(11:28am) 22 minutes later…
Summer Bay – Yabbie Creek – Northern Districts Hospital – Room 207
Belle was still unconscious with Irene sat beside the bed holding her hand and Amanda pacing the room.
"This is ridiculous." Amanda said as she let out a sigh "It's been an hour; someone must know something."
"Love, we're not gonna know anything till they get the blood tests back. So, until then we just have to sit tight." Irene reminds her.
Amanda just smiles then starts stoking her daughter's hair.
"You know Amanda, I haven't had the chance to thank you."
"What for?"
"Well, for keeping the search going. God, if it wasn't for you both Belle and Bianca might not be here with us now." Irene said to Amanda.
"I just hope I'm not too late." Amanda replies with worry in her voice.
Just then there was a knock at the door, and both women turned their heads quickly as Doctor Martin walked in.
"Oh, what's going on?" Amanda demanded to know "Have you got any news?"
Dr Martin spoke: "All of Belle's test results came back and based on her symptoms it's highly likely that she was bitten by an Australian Tarantula."
"Tarantula?" Amanda wasn't sure she heard him right.
"Are they dangerous?" Irene wanted to know.
"No, no. Despite the name, the Australian Tarantula's bite is not fatal. I mean they can make you very sick but we're treating the symptoms and we're monitoring her very closely to avoid any serious complications. She has however had a pretty bad reaction to the bite."
"But she's going to be okay?"
"Well, we're still rehydrating her, and we've got to reset her broken arm but yeah I expect her to make a full recovery."
Both Amanda and Irene let out a sigh of relieve knowing that Belle will be ok.
"Thank goodness." Irene said.
"She was very lucky, you know a few more hours out there and she might not have made it back." Dr Martin finished saying before reopening the door and disappearing.
Once the doctor had left the room both Amanda and Irene hugged each with joy.
At the same time…
Summer Bay – Yabbie Creek – Northern Districts Hospital – Room 220
Willow and Dean were sat beside Colby's bed talking to him, while Xavier was asleep with his family and April next to him on the other side of the room.
"How you are feeling?" Willow asked her best friend.
"Better." Colby replied.
"Is that all you can say mate." Dean laughed earning him both a slap from Willow and a look from Colby "Honestly though it is good to have you home."
"I'm glad to be home." Colby told them "Even if that does mean back to your clothes all over the house."
Willow and Dean both laughed.
"Actually, the house is clean for once." Willow said to Colby.
"Ok, who are you both and what have you done with real Willow and Dean?"
"We just wanted the house to be tidy for when you got home." Dean said with a smile.
"Thanks." Colby said to the both.
Over on the other side of the room, Xavier started to move as the anaesthetic that they give him while they fixed his ankle (which turned out to be broken not sprained) wore off.
"April." Xavier said as he started to open his eyes.
Grabbing her boyfriend's hand so he knew she was there, April said: "I'm here Xav."
"We are all here son." John told him as he sat in the chair on the other side of the bed.
"What happened." Xavier asked as he was slightly confused.
Rachel who had stayed with Xavier as they worked on him, said: "Your ankle had to be reset as it was broken not sprained like you all thought but other than that your all good."
"Where's Colby and everyone else?" Xavier said as his heart rate rose a tiny bit.
"They are all here in the hospital and Colby is on the other side of the room, so don't worry." John told his son.
Suddenly, Xavier started to struggle trying to get a breath.
"Xav." April started to panic.
"Xavier, what's wrong?" Rachel asked him as she noticed his oxygen levels had fallen.
"I ca can't breat breathe." Xavier slowly said.
"Rach, what's wrong?" Tony asked his wife.
From the other side of the room: Colby, Willow and Dean watched the scene play out.
"His blood pressure is starting to drop; we need to get him flat." Rachel told them as she hit a button on the wall and shouted, "I need help in here!"
Placing an oxygen mask over her nephew's face, Rachel continued: "It's going to be alright Xavier, just try and relax for me."
Colby looked on with worry as a bunch of nurses and another doctor came rushing into the room to help Rachel.
(11:47am) 19 minutes later…
Summer Bay – Yabbie Creek – Northern Districts Hospital – Room 207
Amanda was sat holding Belle's hand when Irene re-entered after she had gone to check on Bianca with two cups of coffee.
"Amanda." Irene said as she gave her the cup.
Taking the cup and smiling, Amanda replied: "Thank you."
"Irene." A voice suddenly said.
The two women couldn't put their cups down fast enough when they heard the voice.
"It's alright sweetheart, I'm here." Irene tells as she strokes Belle's head.
"Where am I?" Belle asked as she opened her eyes.
"Love, you're in the hospital now your safe." Irene replies.
Just as Belle turned her head, she spotted Amanda: "Mum."
"Oh Belle, I was so worried." Amanda smiled as she held her daughter's hand "Your brother is going to be so happy when I tell him your awake."
"Where's Kyle?" Belle asked them.
Irene and Amanda looked at each other as they didn't know how to tell her about Kyle.
"What's wrong?" Belle demands to know once she noticed the looks on their faces.
Meanwhile…
Summer Bay – Yabbie Creek – Northern Districts Hospital – ICU – Kyle's Room
"So how long is he going to be like this for?" Casey asked his brother after being allowed in the room.
Without taking his eyes off Kyle, Brax replied: "Sid said for a few days just to give his lungs some time to rest."
"But he's going to be okay though, right?" asked Casey as he wanted to know if his brother was going to be fine.
"We don't know Case; it all depends on what his GFR is when they wake him up." Ricky explains "We just have to be patient and hope that it doesn't drop any further than it already has."
Cheryl, who was still new to Kyle's situation asked: "What if it does drop further?"
"Well then mum, he will need to go on dialysis and be put on the list for a new kidney." Brax repeats what Sid had told them earlier.
"Poor Kyle, he's only a kid. Having all the normal problems a 16-year-old has…"
"17 mum." Casey interrupted "Kyle turned 17 while they were missing."
"Sorry Casey, having all the normal problems a 17-year-old has is bad enough but this on top is going to be even worse." Cheryl said with an emphasis on 17.
"Really mum? Right now, we are only focused on getting him through this before we add anything else into the mix." Brax tells Cheryl as he continues to watch Kyle and the machines surrounding him.
Ruby, who until now everyone had forgot was even in the room said: "I wonder how Belle is taking the news."
(11:54am) 7 minutes later…
Summer Bay – Yabbie Creek – Northern Districts Hospital – Room 207
"I need to see him." Belle stated as she tried to get out of bed.
"Belle, that's not possible right now." Amanda tells her daughter.
"But I need to see him."
"Sweetheart, you can't only his family can." Irene points out unaware that Ruby was in there.
"I'm his girlfriend." Belle starts to cry as she says that last word.
"We know but you're not classed as family." Amanda said pulling Belle into a hug.
"I just want to him mum." Belle sobbed while both Amanda Irene looked at each wishing they hadn't said anything.
(12:10pm) 16 minutes later…
Summer Bay – Yabbie Creek – Northern Districts Hospital – Room 220
While Belle was sobbing her heart out over the news of Kyle, the occupants in Colby and Xavier's room were all sat waiting for news.
As the room was quiet, Dean whispered to Willow: "I think he's taking what happened to Xavier worse than he should be."
Looking at Colby who was just staring up at the ceiling, Willow whispered in response: "Do you blame him? When they all split up, he was the one left with Xavier, which meant he probably thought it was his job to make sure that they both got home safe."
"Yeah but he did that." Dean said to his girlfriend.
"It doesn't matter Dean, with how bad Xavier is now he probably thinks he's failed." Willow replied.
On the other side of the room, Marilyn said to April: "He's come this far April, he'll be okay."
"How do you know that though?" April said as tears flowed down her face.
"Because as Marilyn said April it's Xavier, remember that surfing accident?" John stated which earned a nod from the teen.
"What surfing accident?" Charlie asked as he had arrived at the hospital not long after Rachel and the staff disappeared with Xavier.
"The kids decided to go camping in the national park and took their surfboards, long story short Xavier came off the board and nearly broke his back." Tony filled him in.
"Ouch." Charlie said.
John then decided to continue what he had started to say: "Well he got through that, which means he'll get through this April."
Just then Rachel walked into the room which had everyone getting up to ask her questions.
"How is he?" Tony asked his wife.
"Erm, Xavier is suffering from septicaemia as a result of his infected burns." Rachel told them "It can cause a massive drop in blood pressure and that's exactly what happened to Xavier."
"Is he going to be okay?" Colby asked reminding everyone he was still there.
"Err, we've managed to stabilise his blood pressure which is a good sign. He's on intravenous antibiotics but he still has a very long way to go."
"Can we see him?" April asked.
"Yeah, he's still very drowsy but you can go in. Just one at time though, alright." Rachel finished saying.
April looked at John as she knew he'd probably want to go first as Xavier was his adopted son after all.
"Go on April." John told her.
"Are you sure?" April quizzed him.
"I think he would rather see you when he wakes up than me." John said which earned him a smile from the teen.
With that she followed Rachel to Resus to see Xavier.
Meanwhile…
Summer Bay – Yabbie Creek – Northern Districts Hospital – ICU – Kyle's Room
While the Braxton clan were all talking amongst themselves there was a knock at the door and Cassie walked in.
"Cassie you can't be in here." Ricky told the teen.
"I know but Heath asked me to come and get you." Cassie replied, "Bianca's awake."
They all smiled with the news.
Casey who noticed they were all torn on what to do spoke up: "You lot go, if there's any change with Kyle we will let you know."
Brax made sure Casey was ok with that and when Casey said yes, they all took that as their cue to go and check on the newest member of the Braxton clan.
