The atmosphere was tense in the hospital room, Charlie stood at the end of Max's bed, looking over his chart, while Zoe and Tess sat on one side, with Amelia on the other. This had been the image of the room for the past 12 hours, where Max had remained unconscious after the car accident. The melodic beep of the cardiac monitor and rhythmic sounds of Max's breathing the only break in the silence. Max's eyes flickered and his eyes shot open, frantically he sat up and fought at the tubes and cables attached to him.

"Where is she? Where is Maddie?" Max shouted, struggling to sit up on the bed, Zoe, Charlie and Tess looked to Amelia as they tried to hold him down. "Somebody tell me where my daughter is!" Max shouted as everyone froze.

Amelia held his hand and stared into his manic eyes. "Max it's 2015, you were hit by a car. It's been ten years since the accident." Max looked at her with disbelief. All of a sudden Max stopped fighting the restraints and sunk into the bed. Tears began rolling down his face, as he realised his mistake. "Max we're going to put you to sleep again to allow your body to heal, when you wake up you will feel much better, I promise!" Amelia smoothed his hair off of his forehead, full of cuts and bruises. He nodded, leaning into her hand as she stroked his face. As Max drifted out of consciousness. The silence in the room deepened. Eyes bore into Amelia as she fought back the tears

"Max and I grew up together, started dating when we were in high school. Then I got pregnant," Amelia paused, eyes fixed on Max but fully aware of the three sets of eyes staring at her. "We did the responsible thing, got married. We were only 17 but I had money and we had it all planned out. Max would go to university first, then it would be my turn. We were happy, really happy, and Max was a fantastic dad. She was such a daddy's girl. We had the perfect little family, and I wouldn't have changed it for the world. Maddie was 5 years old when the accident happened, Max was driving her to her first day of school. A drunk driver came out of nowhere, Maddie was killed on impact. Max underwent months of physical rehabilitation before he could walk again. It was hell, Max blamed himself, and in my way I blamed him too. We stayed together for six months after. We were both hurting so badly and neither of us would admit it." Amelia sobbed, her chest heaving as she recounted the worst few months of her life.

"You don't have to tell me." Zoe offered, she could see how much pain Amelia was in.

"No, but I want to. Max needs you to understand, so he doesn't have to explain this to you when he wakes up." Amelia wiped her eyes and took a deep breathe. "One day I tried to kill myself, Max found me and had to give me CPR until the paramedics arrived. After that he couldn't even look at me. So one night I packed my bags and left. I changed my number and never spoke to Max again. At the time it felt like the right thing to do. Or the easiest, I don't know." Zoe reached out and held Amelia's hand, all negative feelings gone.

"I needed to come back and see Max again. I needed to apologise and check he was okay, before I could move on. And all I've done is hurt him even more." Tears streamed down Amelia's face as she held Max's hand. "Max is the most extraordinary person I have ever met, and he means the world to me. But I had to leave, I couldn't ruin his life any more than I already did."

Zoe sat, listening intently, she couldn't believe what she was hearing; Max was married. Max had never even mentioned his past, and now she knew why. Her whole head was spinning, the Max she knew was only a fraction of the person he was. A familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Oh my Amelia what happened?" Greta ran into the room, taking Amelia into her arms.

"He will be okay, he was hit by a car but he will be okay." Greta nodded, tears rolling down her face as she sat down beside Max's bed. The three woman sat in silence, watching the man they all loved fight against his injuries.