The ventilator was puffing away. It had been for over a week now, and still, Stella was showing no sign of waking. Time was running out fast. Doctors and Nurses had been in and out of her room every five minutes, she wasn't even stable yet, they were still awaiting her final test results, the vital ones, the ones that would decide whether she would ever wake up.
The door to her room opened…again, but this time it was Frankie. He looked exhausted. He'd spent the night at the hospital, beside Stella every minute, he had done ever since she'd been there. He'd only left for a couple of hours each night to get some rest. He loved her, there was no doubt about it and he would do anything to keep her from harm and now he felt it was his duty to be there for her.
"Stella? Look, I hope you can hear me, I just want to tell you, you mean everything to me, you'll never know how much I love you and I'm not just saying that, I really mean it, with all my heart, and if anything happened to you…" Frankie took hold of Stella's hand as if he would never let go, he couldn't quite finish his sentence but one can probably make a guess on what he would have said.
"Frankie, a 999 call for you," Matron said, urgently, she glanced at Stella, with a look of sadness on her face and then rushed off, with Frankie following behind, closely, but reluctantly.
The ambulance came hurtling round the corner and stopped abruptly behind two cars, which both looked extremely battered and badly dented, they'd collided. The drivers were both alright, just a bit shaken and the passenger was a young girl, she was slightly dazed, but given the all clear when the doctor looked her over.
"Alright Frankie, let's get her back to The Royal," Nick Burnett instructed.
"Hospital? Will she be okay?" A concerned father asked.
"Oh yes she'll be fine, she just has mild concussion, we'd like to keep her under observation overnight, it's just routine, nothing to get too stressed about." Nick helped Frankie lift the girl onto a stretcher, into the ambulance and slammed the doors behind. Frankie stood there, staring into space.
"Come on then Frankie…Frankie?"
"What? Oh sorry Doc." He apologised and began to walk off.
Nick ran after him.
"Look, hey, I know you're worried about Stella, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."
"No it's alright…it's just, her results are coming back today, then we'll know whether…"
"Ah…look, for what it's worth, I think she'll be fine, she's not deteriorated at all, that's got to be a good sign eh?"
"I suppose so, but no-one knows yet." He finished, and got into the ambulance.
Nick sighed and got into his car to follow.
"Ah, Frankie…I've got the results back, come into my office, please." Jill said once Nick and Frankie had settled the girl in, she looked anxious, and Frankie feared the worst.