Episode 7.14 – Family Matters
Cassie and Vince-
Vince sat with Cassie for a little longer, stroking her hair. He kissed her hand as she slept, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. She stirred.
"Hey. How are you feeling?" Asked Vince softly, tucking a strand of Cassie's hair behind her ear.
"Exhausted. I'm sick of having to look over my shoulder, thinking that Derek is coming to abuse me again. It's tiring Vince, and I can't do it anymore," she whispered.
"You won't have to," replied Vince. Cassie nodded and closed her eyes again.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about the problems you were having with Derek?" Vince asked gently.
"Because I thought I could deal with things myself. I'm a grown woman Vince; I manage a rescue team for crying out loud. I thought I could handle my broken love life. I didn't know he'd become violent when he found out I was pregnant," she replied.
"Why did he know?"
"He always seemed to know everything, no matter when it would happen or how far away I was. He just seemed to know. I was too tired to fight him that night Vince, too stressed because I just wanted to pick you up from the office and tell you the good news. How do you tell your fiancé that your ex-husband tried to kill you? Because I didn't know how to tell you, and that's not something you can Google. I just decided that it was easier to try and deal with it myself than to burden you with my problem." Vince kissed her gently.
"Don't ever feel like you can't tell me anything Cass. I've decided I want to marry you, no matter what your previous life brings with it. If that means Derek, then it means Derek, and we'll deal with him. I love you Cassie, no matter what." Vince propped himself up and reached into the backpack he'd brought with him.
"I brought you some reading material," said Vince, smiling.
"I'm going to be here for a while; what did you bring me?" She asked.
"Kate picked them out," he admitted, handing her a small stack of magazines. Cassie scanned through them, and then giggled a little.
"Baby magazines? My soon to be step-daughter picked well," she replied, kissing Vince on the nose.
"And I brought you some wedding magazines to look through. I want to get married to you Cass." She blushed, and took his hand in hers.
"I want to get married to you too."
"How are we going to deal with four children?" Asked Vince.
"Well, I've been thinking. Could we survive on just one paycheck if I stayed home to look after the twins and left Rescue?" Cassie replied.
"Question is, can you survive not working at Rescue anymore?" Asked Vince. Cassie looked at him and smiled.
"I think so. Even if I can't, I'm sure Michelle could find me some paperwork to do from home," Cassie responded. He smiled at her.
"Sometimes I think you might be too good for me," said Vince. She grinned back at him.
"I think the same about you."
Kate and Lachie-
Kate and Lachie had volunteered to look after the four girls while Vince visited Cassie. Kate was standing in the kitchen making breakfast when Lachie appeared; they'd stayed at her father's house overnight.
"Hey gorgeous," he said as he walked into the kitchen.
"Morning sunshine. Did you sleep well?" He asked. She set the table for the six of them, ignoring his question.
"Can you go make sure they're getting up please?" Kate asked tightly. Lachie nodded and left; Kate dropped the plate she was holding and ran to the sink, throwing up. She finished before Lachie and the girls came down the stairs, wiping down the sink and sipping a glass of water to try and calm her upset stomach.
"Morning Kate," chorused each girl as they entered the room. They were each dressed in their school uniforms, and Rachel had clearly tried to put up her own hair like the other three. Kate smiled weakly at her youngest sister.
"Morning. Are you ready for school?" She asked as they sat down.
"Yes. I did my own hair this morning Katie. Do you like it?" Asked Rachel.
"It looks great Rach. Would you mind if I tidy it up? I'm not going to change it, just make it look neat like Emily's, Amber's and Alicia's," said Kate.
"Okay," replied Rachel.
"When you're finished upstairs, I'll see you in the bathroom and we'll neaten it up, okay?" Rachel nodded as she started eating her breakfast. The smell of the hot breakfast wafted over to Kate, and she felt her stomach roll. She set her glass on the bench.
"I'm going to go and get dressed for work. Are you right with the girls Lachie?" He nodded, and as he glanced up to ask if she was okay, she was gone. She tried to be quiet as she raced against time to make it to the bathroom before her stomach emptied itself. She made it; barely. She heard a knock on the door.
"Kate? Are you okay?" asked Lachie. She flushed the toilet and wiped her mouth.
"I'm fine Lachie. I'm trying to get ready," she responded irritably.
"Okay! I just wanted to check," replied Lachie. He shook his head, wishing he hadn't got up this morning.
"Just… just make sure the four girls are ready, and then I'll do Rachel's hair. I'll be ready shortly." She heard footsteps, indicating that Lachie was leaving her be. She took a quick shower and pulled on her Rescue uniform. As she was getting dressed there was a small knock on the bathroom door.
"Katie? Can you help me fix my hair please?" Asked a small voice. Kate sighed, made sure her own hair was done neatly, and opened the door.
"Come on. It'll only take a few minutes," said Kate wearily. She led Rachel into the bathroom, and tidied up the stray ends of hair she'd missed when pulling her hair back into a ponytail. When she'd finished, Kate stood behind her.
"Looks perfect Rach. Go downstairs and get in the car with Lachie and the others, and I'll be down in a moment," said Kate. Rachel left, and Kate stood over the bathroom sink, wondering if she could hold it together. After a few moments the nausea passed, and she straightened up. She joined Lachie and the girls downstairs, and they headed off to drop the four girls at school. After farewelling the four of them, they headed back to work.
"Kate, are you sure you're okay?" Asked Lachie. She felt a tear course its way down her cheek.
"No," she whispered. He pulled over and killed the engine. He glanced at her, concern etched on his face.
"What's going on?" He asked gently. She wiped away the tear that was coursing down her cheek and looked at her husband.
"Lach, I think I'm pregnant."
Heidi and Jordan-
"I miss A-mber and A..licia," said Heidi haltingly.
"They're okay. Kate and Lachie have got them, along with Rachel and Emily. They're fine," said Jordan calmly.
"Di-d y..you know a..bout F..F…Freya?" Asked Heidi.
"I had no idea. We never expected it from her to be honest. She's never been inclined that way, but her psych evaluations and reports indicate differently. She took Amber and Alicia because they're legally my kids as well. She was the one that killed Chelsea, Willo and Jaiden, and Sienna was the one that recognised her. She dislocated Sienna's shoulder, beat Amber and gave Alicia a hell of a good concussion. But she's out of our lives now Heidi, and we've got two beautiful girls to raise, and you've got to get better. I miss you being at home," said Jordan. A nurse knocked on the door, and pushed a wheelchair in with her.
"Good morning Heidi. Time to get you up in this wheelchair and down to physio. Jordan's welcome to come with you if you'd like," said Maya. Jordan nodded.
"Sounds good. See if I can egg you on to do better for a change," said Jordan, smiling.
"G..got to s…ee if I…I can beat you," said Heidi. Maya and Jordan helped her transfer into the wheelchair, and then wheeled her down to physio. A chirpy young girl met them at the door.
"You must be Heidi. I'm Lee, and I'll be working with you for the next few weeks. Let's get you over here, and we'll start working on your legs." Maya left Heidi with Jordan.
"I…I will beat you Jordan," said Heidi, her determination making her speech a little clearer.
"Not if I beat you first babe," replied Jordan.
"Let's start with leg work."
Two hours later, Lee had finished with them, and Jordan was wheeling an exhausted Heidi back to her room.
"You okay babe?" He asked, waiting for a lift.
"Tired," whispered Heidi.
"I know. We'll get you back up to your room and you can rest. I've got to go and do some paperwork, but I'll be back," said Jordan. Heidi gripped his hand as he pushed her into the elevator.
"Ple-ase. Don't go," she whispered. Jordan kissed the top of her head as they arrived at her floor.
"I'll stay. I promise. I'll get Kate or Lachie to drop the paperwork over for me, okay?" Heidi nodded as the lift doors opened again. He pushed her back to her room, and with the help of Maya, got her tucked back into bed where she fell asleep almost instantly.
"The doctors are talking about her you know," said Maya conversationally.
"What do you mean?"
"She shouldn't be alive. The drugs that were in her system should have killed her, but they didn't. She shouldn't be speaking, but she is. And most of all, she shouldn't even be walking. Those kind of drugs attack the nervous system and make it hard for the signal to get through the spinal cord. She shouldn't be here Jordan, and she shouldn't be making this progress, but against all the odds, she is. She's considered a bit of a miracle in here." An alarm went off in Heidi's room, and Maya entered quickly.
"Can't… breathe…" said Heidi through gasping breaths. Maya pressed the call button on the wall and unhooked an oxygen mask, pressing it to Heidi's face.
"Take it easy Heidi. You'll be fine. I just need you to relax," said Maya gently. Jordan sat on the other side of her, a hand resting on her back. A doctor joined them after a few brief moments, and pressed his stethoscope to Heidi's chest.
"Decreased breathing sounds on the left side. Nurse, can you grab me a thoracostomy kit please?" Maya was back in seconds with the kit, passing it to the doctor.
"Lie her down. We need to drain the air that's compressing her lung and heart, and she should feel better." Jordan watched as the doctor performed the same procedure Jordan himself had performed in the field so many times. It was so different watching it performed on your loved one. As the needle went in, Heidi's colour immediately improved, and she was able to take a decent breath. The doctor checked the rest of Heidi's observations, and was happy with the rest of them. He gave orders for her to stay on oxygen for a little longer, and then he left to continue his rounds. Maya fixed the oxygen mask back onto Heidi's face, and then pulled the blanket up around her.
"I'll be in to check on her in a little while," said Maya. Jordan stayed with Heidi until she finally drifted off to sleep. He rang Kate at work.
"Kate, Michelle said she had some paperwork she needed me to fill in. Can you bring it around to the hospital for me please?"
Anna and Kieran-
"How did this much paperwork pile up on your desk?" Asked Anna.
"I don't know! If I knew, I wouldn't be doing it," replied Kieran, frustrated.
"Sorry. I was only asking," said Anna haughtily.
"That's all you ever seem to do lately. Ask questions. I'm keeping on top of things as best I can, and you being in my ear every ten seconds isn't helping! Just back off!" Exclaimed Kieran. Anna looked hurt, and walked away to her own desk.
"She's just checking up on you mate," said Lachie.
"I know, but she's been doing it so much that it's just starting to get on my nerves," replied Kieran.
"No need to bite her head off about it though. I know we're all a little frayed right now, but there is definitely no need to do that to Anna. She just cares about you," replied Lachie.
"Just wish she would stop caring so much though! I don't know how much more I can take," said Kieran tiredly. He pushed the stack of paperwork off his desk and walked away, swearing. Anna sighed from her desk, and then followed him downstairs. He went into the locker room, slamming doors as he went.
"Kieran? Kieran, what's going on?" Asked Anna.
"You! You are what's going on! All you seem to do at the moment is jump down my throat! 'Are you okay Kieran, why did you let paperwork pile up Kieran, why haven't you cleaned the kitchen, when are you going to pay this bill?' I can't take this anymore Anna!" He exclaimed.
"Are you saying that I'm nagging you? I'm just concerned!" Anna retorted.
"Like my mother would be! I need you to back off!" He yelled. Footsteps were heard down the stairs, and Lachie and Kate joined them.
"I'm sorry for being a kind and concerned person, but I'm not going to change!" Anna moved forward to try and take Kieran's hand, and he pushed her back against the lockers hard. She winced in pain.
"Anna, I've been trying to work through this for months, and I hate that this has to be now, but I can't be with you anymore. I really can't! It's over between us. Over!" Kieran pushed her again and then stormed out of the locker room. Lachie followed Kieran. Anna slid down the lockers, leant her head on her knees and cried. Kate got down on the floor and joined her.
"Give him some time. He'll change his mind," said Kate softly.
"He won't. I know he won't," said Anna tearfully.
"Look, we've just lost Liam, and even though Kieran won't admit it, they were mates, and this loss is hitting him just as hard as it is for Daniel and Andy. He's just redirecting his anger at you because you were here. Give him time." Anna leant against Kate and cried on her shirt.
"I don't know if I can survive without him."
Michelle and Ethan-
Michelle ended the conversation with a few encouraging words, and hung up. Ethan came in, bouncing Oli on his shoulder.
"Who was that?" He asked.
"Jordan, filling my in on how Heidi is today. She's doing well," said Michelle, smiling at her husband.
"Well, he's just done the rounds to all the team, and he looks pretty knackered now. I'll put him in the pram," said Ethan softly. He transferred Oli into the pram and covered him with a blanket.
"We've got to deal with our team," he said quietly.
"Why?" Asked Michelle.
"Because we're falling apart at the seams. Anna and Kieran just had some sort of fight, Cassie's in hospital, no-one's heard from Andy or Bex since last week, and we're short team members now," replied Ethan, moving to sit next to Michelle. She had a stack of team profile stacked on her desk, clearly untouched by the amount of dust evident on them.
"I… I just don't think we're ready for that. Not yet. It's too soon," said Michelle, refusing to look at Ethan.
"When will it not be too soon Mish? How long can we function on a skeleton team?" Asked Ethan.
"I don't know," said Michelle, her voice cracking. Ethan realised that Michelle had been hit just as hard as the rest of them, and she'd been trying to stay strong for the team.
"Oh Mish, I'm sorry. You've been trying to stay strong for everyone else, and I thought you were okay," whispered Ethan. She leant against him, crying into his shirt, the release she so desperately needed. After a few minutes, she sat back.
"I don't know how the rest of them manage to do this. Every single one of them has turned down grief counselling. Every one of them! I don't know how they manage to do it, to just keep going," exclaimed Michelle.
"They're not doing as well as you think. I'm pretty sure Anna and Kieran just broke off their relationship. Kate and Lachie are dealing with them now. I haven't even seen Dean or Lara yet, and the amount of paperwork that hasn't been completed yet makes me believe that they're not okay," replied Ethan.
"So I should have made the counselling mandatory then," said Michelle.
"Probably would have saved yourself a lot of troubles," replied Ethan.
"Then that's what will have to happen. Can you call Penrith, scramble a few other units, let them know we'll be working on skeleton staff for a few weeks. Let Dee Why know as well; they'd happily take some of our rescues," said Michelle. She made a few phonecalls, and then stood out in the office area.
"Staff meeting in five minutes up here. Chase, Daniel, can you two make sure that everyone is here for it please?" Asked Michelle. Chase and Daniel nodded and split, rounding up the team members that were there. Dean and Lara sidled in, trying to look innocent. Michelle made a mental note to reprimand them later. She waited until they had sat down, Ethan had joined her, and then she spoke.
"I know this past week and half have been difficult for you all, and as a result of that, I've seen your work standards fall dramatically. In an effort to address this issue, we're redirecting all rescues away from the Sydney Unit, and you are all required to attend mandatory counselling. The decision originally was to offer the counselling, and if you took it, it was fully funded by Head Office. However, due to the circumstances, you will all be required to attend counselling and receive medical clearance before you will be able to recommence working here. Is that clear?" Asked Michelle. Everyone nodded, and no-one spoke a word.
"I'm agreeing with Michelle on this one. The fight between Anna and Kieran, Lachie and Kate coming in this morning looking distraught and Bex missing shifts is not acceptable. You've all been given an opportunity to work together in this unit, and we understand that some of you have found a relationship out of it. However, a personal relationship should not interfere with your work. If you're fighting, either don't come in, or sort it out before you set foot in the building. We've overlooked a lot of protocols the past few years, become a little lenient, because you are one of the best Rescue Units in Australia. People would kill for your job, and right now, you're giving us all a bad name. So, head to mandatory counselling, get your clearances, and we'll see you back here once you're cleared. Got it?" Once again, everyone nodded, not one of them complaining. Ethan glanced at Michelle as the team straggled out of the room.
"Did we do the right thing?" She asked.
"I hope so."
Bex-
Bex hated her life. Hated what had happened to everyone in it. People had been abused, people fought, people left her. She rolled over to look at the girl in bed beside her, and was sickened by the thought of what she'd done.
She'd derailed.
And she didn't like it.
Sleeping around when you're drunk isn't the best choice she'd ever made. Her mouth felt like a dry desert, her head was spinning, and her stomach was revolting against the fact all she'd had for three days was pure alcohol. She tried to stand up, her legs refusing to hold her steady. She made it five steps closer to the bathroom before falling to her knees.
This was worse than a hangover.
She made it to the bathroom, where her stomach finally won the battle. She heaved into the toilet bowl, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. Her one-night stand woke up at the sound of someone being sick in the bathroom.
"Rebecca? Are you alright?" Asked the girl.
"I'm fine," snapped Bex, trying to stand and make her way back to the bed. The girl pulled on a light robe, and moved to help Bex. She took three steps out of the bathroom and collapsed to the floor, unable to stand.
"I think I'm in trouble," said Bex, looking up at the girl.
"I'm going to call an ambulance," announced the girl.
"No! Please. Just… get my phone and ring Daniel De Luca. He'll look after me," said Bex.
"I thought you were only into girls," replied the young female indignantly.
"I am. He's like a brother to me, and he'll come and get me. Please, just ring Daniel," asked Bex tiredly. The girl found Bex's phone tangled in the sheets, and scrolled through to Daniel's name. After three tries, she looked at Bex on the floor.
"He's not answering. Can I call an ambulance now?" Asked the girl.
"Shuure…" Darkness enveloped her, and the last thing she remembered was her one night stand screaming…
Xavier and Lizzie-
"Come on Bex, not now. Not like this!" Exclaimed Xavier. Rebecca's date looked frightened, wringing her hands. As a nurse and two other doctors worked on Bex, Xavier took the young girl aside.
"Come sit down for a moment," he offered. She took a seat gratefully, shaking like a leaf.
"Thanks," she whispered.
"What's your name?" Asked Xavier.
"Laura. Laura Evans," she said softly.
"Laura, you did the right thing bringing in Rebecca. We can help her here," said Xavier.
"You called her Bex. Do you know her?" Asked Laura.
"We work together for Rescue: Special Operations. I was posted here for a few nights because they were short staffed. How do you know Bex?" Asked Xavier.
"We met at a bar last night. We went dancing, had a few drinks; I thought she was okay. But she bought two bottles of vodka with her, and she's tiny. I mean, how can one person consume that much alcohol? She woke up this morning and threw up in the bathroom, then she had a seizure. I didn't know what to do!" Laura started crying, and Xavier rubbed her back gently.
"We'll give you something to treat the shock and to calm you down, okay? Is there anyone I can call?" Asked Xavier quietly.
"I've called my sister. She'll be here in a little while," replied Laura, hiccupping.
"Okay. You let the nurses know if you need anything, and I'll look after Bex now, okay?" Laura nodded.
"Thank you." Xavier left as they wheeled Bex up to ICU.
"What's her condition?" Asked Xavier.
"Stable at the moment, but we're trying to get the alcohol out of her system," replied her doctor.
"Can you keep me update where possible? She's a work colleague, and I'd appreciate being able to inform them why she's not at work," explained Xavier.
"Sure thing Xav. Oh, your girlfriend called a little earlier; can you call her back?" Xavier nodded and headed to the doctors lounge to find his mobile. He found three missed calls from Lizzie. He rang her, and she picked up on the second ring.
"Hey Lizzie. Is everything okay?" Asked Xavier.
"I miss you," said Lizzie softly.
"I know. It's only two more shifts and then back to Rescue, and I'll be home more," replied Xavier.
"Okay. I'll be alright. It's just quiet; Joey and Gray have barely left their room, and I had to take Sienna to school this morning. It's quiet here," said Lizzie.
"I know. I promise, I'll talk to Joey and Gray for you, and make sure everything's okay. Are you alright?" Checked Xavier.
"I will be fine. Stay safe Xav, and I'll see you when you get home."
Dean and Lara-
Dean and Lara sat across from each other at a desk, comparing notes for reports. Lara glanced around at the office, the quiet, barely alive office.
"What's with this mood?" Asked Lara softly.
"What mood?" asked Dean, not glancing up from his paperwork.
"This! Everyone; look at them. No-one is functioning the way they should be. Anna and Kieran are fighting, Lachie looks surprised and Kate looks like she might throw up, Michelle's in her office crying, and I haven't even seen Bex today. Is she rostered off?" Asked Lara. Dean pulled the roster out of his drawer and consulted it.
"No; she should have been here nearly two hours ago," replied Dean. Lara's phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and answered it, walking away from the office area. Dean knocked on Michelle's door.
"What is it Dean?" Asked Michelle. He opened the door a little and poked his head inside.
"Either of you heard from Bex? She's usually checked in by now if she's not well, and she hasn't," said Dean. Michelle and Ethan pulled out their phones and checked for any messages.
"Nothing Dean. Do you want to give her a call, catch up with her and make sure she's okay?" Asked Michelle.
"Sure. Everything okay?" Asked Dean.
"It'll be fine. I'll come and talk to you later," said Michelle dismissively. Dean returned his desk just as Lara came running back.
"What is it? What's going on?" Asked Dean.
"I'm Rebecca's emergency contact; Andy was for ages, and then when everything happened with Liam, Bex changed it over," said Lara distractedly, scrabbling for her keys and wallet.
"So? What does that mean?" Asked Dean.
"It was the hospital on the phone; Bex has just been admitted to intensive care with alcohol poisoning," snapped Lara. She crossed over to Michelle's office and flung open the door.
"Bex has been taken to RPA with alcohol poisoning. I'm heading over there now." Lara left in a whirl, and Dean sat down at his desk. Ethan and Michelle came out of Mish's office and joined Dean. Ethan closed the office door quietly to keep the office quiet for little Oli.
"We're thinking of closing Rescue for a little while. Allow each of you to grieve properly for Liam, and to receive counselling. It's not negotiable, and I've been talking with Jesse Clark from Penrith Unit and the Dee Why Unit, and they agree with me. We need to get these emotions under control, because right now, if we had a callout, I wouldn't be surprised if you lost the patient. We're all so shattered at the moment," said Michelle.
"Look at Bex; she always drank in moderation, and now she's in the hospital with alcohol poisoning? Kieran and Anna have not fought like that in almost a year, and now they're breaking up? We can't go on like this, and I agree with Mish. I think this is the best option," said Ethan.
"So how long are you guys thinking? A week, a month, a year? What sort of time frame are we looking at?" Asked Dean.
"Hopefully only two weeks; some time for all of you to see the counsellor and to get your head back in the game. You guys have important jobs to do, and I need you to be focussed." Dean nodded.
"Sounds fair to me." He set his paperwork aside on his desk.
"I'll fill Lara in when she gets back."
Joey and Graeme-
Joey lay on the bed, still in a stupor.
His friend had died…
Someone he'd been working with for a long time…
He couldn't even imagine how Andy felt…
He'd met Liam through Andy when they Elite first started, going for drinks with them. They'd fast become friends, sometimes enjoying dinner together, and Joey felt he could have gone to Liam with just about anything…
Liam…
Liam was gone…
And it shocked him every day nearly as much as the first time he realised…
He wasn't ready to face the world yet…
"Joey? You haven't gotten up for three days. Are you sure you're okay?" Asked Graeme, standing in the doorway. Joey didn't move, preferring to face the wall. He felt the bed creak as Gray moved to lie behind him.
"Sienna misses you. I was so busy in here with you this morning that Lizzie had to take Si to school, and then she told Xavier. If you're not careful, you're going to lose the people that are still here," said Gray quietly.
"We already lost Liam. Maybe we shouldn't have friends; they just seem to keep dying! Look at what happened to Ella; you lost Ella when you merged with us at Special Ops. Now we've lost Liam; who's going to be next?" As Joey rolled over, Graeme realised what was going on for him.
"You're afraid of losing someone else, aren't you," Gray gently. Joey wiped away a tear he didn't know was falling.
"I'm afraid of losing you. I'm afraid of losing Xav, or Lizzie, or Andy. I'm afraid of losing everyone, and if I don't care, maybe it won't hurt so much when we lose someone again," said Joey. Gray pulled him close.
"I'm not going anywhere without you, I swear. You know that," said Gray softly.
"I know… I'm still frightened though," replied Joey, rolling over to face Gray.
"You know what? I'm afraid everyday of losing you, but I can't let it slow me down. I just take each day as it comes, and when I can come home and go to bed with you each night, it makes everything better." Joey smiled at him.
"We probably need to apologise to Lizzie for having to take Si this morning, don't we," he said.
"We do. Come on, get up and have a shower first. No offence, but you smell, and I don't think she wants an apology like that," said Gray, smiling.
"Can you put something together for lunch? I'll make my shower quick, and then meet you in the kitchen." Joey gave Gray a quick peck on the cheek and headed into the bathroom. Gray shook his head and walked out to the kitchen. Lizzie was sitting at the dining table, a cup of tea in front of her.
"You're out unharmed. Did he finally move?" Asked Lizzie.
"Better. He's actually showering, and he might even join us for lunch," said Gray.
"What was his problem?" Asked Lizzie.
"He's afraid," replied Gray, pulling out bread from the fridge.
"Afraid of what?" Responded Lizzie, helping Gray make lunch. Graeme set his knife down on the chopping board and looked at Lizzie.
"He's afraid of losing everyone."
Chase and Jess-
Chase had the day rostered off, and was enjoying spending time with Jess while Izzy, Riley and Eli were having a nap. Chase's phone vibrated on the coffee table, and he shifted Jess a little to reach it.
"Who is it?" She asked.
"Dean. We're being closed indefinitely, until we've all been counselled about Liam's death," said Chase.
"Kate messaged me this morning," said Jess quietly.
"What about?" Asked Chase.
"She thinks she's pregnant, and she wanted a recommendation for a doctor to see. I told her the one I was seeing, and I hope she sees her. She's a good doctor," replied Jess.
"Finally get to be an uncle to Lachie's kids," said Chase, grinning.
"I get to be an aunty again," ribbed Jess.
"True. You know, losing Liam made me realise that we don't have anything set up for our kids if something happens to us; no wills, nothing set in place. We need to do something about that; I work in a dangerous environment, and there's no telling what could happen every day," said Chase seriously.
"You're being very mature all of a sudden. What did you do to my husband and how can I get him back?" Asked Jess.
"Dad and Fiona both had wills set up in the event of something happening, and I really think we should as well," replied Chase.
"Okay, let's look at some of this now. Go grab a pen and paper and we'll jot some things down now, and we'll organise a solicitor later." Chase got up and disappeared into the study, and returned moments later with the writing items.
"So, if something happens to us, who takes the kids?" Asked Jess.
"Well, I'd say Dean and Lara, but they seem pretty set on just Mikky. Second option would have been Kate and Lachie, but… I don't know if they'd be ready for that. What about Izzy or Kyle?" Asked Chase.
"Izzy wants to go to New York, and Kyle's just found himself a stable relationship. I don't want to put that on my brother and sister," said Jess.
"Kate and Lachie would be ideal. We'd have to check with them first, but I think I would prefer those two," replied Chase.
"Sounds good. There's a start. What else do you want to deal with?" Asked Jess, curious to see how far Chase would go with the exercise.
"What if something happens to just one of us? I don't know what your wishes are; do you want your organs donated, do you want the machine to be turned off, do you want us to fight until we're certain that you're really gone?" Asked Chase.
"Okay. I want my organs donated, and I want you to fight right until the end. What about you?" Asked Jess.
"I want the same thing. Look, I just want us to know what each of us wants. Andy never really knew what Liam wanted, and he never wrote it down. I don't want the same thing to happen to us," said Chase softly. Jess snuggled against him.
"It won't Chase."
Kenzie and Daniel-
Daniel had refused to go to work, and had instead moped around the house. He'd become frustrating for Kenzie, who was nearly eight months pregnant, and she was having a tough time dealing with him. It was only after he spent a fourth day in a row on the couch that she finally lost it.
"Get up," she ordered. Daniel glanced at her.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because I'm sick of this! I know I haven't got anywhere else to go if I don't stay here, but I will seriously leave if you don't get your act together. I know it hurt losing Liam, and I understand that, but seriously; I'm due in five weeks, we have nothing prepared, and I'm frightened Daniel. I'm frightened that I'm going to end up on my own again, and I don't know if I can handle that," said Kenzie. She sat on the other two seater lounge and let the tears fall.
"Hey, don't cry," said Daniel gently. He moved off his couch and headed over to sit next to Kenzie.
"I'm still having nightmares, and these past two weeks haven't been any better. I've woken up in a cold sweat every night, and when I turn to wake you up, you're not there. I can't go to Bex either; she's not here anymore, and she doesn't answer her phone. I'm feeling lonely right now Daniel, and I can't do this on my own," she sobbed. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She let the emotions run free, and Daniel held her as her body shook. After a while, she calmed down, and rolled onto her back. Daniel took one of her hands in his, and her other hand rested on her abdomen.
"We'll sort this out, I swear. I'm sorry I haven't been here for you." Daniel hadn't realised how hurt Kenzie had been after all of this; he thought she'd just come back into his life, the same as she was before. He'd heard her screaming during the night, and he'd just pulled the pillow tighter over his head, trying to block out the terrifying sound. He'd noticed that she looked exhausted, and he'd just attributed it towards being pregnant.
"Daniel, I'm terrified that I'm going to be a terrible mother, that my child is going to turn out like Nolan, that I'm not going to be able to survive this," she whispered. He stroked her hair gently.
"I will be here for you. I know I haven't been, and Liam's passing shouldn't be an excuse for that," replied Daniel gently.
"Are we going to be able to raise a baby here?" Asked Kenzie.
"Of course we are; tomorrow, we'll go out, and we'll get everything we need for the baby. For us to be able to look after this baby," decided Daniel.
"I don't even know what we need, or what we should get," worried Kenzie.
"You let me deal with that, alright?" Kenzie nodded, and allowed Daniel to kiss her gently. She smiled at him, and then sat up.
"Come on, we need to go; Michelle has asked us all to meet at the stationhouse."
Andy-
It had been two weeks exactly, and she really thought she was okay. There were times when she found a shirt of Liam's in the closet and she broke down, or when she went to the supermarket to pick up something for him, and then realised he wasn't there. She'd cried; once she even laughed at the stupidity of herself. Now, she was doing alright. She packed her handbag, getting ready to head over to Rescue base. She missed them all, missed the company. They did remind her of Liam, but sometimes, that was good for her; she didn't want to forget him. She grabbed her jacket and walked out of the house, locking the door behind herself.
The drive to base was quiet; she still hadn't been able to listen to the radio since Liam had died. She liked the silence; it enabled her to think. She pulled up in the parking lot, and glanced around at the cars.
Jordan's car…
Lachie and Kate's little hatchback…
Chase and Jess's family van…
Dean and Lara's four-wheel drive…
Michelle and Ethan's station wagon…
Daniel and Kenzie's sports car…
Joey and Gray's car…
Nearly everyone was here…
She parked her car next to Gray and Joey's just as Xavier and Lizzie pulled up. She waved at them before heading inside. She realised Anna and Kieran's car was missing, and hoped they were on their way. She wanted to talk to everyone when they got there. She took the stairs to the first floor, and looked around at the people who had stood by her through thick and thin. She took a seat in the conference room, and looked up at Michelle.
"Now, I know Heidi, Bex and Kieran aren't here, and Ethan and I will deal with them later. For now, the rest of you are here. Ethan and I have made the hard decision of closing Rescue at this current time, and you will all be required to attend counselling. We understand how you're all feeling, but we're watching our team fall apart. You should all know that Bex is in hospital with alcohol poisoning; she's in a critical but stable condition. This is her way of coping with this, and that can't happen. Anna and Kieran had a serious fight this morning, people were missing from their shifts; this shouldn't be happening. We can't be a team when we can't function like this, so we're closing for the moment. Penrith and Dee Why will cover us for nearly a month, and I'm hoping that by then Heidi will be back on track as well. I feel for you all and for what you're going through, and I hope this counselling helps you all." Michelle glanced at Ethan, and he nodded at her. She turned to face Andy.
"Andrea; you wanted to say something today?" Reminded Michelle. She stood up.
"I wanted to thank you guys for being with me, for helping me through this. You guys are my family, and I've never had that anywhere in my life. I didn't fit in with Melbourne Unit, and my team leader saw that. I was weighed down with an abusive foster family and in an abusive relationship with Adam. Until I came to Sydney, I didn't really know what real friends were, or what they were like. You guys have been… incredible, amazing, and I don't know what I would have done without you all. And I know Liam was a part of your lives, and a very important part at that, and he would have been touched by the fact you were all at his funeral. You were all very significant to him, and you were all there for his final moments. And that means so much to me," said Andy softly.
"When I first met Liam, I thought I was being stupid. I didn't know what a real relationship was supposed to be like. Liam stood by me, even when I was being ridiculous, and taught me what a real relationship was supposed to be like. I didn't care that he was a part of Elite, even when some of you were against it, and I was even willing to transfer to Elite so I could stay with him. When we were merged, I was so happy; I got to have the best of both worlds. My first family, and my best friends family. You mean so much to me, and I can't imagine life without you all. Life is going to be different now without Liam, but I'll survive it. We'll survive it." Everyone nodded, tears falling down their faces. Michelle hugged her tightly.
"We're glad to have you as a part of our family Andy. We're glad to have all of you."