trying her best to stay awake.

"It's fine Sam, go to sleep."

When we arrived home, I gently shook her. When she didn't wake up, I lifted her out of the car and laid her on the sofa. She must have been so tired and I felt cruel waking her up.

I watched as she slept, beautiful long black eyelashes brushing her tanned skin, pale pink lips formed into a sleeping smile. I pushed her caramel hair away as it was flopped over her eyes.

This light brushing movement stirred her from her sleep. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open. I gazed into her bright blue-green eyes, which held a sparkle as she smiled at me.

She pulled me into a long embrace, our foreheads touching and her soft lips caressing mine.