Chapter 36
When the doctor eventually came to see them 2 hours later the news wasn't good. Jeff had several broken fingers, a fractured ankle, two broken ribs & various cuts that had needed stitches. If that wasn't bad enough, he'd also taken several blows to the head & face, the doctor assumed he'd been 'repeatedly kicked' & the full extent of these injuries wouldn't be known until Jeff regained conciousness.
They were told immediate family could go in & see him so Gemma, Amy & Jack waited in the corridor while Matt & Gilbert went into Jeff's room. Michael, Pat & Greg arrived a short time later along with Kellie so Jack filled them in on what they knew so far. They decided to go for coffee while they were waiting, but Gemma didnt want to move so Amy agreed to stay with her.
"Its all my fault!" Gemma stared into space.
"Hey listen you! This has nothing to do with you! This is down to Macey & Shane!" Amy held Gemma's hand.
"No Amy! Dont you see? If I'd told Jeff what I knew before we went away none of this would've happened!" She put her head down.
"If you'd told him before we went then maybe this would have happened sooner! I mean maybe Jeff would never have even got to sign the contract! Now come on Gem you cant think like this!"
"God Amy.......you didnt see him....you didnt see what they did to him!! I mean look at my clothes Amy...this isnt my blood!! This is so bad...God it's so fucking bad Amy!!"
"Jeff's a fighter Gem! If I know anything about him its that he wont give up!" She put her arm around Gemma's shoulders.
Matt & Gilbert came out of the room looking like they'd seen a ghost! Gilbert's face was completely expressionless & Matt had a tear rolling down his cheek. The girls stood up as they came towards them & Amy hugged Matt.
"Where's your Dad Gemma?" Gilbert asked.
"Gilbert are you ok?"
"Y......yes...Im.....look has he gone for a coffe cause I could use one myself right now!"
"Sure he has. Here I'll show you where to go!" Amy took hold of Gilbert's arm & led him to the hospital cafe.
"Can I see him Matt PLEASE?!"
"Gemma you dont wanna go in there trust me! Its........its not even Jeff in there!" He started to cry "I cant recognise him Gemma....he's my brother & I dont even recognise him!"
Gemma held Matt tightly & they both cried.
"I need to see him Matt. Will they let me in?"
"Ok...look...I'll sort it....hang on.....EXCUSE ME DOCTOR?" The doctor turned around "This is my brother's....fiance, can I take her in to see him please?"
"Yes ok but dont stay too long ok?"
"Thanks doctor!"
"Matt thankyou!"
"No worries hun...listen this isnt gonna be easy Gemma. You sure you wanna do this?"
"Yes I'll be fine. I need to see him....I need him to know Im here Matt!"
Matt took hold of her hand & led her to the door. Once there he paused & gestured for her to go in alone. He obviously wasnt ready to go back in there, so she gave him a hug & stepped into the room. Matt closed the door behind her.
What she saw lying on the bed made her gasp. She put her hand to her mouth & the tears came again.
"Jesus Jeff..." she whispered. She walked over to the bed & sat down. She just wanted to hold him, wanted him to wake up & say 'gottcha!!', but she knew this was no joke. She felt sick to her stomach. She couldnt even hold his hand as they were both bandaged up, she just sat there crying. She lightly touched his shoulder.
"Jeff? Please wake up! Im so sorry!" she sniffed & wiped some of her tears on her sleeve "I.......I...." she paused & leaned closer to his ear "I Love you! I love you so much! Please get through this!" she whispered. She kissed his shoulder, it seemed like the only place on his body that wasn't bandaged or stitched. The door opened.
"Gem?"
She turned to see Matt poking his head around the door. He took one look at her face & went over to hold her. "Its gonna be ok Gemma!" He stroked her hair & she sobbed into his chest.
"Oh Matt! I love him! I love him so much! I cant believe this has happened!"
"Come on...hey...its gonna be ok....shhhh.." He held her face in his hands. "Dont you crack up on me Gemma! You hear me?! I need you, we have to get through this together ok?" she nodded & he held her for a few more minutes.
"Listen this is really bad but the police are here & they were wanting to talk to you!"
"P....police? No Matt please...I cant!"
"Gemma its gonna be fine! They just want you to tell them what you know ok? Can you do that?.....for Jeff?"
She sniffed & dried her face on her sleeve again.
"Yes....ok.."
"That's my girl!"
He gave her a final squeeze & led her out of the room to the waiting police officers in the corridor.
When the doctor eventually came to see them 2 hours later the news wasn't good. Jeff had several broken fingers, a fractured ankle, two broken ribs & various cuts that had needed stitches. If that wasn't bad enough, he'd also taken several blows to the head & face, the doctor assumed he'd been 'repeatedly kicked' & the full extent of these injuries wouldn't be known until Jeff regained conciousness.
They were told immediate family could go in & see him so Gemma, Amy & Jack waited in the corridor while Matt & Gilbert went into Jeff's room. Michael, Pat & Greg arrived a short time later along with Kellie so Jack filled them in on what they knew so far. They decided to go for coffee while they were waiting, but Gemma didnt want to move so Amy agreed to stay with her.
"Its all my fault!" Gemma stared into space.
"Hey listen you! This has nothing to do with you! This is down to Macey & Shane!" Amy held Gemma's hand.
"No Amy! Dont you see? If I'd told Jeff what I knew before we went away none of this would've happened!" She put her head down.
"If you'd told him before we went then maybe this would have happened sooner! I mean maybe Jeff would never have even got to sign the contract! Now come on Gem you cant think like this!"
"God Amy.......you didnt see him....you didnt see what they did to him!! I mean look at my clothes Amy...this isnt my blood!! This is so bad...God it's so fucking bad Amy!!"
"Jeff's a fighter Gem! If I know anything about him its that he wont give up!" She put her arm around Gemma's shoulders.
Matt & Gilbert came out of the room looking like they'd seen a ghost! Gilbert's face was completely expressionless & Matt had a tear rolling down his cheek. The girls stood up as they came towards them & Amy hugged Matt.
"Where's your Dad Gemma?" Gilbert asked.
"Gilbert are you ok?"
"Y......yes...Im.....look has he gone for a coffe cause I could use one myself right now!"
"Sure he has. Here I'll show you where to go!" Amy took hold of Gilbert's arm & led him to the hospital cafe.
"Can I see him Matt PLEASE?!"
"Gemma you dont wanna go in there trust me! Its........its not even Jeff in there!" He started to cry "I cant recognise him Gemma....he's my brother & I dont even recognise him!"
Gemma held Matt tightly & they both cried.
"I need to see him Matt. Will they let me in?"
"Ok...look...I'll sort it....hang on.....EXCUSE ME DOCTOR?" The doctor turned around "This is my brother's....fiance, can I take her in to see him please?"
"Yes ok but dont stay too long ok?"
"Thanks doctor!"
"Matt thankyou!"
"No worries hun...listen this isnt gonna be easy Gemma. You sure you wanna do this?"
"Yes I'll be fine. I need to see him....I need him to know Im here Matt!"
Matt took hold of her hand & led her to the door. Once there he paused & gestured for her to go in alone. He obviously wasnt ready to go back in there, so she gave him a hug & stepped into the room. Matt closed the door behind her.
What she saw lying on the bed made her gasp. She put her hand to her mouth & the tears came again.
"Jesus Jeff..." she whispered. She walked over to the bed & sat down. She just wanted to hold him, wanted him to wake up & say 'gottcha!!', but she knew this was no joke. She felt sick to her stomach. She couldnt even hold his hand as they were both bandaged up, she just sat there crying. She lightly touched his shoulder.
"Jeff? Please wake up! Im so sorry!" she sniffed & wiped some of her tears on her sleeve "I.......I...." she paused & leaned closer to his ear "I Love you! I love you so much! Please get through this!" she whispered. She kissed his shoulder, it seemed like the only place on his body that wasn't bandaged or stitched. The door opened.
"Gem?"
She turned to see Matt poking his head around the door. He took one look at her face & went over to hold her. "Its gonna be ok Gemma!" He stroked her hair & she sobbed into his chest.
"Oh Matt! I love him! I love him so much! I cant believe this has happened!"
"Come on...hey...its gonna be ok....shhhh.." He held her face in his hands. "Dont you crack up on me Gemma! You hear me?! I need you, we have to get through this together ok?" she nodded & he held her for a few more minutes.
"Listen this is really bad but the police are here & they were wanting to talk to you!"
"P....police? No Matt please...I cant!"
"Gemma its gonna be fine! They just want you to tell them what you know ok? Can you do that?.....for Jeff?"
She sniffed & dried her face on her sleeve again.
"Yes....ok.."
"That's my girl!"
He gave her a final squeeze & led her out of the room to the waiting police officers in the corridor.