Hey y'all! Hope you're all having a lovely September. Getting these updates up before the next couple of weeks get hectic. Got my birthday on Saturday and then I'll be heading down south for a week and I have work inbetween so getting this up while I can. Thanks for all the views.

Lots of love,

LM xxxxxxxx

Locked Memories-Part 25:

Nobody had said a thing in ages. Elly was exhausted and had finally fallen asleep leant against Susan. Terese had been doing the drinks runs while Xanthe, Ben and Piper sat on the floor in a corner barely saying anything themselves. They had been told to go home and rest but none of them wanted to leave Ariana. Piper, especially, was feeling guilty, she couldn't help but wonder if all this could have been avoided if she'd just spoken up sooner.

Brad could sense something was wrong with his daughter and went over and sat next to her.

"What's wrong Piper?" he asked.

"Could I have stopped this…? You know told someone sooner…?" Piper asked, "if I'd opened up sooner then she wouldn't be fighting for her life…"

"You didn't know what was causing the headaches. It could have just been anything," Brad said.

"But the fact is I knew and never said anything and now she's back in surgery and I could have prevented it," Piper said and Brad wrapped his arms around his daughter as Terese came back with food and looked at Susan,

"Elly really needs to eat something or at least drink," she said, "even if she doesn't want to." Susan sighed and nodded before beginning to try and wake Elly up.

Eventually the teacher was awake enough to have something to eat, well more drink. Every time someone in surgical clothes came by Elly jumped up hoping that it was someone with news on Ariana.

"Someone will come soon, failing that Karl will come and tell us," Susan said, trying to keep Elly calm.

"And what if she dies? It'll be my fault for saying she could have the surgery," Elly said, "Amy should be here. Where is she?"

"The phone lines are down in Sydney. We can't get through to her. Paul's gone to see if he can track her down and bring her back but for now you're making the choices," Terese said, "as soon as I got here I went and called Paul as we couldn't get hold of Amy. You're not alone."

"I might as well be," Elly sighed before getting up and pacing the hallway as they waited for news. Susan didn't know what to do but she didn't move as Piper got up and went over to Elly and wrapped her arms around her teacher and hugged her.

"You aren't. If you should be mad at anyone it's me," Piper said, "I should have said something."

"No Piper. You thought you were helping your friend," Elly said, "and you have. By admitting the truth the doctors knew what to look for. You did help her."

She had been about to say something else when Karl finally appeared. Elly's head whipped round.

"Is she…?" she asked, barely able to get her words out.

"Alive and through the surgery but being supported in HDU currently," Karl said, "normally only a couple of people are allowed in but two of you can go in first…"

"Elly and Piper," Susan said instantly.

"Those two first and then the rest of you slowly," Karl said before leading them to Ariana's room where they all gasped as they saw her laid in the bed.

Elly seemed frozen to the spot and only moved when Piper held her hand and led her into the room and over to Ariana's bed. She sat the teacher in it and laid Ariana's hand in hers before going and sitting in the other chair.

"Ari…I don't know if you can hear us but it's Piper and Elly…mum," Piper said softly, "we've been here the whole time haven't we Elly?"

"Yes that's right we have sweetheart and I won't be going anywhere," Elly said softly, "oh darling. I'm so sorry. I should have realised that you weren't well. I've let you down but I won't ever let you down again."

Susan was stood watching outside wondering what was happing to Elly. The woman had never been a mother and yet here she was slowly becoming one caring for a girl that everybody was just learning to care about. She watched as Elly kissed Ariana's head and held her hand before she went in with Ben and Xanthe.

"Karl said she might be able to hear us," Susan said as Ben and Xanthe joined Piper.

"She'll hear my voice all the time," Elly said, "until Amy gets back I'm going nowhere, I'm staying by her side. Nobody is going to tell me otherwise. I promised her I'm not going anywhere."

"Elly. She needs you fit and healthy too," Susan said.

"I'll be fine Auntie Suz. I need to be here for her in case anything happens because I'll never forgive myself if anything happened and I wasn't here for her. Amy isn't and I'm not about to let her down."

Everyone knew that Elly wasn't going to back down and eventually Elly was the only one left and the woman was holding Ariana's hand and talking softly to her, hoping that she could hear her voice.

The only interruption they had was when the nurse came around to do Ariana's obs and someone found a blanket for Elly so she was able to stay warm. She eventually managed to rest her head on the edge of Ariana's bed and fell into a light sleep, still holding Ariana's hand. Yes Elly had made a promise and she wasn't about to break it.