Shelley took a deep breath and put down the phone. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Her long-lost daughter it seemed wasn't lost any more, and would with any luck be coming home. Home to a place who had not forgotten her, but glossed over the fact that she'd run off with her sister's rapist. Shelley hadn't been expecting her home for a while, and certainly not in these circumstances. She scanned the internet for the Melrose hospital, and printed off a map. It would be a long drive. She wasn't sure how she was going to react to Kirsty. She was supposed to be a mother; an all forgiving caring compassionate mother, but lately her thoughts had been quite the opposite. She had unconditional love for her daughter, which had been proved by her past exploits, yet she was angry. Angry at how she'd turned away from her family, then expected them to come running at the sight of danger. Shelley punched Flynn's mobile number into the phone, and waited. He picked up.
"Hello, Flynn speaking?"
"Flynn, " Shelley said, "It's me Shelley. I need you to contact Kane's aunt. It appears he's had an accident."
Flynn choked on his morning coffee. "What d'ya mean, is Kirsty all right?"
"Yes, she's fine. Kane's been shot in some reason and she's in a hospital on the East Coast. I'm going to get her now." Shelley paused. "Obviously Kane will need to be taken care of."
"Yes, of course." Flynn's mind raced. He'd have a lot of things to deal with in the coming weeks. "I'll contact his aunt. What's the name of the hospital?"
"Melrose General, near Melrose City. I wont be in today, I've got a long drive ahead."
"Have you told the family?"
"No, " said Shelley reluctantly. "I can't yet, Rhys has gone to work and the girls are at school. It's a bit of a bombshell."
"Well, I hope the reunion goes well." Shelley ended the call, and picked up her car keys. This was perhaps the most life-changing journey ever.
***
Kirsty waited for hours for news of Kane, unsuccessfully. Saying she was his fiancée didn't seem to help, with the nurses looking suspiciously at her all morning. Kane was still evidently in surgery, and Kirsty was out of her mind with worry about his condition. Kirsty only had knowledge from hospital dramas, but even they couldn't capture how she was feeling now. She continued poking at the coffee she'd been nursing for over an hour now. It was stone cold.
"Miss Sutherland, you have a visitor at the A&E reception, " said a nurse. Her mother. Kirsty tried to walk there slowly, but eventually she recognised her mother's silhouette staring out a nearby window. Shelley turned around and instantly ran towards her daughter.
"Kirsty!" He voice became weaker as she hugged Kirsty, pushing her head into her chest. They broke apart as immediately as they were thrown together, with Shelley realising the full extent of her daughter's actions. "What happened?, "her tone changing to stern.
"Well, " Kirsty didn't know where to begin, so much had happened. "We'd been staying with some people, and we went to a party, some guys were hassling and Kane intercepted and ended up getting shot." That was the heavily abridged version.
Shelley didn't even want to think of what people she was mixing with for Kane to get shot. "And Kane? Is he OK?" Shelley felt a strange sort of concern for the boy who'd saved her life. It was an odd role-reversal.
"I don't know, they nurses hardly tell me anything."
"Take me to his ward." Kirsty led her mother to the ward. She was obviously saving the biggest argument for a less public place. Shelley marched up to the first nurse she saw. It was inaudible from where Kirsty stood frozen to the spot. After earnest conversation, Shelley came back to Kirsty, indifferent.
"Kane's fine, " she said callously. "He responded well to surgery. His aunt should be able to get him by tomorrow. Where are your things?"
"Tomorrow?" Kirsty was shocked at the prospect of leaving Kane being so soon.
"Yes, tomorrow, " Shelley paused. "We've got a lot of talking to do when we get home, and we need to return as soon as possible."
Kirsty could feel tears welling up. "But Kane…I can't leave him, mum. I love him."
Shelley paused. It was the same argument again. "Kirsty, you have to understand…you can't keep doing this to your family. You need to get back and that is an order!"
Kirsty sobbed, as she was lead out of the hospital; she was powerless.
***
Shelley looked at her daughter in the rear view mirror. She was asleep. They had just left the mansion Kirsty was staying in, no wonder she hadn't wanted to go home. The place was wonderful. Kirsty's priorities obviously lurked elsewhere. Kirsty pretended to be asleep, to avoid the lectures of her mother, before actually falling asleep. She had packed her things in silence, thanked Edwina but seen no sign of Oliver. She'd left her second home behind to return to her first. It was Kirsty's fault though, for contacting her mother, yet Kirsty had felt so alone without Kane. Kirsty felt the motion of the car stop and subsequently woke up. Home. It had hardly changed, the hedge had gotten a little overgrown.
"Well, here we are, " said Shelley, exhausted after the drive. Kirsty got her backpack and walked up the path leading to the house. She stopped suddenly, the realisation of her return dawning on her. How would her family react? Kirsty took a deep breath as her mother opened the door.