Rachel had just stepped out of the pub holding her rescued bag. She saw the headlights. She heard the bang. It had all happened in a flash. Before she knew what she was doing she saw a car speed out of the car park and down the road. Rachel's mind was buzzing and her heart was in her mouth as she ran over to her boss who was lying still on the floor.

"No. NO, Oh God no...Gill" She was shaking her shoulder, "Gill can you hear me?" There was no response. She scrambled about in her bag and took out her phone, dialling three nines automatically. "Gill, please...hello, off duty police officer collar number 31-23-1" Rachel was shaking. "I've got a senior off-duty police officer hit by a car, I need an ambulance here fast, it's The New Oxford pub Oldham she's unconscious, still breathing but unresponsive" Rachel couldn't believe it. She stared down in horror at Gill, who looked so small and frail lying there. What had happened? She didn't want to think, because she knew the conclusion her brain would come to and she couldn't believe it. It couldn't happen...not again. She held onto Gill's hand tight, willing her to wake up. Willing her to be ok.

She took off her jacket and laid on her boss to keep her warm. "Gill please" Rachel said, choking back tears "please be ok, you have to be ok. I need you to be ok" she was shaking so much but she clung on to Gill's hand, she just wanted to pull the woman up into her arms at that moment, but she knew any spinal damage would be fatal if she did. So she had to sit there, as close to Gill's unconscious frame as safely possibly, waiting for the ambulance...

"Jan" Rachel ran over and fell onto her friend weakly. Janet held onto her, trying to steady her.

"Rach, what happened?"

Rachel couldn't speak, her face was screwed up, and tears were spilling over, down her cheeks. Janet lead her to a couple of chairs and carefully sat her down, her hand still on her shoulder.

"She- it- we were-"

"Rachel?" Janet knew she shouldn't hurry her friend but the mixture of despair and curiosity was getting the better of her.

"We were in the pub, and I had to get my bag, and I came out, and I saw this car, and then she was on the ground, and, I held her hand in the ambulance, but then they took her away, and-" Rachel put her head in her hands and Janet slowly moved her hand down back, stroking it slowly.

"What's happening now?"

"They said something about stopping internal bleeding-"

"What?" Janet's voice cracked as the reality set in. This was Gill. Strong dependable Gill who had been her rock for 20 years, and she was in a critical condition.

"They were prepping her for something, I couldn't-" Rachel was shaking her head "It was all so fast...such a blur"

"It'll be ok" said Janet softly, but she couldn't make her voice sound convincing.

Rachel leant her head against Janet's shoulder and Janet leant her head against Rachel's weakly. She hadn't yet stopped to ask why Rachel and Gill appeared to be out drinking together, all she could think about was the here and now.

"DC Bailey?" a young nurse had approached them.

"You're not a relative of Mrs Murray?"

"No, no she's our boss" Rachel stammered. "is she ok?"

"We've managed to stop the bleeding, but now we've just got to wait it out, keeping her under constant supervision. Mercifully no bones seem to have been broken, the car can't have been going very fast, it just hit her in the right place, and she's got quite a delicate frame?"

"Can I- we see her?" asked Rachel desperately.

"When the Doctor confirms her condition is stable then yes- it's strictly only supposed to be family-"

"Sammy!" exclaimed Janet, "Who's rung Sammy?"

"We've informed a Samuel Murray and he's on his way in now, as long as he has no problems with it then you'll be able to see her after he does"

"Thank you" said Janet gratefully, she turned to Rachel as the nurse left. Her face still looked distraught. "Rachel?"

"I think I..." Rachel didn't seem to know what to say.

"What?"

"The car...the driver, I-"

"Rach, what are you talking about?"

"I think I know who was driving"

"Well, I assume you gave the police a description?"

"I didn't see them"

"Well then how do you know?" Janet was shaking her head looking confused. "Did you see the car?"

"no, it all happened so quickly, I couldn't get the colour, it was dark..."

"Well then how do you know who it was?"

"It might have been...I mean, I think..." Rachel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I think it was my Mum" ...