"I don't like it."
"Do you like anything new Charlie?" Luke asked.
"Yes of course I do. Just not that."
The ED was opening the doors on its new minor injuries unit and Charlie was sceptical about the true intentions behind opening it.
"I just think we are encouraging more and more people just to come through our doors." Charlie said.
Luke laughed before walking off. Today was a particularly quiet day for Luke not many patients. He was walking out the doors of the ambulance bay with Alice on their break to go and get a coffee. They were playfully arguing about how quiet the ED is.
"How can you not hate quiet days." Luke said.
"Because it means people are safe and not hurt."
"Yeah but it like makes the day drag."
"I know but what would you rather us be rushed off our feet not knowing which way to turn and people shouting at us or a nice calm day were no shouts."
"Busy day with lots of shouting."
"You are so weird."
"Yeah but that's why you love me." Luke kissed Alice on the head.
"True."
After they got their coffee, they sat outside on one of the benches that were outside the ED. They were sat laughing and joking when they saw a teenage girl come staggering towards them. She looked completely lost and frightened. She noticed that she had blood on her hands and face, she was clutching at her chest.
"Alice." Luke pointed at the girl.
"Do you want me to get security?" Alice asked.
"No, she needs our help."
Luke and Alice walked over to the girl.
"Hello sweetie."
Luke reached out to try and put a hand on her to make sure she was ok. But she flinched before Luke even got close.
"No." The girl said.
"What's happened to you my darling." Alice asked.
"I…I can't say. I shouldn't have come here."
The girl went to walk away. Luke and Alice got in her way.
"I think you did mean to come here." Luke said.
"No I'll be in a lot of trouble."
"I think you'll be in a lot more trouble if you go back darling." Alice said trying to put her arm around her.
Alice was more successful. Luke got a wheel chair for her to sit in.
"You're safe her my love." Alice squeezed the girls hand.
Luke wheeled the girl into a cubicle.
"Whose that?" Tess asked.
"No idea. She just staggered in."
"Want me to call anyone?"
"Social services and the police?"
"Will do."
"Thanks Tess."
Luke went back over to the girls bed. Alice was still sat with her.
"What's your name sweetheart?"
"W…Will…Willow."
"Hi. I'm Luke and this is Alice."
"Hi."
"Can we take a lot at your arms because they look like they are bleeding."
Willow closed herself into a ball. "No its fine."
"You can trust us." Alice reached out for her again. Once again, the girl flinched.
"I'll tell you what. I'll leave you to put on this gown. Alice can stay and help if you need any help."
"Ok."
Luke smiled as he got up and he looked at Alice. She nodded. Luke went to go and find Tess to see if she had any luck with social services and the police. She had. The social worker was a familiar face to Luke.
"Francesca." Luke shook her hand.
"Luke. How's Maisie?"
"Good."
The police officer was a detective called Sally Masters. He took the two of them through to the staffroom, Alice joined them.
"Teenage girl named Willow. She staggering around outside the hospital covered in blood. She was terrified of us, she wouldn't let us anywhere near her. She tried telling us she didn't need to be there and that she didn't need our help. She wouldn't let us anywhere near her arms to treat them."
"Poor kid."
"She had more than a few cuts Luke. She had cuts all on her back. Cigarette burns on her upper arms and her legs. Cuts on her stomach and bruises and various other marks. I'm no expert but there was defiantly think she has a broken rib. She's got up to x-ray so that will be confirmed, and I've asked for it to be brought down straight away due to the situation of the case." Alice said.
"Thanks Alice."
"I think we have a classic child abuse case." Francesca said.
"I think it's more than just abuse." Luke wondered.
"How so?" Sally asked.
"I don't know that all seems a little bit too much for just your home child abuse. You'd do one of things maybe two, plus she was self-harming. It also seems a little bit too much for me. Alice, do you think you we could convince her to do a rape kit."
"I don't know. She's pretty shaken up. I don't think she's mentally stable enough at the moment. It's so invasive." Alice said.
"She's right Luke." Cesca backed up Alice.
"Yeah." Luke was defeated.
"What did you say her name was?" Sally asked.
"Willow. She didn't give us a surname."
Sally called someone on her phone. "Mickey its me. On my desk there should be a file for a missing teenage girl called Willow."
Luke heard those words and a smile spread across his face. Hope.
"Brilliant cheers mate. Do you think you could bring it down to Holby City ED for me?" Sally hung up. "This isn't a child abuse case I think we've got something here. If its the girl I think it is. Kidnapped 3 years ago. I think Luke's right, she meant to come to this hospital. I think she wanted to be found and get help. Now she's got here she's just afraid about what will happen to her if gets found out. If it's ok with you I'd like to hang around down here just in case anyone comes that aren't here parents."
"I think that sounds like a good idea. If she is part of some sort of grooming ring, she's going to need some sort of protection." Luke agreed.
"I'll get someone else to give me a hand." Sally stood up and left the staff room.
Francesca shuffled uncomfortably in her chair.
"You ok?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. I've just never worked on something potentially this serious before."
"You'll be fine." Luke smiled.
Cesca smiled back. Just then Abs came running in.
"You are really going to want to see this fast."
Abs ran back out. They all looked at each other and went running after him. Sally was already looking at the x-ray. She pointed out what they were all looking.
"What is it?" Francesca asked.
Luke and Sally looked at each other. She had a look on her face that Luke really didn't want to see.
"I believe it is a tracker." Luke said.
Luke felt Alice squeeze him. Cesca looked panicked.
"That's not good." Cesca said.
"We could have a very serious situation on our hands if it is." Sally said.
Luke looked over to Willow.
"This girl could be in danger. Very serious danger. She's going to need all the help we can give her."