"Tell me straight, please."
"We have reason to believe that someone has been abusing Kathryn." Maggie spoke softly, looking at Shelia pityingly, her arm still round her shoulder.
"And.. Wh-." she was speechless, she never thought Graeme would ever touch Kathryn, only her. Tears again began to well up in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. Do you want me to get Graeme?" Maggie tried to make it sound like she didn't suspect him, but everything was pointing at him.
"NO. Please don't." she smiled watery, a look of fear on her face. "Leave him to work his anger out." II don't want you to get hurt tooI "What's wrong with her?"
Maggie took a deep breath, "When I checked her over, she had a number of bruises on her shoulders, but they weren't from the accident. And, sweetheart, seeing what your husbands like only makes me wonder."
"I'm sorry, I should've told someone, but… but. I was too afraid…" Shelia's voice trailed of, to be replaced with sobs. Maggie tucked the hair that was covering Shelia's face behind her ear. There was a great but bruise around her eye, and a few cuts too. Maggie gasped.
"Oh sweetheart! How could he do this? Come here." the mark on her face shocked Maggie, but she tried not to let it get to her and pulled Shelia in for a hug. "you do know this is totally wrong? No one has a right to treat you that way."
Shelia nodded, she knew the doctor was right, but she felt so useless against him. "I just can't…fight him. Please don't tell anyone. Please? He'd kill me." her eyes were pleading with Maggie.
"Okay, I won't. But promise me you'll do something about him? Look, why don't I get your eye cleaned up a bit. Then take you to see Kathryn, she dying to see you?" Maggie smiled, reassuring the frightened woman beside her.
"Yeah, yeah. I'd like that." the pair stood up and left the relatives room. Maggie couldn't help feel sorry for both Kathryn and Shelia, so far it was looking like they lived in fear most of the time.
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Charlie was taking a well earned break in the staffroom and his thoughts couldn't help but wander to Maggie. She had been in the department all of four hours and already it was beginning to feel the benefits. In fact she wasn't even supposed to be back at all, her shifts were to start tomorrow. Charlie chuckled as he saw her wander by the window, a patient in tow. It had been four weeks since Harry had told him to tell Maggie how he felt, but as of yet he hadn't. There was always someone there, they were never alone. Whether it was Selena fussing round the house or Jamie and Joanne looking out for their mum, there was always someone. When he had left Harry's office, his words still fresh in his mind, he found Maggie asleep in her room, the wires still wired up, machines still bleeping away. There was no way he was going to disturb her then. Sadly, that would've been the only proper chance he would've had to say what was on his mind, up to the present moment. That was it, Charlie made a mental note, he was going to ask, or tell her rather, today. 'Yeah, today,' He thought as he finished his cuppa and headed back to work.
