"What do you want?" Linda whispered to her parents that looked extremely guilty.
"We want to apologise." Her mother began.
"A bit late for that now, huh?" Linda said, anger visible in her face.
"Would you please just hear us out?" Her mother said, trying to get Linda to listen. Lenny was holding Linda's hand still because he promised not to let go.
"What is there to say?" Linda asked. "Its not like you can give me back my childhood."
"No." Her mother shook her head in agreement. "But we can put it right now."
"So what did you want to say?" Linda asked, needing to hear their side of the story. "Why did you treat me like crap for twelve years?"
"We thought you were the one doing drugs because your grades were low." Polly Andrews said, closing her eyes as she knew she was so wrong.
"But I told you I wasn't using them." Linda said. "Why would you think I would lie to you?"
"Because Denises grades were high, and we believed her when she told us it was you." James Andrews replied, and Linda could see the pain in his face which made her feel better.
"Did it ever hurt you to check her?" Linda asked, tears forming in her eyes. She didn't understand why her parents just didn't listen to her in the first place.
"Because we didn't think Denise would do such a thing." Polly said.
"And you thought I would?"
"Well, you got into trouble at school, unlike her, so we thought that it was more likely you than her." James said.
"But didn't you ever see my grades go up and hers come down?" Linda asked, hurt. She couldn't believe that her own parents thought she did drugs and didn't even bother checking her sister.
"Yes, we thought that it was her boyfriends, taking her mind off her studies." James said.
"Well, they were! They were supplying her with the drugs!" Linda raised her voice.
"We didn't know!" Her mother said back. "We thought it was you!"
"Why?" Linda asked. "Because Denise said it was me?"
"No." James shook his head. "We found the drugs in your room. What did you expect us to think?"
"I did tell you they were Denise's." Linda shook her head. "But once again you didn't listen."
"We did listen." Polly said.
"But you didn't believe." Linda whispered again. "You could have taken us for tests."
"We didn't think to because we thought it was you." James said.
"My grades were at the highest they had ever been." Linda said. "And you want to know why?"
"Why?" Polly asked.
"It took my mind off you both, and the self harm." Linda said, grinning inside when her parents tensed up at the mention of self harm.
"We didn't know." James shook his head, and looked down in shame.
"What did you think I did in my room for hours on end, and only coming into contact with you when I had to?" Linda said, trying to make her parents feel bad.
"We just thought you liked keeping yourself to yourself." Polly said, tears now falling down her already tear stained face.
"Do you know what the worst thing was for me?" Linda said. "The only person who believed me was grandma."
"She did?" James asked, never hearing about this before.
"Yeah. Then when she died, I didn't have a clue what to do. You wouldn't even let me go to her funeral!" Linda said, tears increasing as she relived the memory of being stuck in her bedroom while her parents and drug addict sister were at the funeral without her.
"Oh, darling." Polly said, covering her face with her hands. "We are so sorry."
"If we could change all of this, we would." James added, trying to hide his emotions.
"But you can't!" Linda said. "I had no friends at all in my teens... and you didn't even act like parents."
"We will if you give us another chance." Polly begged, and you could hear the pleading in her voice. Lenny felt pained at hearing the desperation in her voice.
"I don't know what to do." Linda whispered. "I have lived for so long without going to you for help, and I could carry on that way."
"Please don't say that." Polly cried in a whisper. Linda could hear the pain in her voice now too, and she didn't want that.
"You promise me something." Linda demanded. "Promise me, that you will listen to me from now on. Tell everyone you know that I was never the drug addict they thought I was. And, check Denise's body in there." She pointed to the room Denise's body had been put in. "Go and check it, and the patient notes. Find the marks on her body from the drugs. I want to prove to you that it was never me." She heard her mother sob at the last request.
"Whatever it takes." James said, also not too happy with the last request. He, and like everyone else, didn't want to go and search a dead body of a loved one.
"Go." Linda said, motioning them out. "Go and do it now."
"Okay." Her mother said, and she walked out of the cubicle, followed by James.

Linda sat on the edge of the bed with her hand still in Lenny's. She didn't want to talk at the minute, but think. She didn't really want her parents back in her life, but she couldn't block them out forever. They were her parents after all.
"You okay?" Lenny asked, as he saw her wipe her eyes and sniff.
"Well, I could be better." She said, and she moved to sit closer to him. He put his free arm around her back and pulled her closer. She leaned into his chest.
"I have no idea how hard this must be fore you." He whispered, as he heard her sob. "I can't even begin to imagine..." Linda sniffed and wiped her eyes again. "But I will always be here."
"I know." Linda whispered, as her parents walked in with the patient notes. Linda sat up.

"Did you see?" Linda asked.
"Yeah." Polly replied. Linda could see in her face that she never wanted to do anything like that again. Ever.
"Good." Linda snapped back.
"So." James said. "Are we... okay?"
"I don't know." Linda shook her head. "I don't think I can ever fully forgive you for what you put me through."
"We will make it up to you somehow." Polly said, pleading again, making Linda feel guilty.
"How? Give me the last ten years of my life back?" She asked.
"No." Polly said. "But we would if we could."
"We will treat you like the daughter you are." James said, also pleading, which hurt Linda even more.
"Why didn't you before though? If I was on drugs or not? I was still your daughter." Linda said, gripping tighter onto Lenny's hand. He squeezed it back giving reassurance.
"We are so sorry." Polly cried, as she looked at Linda in the eyes.

Linda stood up, as she had seen enough pain on their faces. She didn't think she could bare it anymore. She walked up to her mother, and to Pollys surprise, Linda wrapped her arms around her. Linda was seeking the warmth from her mothers body, as she could never recall that feeling. The last time must have been so many years again that Linda couldn't even remember it. The feeling made her feel a lot better. Even though her parents put her through a hell of a lot, Linda couldn't believe the feeling of a mother/daughter hug. She had been missing out. She felt her father put his arms around them both. The hug made her realise her feelings.
"Ive missed you so much." She whispered in her mothers ear.
"We've missed you too." She whispered back, and Linda moved one arm so that it went behind her father too. They stood this way for a few minutes. Lenny left the room silently to give them some privacy, and found Zoe eavesdropping outside the curtain.

"How much of that did you hear?" Lenny asked her.
"Enough to know Linda forgave them." Zoe said, annoyed. She didn't think Linda would let them off so easily. Lenny could tell by her tone that she wasn't happy.
"Im not too impressed either." Lenny shook his head. "If they were my parents, I wouldn't let them back into my life like that."
"Me either." Zoe said. "But im kind of happy for them. I mean, Linda has her family back."
"I know." Lenny said. "But Im going to have to put up with them." He saw Zoe raise and eyebrow.
"You have to put up with them?" Zoe smirked. "Are you and Linda...?"
"Yes." Lenny smiled proudly.
"Congrats." Zoe said, and poked him in the stomach.
"Thanks." Lenny said.
"So, what are you going to do?" Zoe pressed.
"Im taking her out to dinner later." Lenny said.
"Where?" Zoe asked.
"Wherever she wants to go." Lenny shrugged. "I don' care where."
"Take her down that italian restaurant round the corner. The real fancy one. That will show her you like to spend money on her." Zoe said, giving him her knowledge.
"Maybe. I will suggest it." Lenny said, and Nick came around the corner.

"This isn't the time for a chat." Nick said. "Zoe, they are going to need you in Resus in a little while. RTC in five."
"Okay, thanks Nick." Zoe said, before patting Lenny on the shoulder with a look that said 'Good luck' and she left for Resus.
"Hows Linda?" Nick asked, wanting to know what progress his collegue had made.
"I think she is better now." Lenny nodded. "She had made up with her parents."
"She has?" Nick said, disapproving. "I wouldn't if that were me."
"I know. But I think because she hadn't seen them for ages, she just wanted them back in her life again."
"I understand." Nick nodded. "Im happy for her, but that wouldn't be the decision I'd have made."
"Me either, Mr Jordan." Lenny said. "But, like you, Im also happy for her. Im taking her out for dinner later to celebrate."
"Really?" Nick said, with the same smirk Zoe used.
"Yes." And Lenny looked at Nick, and Nick got all the information he needed.
"Im happy for you." Nick said, smiling at his younger collegue.
"Thanks." Lenny said.
"Im going to have to ask you to get to work though in cubicles." Nick said. "We have a lot of people working in Resus with the RTC so we need help in cubicles."
"Okay." Lenny said, and went to get to work, hoping Linda would be alright with her parents.