Elizabeth continued groaning as her father carried her back to the station. She had her arm wrapped around his shoulders and was doing her best not to make too much noise, but every step he took jostled her and caused the pain in her side to intensify. Edmund was doing his best to hold himself together, unable to comprehend how events had unfolded. He had promised to keep Elizabeth safe and look at what had happened. Entering the station, the desk sergeant looked up from his work, but Edmund paid him no heed, moving straight to Jackson's workspace.

"What?" Elizabeth snapped at her father as he began to lower her down onto the slab. "You are not putting me down here."

"Where else do you suggest?"

"Anywhere but where dead bodies go," Elizabeth snapped back as Jackson entered the room and dropped his satchel down onto the floor.

"It's clean," Jackson promised Elizabeth. "And I need a flat surface. Just grin and bear it, little Miss Lizzy."

Elizabeth groaned loudly as she laid down and gasped for breath. Edmund moved to stand back, watching as Jackson reached for her shirt. He shook his head. "Is that necessary?" he demanded from him.

"If I need to examine her, then yes, it's necessary," Jackson said. "Just look away for a moment, Reid."

Edmund did as instructed, turning his back on the scene. He watched the wall as he heard Elizabeth continue to whimper while Jackson examined her. He had her shirt pushed up and over her stomach, his fingers dancing over her ribs and feeling them. He let out a short breath before noticing the gash on her forehead and he nodded. He moved his hand to cup her cheek for a moment, his other hand going to her forehead by the gash and she winced once again.

"Right," Jackson said and pulled her shirt back down. "You have a couple of broken ribs. They're going to take a few weeks to heal and you will need complete rest until then. I can bandage them up and sort out that gash, but I mean it, Miss Lizzy, you rest."

"She will," Edmund was the one to answer, stepping back to his daughter. He moved to take hold of her hand, giving it a squeeze. "I will see to it."

"Good," Jackson said. "I need to clean that wound on her forehead before it becomes infected. This might sting a little, Miss Lizzy, and I apologise for that."

"It is fine," Elizabeth said as the Captain went to reach for something on his workbench and Edmund stroked her hair from her face. Looking up to him, Elizabeth knew that her father was feeling guilt for what had happened. She whispered while Jackson had his back to them. "It is just a broken rib or two," she said. "I will heal."

"That is not the point and you know it," Edmund responded to her in a whisper and she nodded her head. She knew that was not the point in his mind, but she did not want him to feel guilt. He already seemed to feel enough of that already. She would not add to it. "Your mother might murder me for this too."

"I doubt it," Elizabeth responded. "We will just explain it was an accident."

"I doubt she shall see it as such," Edmund responded.

"Right, here we go," Jackson said and he dabbed the cloth with the alcohol before pressing it to Elizabeth's forehead. She hissed loudly and squirmed, the pain in her ribs only amplified as a result of the movement as her hand squeezed her father's tightly and he bent down to wrap his hand around her shoulder, trying to keep her down and still.

He went to wrap up her middle, making sure the bandages were tight as Edmund turned away once more until he had lowered her shirt again.

"You're all done," Jackson said after a moment and Elizabeth gasped for a breath, nodding her head at that. "I'll give you two a minute, but I would suggest going home as soon as you can and getting to rest."

"Thank you, Captain," Edmund said to him. "And do not think we will not have a discussion as to how you knew I needed help this evening."

"A conversation for tomorrow," Jackson said, knowing that he would have to do something to explain. But he had time to think on that. For now, Edmund's mind was not on anything but his daughter.

"Where is she?"

Elizabeth wanted to sit up at hearing the sudden voice enter the room. Edward rushed in, his hair falling into his face and the top button of his shirt undone and his tie hanging down loosely. He had red cheeks and he had clearly run over to the station. He moved into the room and stood on the other side of the slab, bending down over Elizabeth and running a hand along her cheek.

"I am fine," Elizabeth promised Edward in a soft voice.

"You were attacked by a brute," Edward snapped. "How dare anyone lay a hand on you?"

"The man has been dealt with," Edmund promised the young man.

"What were you doing there?" Edward asked from her.

"I was helping at the orphanage," she said to him. "I was on my way to see you…I heard what had happened to Mr Eagles and I wanted to come and make sure you were alright."

"I am fine…just…well…upset," Edward said and he sniffed at that point. He shook his head and tried to hold himself together. He had to be strong for Elizabeth's sake at that moment in time. She moved a hand to squeeze his as Edmund stepped back and gave the two a moment together. Standing in the doorway, he looked on at the scene and knew that his daughter would be well taken care of by Edward. He could see that clear as day.

"Do you want to come back with me?" Elizabeth questioned him. "We can talk…or just sit? Whatever you prefer."

"I would like that," Edward said and she smiled up to him.

…

Sitting in her bedroom, Elizabeth tried to keep her breathing steady so as to avoid pain in her ribs. Edward was sat in the chair by her side, pulling her duvet up to her lap as she heard her parents argue downstairs. Emily had been aghast when she had seen the state of her daughter, struggling to come to terms with how she looked. Edward had helped Elizabeth up to her bedroom on her father's request, helping her into bed and tugging her shoes from her feet. She was still wearing her clothes, but she would change when her mother came to help her.

"Mr Eagles died standing up for the right thing," he said in a whisper to her and Elizabeth kept hold of his hand, her thumb running over his knuckles. "But he should never have died. He was a good man, Elizabeth. He was a truly good man and he believed in me. He helped me…he wanted me to do well. I…I will miss him."

"I know," Elizabeth responded in a soft whisper to him, the noise of her parent's yells still echoing through the house. She bit down on her tongue and shook her head, looking down onto her lap. "I am sorry."

"You have no need to apologise…for anything," Edward promised her, moving to sit on the edge of her bed and cupping her cheek. "I know what parents can be like."

"But not mine," Elizabeth responded in earnest to him. "It can be difficult, Edward, because we used to be happy…well…not completely happy, but we were happier than we are now and I…her shadow constantly hangs over us."

"I can understand that," he said to her. "You know that I understand."

"It is just exhausting, Edward," she said to him. "Life is too short for them to argue like this. You saw how quickly Mr Eagles was snatched from this life. We should live life as much as we can…but this…the way we live here…it is constant limbo."

"You know it will take time," Edward said to her.

"That is the thing," she said to him, "I do not think there is any amount of time that will make any of this better, not without her."

Edward spent the rest of the evening speaking with Elizabeth, trying to comfort her as she comforted him. The two of them had a mutual understanding between each other. It was at least eleven by the time Edward said that he should return home. Edmund insisted on walking the boy back to ensure that he was returned safely. Emily went upstairs to help her daughter change, putting her back to bed and folding her clothes up and dropping them onto the stool in the corner.

"Mother," Elizabeth spoke her name and Emily turned to look to her, eyes wide and wet. "You do not need to cry."

"How can I not, Elizabeth?" she demanded from her daughter, moving to drop her hands onto her hips. She shook her head. "You were not to know what would happen when you were at the orphanage, but your father…his work…it is not supposed to intrude on our home life. It was never supposed to intrude on our home life."

"I know."

"And then seeing you come home…bruised…broken ribs…and to hear your father tell me how you flung yourself at that beast to protect him…you put yourself in harm's way. What would he have done? What could he have done?"

"But he did not," Elizabeth said to her mother. "I had to help father. He was strangling him. He would have killed him and I could not sit back and let that happen."

"I know," Emily said. And she did know that. She knew full well that she would have done the same. "But I cannot lose you, Elizabeth…I cannot lose you…"

"You will not, mother," Elizabeth promised her. "What happened this evening was simply an unfortunate incident. I am fine. I am well."

"I know, but my mind, you know how it wanders."

And Elizabeth did know. She knew full well how her mother's mind was. She said nothing, instead she bit down on her lip. "Do you think you might stay with me awhile?" she questioned her. She wanted to do this for her mother. She wanted to try and give her mother comfort. Emily nodded and went to sit down on the vacant chair. She tucked her daughter into bed tightly and stroked her hair from her face, smoothing it softly as they remained in content silence.

….

Elizabeth had been locked away at home for almost four weeks. She was going stir crazy, but her mother and father insisted she stay inside and rest as much as possible. Edward would come and visit, bringing cakes he purchased from the bakery on his way. Elizabeth folded her hands into her lap as she heard the door open suddenly one morning. She had been reading a book when her father entered, his hair flopping onto his forehead.

"Elizabeth," he sighed her name and she sensed the urgency in his voice.

"What is it?" she queried.

"The King has returned," he said to her.

"The King?" she asked, slightly confused before she came to realisation. "Cholera?" she checked with her father.

"We believe so," he said to her. "I need you to stay here and do not drink water or eat anything that has not been sealed. Do you feel well? Have you drank anything today?"

"Only tea," she said. "Mother has gone to the hospital to visit some of the women she looks out for. She left about an hour ago. She…you need to tell her. You need to find her."

"And I will," Edmund promised her.

"And Edward-"

"-Your sweetheart has been informed already," Edmund interrupted his daughter. "He was helping another solicitor at the station when we heard the news. He is on his way home to warn his parents and I came here to warn you and your mother, but it appears that I must go and seek her out myself."

"Be careful," Elizabeth demanded and her father was gone without another word, leaving her alone and shaking her head.

The time passed and Elizabeth waited for her mother to come home. She was impatient, hoping that she was well. Looking onto the street, she saw it was completely empty. Everyone was hiding inside. But then she saw a solitary figure in black making her way towards the house. Elizabeth sighed in relief, but then she saw her stumble. Shaking her head in fear, she moved to the front door, holding onto her side as her ribs ached slightly. She moved to the street as her mother came to the front door, but she did not make it up the steps.

"Mother!" Elizabeth roared loudly, fear evident in her voice as Emily vomited to the side. "No…mother…come here…please…"

She caught her in her arms, holding tightly onto her, forgetting any paint hat she felt once she had collapsed to the ground besides her. Shaking her head back and forth, Elizabeth looked around, but there was no one. There was no one to help her.

"Mother…wake up…come on…stay with me…"

"Elizabeth," Emily whispered her name. "My darling, sweet Elizabeth…"

"It's me," Elizabeth promised her. "I need to find father…he will help…you will be fine…"

Looking up, Elizabeth began to cry as she saw the familiar figure of Bennet Drake running towards her, his feet hitting the ground quickly at the sight he had seen in the distance of Elizabeth holding her mother.

"Come here, Mrs Reid," Bennet urged from her. "It's going to be okay."

"Father told me about the return of…" Elizabeth could not say its name. "What do we do?"

"We take her to Leman Street. Your father is there and Captain Jackson can look her over," he said and picked Emily up, cradling her against his chest as Elizabeth used the railings to help her stand. She gasped for breath and slammed the door to the house shut, not bothering to grab her coat. Instead she followed Drake, keeping up with his pace as he reached Leman Street.

"Mr Reid!" Drake roared once he was inside the precinct.

"Father!" Elizabeth shouted and he suddenly appeared from down the corridor, his face turning pale at the sight he saw. His wife and his daughter were there, but his wife was in the arms of Bennet. She was sick. He shook his head, refusing to believe that this could have happened. He had warned her, but he had been too late.

"Emily," Edmund whispered her name and composed himself, looking to Bennet. "Take her upstairs and to my office."

Bennet did as he was told and Edmund followed. He took hold of Elizabeth by the waist and helped her up the stairs, holding most of her weight. Once inside of his office, Drake laid Emily down on the camp bed Reid had invested in. Elizabeth stood by her father's desk and continued looking down upon her mother, hand going to her mouth as she tried not to cry.

"Emily…stay with us," Edmund urged, kneeling down next to her. "Come on…it will be fine…I promise…I will stop this."

Elizabeth reached for the cover at the bottom of the bed and pulled it up and over her mother. She was sweating, her hair sticking to her cheeks. Edmund stood up straight as he heard his wife pant for breath and whisper incoherently. He looked to his daughter and dragged his chair from his desk, placing it next to the bed.

"Who has done this?" Elizabeth whispered.

"That is what I shall find out," Edmund promised his daughter. "Stay with your mother. I will do all that I can to stop this…to save your mother."

"She is going to be fine, isn't she?" Elizabeth asked from her father and he struggled to give her the answer he knew she wanted to hear. Instead he could only wrap his arms around her, hugging her tightly and feeling her tear-soaked cheek press against his shirt.

"I will do everything I can," was all that Edmund could whisper to her. "I promise."

"I know," Elizabeth responded. He pulled back, using both hands to push her hair from her face and kiss her forehead. He sat her down in the chair then, watching her lean over to take hold of Emily's hand. Edmund draped his coat over his daughter's shoulders, squeezing them and kissing the top of her head once more before leaving, vowing to do all that he could to save his wife.

….

A/N: Do let me know what you think!