Connie took his hand and squeezed it gently, "You know… I don't think I can do this… any of this without you," she told him. "I just can't stand the thought of coming home to a house without you in it, I can't stand the thought of getting into bed without you to curl into… I…" She couldn't stop the tears that rolled down her freckled cheeks, "I love you more than I've ever told you," she admitted, "I can't begin to tell you all the reasons why."
"Connie… have you been home yet?" Zoe asked, bringing her a chocolate twist and a vanilla latte, "Here, the cafés finest,"
Connie smiled gratefully, "Thank you… no I haven't been home Zo… I can't,"
"Go home and shower, have a night in your own bed. The CT head is clear; he'll wake up when he's ready."
Connie shook her head, "My mum committed suicide when I was eighteen… in my second term of medical school… I sat with her every day… a nurse persuaded me to go home and get changed and when I came back…." She ran her fingers through her wavy hair, "When I came back she was dead… she arrested ten minutes after I left… I know it's stupid, but I can't risk that happening again,"
Zoe placed a warm hand on her back, "Okay… I understand."
Grace popped in and out of the hospital throughout the next week. She couldn't bring herself to see her dad. She could still make out the sadness, mixed with jealously, in his eyes whenever she spoke about her mum and Patrick.
"Mum," Grace forced a smile, watching as Connie stood up and hugged her daughter tightly, "How are you?" Grace asked against her mother's hair, her perfume comforting, even now.
"Tired," Connie admitted, "But I'm okay…" She shrugged, "This is ridiculous, but I don't quite know what to do without him here to talk too,"
"Everything is looking okay though isn't it? All the scans and everything are okay?"
They sat down, side by side, Grace almost the mirror image of her mother,
"Scans are fine… well as fine as they can be," Connie uttered, her fingers twisting her wedding ring round and round on her finger,
"You know, he thinks the world of you," Grace told her softly, "He still looks at you in the same way as he did when you first met,"
Connie smiled, "All I can think about is what will I do if he doesn't wake up? I hate the thought of having to live without him,"
Grace shook her head, "He'll wake up,"
Zoe knocked on the door, squeezing Grace's shoulder as she passed, checking the observation and lowering the oxygen further on the ventilator, "Have you thought about…"
Connie shook her head, "There's no need to trache him… his chest is clear…"
Zoe nodded, "Okay… okay."
She looked at the two women who sat so closely on the chairs by Patrick's bedside. Grace was, without a doubt beautiful, but not quite as beautiful as her mother. "I'll pop back later, Connie have you eaten today?"
"Erm…"
"I'll go and get you some food… you need to eat, if you don't you'll be no good to him when he wakes."