Chapter Ten
Surprising Times
The drinks were flowing by the time Smithy and Chloe had got to the Canley arms. They had been catching up with some of their old colleges from SO19.
"So much for a quite drink!" Smithy shouted over the noise.
"Yer"
"Look you go and find a table and I'll get the drinks"
"Ok" Smithy headed towards the bar and Chloe found a table at the back of the pub. She looked around and watched CID and uniform laughing and joking together over the day's events. She couldn't help thinking about the kiss they had shared out in the car park. She couldn't get it out of her mind 'He tasted so nice', she was still dreaming about it when Smithy returned to the table.
"Sorry I was so long" he said as he put the drinks down and sat down opposite her," Got stopped by Reg!"
"Don't worry 'bout it" She took a sip of her drink. "Anyway, got a good result today"
"True" 'Please don't tell me we're goanna spend the whole evening taking about work. God I wish I could just lean over now and kiss her again'
"Dale?"
"Um, sorry what were you saying?"
"Nothing, you glazed over!!"
"Sorry, long day! Anyway let's not talk 'bout work all night"
"Ok, what do you want to talk about then?"
"Well, you've been back 2 months and we haven't really had chance to have a good chat"
Chloe started to panic 'He's going to ask me again, I just know it' she thought to herself. "Ok, so what do you want to know?" She took a big gulp of her drink.
"Just general things really, like what you've been doing with yourself over the last 5 years?" he was staring right into her eyes 'oh and if Mr Morris is still in the picture'
"Not a lot really, work down south for a while in Brighton, met James , got married moved back up here and worked over in Barton Street. Not much really"
"So why the transfer back to Sun Hill?"
"Needed to get out of Barton Street too many memories"
"Bad memories?" he wanted to know what had made her come back.
" James, was killed in a hit and run, whilst out on patrol about 6 months ago, we worked together over at Barton Street, I couldn't face the thought working there anymore, I tried, oh god I tried to carry on as normal, but just couldn't do it, so when I found out there was a post at Sun Hill I asked for the transfer. Sold the house and moved back in with Dad until I find somewhere better."
"Oh Chloe I'm so sorry, I heard about an officer being killed, but yes it hits home that it could be anyone of us you feel for the family, but I'm so sorry" he reached out his hand and placed it on top of hers. She didn't move, just looked down, tears falling down her face. Smithy got up and went and sat next to her pulling her into a hug.
Chloe put her arms around Smithy and allowed herself to be hugged. She breathed in his smell deeply and remembered the first time he held her like this; it was just after her Nan had died.
They sat like that for a while Smithy just hugging her and stroking her hair, when she had finally stopped crying he said "You want another drink or shall I take you home?"
She pulled away from him and said "Thanks, another drink would be great"
"Not a problem" he kissed the top of her head and headed for the bar.
Chloe got her mirror out of her bag 'I must look a right mess' she thought to herself 'Yep, look at that Chloe so sexy with mascara all down your face' She got a tissue out of her back and started to rub away the panda eyes.
At the bar Smithy looked back towards Chloe, and watched how she was trying to cover up the fact she had been so up set, she looked so lost and lonely. 'Have this drink, and then take her home, show that your still a gentleman and let her know your always goanna be there for her.'
He paid for the drinks and started back towards the table. Chloe was on her phone; she was getting up and putting her coat on.
"Problem" he asked
"Look, I'm really sorry, I've got to go."
"Hay, was it something I said?" smithy was worried that maybe he had over stepped the mark.
"No, it's not you, you've been great, it's Dad, he's had a fall and been taken to hospital, I've got to go"
"Is he ok?"
"I don't know. Dale I'm sorry but I have really got to go. I'll phone you later." And with that she was out of the door.
Chloe threw her bag into the car and sped out of the car park, and towards St Hughes. She pulled into the car park and ran straight into the main reception of the A&E department.
"Can I help?" Asked the nurse behind the desk.
"Yes, my daughter has been brought in about 30 minutes ago."
"Ok, what's her name?"
"Amber Smith"
The nurse started to tap away at the computer. "Ah yes. If you'd like to follow me Mrs Smith, I'll take you through"
"Thank you" Chloe didn't even correct the nurse on her name; she just wanted to make sure that Amber was ok.
"She's just in here" The nurse pulled back a curtain and sat on the bed was Amber, with Chloe's dad sat next to her.
"Mummy" Amber burst into tears.
"Oh, Baby" Chloe put her arms around her daughter.
"The doctor will be with you shortly" said the nurse
"Thank you" Said Chloe "What happened Dad?"
Chloe sat down on the bed still holding Amber in her arms
"I'm sorry love, I was in the kitchen washing up, when I heard this almighty scream. I came out to see what had happened and she was just lying at the bottom of the stairs clutching her wrist. I'm sorry if I had been watching her closer this would never have happened"
"Oh, Dad, it's not your fault." Chloe smiled at her dad then looked at Amber "What were you doing on the stairs?"
Amber looked up at her mum and between sobs said "I….. Was…… playing….. With….. My….. Dollies….. And I fell"
"How many times do I have to tell you that we don't play on the stairs, 'cos someone could get hurt" Chloe said to Amber
"I'm…..sorry….mummy" Amber started to sob again
"Ok, shh, never mind" Chloe stroked Ambers hair.
The curtain to the cubical was pushed back and the doctor walked in.
"Mrs Smith?" He looked at Chloe
"No Mrs Morris, and this is my father and Amber's Grandfather"
"Oh, I'm so sorry, please forgive me." The doctor was only young and went a little red at the mistake.
"That's ok" said Chloe
"Right, Amber has a broken wrist and is going to need to have a plaster cast put on it"
"Right, how long for?" asked Chloe as she felt Amber's body tense up as the doctor took hold of her wrist.
"For about 6 – 8 weeks"
"Ok"
"And we would like to keep her in over night just to make sure she is ok with it on"
"That's fine. Dad will you go and get us some things from home please?"
"Yes, sweet heart not a problem" Chloe's Dad got up and kissed his daughter and granddaughter "I'll be back shortly"
"Thanks Dad"
"We're going to give Amber a mind sedative just so that we can get the cast on with out too much discomfort will be caused to her" The doctor said
"Yes, that's fine"
Amber screamed when the needle went into her arm, and Chloe felt herself well up as she felt Amber's whole body relax in her arms. The doctor and nurse started to wrap Ambers arm in the cast.
Back at the Canley Arms Smithy was worried about Chloe's Dad; he had known Jim for a long time. He finished his drink and left the pub. Getting into his car, he wondered whether or not he should go to the hospital to see if there was anything he could do.
Within no time at all Smithy found himself parking the car in St Hughes Car A&E car park.
He walked into the reception area and was just about to go to the desk when he spotted something out the corner of his eye.
"Jim?"
The bloke at the vending machine turned round "Dale!" Jim was shocked to see him "What are you doing here?"
"Chloe said that you had, had a fall. I was just wondering if there was anything I could do? But you look fine"
"Oh, right" Jim didn't know what to say or do
"Where's Chloe?" asked Smithy, something didn't add up
"Um" 'She's going to kill me for this' thought Jim "You best come with me" Jim lead Smithy down the corridor, and stopped at a cubical and pulled back the curtain.
Chloe looked up and went white "Dale!"
"Chloe, what's going on?" Smithy looked at the little girl who was asleep in the bed with her arm in plaster. He looked back at Chloe, she seemed really pale and was she shaking?
Chloe's mind was racing 'What the hell is he doing here, oh shit, how do I explain this one away' "Dale what are you doing here?"
"I thought I would come and offer some support and see if Jim was ok." 'She's got a daughter, why didn't she tell me?' "But when I saw him out the front…." He trailed off, something had caught his eye. The name above the bed read Amber Smith. 'That's strange, surname like mine' He read further down the sign 'Date of birth 3/3/2003.' Something inside him yelled out '3/3/2003, hole on a minute that's 7 months after our wedding date should have been' he looked at Chloe "What the…" he trailed off not believing what he was seeing.
Chloe could see Smithy looking at the board above the bed and then she saw the realisation on his face at the name and the date of birth. She started to panic, looked at her Dad and all he said was "I'm sorry Chloe but there was nothing else I could do, you had to tell him sometime"
Smith looked at Jim, to Amber and then to Chloe "Tell me what, Chloe?" The tone in his voice made Chloe jump. "Tell me what" he said it again, a thousand things running through his mind.
Chloe looked down at Amber sleeping in the bed and then back to Smithy, she had no choice, fate had done this so she spoke quietly and softly "Dale, this is Amber" she broke off tears falling down her face "Your daughter, our daughter" there she had said it, for four years she had held this secret from him and now she had done it told him he was a Dad. She looked up.
Smithy just stood there not moving not saying a word just staring at Chloe and Amber, not believing what he had just heard. "My daughter, how, what" he was confused couldn't get his brain to function right. Kept looking at this little girl asleep in the bed. "I don't understand" he looked at Chloe, she was crying.
"Dale, I can explain" she came round the end of the bed and put her arm on his. He pulled away looked at her, look at Amber and turned on his heels and fled, leaving Chloe shouting after him.