CHAPTER TWO

Morag walked along the stretcher as the Dr. Armstrong and the nurse assessed Laura. Laura had a suspected broken arm, lacerations, possibly some broken ribs and even internal bleeding.

She was wheeled into a room as Dr. Armstrong began checking her vitals. " Laura, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand."

There was no movement. Rachel frowned and listened through her stethoscope.

" We need to see if she has any internal bleeding," Rachel said, " and does she have any medical conditions I need to know about?"

" Not that I'm aware of…but Jacob might be the one to ask." Morag frowned, " Is there a problem doctor?"

" It's too early to tell, I'll have to monitor her…" she glanced over at the nurse,
" Please have her heady for an ultrasound."

She heard the gentle sounding voice telling her to respond and she tried, she really did. But something was holding her back. As the voices dimmed, memories from her past came flooding back…

Laura walked down the hallway towards her sister's room. Her brother touched her lightly on the shoulder, " There's no need to be so nervous. She's our sister."

" Is she?" Laura looked straight at him, " She hasn't been our sister since she was committed here. You know that, I know that."

" We have to support her. She's still family." Cameron looked away then as they neared Katherine's (Kath) hospital room.

She knocked once and heard her sister reply, " Come in."

She entered the room and looked around. It was actually quite a nice room with modern décor. Except there was one thing that reminded them where they actually were-the bars on the window.

" Hi!" Kath chirped standing up. She hugged her brother first then hugged her sister. Laura stared into her sister's face-identical to her own. How could someone who looked exactly like her ended up in a mental hospital?

At least she has been moved from the suicide ward, Laura tried to assure herself, when the doctors decided Kath is no longer endangering herself.

" How are you Kath?" Cameron asked, taking a seat next to her bed. Laura took the one near the window.

" Fine," Kath answered, " The doctors think I can be released soon-in a bout two months if I go the way I've been going."

" That's great," Cameron enthused, " Isn't it Laura?" he stared at his sister, challenging her to reply. She didn't.

" Well…how's the old man?" Kath asked them. Their almost seventy year old father hasn't even visited Kath.

" Still going, he's going to outlive all of us I reckon." Cameron shook his head, " he's taken up jogging."

" Jogging? At his age?" Kath snorted as they made small talk. Laura only half-listened as she stared out of the window. This was the first time she visited Kath since she was committed a year ago. Why did she let her level-headed, loyal brother talk her into coming? He knew what Kath has done to her…

She glanced their way and caught Kath staring at her, her eyes were narrowed.

" What?" Laura asked.

" You're getting pretty successful aren't you?" Kath asked, " Being an editor with that woman's magazine. You must be pretty rich."

" I do okay," Laura shrugged.

" Lucky for some eh?" Kath stared hatefully and Laura looked away, chills going up and down her spine.

" Where's my mother?" Jacob demanded Morag Bellingham once he arrived at the hospital. Rachel took him aside and asked about his mother's medical history.

" I don't think so…why? Is something wrong?" Jacob asked.

" She has an irregular heartbeat, it could be nothing, but I'm going to do an ultrasound just in case. She might be having some heart trouble. I would not be surprised with everything she has been through."

Jacob swallowed, " Is she…going to die?"

" I can't tell you that, but she's strong." Rachel actually didn't like Laura's chances but she wasn't about to tell the poor boy that.

" Can I see her?"

" Of course you can." She lead him to Laura's hospital room. Morag was sitting in the waiting room.

Jacob stared at the machines surrounding the bed and took his mother's hand-it was icy cold.

Oh Mum you have to wake up. He urged her, if you don't then…I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life.