Chapter Twenty
"I can't find my hairbrush. Have you seen it Emily?" Nikki said rooting through her belongings
"Edith has it probably. I told you she gets confused about what stuff is hers," Emily said with a tone that made Nikki pause
"Are you okay Emily?" Nikki said, although she could guess Emily's response
"Fine,"
"No, you're not,"
"I am. I swear on Harry Potter's life," Emily said earnestly "It's just…I'm going to miss you Nikki,"
"I will come and visit you, Emily,"
"It's just…when you go home, I don't have any friends here,"
"You have books," Nikki told her
"I think this belongs to you Nikki," Anna said as she walked into the dormitory "Another patient had it,"
"Told you," Emily mouthed
"You, Emily Hooper are a very clever young lady," Nikki smiled
"I'm not, you're the doctor,"
"That doesn't make me clever,"
"You were clever enough to help me from inside here with Dad's death and all," Emily said
"I will come back here, Emily,"
"Can we make an unbreakable vow?"
"What's that?"
"You really need to read Harry Potter, Nikki," Emily said rolling her eyes
"Nicola," a nurse called "Your meds are here, and your friend Jack is ready to take you home,"
"Thanks," Nikki nodded
"I guess this is it," Emily sighed, flopping back on her bed
"Will you be okay?"
"No, but I have no choice but to be," Emily shrugged "I'm glad you're my friend, Doctor Alexander,"
"I'm glad you're my friend too, Emily," Nikki smiled as she picked up her belongings and Emily gave a little wave as Nikki left the dormitory
…
"Ready?" Jack asked, taking the small case from Nikki
"As I'll ever be," Nikki smiled
"So here are your meds. Someone from the community team will be in touch. If you have any problems before then, please just give the ward a ring," Anna told her
"Can you keep an eye on Emily for me?" Nikki asked
"Of course, we keep an eye on all our patients," Anna nodded "But, I'll go and talk to her now. You did a good deed, helping Emily out like that,"
"Emily helped me too," Nikki said
"Let's get you out of here," Anna said, "And I hope, in the nicest way possible, I never see you again,"
Jack and Nikki walked to the ward door and waited until the door buzzed, signalling Nikki's newfound freedom
"What do you think will happen to Emily?"
"She'll get out. She's stronger than she thinks she is,"
"Takes one to know one," Jack said and Nikki rolled her eyes as they walked into the carpark.
Nikki looked at the blue and white NHS sign and lapsed into silence
"You okay?" Jack asked
"28 days in that place," Nikki sighed "It taught me a lot though, about mental health and about myself,"
"What about you?"
"That I'm Doctor Nikki, not Nicola, Alexander and I know the journey will be tough, but I think I made a breakthrough in all of the breakdown,"
Nikki looked at Jack who nodded "You're Nikki 2.0" he said leaning down and pressing a kiss on her cheek.
As they drove away, Nikki new things wouldn't be easy and she was only at the beginning of her journey to recovery, but she knew that in breakdown, she had found the strength to keep going to make a breakthrough.