Almost a month passed where Maddy was relieved to hear nothing from Tom. As far as she was concerned Ruby didn't need a father, especially not one that was more interested in drink and drugs than his own daughter. She still couldn't stop thinking about Amy though, about how much Dan loved her, about how much of a daddy's girl she was, and how Ruby would never have the relationship with Tom that Amy had had with Dan. She gazed down at Ruby as she laid on her play mat, cooing softly to herself, Maddy was amazed at how alert her daughter had suddenly become, taking an interest in everything she saw. "What shall we do Ruby?" Maddy asked, scooping her into the air and spinning her round. "Shall we get changed and go for a walk, we can go and see the duckies in the park." Maddy was sure she saw a smile creep over Ruby's face as she lifted Ruby above her head, bringing her down and kissing her nose.
Maddy had just strapped Ruby into her buggy when there was a frantic banging on the door, the loud noise startling Ruby and causing the usually placid baby to scream loudly. "Shh, it's okay Ruby, shh" Maddy rocked the buggy trying to settle Ruby, before moving to the window, feeling her heart begin to pound against her ribs as she saw Tom banging on her door. "Come on you" Maddy lifted Ruby from her buggy, before taking her upstairs, settling her in her crib and turning the mobile on, not wanting her daughter to witness the confrontation that was bound to happen.
"Where is she?" "who" "Don't play dumb Maddy" Tom lunged forward, "Ruby?" Tom nodded, and Maddy raised an eyebrow, "you could at least have wiped the coke off your nose before you came to see her." Tom lifted a hand to wipe the white power from the tip of his nose, "let me see her." Maddy shook her head, "no chance, if you'd turned up here clean and sober then you'd have seen her. You need to make a decision Tom, "drugs or your daughter". Tom saw red and flew at Maddy, Let me see my daughter, his hands wrapped around her neck, she saw her life flash before her eyes as he began to shake her furiously. Maddy heard Ruby shriek, and somehow found he strength in her body to kick Tom where it hurts, his hands fell from her neck and he staggered backwards, Maddy gave him a hard push and he fell onto the drive, allowing Maddy to slam and lock the door behind him.
She collapsed on the bottom step for a moment as she got her breath back, before climbing the stairs and trying to settle Ruby. It took Tom a few minutes longer to recover before he pulled himself to his feet, beginning to ban on the door once again. Maddy picked the phone from the side and quickly dialled Sam's number, only for it to go straight to voicemail. Linden however answered after the second ring, he heard Maddy mentioned Tom's name and quickly made his way to her house, ringing the police on his way.
The police were struggling to restrain Tom as Linden arrived, he went to knock on the door but quickly changed his mind, pulling his phone from his pocket and dialling her number, "it's me." It was all he needed to say, Maddy left Ruby in the middle of the double bed and ran down the stairs, throwing open the door and falling into his arms. Linden helped Maddy back into the house, saying nothing about the red marks appearing round her neck. "I need to finish packing" she told him once her tears had stopped. "Packing?" Maddy nodded, "don't ask where I'm going cos I don't know, but I need to get away, I can't stay here with him, I'm going to the airport, getting a flight to anywhere". Linden nodded, "does Ruby have a passport?" Maddy nodded, "It came last week, my grandparents live in Ireland, I was going to take her to see them, but I'm not going there, not now." Linden nodded, "finish packing, and then you can come and stay with me for a few days, while you decide where to go, you'll be safe there, Tom doesn't know where I live."
Half an hour later, Maddy came downstairs to find Linden had settled Ruby into her car seat, and her buggy was folded by the door, the brown bear he'd bought her clutched to her chest, and a thin blanket over her legs. "Let me" he turned to help Maddy with the large suitcase as she appeared at the top of the stairs. He said nothing about the size and weight of the suitcase, and silently helped her to the car.
It was almost three weeks later that Maddy found herself on a plane, she sat back into the cool leather, Ruby sleeping against her chest. "Do I need to wake you up and feed you so your ears don't hurt?" she asked, stroking Ruby's back. "I'm sure she'll wake up herself if her ears hurt, then you can feed her." Maddy smiled and turned to Linden as he sat beside her, "thanks for doing this, I mean you didn't have to come with us". Linden smiled, "After what happened with Tom I didn't think you wanted to be on your own, and anyway, I've not had a holiday since I started at Holby, I think I deserve one" Maddy laughed, "what if you get sick of us, Ruby's not great at sleeping for long periods of time" Linden laughed, "I don't mind" he told her, "I could let you get some sleep if you want?" Maddy smiled, "I'm used to being woken, I don't mind." Linden smiled, "if you get sick of me, want some time with Ruby, whatever just tell me, I don't mind going off and doing my own thing". Maddy nodded and yawned, the 4am start taking its toll on her, "We'll see how it goes."
After a 4 hour flight and a short taxi ride, Maddy collapsed onto a large sofa in the lobby of the hotel, fanning herself with a leaflet as Linden checked them in, "I know, I know" she rocked the buggy as Ruby began to whine, "I'm not lifting you out, I'm sorry darling but it's too hot for cuddles, wait til we get to the room". Linden paused in the doorway of the room, Maddy didn't notice and pushed the buggy into the back of his legs, "sorry" she mumbled as he turned to face her. "What's wrong?" she asked, seeing the look on his face before he allowed her into the room, "I asked for a twin room with a cot, it says so here" he pointed to the paper in his hand as Maddy stepped fully into the room, laughing slightly as she saw the large double bed, rose petals sprinkled in a heart shape on top of the covers.