Chapter Ten
"How're you feeling Emily?" Nikki asked the young woman who was sitting on her bed looking despondent
"Spacey," Emily replied
"That'll be the diazepam" Nikki reassured her "I was wondering whether I could borrow your folder to show to Jack,"
"Oh, is he coming in later?" Emily asked "I wish I could have a visitor,"
"Emily..." Nikki sighed sadly and began to say something when Emily's name was called again
"Emily," a new voice came and the pair looked up to see Anna standing there "You've got a visitor in the day room,"
"Really?" Emily asked "Who is it. It better not be another doctor"
"No, it's no" Anna replied "If you don't want to see him-"
"-no! It's fine, I'll come. Right now" Emily said before turning to Nikki "Talk about a deus ex machina,"
"So can I borrow this?" Nikki asked again and Emily nodded, clearly distracted by her news
Nikki watched as Emily practically skipped out of the room before turning to Anna
"Nikki?" Anna said poking her head into Nikki's bed-space "Jack's here to see you,"
Nikki smiled as she walked into the day-room. She had found herself looking forward to Jack's visits.
As Nikki entered the day room she looked across the room and saw Emily deep in conversation with a man with peppery grey hair and dressed in a smart suit, in contrast to Emily's jeans and a t-shirt.
"Who do you think that is?" Nikki mused as she sat down beside Jack
"Friend?" Jack shrugged
"I get the impression that Emily doesn't have many friends," Nikki sighed
"What's this discovery that you've come across then?" Jack said nodding to the folder on Nikki's lap
"I've found out some information about Edward Hooper,"she said passing him the folder
"Where did you find this?" Jack asked
"It's Emily's," she explained "It's a collection of his articles. But look to the last ones he printed," Nikki said as she flicked to the end of the folder
Jack raised his eyebrows as he read the writing in front of him "It looks like tabloid rubbish to me. If this is what was being produced, then no wonder the paper was in trouble. Who would buy this?"
"Emily told me that her Mother was divorced from her father and was in a relationship with a man called William Brown. Edward seemed bent on destroying William's career,"
"So we need to talk to William," Jack said "I'll talk to Thomas when I get back to the Lyell,"
"Thanks Jack,"
"For what?" He frowned
"Listening to me. Not dismissing my ideas,"
"Nikki, your mind might be a little damaged, but you're not broken. You're still Doctor Nikki Alexander, somewhere, beneath Mexico," he squeezed her hand "I know it,"