Hey there, here I am again. Here's chapter 14, enjoy!
Chapter 14.
Leo had never felt so stressed before…
Heathrow was very busy, as always, and everything was taking so long! He really needed to get out of here and get to Nikki and Harry as soon as possible.
Since he had had Harry on the phone on the way to the airport, he had barely spoken a word, until he had called Harry again just a minute ago.
"I can get our luggage on my own, you don't have to wait here with me. I'll just get a cart, I can manage," Janet said softly and she gently put her hand on his arm.
Leo hadn't even thought of that, but it could take up to 10 minutes for their luggage to appear and he really didn't have time for that.
"Are you sure?'
"Yes, just go!"
"Okay, I'll see you somewhere tonight, then."
"Yes, call me if there's any news, will you?" she asked.
"Alright."
He gave her a quick but sincere kiss and went through the nearest exit, to get to the cab lane.
"The Chelsea and Westminster hospital, please," he said to the driver when he got in.
"Oh, is your grandchild on the way?" the driver asked.
Apparently, he was is a good mood tonight.
"No, unfortunately not. My colleague is in hospital, because she has been shot and we aren't sure if whether she is going to make it."
Clearly that wasn't the answer the driver had expected; he went silent for a bit.
"Yeah, that's quite bad," he said eventually. "I hope you didn't have to cut your holiday short?"
Was he showing compassion or was he seriously joking?!
Leo didn't reply to him; he was just hoping Harry wasn't falling apart right now and that Nikki was going to make it. What was he going to if she didn't? She was the closest thing he had had to a daughter since Theresa and Cassie had died… He just couldn't lose her too!
They drove straight into traffic; it was the middle of rush hour of course, so they couldn't speed up any more.
He noticed the cab driver was trying to go faster; he kept trying to squeeze in between cars, while he really couldn't a few times, which annoyed everyone around them.
When they finally arrived at the hospital, Leo just tossed a few quid over to the driver and jumped out of the car, without asking for his change.
"I hope she will make it!" the driver called after him.
Now, where was Harry? While they were on the phone, Harry had said he would be hanging out somewhere close to reception or in the restaurant maybe.
Leo decided to go to reception first and saw Harry sitting in a corner straight away.
"Harry!" he called.
Harry had probably been deep within his thoughts, because he had been staring at something and shook his head when he heard his name.
"Leo! Thank you so much for coming so fast."
Harry looked terrible; he had clearly been crying and looked very tired.
"How are you?" Leo asked, while he sat down next to Harry and put his hand on his shoulder.
"I don't know… I don't really know what to think anymore…"
"Have they told you anything since I last called?"
"No."
"When did you last ask?"
Harry shrugged.
"Okay, I'll ask."
Leo got up and went over to the reception desk.
"Good evening. Is there any news on Nikki Alexander?"
The man stared at him for a few seconds.
"Tonight please, if you can?"
"Yes, I'm sorry, I was just wondering if – she has… just come out of theatre and has been put in room 134, that's on the second floor."
She had made it through!
"Thank you very much." He turned around. "Harry!"
Harry got up straight away.
"She's out of surgery, come on!"
Together, they walked over to the elevator and sent it to the second floor. The signs told them to go left. After a few doors, they finally reached it: room 134.
The door was closed and Leo was afraid of what they were going to see.
Harry put his hand on the door knob, but Leo stopped him from opening it.
"Are you sure you want to go in? We don't know what we are going to see…"
Slowly, Harry nodded.
Leo swallowed and let Harry open the door.
He could feel the tension in both of them as they softly walked in the room.
A heart monitor was beeping at a normal pace; that was good.
They walked up to the bed and there she was, though almost unrecognizable; her head was covered with a bandage and she looked very pale. Her chest was slowly going up and down, a respirator was helping her with that.
He looked at Harry, who was clearly very shocked by what he was seeing.
"I'm going to get some coffee, do you want some?" Leo asked, because he got the feeling Harry wanted to be alone with her for a minute.
Harry shook his head.
"I'll be back in a few minutes, alright?"
He got out of the room and looked through the little window; Harry put down a chair next to Nikki's bed and sat down.
Leo went downstairs to the canteen and decided to get something to eat as well, for Harry as well. He was quite sure Harry hadn't eaten anything that evening, so that was about time.
On the way back he called Janet.
"News?" she answered.
"Yes. She is out of theatre and Harry is with her now. We haven't spoken to a doctor yet, but I think she is going to be alright!"
He heard a sigh of relief on the other side.
"Good to hear. Will you come home tonight or are you staying there?"
"I think I'll stay here for now, but maybe I'll come home in a few hours, alright?"
"Sure. All power to all of you."
"Thanks, bye."
He hung up the phone and just hoped Nikki really was going to be alright…
What do you think? Is Nikki really going to make it? At least Harry and Leo can be with her now.