Disclaimer: I dont own Waterloo Road or any of its characters.

Rachel ran over and knelt next to her again as she struggled to get Nikki to come round; she pulled her mobile out of her jacket pocket and rang for an ambulance. When it arrived, she stayed with Nikki and held her hand as the doctors examined her; Nikki started to come round as the doctor came back into the cubicle and pulled the curtain round.

"Are you a relative?" The doctor asked Rachel.

"I'm her headteacher, her mom's in Intensive Care and her nan's on the way."

"Okay; Nikki, can you hear me?" He asked as he shone the light in her eyes and checked her obs.

"Yeah." She grumbled.

"Good, you've got a drip in your arm; she was severely dehydrated and her sugar levels were low. She'll be fine in a couple of hours."

"Will she be kept in overnight?"

"I don't think so; I'll be back in a little while to check on her."

"Thank you."

As the doctor left and pulled the curtain back round, Rachel turned back to Nikki and took her hand.

"You gave me a scare."

"You don't care." Nikki said as she pulled her hand away and turned her head to face the other way.

"Don't I?" She questioned.

"No, you don't."

"Is that why I'm sat here? Why I've dropped everything to support you through this? Why would I do all this if I didn't care?"

Nikki sighed as she turned back to Rachel, tears in her brown eyes.

"I know you're struggling, I can see that but your mom and nan need you to stay strong and keep going; you need to eat and try to get through it without shutting people out, running off or telling me I don't understand because I truly do; you know that I am probably the only person that understands how you're feeling so...don't...push me away."

"I'm sorry." She cried.

"It's okay."

"It's my fault."

"No, it's not; don't ever think that, okay?"

"It's all my fault."

"It's gonna be okay."

"It's not." She wept. "It's not."

"Your mom is going to be okay and your dad is never going to hurt you again so why is it your fault?"

Nikki sighed and wiped away her tears as she looked away form Rachel again.

"That morning, I told mom what he was doing to me; she..." her voice starting to break. "She said...she was going to get us out; we were going to leave that afternoon. She wouldn't be in here if I hadn't have told her." She sobbed, looking at her.

"It's okay, it's gonna be okay."

"Nikki, honey." Her nan said as she came into the cubicle and took her hand. "Is she okay?"

"She's going to be fine; she's just dehydrated. She can go home in a few hours; can I have a word with you outside?" She asked.

"Course; I'll be right back honey." She said, kissing her forehead before leaving the cubicle with Rachel.

"Nikki's told me a lot of stuff today and personally, I don't thinj she's coping with any of this at all." She said as they sat down.

"She's barely said a word to me; she just locks herself in her room."

"I've had to call DI Ross; she's told me some stuff she'd left out of her original statement."

"Miss Mason?" DI Ross said as he walked over to them as they stood up.

"She's through here; I can show you."

"I'm afraid I can't let you go in there; given what Nikki had told you, you may be called as a witness."

"A witness? That wasn't mentioned before."

"That was before you informed us that there was more to know."

"She is a very vulnerable girl; if I'm not allowed in there now, how's it going to work at the shool?"

"I'm sorry."

As DI Ross went into the cubicle with Miss James, Rachel waited outside; after he'd left, she went in and sat back next to her.

"Are you okay?"

Nikki nodded.

"Okay, I've phoned Miss Campbell; she's on her way to pick me up. Remember what I said, take a couple of days and start thinking about youself."

"I will."

"I'll see you in a few days."

Nikki turned back to her nan as Rachel left the hospital; she waited for Kim before they headed back to the school where they sat in the office on the sofa with a drink.

"How's Nikki?"

"She's gonna be fine; she was really dehydrated and her sugar levels were so low. They're gonna keep her in for a couple of hours; DI Ross turned up to reinterview her. I might be call as a witness at the trial."

"How come?"

"Because I know everything; I could be called to give my version of what Nikki's told me."

"Does that mean you can't talk to her at school?"

"As long as I'm careful; i'm not going to not do my job properly on the off chance I could be called as a witness against her dad."

"I don't blame you; she does need the stability and support you can offer her."

"I'll work it out somehow."

"Listen, Ros and Chlo are wondering what's going on with Nikki; they were quite agitated so I've left them in my office. Not that I can blame them; the last time they saw their friend, she was collapsed on the floor. I think they wanna know what's going on."

"I'll go and let them know." She said as she stood up and headed to the door with her drink.

"Tom phoned, I said you'd phone him back."

"Thanks." She said, turning round before leaving.