Series 2 Episode 1 Part 1:

Pulling up suddenly outside the emergency room the Mercedes screeched to a holt, Danny dashing inside the moment the car had come to rest calling out for a doctor to come and help, a moment later and half a dozen medical staff were swarming all over the car manoeuvring Meredith onto a trolley. Shaking slightly Gavin clutched at her hand as they wheeled her into the hospital, "She is going to be alright?" He demanded, his frustration mounting when instead of acknowledging him at all the staff continued to babble on talking about pulse rates and bp's but not telling him anything he could use.

"I'm sorry sir you can't come in here!" One of the nurses murmured gently disentangling Gavin's hand from where it still lay clutching desperately at Meredith's as they moved Meredith into ITU. "We'll take good care of her I promise...Now if you'll just wait here one of the doctors will be out as soon as possible to speak to you."

Pacing up and down the sterilised corridor every few seconds Gavin strained his eyes looking through the large glass divide trying desperately to catch a glimpse of what was going on but Meredith had been whisked round the corner and all he could see were occasional nurses moving hither and thither as they fetched different equipment and vials of drugs. He hated hospitals, before that brief trip in with Meredith to get a few stitches hadn't been as bad but even so he had had to put a brave face on it in front of her; there was no way he had been ready to tell her about such a personal fear.

It had always been there ever since he was a boy and had to spend weeks in the children's ward recovering from a nasty break, however it had been watching another boy die of leukaemia under his very nose had laid the seeds of his fear; watching his brother die when they could do nothing for him either had only strengthened his loathing of hospitals and now just being in one brought him out in a cold sweat. Then suddenly there was a flurry of activity, different nurses and doctors darting this way and that, dragging a heavy looking machine over to the curtained area and for a moment Gavin's heart leapt into his throat he would recognise that particular piece anywhere, he saw the doctors use that on his brother before finally giving up.

A cardiac defibrillator, which could only mean one thing a cardiac arrest, for the first time in years, more than he could actually remember Gavin actually prayed, not to any particular deity, any that happened to be listening would be acceptable, just keep her safe for me I can't loose her now after everything that we've been through. Fortunately for Gavin his prayers appeared to be answered, the defibrillator was quickly wheeled back to its usual spot and the blind panic that he had sensed through the glass seemed to subside, a few minutes later and a doctor made his way out of the curtained area heading out to see him.

"Good Evening..." The Doctor began but Gavin cut him off.

"How is she?" He blurted out.

"She's stable for now but we don't need anymore surprises like that, we need to know what she took..."

"It was a heroin injection...But she didn't administer it, some sick bd... He's HIV positive you need to check..."Gavin trailed off unable to continue, as he slumped down in the chair his head in his hands. "He may have deliberately infected her."

"I understand." The doctor whispered softly, for a moment reaching out as if to pat the distressed man on the back but the look on Gavin's face soon stopped him. "I'll set up the tests straight away, as soon as we've administered the counter agent she should start to feel a lot better."

"When can I see her?" Gavin demanded, his impatience with doctor's flippant attitude getting the better of him.

"Are you family?" The doctor replied.

"Not yet!" Gavin retorted. "But we are going to be married, surely that is good enough for you?" He added, noting with satisfaction the abashed look on the doctor's face as he looked everywhere but at Gavin.

"Alright you can go in but please try and stay out of the nurses' way..."

"They won't even notice I'm there!" Gavin replied sincerely, standing up and following the doctor into to ITU, averting his eyes as the doctor drew another blood sample from Meredith, handing it to a passing nurse to go for testing.

"I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything." The doctor added, pulling the curtain back and ushering Gavin over to a nearby seat

"Thank you doctor." Gavin whispered, his eyes already locked on the pale woman who seemed so small on the bed surrounded by countless machines that bleeped incessantly. Swallowing deeply he reached out grasping her tiny hand tightly in his larger one, careful not to disturb the needle that stuck hideously out the back of it. "Just hold on darling, I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere!" He murmured softly, stroking her fingers reverently his gaze locked on her closed eyelids and so missing the figure that appeared at the large window a knowing smile on his tanned features, this was going to be all to easy.

Pulling out his ringing mobile Danny ignored the numerous signs plastered on every wall telling him to turn it off before pushing open a side door out to a stair case and flicking it open. "Danny..." He slurred.

"Danny darling..." A cockney voice purred on the other end. "I have been trying to reach you all afternoon..."

"Melissa!" Danny gasped in surprise. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He added sleazily.

"Oh I think you're smart enough to work that out for yourself Danny my boy!" Melissa retorted. "I've been hearing things along the grapevine, things about you and your plans for the future!" She added cryptically.

"Oh really." Danny retorted. "And what has that to do with you?"

"Oh I think you know...I want in but I have a few conditions of my own." Melissa positively gushed.

"And why should I need your help?" Danny countered.

"Oh I know things that will bring the few stragglers into line, after all the last thing you need is division within the ranks and I can help you there..."

"That might be useful." Danny admitted. "So what do you want in return?"

"Gavin's head on a platter!" Melissa retorted.

"Proverbially or literally?" Danny snorted.

"Oh literally I think, Let me guess you were going to set him up somehow?"

"Well that's not entirely true." Danny replied smugly. "I was thinking more along the lines of annihilation!"

"That works for me too! Just as long as my money is safe, we can at least agree on that I don't want anything out of the firm but I'll take that lovely new gallery of his not to mention all the other little toys he's recently been acquiring, all the things that as his wife I am entitled to. There is no way that bh is getting her hands on anything that is rightfully mine!"

"Well then we'd better work fast, don't worry I have a plan already in place an with the boss distracted this is going to be all to easy...."

"Excellent call me when you need my help!" Melissa added before terminating the call. Smiling to himself Danny put his mobile back in his pocket, moving back on to the ward where he winked cheekily at a young nurse who scurried away blushing furiously, life was looking up.

Early the next morning Gavin felt a hand gently shake him awake, reacting instinctively he roughly grabbed the hand doing the shaking, only really waking properly when he heard the person screech out in surprise. Sitting up suddenly in his chair he looked around in astonishment at the poor nurse whose hand he had almost crushed to death, immediately dropping it with an apologetic half smile as the memories of why he was in such a god awful place overwhelmed him.

"I'll apologise for him since he seems to have left his manners at home..." A dry rasping voice muttered from the bed.

Whirling round in surprise Gavin's face lit up when he saw Meredith sitting and staring at him a look of almost wry amusement on her face. "Meredith...Darling you're awake...."

"Well I'm glad to see that you didn't leave your powers of observation behind as well!" She added drolly.

"But when...how long have you been awake...Why didn't you wake me sooner?" Gavin demanded reclaiming her hand bringing it up to his face as if to confirm by touch what his eyes and ears were telling him.

"You were sleeping so peacefully and according to the nurse you'd been up half the night so there seemed little point..." Meredith trailed off, her speech turning stilted as emotion began to choke her voice. "Thank you for staying with me." She added eventually after the nurse had left them with some privacy.

"Well what did you think I would do?" Gavin snorted. "I would be a pretty poor knight in shining armour if I rescued the damsel then buggered off home for a quick nap and a cup of tea...."

Chuckling slightly Meredith then grimaced when the movement jarred something tender, immediately concerned Gavin was on his feet looking around for their absent nurse.

"Gavin don't I'm fine honestly....Besides it's entirely your fault I've always told you not to make me laugh..."

"Have you seen the doctor yet?" He asked softly. "I made them do a HIV test just to be careful..."

"The nurse said he was on his way that's why I had her wake you....I can't face this on my own...What if it's bad news?" Meredith asked quietly, her bottom lip trembling as her eyes filled with tears.

"Hey...I'm not going anywhere." Gavin replied soothingly, brushing the tears from her cheek as they fell.

"Not even back to your wife?" Meredith snapped without thinking.

"No I am never going back to her, we're getting divorced." Gavin replied patiently. "I was going to tell you, it just never seemed like the right time and I will admit in all honesty I had no desire to ruin our fun by bringing up such a serious and unpleasant topic as Melissa..."

"Not to mention cheap and tacky!" Meredith added bitchily. "What were you thinking?"

Chuckling slightly he watched delighted as her eyes sparkled with a momentary flash of jealousy. "Why darling you're not jealous are you?" He taunted his knowing smile growing as he watched her cheeks flush with anger.

"Gavin Cochran you are bloody lucky I'm in this hospital bed, otherwise I'd be tempted to knock that smirk off your face!" Meredith retorted. "And stop calling me darling! People will get the wrong idea."

"Or the right one!" Gavin replied.

"And talking of wrong ideas!" Meredith added curtly. "Where the hell did my nurse get the idea that we are engaged?"

"Ahhhhhh." Gavin gasped.

"You didn't!" Meredith snapped.

"It was the only way they would let me stay...And besides it's an idea worth considering." He retorted enjoying the momentary look of shock on her face before he lent down kissing her soundly on the mouth, ignoring her muffled protest he gently deepened the kiss, only drawing back when a pointed cough alerted them to another presence.

"I am glad to see you're feeling better Ms Gates." The consultant muttered a hint of amusement in his voice as the startled pair pulled hastily apart. "For a moment last night we were convinced we'd lost you, but as I can see you obviously had a good reason to hang on in there!" He added his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"You bet your stethoscope she has!" Gavin retorted, clutching Meredith's hand and despite her initial protests held it firmly until she finally gave in and allowed such a public display of affection.

"Yes well...I know you'll be anxious to hear about your tests results, they have indeed been most revealing. Most importantly let me reassure you that we found no trace of the HIV virus in your bloodstream..." He stopped suddenly cut off by the exclamation of relief from his patient.

"You're absolutely certain!" Meredith demanded, unable to stop the tears from springing her eyes and glancing across at Gavin in relief when the doctor nodded.

"However..."

"However what?" Gavin snapped.

"The tests did pick up something else..."

"What?" Gavin growled.

Frowning slightly the consultant began again. "You had a bizarre reaction last night to the counter agent we administered, at the time I put it down to a possible mixture of drugs in your system, however when the lab reports came back with only heroin and traces of chloroform I knew there had to be another reason, so I instructed the lab to run the standard battery of tests on your blood sample..."

"What did they find?" Meredith asked softly.

"They confirmed my other theory; you reacted badly because it was your bodies automatic defence mechanism kicked in.... Ms Gates I take it you weren't aware that you're pregnant?"