Chapter Eight

"You sure you don't want me to come in for moral support?" Aden asked.

They were in the car, outside the hospital. Joey assured him that she would be fine and that he should go and catch up with his friends, namely Irene who wouldn't forgive him if she found out he had been in the Bay for hours now without looking her up.

"Okay," he said. "Good luck. Call me when you're done."

She put on her bravest smile and climbed out of the car, making her way up to the front desk. She took a deep breath, trying to psyche herself up to be brave enough to ask for Charlie. If only any of these people were familiar to her now. If only she had a friend. She was starting regret sending Aden away. He did have friends here. Nobody would question him coming back to the Bay to see Irene and popping his head in to see Charlie. Joey would be able to slip in undetected. She had no real idea what Charlie's life was like now. She had no idea if she would even welcome a visit.

Changing her mind, Joey turned away. She got as far as some chairs and sat down heavily on one of them, utterly torn between going forward and back.

"Hi, are you… Joey?" said a kind sounding voice.

Joey looked up and found herself face to face with one of the women she'd met on the beach earlier that day. She suddenly recalled that her friend had mentioned she was a Doctor.

"Uh, yeah, that's right," she said nervously.

"I'm Alex," the Doctor said. "We met on the beach?"

"Yes, I remember," Joey said.

Alex came to sit next to her.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You look a little anxious. Do you need to see someone?"

Joey swallowed.

"I've come to see a patient," Joey said. "I just… I haven't been in touch with her for a long time so I'm a bit… well, yeah… anxious."

"What's her name?" Alex asked. "Maybe she's one of mine?"

Joey told her Charlie's name. Alex smiled.

"She is indeed one of mine," the Doctor confirmed.

"How is she doing?" Joey asked eagerly.

"Well, why don't you ask her yourself?" Alex asked. "Or are you too anxious?"

The question was gentle, not challenging or unkind. Joey exhaled slowly.

"I don't know if she'll even want to see me," she admitted. "It's been nearly three years and I don't want to stress her out by barging in."

"Would it help if her very kind Doctor let her know you were here?" Alex offered.

Joey accepted gratefully. Alex patted her shoulder and stood up, promising to be back shortly. Joey sank back in the uncomfortable, plastic chair. She felt like she had been a baby but when it had come to it, she had been too scared to be brave. But she was touched that Alex, who judging by the busy hospital around her, had quite enough to do, was so compassionate.

On her way into Charlie's hospital room, Alex passed Brax who was on his way out. He didn't acknowledge her. He rarely did. Of all of Charlie's loved ones, she found him to be the least friendly. She had it on good authority, that he was a lovely guy and that he seemed to be reacting badly to the grief of what had happened to his girlfriend. But Alex wasn't convinced that it was an acceptable explanation. She had seen plenty of people torn up with grief during her time practicing medicine. In fact, over these past few days, she had seen a teenager utterly broken at the idea that she might lose her mother, the one person in the whole world that she had ever truly been able to rely on. And yet Ruby had been nothing but kind and compassionate throughout.

She knocked.

"Brax?" came a quiet voice from inside the room.

Alex poked her head round the door.

"Sorry, Charlie, it's just me," she apologised.

"Oh, it's fine," Charlie said. "He was in a bad mood anyway."

Alex frowned at how sad she looked. She took what had probably been his seat.

"Are you okay, Charlie?" she asked.

Her patient seemed a little emotional.

"I'm okay."

Alex waited.

"He just… he's so distant," Charlie admitted. "It's like I've… like I've really pissed him off."

"How?" Alex wondered.

"I don't know," Charlie said. "By getting shot?"

Tears threatened the corners of her eyes. Alex reached out and held her hand.

"He's obviously just struggling with what's happened," she said. "Which is completely selfish because everyone, including him, should be rallying around you right now. I'm sorry that you don't feel more supported."

"He's never been good at the… the emotional stuff… I guess," Charlie sighed.

She forced a smile.

"Did you need something?" she asked. "Not more needles?"

"Nope," Alex assured her. "I found someone out in the waiting room hoping to see you. She said she hasn't seen you in a while so she was nervous about coming in so I said I'd let you know she was here so you could tell her whether you wanted to see her or not."

Charlie was puzzled as she tried to wrack her brains over who it could be. For a moment, she hoped it was Joey but she dismissed it as ridiculous. It was just that the dream she had had about her had been playing on her mind. Then she thought perhaps it might be Bianca, willing to give their friendship another chance.

"Who is it?" she asked eagerly.

"She said her name is Joey," Alex told her.

Charlie's heart monitor flickered. Alex noticed but was more interested than concerned as it settled.

"Joey?" Charlie repeated.

"That's what she said," Alex confirmed. "Dark hair. Kind of shy. Pretty."

Charlie nodded.

"Joey," she agreed.

"So… would you like to see her?"

"Yes. Yes, please," Charlie said.

It wasn't even a question in her mind. Alex stood up.

"I'd better go and put the poor girl out of her misery then," she said, heading for the door.

Joey stood up as soon as she saw Alex heading in her direction.

"What did she say?" she asked nervously, her hands clasped anxiously.

"She wants to see you," Alex told her. "She didn't even hesitate."

Joey breathed out an audible sigh of relief as she followed Alex down the corridor. They paused outside Charlie's room. Alex turned back to Joey.

"She looks a little fragile, okay?" the Doctor said seriously. "She's hooked up a lot of machines."

Joey swallowed worriedly.

"But the good news is that she's awake, she's talking, she's even laughing at times," Alex told her. "She's strong. I don't know what you are to each other but she seems really glad you've come to see her and she needs every reason she can find to smile."

She squeezed Joey's shoulder and left her alone to visit Charlie. Joey took a couple of deep breaths and knocked on Charlie's door. She thought she heard a quiet voice on the other side so she pushed open the door. She wanted to burst into tears when she saw the once strong, capable police officer lying there so small and broken in the hospital bed. Alex had tried to warn her but it hadn't been enough.

She forced herself to stay strong and look past the trauma Charlie was obviously enduring. She found Charlie's beautiful face. They locked eyes, just gazing at each other for several long moments.

"Well… that was a long…three months," Charlie said eventually.

Joey didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She moved closer to the bed and sat down in the chair that had been occupied by Brax and then Alex.

"I'd ask how you've been but…"

"Shot," Charlie shrugged.

This time Joey half laughed and half cried. Charlie reached out her hand and softly wiped Joey's cheek. Joey took her hand in both of hers and kissed her fingers and palm. Charlie felt more of Joey's tears drip onto her palm and down her wrist.

"How have you been?" Charlie eventually asked.

"Oh… you know… okay," Joey said. "I mean, better than you, obviously."

They two women looked each other, still taking in each other's faces.

"How come you're back?" Charlie asked.

She could hardly believe Joey Collins was here, holding her hand like this.

"You'll laugh at me," Joey said shyly.

A small smile played on Charlie's lips. She couldn't wait for the answer now.

"I had the weirdest dream about you," Joey admitted. "It woke me up and I was just so worried. Then I found out what had happened and I had to come, I had to."

Charlie gazed at her.

"When was your dream?" she asked.

"Last night," Joey told her. "Aden and I came over this morning."

"I dreamt about you last night too," Charlie replied.

Next time… Charlie and Joey have a lot of catching up to do, Alex and Willow get closer and Watson makes a discovery about Colby…