The young girl sat chewing her lip anxiously. It was only her first week in the job, she was inexperienced and not used to calls like this but her instinct kicked in and she re-read the transcript she'd been typing. The girl…Emma was a police officer…she had no address written down for her. Something bad could be happening as these precious seconds ticked away. Louise tried again but failed to prompt a reaction from Emma's side of the conversation.
Reaching over to the next desk she picked up the phone handset and hit the number 7 speed-dial which was picked up by an officer at the front desk.
"Hi I need information…quickly!" Louise exclaimed as she was asked if they could help her. "I…I work at the ambulance call centre, my name is Louise Kendal. A girl called Emma…Emma Keane just phoned in, her symptoms sounded severe, she didn't give an address but said that this was her place of work. She's not on records here…I desperately need an address to send the ambulance to!"
"Wow okay calm down love, Emma's address is 46 Wellbank Terrace." Will replied quickly, his mind already spinning horrifying stories about what was wrong with Emma. He sat feeling completely useless as he heard Louise direct the ambulance to Emma's. "What did she say was wrong?" Will asked as soon as she put down the other phone.
"I…well she said that she'd been sick constantly for over half an hour but was now bringing up blood. That…well it can't be good." Louise replied glumly.
Will thanked her profusely before clearing the reception desk and racing out to his car. In record time his car was pulling up outside her house but as he started up that path the paramedics emerged with Emma on a stretcher. She was deathly pale and there seemed to be no fight left in her. As they bustled by he heard one medic say to the other, "faint pulse…she'll need the oxygen…and fast!"
After flashing his warrant card at them he stepped into the house, immediately noticing the change in it since the last time he'd dropped by. Her shoes were left scattered by the door and the jacket she'd been wearing was lying crumpled at the bottom of the stairs. He walked into the living room and saw the vast amount of empty vodka and wine bottles littering the coffee table and floor. Will picked up her keys and locked the front door behind him before making his way towards the ambulance.
"I think she's been drinking...heavily." He admitted to the paramedics as they looked at him for an explanation. "Can I follow you to the hospital?" He asked tentatively. On getting the answer he wanted he tailed the ambulance to St. Hugh's and then followed a nurse's instructions to get to Emma's ward.
A very small doctor approached him. "Hello I'm Dr Sophie Bentley I was told to expect you…PC Fletcher isn't it." She said, shaking his hand. "Emma's being prepared for surgery as we speak. At the moment we are unclear about how came about although we are certain one of her kidneys has gone into immediate failure. Her blood is being tested but from what you said we're expecting a high level of alcohol to be present." Sophie said seeing Will's distracted appearance.
"Is…is it looking good?" He asked hopefully but on seeing Sophie's reaction his face fell and he sighed heavily. "She'll be a while right?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah…sorry…it seems we may have to remove the kidney and well…she's pretty fragile so it will take longer than is usually expected. Leave your number at the desk over there and if anything changes I'll give you a ring." She replied kindly as she watching his defeated expression.
Will jotted down his number and drove back to Emma's place. He kicked her shoes into some sort of order and hung up her jacket before proceeding upstairs. He stopped short at the top of the stairs, on the verge of entering her bedroom. It didn't feel right to be here without her permission, without her. Even though those thoughts kept nagging in the back of his mind, he pushed his way in and surveyed the tidiness in front of him. She'd obviously not been spending much time in this room as it was immaculate all except for the ruffled bedclothes.
Kneeling down in front of her chest of drawers he searched through them and produced a pair of jeans, two pretty t-shirts and a wrap around jumper. Then standing up he opened the top drawer. He rested his elbows on top of the dresser, trying to choose appropriate looking underwear for Emma while attempting to banish the images of her wearing it from his mind. In the end he picked out a white bra with cherries on it and some matching shorties. Still blushing although no one else was in the room he turned his back on the drawers and picked up a pair of pyjamas that were sitting on a shelf in her wardrobe. He added these to the bag and went through to the bathroom to fetch her toothbrush and other items.
Will sat down on her bed and looked carefully at the nightstand. On it was an alarm clock, a book and several photos in frames. After packing the clock and book he took a closer look at the pictures, one was of herself and Honey hugging each other and giggling up at the camera while the other was of himself and Emma. They too had their arms wrapped around each other but he was pressing a kiss to her forehead. He loved how natural it looked, neither had even noticed the photo had been taken, there was nothing in the kiss, it was just a friendly gesture although both wished it could have been more.
He managed to shake himself from his reverie and he picked up a blanket and cuddly toy from between the pillows and threw them in with the clothes and books also. After dropping the bag off at Emma's ward he returned sheepishly to the station.
As he passed Gina's office she called out to him. Standing behind her desk with her arms crossed in front of her she scowled at him. "And where may I ask have you been for the last two hours PC Fletcher!" If I remember correctly I did not give you permission to go wandering off." She said coldly.
"I…uh…I'm sorry ma'am but I…I went to see Emma." Will said breaking eye contact.
"The girl's already wasted enough time and police resources today with out having you disappearing at her beck and call as well you know." She replied rolling her eyes.
"But…but ma'am she needed help I had to go and see her." Will muttered frowning.
"Oh what's the stupid girl gone and done now!" Gina said irritably. She was already hacked off with Emma and with every word spilling from Will's mouth, she was getting more and more wired.
"She…she's in hospital having surgery. She slipped out of consciousness while on the phone to the ambulance call centre…they didn't have her address so they called here. I answered it and went to see her. They…they think it's kidney failure, they might have to remove one completely." Will stuttered, the emotions he was feeling finally reaching the surface.
"Oh my god." Gina breathed. "How did that happen?"
"They…well I think she'd been trying to drink herself into unconsciousness…she's been really low recently. I just don't know." Will said as Gina tutted disapprovingly. Once he was dismissed he stopped outside an interview room further down the corridor. He was beginning to see what Emma meant by the Inspector behaving unfairly towards her.
Guh another chapter up...I'll start writing more of it soon...I'm just a little snowed under with all the other ones I've started and forgotten about. I need to make a new, new years resolution starting today. I'm not gonna start another fic until I finish five existing ones lol! read and review ta xxxpip