I know it's been literally YEARS, but I've been randomly thinking about this fic a lot lately, I loved writing it and I feel like, even if nobody reads it, it deserves to be tied up and finished off properly, so I've written two more chapters. And who knows, one day I might polish it up and post it over on AO3 with the ending I originally planned!

I'm posting this from my phone, and it doesn't quite like this website, so I apologise for any potential formatting errors.

Dixie all but flew into the room when she got a nod from the nurse, "Rita" she whispered, freezing in the doorway, "oh God, I'm so glad you're safe." Iain had called her again when she'd been on the way to hospital, when he'd had a chance to speak to Max properly so she'd been able to prepare herself for how frail and broken Rita would look but it hadn't been enough. Rita was her friend, she'd always been so strong, so feisty and outgoing, Dixie knew that if she ever saw Mark Richie again, what he'd done to Rita would seem like fun compared to what she'd do to him.

Despite the pep talk she'd given herself in the car, promising herself she'd be strong, she wouldn't cry, she still felt herself tearing up when she heard Rita whisper, "Dix."

"I'm here Darlin' Dixie walked over to the bed not noticing Zoe was there, "I'm here and Iain's on his way, he'll be here as soon as he can."

"Dix" Rita whispered before wincing as she held out her hand, fighting against the ache in her shoulders, needing to ground herself, needing to be reminded that this was real, that she was out of that basement.

"I'm here" Dixie saw the flash of pain cross Rita's face and quickly took her hand, holding it tightly as she laid her hand back on the mattress, "are you comfortable?"

Rita closed her eyes as she shrugged, feeling like there was a tonne of lead resting on her shoulder, "achey."

Dixie nodded, "that's to be expected, are they going to do an xray? Make sure it is just your muscles."

Rita didn't speak, suddenly didn't know how to so she just looked up at Zoe, hoping she'd understand, the simple action reminding Dixie of the other woman's presence. Luckily for Rita, Zoe understood Rita's look, knew what she wanted, "they're waiting to send her for an xray on her shoulders" she explained, "and a CT scan because she's been losing consciousness but her blood sugar was through the floor when we found her so that probably had something to do with it."

Dixie nodded, "so they're looking after you?"

"Yeah" Rita nodded weakly, "they are."

"Good" Dixie forced a smile, "we'll have you back on your feet before you know it, from what I've heard everyone back in Holby will be looking forward to having you home." Rita frowned slightly, "what's wrong?"

"Mark said…"

"Mark said what?" Dixie asked gently.

"That no one cared, that no one wanted me and that's why no one was looking for me."

"That's rubbish" Zoe told her, "we had posters, not just in the ED but all over Holby, you've been on the news, in the papers, we weren't going to stop until you were home Rita, there was no way we were going to forget about you."

"I… You…" It was all too much for Rita. She was hallucinating, she had to be. There was no way this was real, there was no way that she was safe, that two of her closest friends were with her, that they'd been looking for her and there was absolutely no way that Iain was on his way to her. She had to be dreaming, she was certain of it, any minute now she'd wake to the feel of Mark's boot hitting her ribs or her head bouncing against the wall as he threw her into a sitting position. As lovely as this was, Rita knew soon she'd wake up and it would all be over. There was something different this time though, usually her hallucinations came with a freedom, a brief respite from the various aches and pains, both from the injuries inflicted on her by her ex husband and from surviving on a diet of almost nothing but neat vodka as she laid on a dirty mattress on a basement floor with her hands tied behind her back, but not this time. She'd heard mention of various things she could vaguely identify as the names of painkillers but her body still ached, her shoulders and her ribs were agony, each breath she took causing a wave of pain to spread over her abdomen, there was a dull ache to the side of her head and her throat felt like it was made of sandpaper. She couldn't, didn't think she'd ever be able to understand that her ordeal was over. She was safe. She was free.

Both Dixie and Zoe could tell Rita was struggling to process everything that had happened that day, she was teetering on the edge of consciousness and her head was swimming, "why don't you get some rest Darlin'?" Dixie asked as she brushed Rita's hair from her face, "Zoe and me, we're not going anywhere okay, you're safe now I promise."

"Iain" Rita whispered.

"He's on his way" Zoe reminded her, "we can wake you up when he gets here if you want?"

"Yeah" Rita mumbled as she failed to hold back a yawn, "'kay."

Zoe straightened the covers around Rita as Dixie reclined the bed slightly, adjusting the pillows to help Rita settle as comfortably as she could, and, after more reassurances from both Zoe and Dixie that she was safe, it didn't take Rita long at all to doze off again.

"Are you okay if I go and let Max know what's happening?" Zoe asked Dixie once she was sure Rita was asleep.

Dixie nodded, "course, I'm not going anywhere, take as long as you need."

Zoe thanked Dixie and left the room, falling into Max's open arms almost as soon as she saw him. She told him what had happened, how Dixie was going to stay with Rita for a while and headed outside with him, hand in hand as they walked towards the smoking area.

Iain felt like the drive to Cornwall took weeks. He knew Charlie wasn't exactly sticking to the speed limit, and they were lucky that the traffic was flowing well, but he still thought that the journey dragged on for far too long, desperate to see that Rita was safe with his own eyes. He jumped from the car almost before Charlie had come to a complete halt, sprinting across the carpark towards the emergency department. He froze when he saw Zoe outside, with Max, instantly fearing the worst, "Zoe" he raced over, "what… Rita…"

"She's okay" Zoe stubbed out her cigarette and put her hand on Iain's arm, "Dixie's with her, the nurses are doing 15 minute obs and there's security outside her room, until the police find Mark. She's safe Iain. She was asleep when I left her with Dixie."

Iain nodded, "can I… will you show me where she is?"

"Of course" Zoe left Max with Charlie as she led Iain through the department to Rita's side room, Dixie looking up at the sound of the door clicking open and smiling when she saw Iain, putting Rita's hand down on the bed and standing from the chair, allowing him to sit beside her.

"Oh Rita" Iain took her hand, desperately trying to hold his own tears back, "what has he been doing to you?"

Rita stirred slightly as Iain took her hand, raising it to his lips to gently kiss her knuckles, "wha…" she didn't understand, couldn't work out where she was, why she felt comfortable, warm, why she was half sat up, and why she couldn't feel the sting of the rope cutting into her wrists, "I…" she didn't dare say anything, didn't even want to move, she vaguely remembered Mark mentioning that he'd let her out of the cellar if she was 'good' so that must be it, he must have moved her whilst she was sleeping, but then again she vaguely remembered police, Zoe, Zoe holding her hand, telling her she was okay. She shook her head slightly, she was warm, comfortable and felt relatively clean, she was going to make the most of it and not question it too much.

"It's okay" Iain whispered as he kissed her knuckles again, "it's okay, you're safe now."

Rita's eyes shot open the second she heard his voice, "Iain" she mumbled, her eyes filling with tears, "Iain, I'm sorry, I… I…"

"Hey no" Iain let go of her hand, wiping gently at her damp cheeks, "you don't need to apologise, it's okay, you're okay, you're safe now and that's all that matters."

"I… I… "

He gently stroked her cheek, keeping eye contact as he spoke softly, "take your time, it's okay."

"Can you…" she clumsily shuffled over in the bed and gestured to the space she'd made, she still wasn't sure that this wasn't some elaborate hallucination, but even if it wasn't real, she wanted to make the most of it.

"Of course, but will you do something for me first?" Rita nodded, she'd do anything if it meant Iain laid with her again. Iain picked up the plastic tumbler of water from the table over the bed and held the straw to Rita's lips, "drink this" he said softly, he noticed how hoarse her voice was, how dry her throat sounded and wanted to do something, anything to help make her more comfortable.

Rita drank the offered water and then, as promised, Iain kicked off his shoes and sat on the bed beside Rita, barely having a moment to get settled before she curled into him the best she could, clinging at his t-shirt and burying her face in the crook of his neck as she finally let go, her whole body shaking as she sobbed, her tears hot against Iain's cheek as kissed her hair, not caring that it hadn't been washed in weeks, reassuring her over and over again that she was okay, she was safe now, unable to hold back tears of his own, unable to believe that Rita was back in his arms again.

Rita eventually calmed enough to lift her head from the crook of Iain's neck, "you, this… you're here?" she asked as she lifted her head.

"I am" Iain whispered, "I can't believe it's real either but it is, I'm here, I've got you, and God Rita, I swear, if I had my way I'd never let you out of my arms again" he told her, brushing her hair back from her face and placing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Rita nervously made eye contact with Iain and gasped slightly, "you, you're crying".

"I'm just so relieved to have you back, to know you're safe" Iain whispered, "you're here and you're safe, for now that's all that matters, we can deal with anything else as it comes."

"I, I love you" Rita whispered, dropping her head again.

"Hey" Iain placed his index finger under Rita's chin, lifting it again so he could look her in the eye as he told her, "I love you too, so, so much."

"I, I'm sorry" Rita whispered, "that I, I went with him and…"

"No" Iain interrupted her, "you don't need to apologise to me, not for that, I, we… Charlie found the notes in your desk Rita, I…" he took a moment to compose his thoughts, "I'm furious, but not with you my Love, never with you. I wish you'd told me, wish you'd have let me help, but I understand why you didn't Love, what's done is done, all that matters is that you're safe now" he told her, Dixie and Zoe feeling like they were intruding on a private moment between the couple but neither wanting to leave after promising Rita they'd stay.

Amy smiled as she walked into the room a few minutes later to find a man sat in the bed, Rita curled into his lap as she sobbed, the man kissing her hair and trying to reassure her that she was safe and that he loved her, "you must be Iain" she said as she finally broke the moment, "I'm Amy, Rita's nurse."

Iain nodded, "sorry about..." he gestured to himself and the bed, "I know it's not usually allowed but..."

"I'm sure I can turn a blind eye just this once" she smiled, "Rita's been asking for you since she was bought in."

"Since before that actually" Zoe told him, "your name was one of the first things she said."

Iain kissed Rita's hair but said nothing as Amy's attention turned to Rita, "I just need to check your obs again" she told her softly, "is that okay? You can stay where you are, you don't have to move"

Rita nodded against Iain's chest, not wanting to move, never wanting to leave the safety of his arms again, she still wasn't completely sure she wasn't dreaming, that she wasn't going to wake up any time soon, back in a pool of her own vomit in that dingy basement, but for now she was safe, she was with Iain, her friends were here, and she was going to make the most of it, even if it was only a hallucination.

Amy noted down Rita's obs and told her she was doing well, and that X ray should be ready for her soon, before asking, "do you think you could try and eat something for me? It might make you feel a bit better."

Rita's stomach twisted at the thought, but at the same time rumbled with hunger, "I, I'll try" she whispered, "but I, I've been sick."

Amy nodded sympathetically, "well how about we try you with a sandwich or some toast, and if you feel sick, I'll speak to the doctor and ask them to prescribe you something to help with that."

"Okay" Rita nodded, more tears forming in her eyes as she felt Iain drop a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

"Do you want us to…" Zoe started, wanting to give Rita and Iain some privacy if they wanted it.

"No" Rita whispered, whimpering in pain as she reached out towards Zoe, "please…"

"Okay Love" it was Dixie who gently took hold of Rita's hand and placed it back on her lap, "we'll stay as long as you want us to."

Rita nodded as she nuzzled back into Iain, her eyelids getting heavy as he held her closely, gently rubbing circles on her back to comfort her, her head resting on his shoulder, "you can go to sleep if you want" he murmured, not wanting to scare her by talking too loudly, "I've got you, I'm not going anywhere."

"Kay" Rita mumbled, she didn't need Iain's permission, was already struggling to fight sleep, safe in his embrace.

Iain dropped another kiss to Rita's hair, "I love you" he whispered, "so, so much." He didn't know if he'd find the words, didn't know if the words existed to express how happy he was, how relieved he was to have Rita safely back in his arms, battered and bruised he could deal with, mental and physical injuries would heal with time, but Rita was back, she was safe, she was fast asleep in his arms and that was the most important thing.