2

Miranda walked into the hospital with the police officer at her side. She had no idea what to expect but she knew she had to see Gary. He was alive. A van had hit him, apparently the young driver hadn't seen him behind the open van door as he and Clive had been loading the van. She knew Gary was a fit, healthy man which had to give him a fair chance she guessed. She barely heard the police officer talking to her as a nurse led her to a small waiting room at one side of the main waiting area.

"Mrs Preston?"

"Miranda." She smiled slightly, still not quite used to being called by her married name. "Calling me Mrs Preston makes me sound like his mum." The nurse smiled slightly as she and the police officer sat down. "Can I see Gary?"

"The Doctor needs to talk to you first."

"It's bad isn't it? Really bad. I mean if the doctor wants to talk to me before I see him? I've watched enough Casualty and Grey's Anatomy to know."

The nurse sighed sympathetically. She knew the woman in front of her was barely keeping herself together. The police officer squeezed her hand. "Is there anyone you'd like me to call?"

"I."

Miranda looked up as Penny walked into the room.

"Mum."

"Stevie called me. She's closed the shop for now, gone to the restaurant. Where's Gary? Clive?"

Miranda buried her head in her hands. She hadn't even thought of Clive since they had arrived at the hospital. Suddenly she felt very guilty.

"Clive is talking to a colleague of mine." The police officer stated. "He has to make a witness statement. Then his husband is taking him home."

"And Gary?"

"We don't know, Mum. We don't know." Miranda sighed as her mother wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh, he'll be fine. Its Gary." She sighed, hoping she sounded a lot more confident than she really felt. Miranda rubbed her eyes and sniffed as the nurse stood up to let the Doctor into the family room.

"Mrs Preston?" The young man reminded her of Dr Gayle, young but tired. His name badge cheerily stated Hello... I'm Dr Steven James. It was a little to cheery for Miranda in that moment. Rather than answer she merely nodded.

"I'm the Surgical Registrar looking after your husband."

Miranda stared at him. Her stomach in knots.

"He' suffered a fracture to his left ankle, and femur. That's his left thigh."

"I know what a femur is."

The doctor nodded.

"He will need them both fixed in theatre. He's now in the anaesthetic room. Before we can fix his ankle we are going to remove his Spleen. It was ruptured and is bleeding internally."

"That's serious."

"Yes, yes it is. My orthopaedic colleagues will also put a nail in his femur to hold it together. Once the operation is over we are planning to move him into the Intensive Care Unit."

"So, we just wait?"

"You mean she can't see him?" Penny was incredulous. Miranda shook her head.

"Doesn't matter Mum. All that matters is he gets the operation as fast as he can. He needs to be in the theatre now. I can see him later, isn't that right, Doctor?"

"Yes." The doctor nodded. "I need to go."

"Of course." Miranda looked him in the eye. "Thank you." She waited until the police officer and doctor had left before letting the tears fall.

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