Fletch POV
One by one my colleagues left ITU, leaving just Sacha and myself.
"Has anyone called Jonny? He needs to be told that Jac has been shot. Dom has called Zosia, and she'll be on the first plane to Holby. I have to talk to the press, can you call him?"
"Fine."
I didn't want to leave Jac and Ollie by themselves, after all that had happened today but someone needed to make the call. The conversation only took a few minutes, yet it felt like it had been hours since I had stepped out of ITU. Jonny had been aware of the shooting but was unaware that Jac had been shot, as none of the names had been released. Jonny was going to be here as soon as possible to pick up Emma who was being entertained by Donna. I went back into ITU and sat down in between both beds.
"Fletch," Jonny called bringing me out of my thoughts. I didn't realise how much time had passed. "Are you alright? I heard about Raf, I know you guys were best mates."
"He was more than a friend. He helped me when I was at my lowest point. Yet one person has taken away the one person that I can depend on, whilst hurting others that I love. No I am not alright."
"I had to see for myself. Jac is strong, especially after all we've been through together, yet she lays here barely alive and the most vulnerable I have ever seen her. I can't imagine how someone can bring a gun and kill innocent people, and it being Hanssen's son."
"She and Ollie nearly didn't make it, they were lucky that they were in the best hospital in the country. Jac will wake up in a couple of days, but she will still need multiple surgeries. You'll have to look after Emma for at least a month, but I'll be happy to help you and I'm sure Sacha will also be happy to help. Ollie is in an induced coma, they'll wait until his brain activity improves before waking him up, which might be in a few weeks."
"I have to go, but I'll be in touch."
"I'll let you know of any changes. Stay safe."
As Jonny left Sacha walked in.
"You should go home, your kids need you. I'll watch over them."
"I don't know if I can, I'll have to tell them about Uncle Raf and the shooting. I can't tell them that they'll never see Raf again. They've already lost their mother."
"They know about the shooting and that you were at the hospital, they need to see that you are okay. Go home, rest and come back tomorrow. It is going to be a long week."
"How do we keep going after all that has happened, go home to our families and continue with our lives as if the shooting never happened."
"We must, for our children. They need normality"
With that, I left Sacha on the night watch protecting Jac and Ollie.
Sacha POV
I noticed it was now midnight when I looked up at the clock. Fletch had left me on my own 3 hours ago. I felt like I had aged 10 years in one day. I had never thought that I would have to do emergency surgery on my best friend to save her life. I thought she was going to bleed out and die, but somehow Gaskell's experimental patch had worked, and we were able to stem the bleed. When the all clear was given, Gaskell and I had rushed to take Jac up to theatre, and our worst fears were founded. Raf was killed by a shot in the jugular. I ran upstairs to comfort Essie as she heard Raf's final voicemail to her. I would have stayed longer, but I was needed in surgery to remove the bullet in Jac's abdomen. Connie being the only CT surgeon available had helped me with the cardiac complications. Jac would need more surgeries to improve her lung function, and will need weeks of physiotherapy, but at least she will make a full recovery.
Ollie may never be the same again. He may never walk again, may never remember his life at Holby, or his marriage to Zosia. He might never be able to practice again as a surgeon. Ollie had been through a lot already with the death of his sister Penny, and Tara his first wife. He deserved to live a long happy life. Roxanna had been able to stabilise Ollie, and stop the bleed. He would have certainly died if he had not been in theatre, but he may not have been shot in the first place if he had not been in surgery. Both his friends will need strength to move on from the shooting.
Essie and Roxanna have both lost their husbands, the next few weeks will be the hardest weeks of their lives. After talking to the police, Hanssen had locked himself in his office. No one knew what to say to him. The shooting had changed the haven that he and his colleagues had once called a home away from home.
The minutes ticked by as the ominous ticking around him symbolised every heartbeat, and breath his friend's took. He continued sitting in ITU and did not notice the first rays of light, symbolising the start of a new day.
He was woken up from his stupor by the door being opened by Fletch. It was 8 in the morning. Fletch looked solemn and as if he had not been able to sleep.
"Sacha, you should go get some sleep. I'll take the day shift."
"Did you talk to your children?"
Fletch was unable to meet my eyes. "I told them that Uncle Raf was no longer with us. The older kids understood what I meant, but I could not explain to Ella and Theo about the shooting. I could not sleep, my mind was going over everything that had happened. I feel guilty leaving them with the nanny, but I had to come back to see that Jac and Ollie were still okay."
"You love her, I can see it in your eyes. When she broke down yesterday, you were there to help her, you saw the pain and grief in her eyes."
"I don't know what will happen now, but I am staying here and keeping watch."