Sam swiped the tear from her cheek before turning to face Jack. "If there's to be any hope for our relationship, I can't keep doing this; worrying about her all the time, trying to cherry pick which cases she works on so she won't be put in jeopardy."
"I wont hear of it, you're one of the best officers on this team. I've just lost Neil, I can't afford to lose you as well. You're a great DI, the team respect you and look to you for leadership. You've never shown any signs of favouritism towards Jo before now, why will it be any different when she comes back? Do you really think she'd let you wrap her in cotton wool? Not a chance. She'd be in here quicker than you could say 'restricted duties' bending my ear until I sorted you out." Jack smiled as he remembered previous 'discussions' he had had with Jo in her early days on the team when Neil had attempted to sideline her to an extent, making his dislike of her apparent.
"Maybe before this Jack, but I can't promise I'd want to let her out of my sight. Having come this close to losing her, I can't even contemplate sending her out there to do it all over again."
"I'm sure this is something you feel strongly about at the moment but just take some time to consider your request before making it official. Once Jo is properly on the mend, you might feel differently." Jack broached the subject of his conversation with Mickey earlier in the day. "I don't suppose this is a good time to run something by you then."
"Run what by me? Jack, I don't like the way this sounds." Sam focused all her attention on her immediate boss.
"Mickey suggested a way we could test Hugh, to see if he's involved in Joey's abduction in any way, but it involves using Jo to lure him into trapping himself."
"Absolutely not, no way in the world. Jack, she's lying in hospital still in a critical condition. She's utterly defenceless. How do you plan on protecting her? Not that I want to know since it's irrelevant. I'm officially her next of kin. You can't do anything without my consent." Sam raged, pushing her face into Jack's to ensure he got the message loud and clear.
"Hear me out and then make your mind up Sam. If we can prove Hugh was behind all this, he will be behind bars for the rest of his life, well away from you and Abi and Joey so you'll never have to feel his poisonous presence again." Jack pleaded, knowing it was likely to fall on deaf ears, unsurprised when Sam stormed out of the room, slamming the door in her wake.
"Sam, I'm so glad you came." Alice rose from the chair beside Jo's bedside, reaching out and pulling the petite blonde into a warm friendly embrace.
"How is she?" Sam looked at her lover's slumbering form, so still and serene.
"Sleeping a lot. The doctors say she's got a chest infection from the water. She has a long way to go before she's out of the woods but she's rallying round. How are you dear? You look exhausted."
"You have a remarkable daughter, Alice." Sam smiled kindly, brushing off the concerns for her own welfare. "It's getting late, have you given any thought to where you're staying?" The DI asked, knowing the trip had been hurriedly arranged once Sam had placed the call to Jo's parents.
"Not really no, we just hopped in the car and here we are love. Don't you worry about that though, we'll sort ourselves out with somewhere, bound to be a bed and breakfast nearby that has a room free." Alice patted Sam's hand lovingly, all the while peering at her with a mother's concern. "Have you eaten today? How much sleep did you get last night? How's your daughter?"
"Alice love, give the girl time to breathe!" George admonished his wife with a gentle chuckle.
"It's ok George, really it is." Sam answered with a genuine smile, feeling the same sense of belonging she always did in their company, heart wrenching as she realised how much she stood to lose if Jo never remembered their bond. "I ate earlier, my colleagues made sure of that. Abi's doing well, I'm taking her home tonight. I was thinking that maybe if you liked, you could stay at my place. The spare room is there for as long as you need it, you know you're more than welcome any time."
"Oh Sam, you're a sweetheart for offering but we really couldn't put you out, not when you have so much else on your plate." Alice clucked, noticing that Sam had avoided answering her on the sleep issue once again.
"Nonsense, I'd be happier knowing you were somewhere safe and clean. Plus that way, you wouldn't be tied to times for getting back, you could spend as much time here as you wanted. You could have Jo's key and come and go as you please. Besides, it's always a pleasure spending time with you, I just wish we could have got together in less traumatic circumstances." Sam explained honestly.
"So do I love, so do I. Well, when you put it like that, how can we possibly refuse?" Alice responded, wrapping one arm around Sam's waist. "My goodness young lady, you've lost too much weight. At least if I'm going to be staying with you for a while, I can make sure you eat properly and get a decent amount of rest." Sam rolled her eyes and grinned at George over Alice's shoulder as she was swept up into another hug.
"I was hoping you'd agree. I took the liberty of bringing the key with me, just come back whenever you're ready, treat the place like your own. I also brought in a few bits from home for Jo; a book, a change of clothes, underwear, toothbrush and toiletries, that sort of thing." Sam indicated the plastic carrier bag she had deposited beside Alice's chair upon entering the room. "I also brought this, thought it might give Jo some comfort." Stooping, Sam pulled out the photo of Jo and her brother that the blonde had had restored following Tessa's savage desecration of the house she had shared with Jo. Sam had presented the newly restored photograph, complete with tasteful elegant frame to her lover at their engagement party. She smiled as she remembered Jo's ecstatic, overwhelmed reaction, a flush creeping over her cheeks as she recalled how she had wondered if Jo would stop short of making love to her in front of the audience of friends and family so eager had she been to show the petite blonde her gratitude.
"I'm sure she'll be chuffed, Sam. She had her wotsit brain scan this morning; a lot of bruising but no bleeding or clots so we'll see how she is after the swelling goes down. Can you stay for a while? George can fetch us some coffees if you like?" Alice motioned Sam into the chair she had vacated.
"No coffee for me thanks. I can stay just a few minutes, then I have to go get Abi, I don't want to keep her waiting." Sam sank into the plastic covered chair, her body protesting as muscles screamed at her for their early morning punishment.
"Guv, here again? People will talk." Jo quipped weakly trying to ignore the flicker of joy she felt at Sam's presence, pushing it out of her mind determinedly.
"Hey Jo, I didn't realise you were awake." Sam reached out instinctively, squeezing Jo's hand between her own. "How are you feeling?"
"Like a cross between a pin cushion and a zoo exhibit; being poked and prodded so much I swear I'll spring a leak soon and then everyone watching me but looking away when I look at them." As if challenging Sam to do the same, Jo locked eyes with the DI, holding her gaze until finally exhaustion caused her to blink.
"That bang on the head didn't knock the stubbornness out of you then." Sam commented, immensely cheered by the fire she had watched spark in Jo's eyes as they had stared one another down, hopeful that it might mean some of the connection they shared still lingered.
"Mum can you ask the doctor to knock off whatever he's giving me for the pain? It's giving me some really weird dreams – I could swear I heard DI Nixon offer you a room at her place while you're down here." Alice shifted a little uncomfortably. Sam jumped in to rescue her from her discomfort.
"I did, you weren't dreaming." As the trio wracked their brains to try and come up with a feasible explanation, Jo jumped in.
"Why? Why would you do that? And how did you get into my house to get these for me?" The battered brunette searched her limited memory banks as she surveyed the book and clothing, drawing more blanks than finding answers, growling with frustration at her inability to recall any of her recent past.
"After Tessa left you, there was an incident at your house. It wasn't safe for you to stay there any more… so you've been staying with me." Sam opted on a brief potted version of the truth, skipping any reference to their growing bond. Jo looked to her mother, as though not believing she could take Sam's word for it. As Alice nodded almost imperceptibly, Jo frowned, battling to keep her tears from falling, determined not to show any sign of weakness in front of Sam.
"I don't remember that," she whispered, her sorrow rendering her voice child-like and timid.
"Give it time, everything should start to come back to you. I'd better go and get Abi. I'll call in again soon to see how you're getting on. You take care of yourself and don't go giving the police a bad name, you behave in here ok?" Sam joked gently, not wishing to upset the delicate balance of Jo's health by pushing too hard, too soon. She rose from her seat, smiling supportively at her lover and giving her hand one last squeeze before turning away and walking towards the door.
George followed her into the corridor as his wife settled back in the seat Sam had vacated, setting about unpacking the bag of Jo's belongings into the locker beside her bed. As Sam and George watched them through to doors, he placed a gentle hand on the petite blonde's arm. "You two are two halves of the same soul, any fool can see that. Fate works in very mysterious ways, but you found your way to one another once and you will do it again whether or not Joanne remembers. Just have a bit of faith and patience."
"Mum, please I just want to come home with you, to Manchester. How can I live with DI Nixon? I barely know her and what I do know of her I'm not sure I overly like. Every time we're together we end up bickering and sniping at one another. What on earth possessed me to move in with her? How desperate was I?" George overheard his daughter pleading with his wife as he re-entered the room.