Chapter 19
Throughout the journey, Jack frequently looked through his mirror to the back seat, where Martha lay on Callum's lap. He wasn't sure if the reason why he kept staring back was to check on Martha, or to keep an eye on Callum. He was stroking her hair gently and talking to her. No matter how hard Jack tried, he couldn't catch what Callum was saying, which annoyed him. He knew that Martha loved him, but he wasn't sure if she had any feelings towards Callum. After all, they'd been together for about a month now, 24/7, and she thought Jack was dead. Jack couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous; he should be with her at the back of the car now, looking after her, not him. 'He's a doctor, he can look after her better than I can' this thought repeating in his mind kept him sane throughout the long journey. Christie noticed the looks that Jack had been giving Martha and Callum, and she could tell what he was thinking.
"She really loves you." She whispered, disturbing Jack from his gaze.
"What?" He asked. She gave him the 'don't act as if you don't know' look. "Thanks." He smiled. "But just look-"
"Were you listening to what I said? She loves YOU. She'll be completely thrilled when she finds out you're alive." Jack smiled.
"She better be!" He laughed, his eyes rolled back onto the mirror and onto Martha. "If she finds out.." he mumbled to himself.
Jack ran into the hospital with Martha's lifeless body in his arms.
"HELP!" He shouted out as he entered the Accident and Emergency room, and was assisted by a doctor and a trolley. Jack placed Martha on the trolley and watched in despair as the doctor started to check her over, for breathing, circulation etc.
"What happened?" He asked Jack.
"She was unconscious and then her heart stopped, I did CPR for about a minute or two, and her heart hasn't stopped beating since." Callum answered.
"Right, okay you guys are going to have to wait here, I'll come back with more news." The doctor ordered, briskly rolling Martha away with a team of nurses.
It was the slowest hour that Jack had ever experienced, he watched the hallway, awaiting the doctor to come through and tell him that everything was going to be okay. But he didn't. Not for a whole hour. During that hour Jack had changed seats at least 15 times, drank 7 cups of coffee, and had several failed attempts of begging the nurses for information. Finally, the sight that he'd been praying to see occurred, the doctor walked up the corridor. Everyone jumped up from their seats.
"Hi, I'm Dr Clayton." He said, shaking Jack's hand.
"Hi, Jack Holden, Martha's friend, how is she?" He asked.
"Well, she's a fighter let me assure you of that! Her heart stopped beating during my examination, but we brought her back and have stabilised her." Dr Clayton explained.
"Can I go in and see her?" Jack asked, relieved by the good news.
"Certainly, she's asleep at the moment though." Dr Clayton said, showing them to her room.
"Thanks Doc." Jack and the others replied almost simultaneously, and slowly walked into the room. Martha lay there, linked up to machines monitoring her heart. Even though she looked so ill, to Jack she looked so beautiful. He pulled up a chair and sat beside her bed, holding her hand. Christie indicated to Ryan and Callum that they should leave Jack alone with her, but Callum objected.
"No, I've got just as much right to see her as him." He said.
"No you haven't, now get out." Christie ordered. Callum looked at Martha, then Jack, then Christie.
"Fine.." He muttered.
"You know you can be very bossy when you want to be Christie." Laughed Ryan, as he walked out with her.
Jack sat there for about half an hour, just gazing at Martha. They could now make a proper go of their relationship, they both knew how one another felt, and they were both alive! Nothing could stand in their way.
