They arrived at the royal, Gordon pulled up and then got out to go and get a wheelchair
"It's alright, it won't be that much longer now" said Jill trying her best to keep Ash calm
"Why, don't I just carry her in" asked Jonathon
"I, can walk" said Ash breathlessly
"No, your dad won't be long, see here he comes now" said Jill, relieved to see him
They wheeled Ash straight through to X-ray and while she was in there
"So, what happened" asked Gordon
"I had better tell the others what is going on" replied Jonathon getting up to leave
"Do, you want me to call sister" he asked knowing this would give him extra time
Jill and Gordon both looked at each other
"No, we would rather you told us what happened" replied Jill
Before anything else could be said Ash was wheeled back out, they took her down to casualty
"I'll give you some space" said Jonathon, Jill had followed him out to see if she could hurry the results up a little
"Right, I'm going to make you little comfier" said Gordon helping Ash on to the bed
"When can this come out" asked Ash pointing to the needle
"Shortly, first we have to insert a chest drain" replied Gordon
"No, please don't, I feel fine now" begged Ash
"Sweetheart, you have to let us do this, it is for the best" replied Gordon
"Is there nothing else" asked Ash
"No, this really is the only way" replied Gordon
"How long will it take" asked Ash
"Right, now that doesn't matter, what matters is making you better" replied Gordon
"But" started Ash, just then Jill walked back in
"Have you still not done it yet" asked Jill as she pulled the X-ray out of the sleeve
"No, someone is being a little bit difficult" replied Gordon walking over and looking at the film
"Right, well, this proves it, there is no other way" said Gordon, going back over to Ash
"Dad's right, you have broken your ribs and there is air trapped in your pleural cavity and this is the only way" added Jill
Ash gave up and let Gordon put the drain in, he then went off in search of Jonathon to take him back home
"How's the pain" asked Jill
"Okay" replied Ash, she was upset, she had ruined a day out before it had even happened, why was she so jumpy, they had only knocked on the window for heaven's sake, why did she have to over react and cause all of this
"What's wrong, are you sure you're not in too much pain" asked Jill as she finished tiding up
"I'm fine" replied Ash but she knew she wasn't fooling anyone
"So, what happened" asked Jill
"Right, I'm just going to take this one back" said Gordon from the door way, Jonathon went on in
"I'm sorry Ash, I hope you feel better soon" said Jonathon
"It's not your fault, see you tomorrow" she said as they left
Jill waited until they had left
"So, what happened" Jill tried again
"I, can't" started Ash
"It's alright, your Dad will get it out of the others" said Jill, clearly upset, she thought Ash would tell her everything
"It's not like that" started Ash
"Then, why" said Jill
Ash didn't look at Jill, she knew that she would never give up until she knew what had happened
"It, was me I did it to myself, I'm sorry" said Ash, trying to get it over with
"I, don't believe you" said Jill, not buying the lie for a second
"Honestly, I did this to myself, I wanted some time on my own with you and dad, I didn't mean for this to happen though" lied Ash, not wanting to cause any arguments with the others
"I, don't believe you, I am going to go and call dad, and when I come back, I want the truth" said Jill, clearly annoyed,
Jill didn't wait for a reply, she went straight out of the door and to her office, she sat her desk
"ARRGGGH" Jill said holding her head in her hands, she then picked up the phone and dialled home
"Ormerod residence" said Katie
"Katie, can I speak to your Dad" said Jill
"Right, I want the truth now" shouted Gordon, it was loud enough that Jill could hear him on the other end of the phone clearly
"Dad, it's mum" said Katie
"Okay, right you three stay in there, I haven't finished with you yet" said Gordon
"Is everything alright, I won't be too much longer" said Gordon to Jill
"She's saying she done it to herself" said Jill
"That, doesn't make sense, why" replied Gordon
"She says, she wanted to spend more time with us alone" replied Jill
"One, second" replied Gordon to Jill
"Go, back in there and wait for me" said Gordon
"Is, Ash alright" asked Katie
"I will tell you when I've finished talking to mum" replied Gordon
"What's going on" asked Jill
"Nosey, parkers" replied Gordon
"So, what do you think" asked Jill
"Well, what she is saying doesn't make sense, maybe she's saying it to cover up for the others" replied Gordon
"I know that, but why" asked Jill
"Because she thinks she's caused too much trouble already" added Jill answering her own question
"Why, don't you try again" said Gordon
"Are, they listening in again" asked Jill
"Yes, I know but that has to be the last thing we try" replied Gordon
"Are, you trying to guilt them into confessing, Mr Ormerod" replied Jill
"Yes, you were quite right to phone, I will be right there" replied Gordon
"Don't be too hard on them" said Jill
"No, I will ask them one more time, it's easier to treat if we know exactly what happened, I will be with you as soon as possible, love you both" said Gordon
"Love you to, bye" replied Jill, putting the receiver down
"Dad, what is it, what's happened" asked Tom
"I, haven't got long, but if you can tell us anything it would be helpful" replied Gordon
"But, she was fine when we left" replied Jonathon
"There's been a complication, but I've got no time to explain" replied Gordon starting to put his coat and shoes on
"Alright, we didn't mean to hurt her" said Katie
"Yeah, we thought it was mum" added Tom
"What, did you do" asked Gordon
"We knocked on the window, and made her jump" replied Jonathon
"Well, that wasn't a very good idea, even if it had been mum, after what they have been through" said Gordon
"We, are sorry" said Tom
"She, will be alright, won't she" asked Jonathon
"Yes, I'm sure she will be" replied Gordon
"Can, we come with you" asked Katie
"No, I think you have done enough for tonight, I will call you with any news" replied Gordon, opening the door and leaving
Gordon made his way to the royal
Meanwhile Jill, had gone back to Ash, she had made them both a drink
"Here, you go" said Jill, placing Ash's drink on the table in front of her
"Thanks" said Ash, she was feeling guilty for lying
"So, how are you feeling" asked Jill, looking at the drain
Ash didn't say anything, but she was trying to make herself more comfortable
"Here, let me help you, so are you ready to tell me the truth" said Jill, helping Ash sit up
"I, told you I did it to myself" replied Ash
"I don't believe you" said Jill sitting down, when Ash didn't reply Jill continued
"You, see one thing doesn't add up, you say you did it to spend time with dad and me, but you were already doing that, and it's not long before the others leave anyway" said Jill
Ash, didn't answer, she just stared at a spot on the floor
"Well, if that is the truth, just wait until your dad gets here" added Jill clearly angry
They sat in silence until Gordon arrived, Ash was trying to keep back the tears, she had upset her mum, it was the last thing she wanted to do, but she didn't want the others to get into trouble either, and it wasn't like she was lying about it all, she had technically done it to herself
"So, I've heard it from mum, now I want to hear it from you" said Gordon
"I'm, sorry, I did it to myself" said Ash still sticking to the story
"Well, we don't believe you" replied Jill
"Shall, I tell you what I think happened" said Gordon
"I'm telling you, I did it to myself" said Ash
"Give, up I know the truth" said Gordon
"Then you will know, I banged my cast against my chest" replied Ash
"Yes, you did do that" said Gordon
"Why, would you do that" said Jill,
"I've, told you why" replied Ash, not knowing the others had already told Gordon everything
"Are, you going to tell your mother the truth or am I" said Gordon
Ash just shrugged her shoulders, thinking he was just bluffing, to try to get it out of her
"Well, the others, saw Ash sat at the table reading, they tapped on the window, thinking it was you and made her jump" said Gordon
"So, why did you make up the other story" asked Jill, bewildered
Before Ash could reply they were interrupted by a nurse
"Sorry, Doctors, could one of you take a quick look at a patient on Milner" asked the nurse
"Yes, of course, I'll be right there" said Gordon, getting up and following her out
"So" said Jill
"I thought, it was easier to say that, it was only a little white lie, I mean, I did cause the injury to myself, and the others didn't mean for it to happen" started Ash
"You, mean you didn't want to get the others into trouble" said Jill
"Well, yeah, you would have told them off, they would hate me, they already think" started Ash
"Think, what" replied Jill
"That, I get away with a lot more, because of what happened, that you both feel guilty and that you give me an easy time because of it" said Ash
"That's not true" replied Jill, shocked
"I, know we all know the favourite is Jonathon" replied Ash, cheekily
"That, is not true, we love you all equally" replied Jill
"I, know, but we all get jealous of each other, we all think the others have more than us, but that's just family" replied Ash
"Don't, let your drink go cold" replied Jill
"When, can we go home" asked Ash
Jill looked at the drain again, the air seemed to have stopped coming out
"We, will see, but probably in a couple of hours why" asked Jill
"Just, wondered" replied Ash
"I, tell you what, I will see if I can find a game" said Jill getting up
"I'm, sorry, for not telling you" said Ash
"Well, let's hear no more about it" replied Jill, leaving the room
Jill came back five minutes later, with the snakes and ladder game that had been left in Gordon's office all the others had been locked away for the night
Jill sat on the bed next to Ash and put an arm around her, Ash cuddled in
"Right, what colour do you want to be" asked Jill as she set up the board
"Yellow, please" replied Ash
They were about to start when Gordon came back in
"Not, to late am I" he asked
Jill shook her head
"No, we were just about to start" said Ash
Gordon pulled up a chair
"Go, on then dad, you can go first" said Ash
"Thank you" replied Gordon taking the dice from Jill
They sat there playing for the next couple of hours
"Yes, I won" said Gordon
"Yes, but how many did you lose" replied Jill
"Not, that many" replied Gordon
"No, of course not, you do know the aim of the game is not to go down the snakes" replied Ash
"Yes, I do cheeky, right, let's take a look at this drain" said Gordon getting up
"It's been over two hours now, I think we can take it out" said Jill
"Yes, then we can go home right" said Ash
"One, step at a time" replied Gordon