Laura returned to a darkened house around 2.30am, weary and ready for bed. She closed the front door quietly after her, and locked it then dropped her case by the stairs. She unwound her scarf, and hung her coat up before kicking of her boots. She yawned, and ruffled her hair, debating whether she should make a mug of hot chocolate before she went to bed. Casting a glance upstairs, she noticed a chink of light under her bedroom door and she smiled to herself. Sod it, she thought, and turned to head upstairs. She slipped quietly into her bedroom, and realised Robbie had left the smallest lamp on for her. Robbie was sprawled across her bed, and Laura quickly undressed before slipping into bed next to him. She turned her alarm clock off, and turned off the light. Robbie tucked his arm over her waist and Laura curled up against him wearily. He kissed her shoulder sleepily and Laura smiled as she succumbed to sleep, exhausted.

A couple of hours later, Robbie awoke with a strong sense that all was not well. Laura was muttering in her sleep, trying to push the duvet away as if was smothering her and he sighed. Another nightmare. Poor Laura. He interlinked his fingers into hers, gently easing her into his arms and cradled her close. "You're alright, love" he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead and Laura nestled her forehead against his collarbone. "I've got you, you're safe," Robbie repeated, running his hand over her back and Laura sighed. She was fast sleep, he realised but her distress was very real, tears trickling down her cheeks. She eventually settled in his arms, but Robbie was wide awake. He glanced at the clock and groaned. 5am. Just too early to get up, and a point in the morning when it was pointless to try and get back to sleep. And it was too dark to read without disturbing Laura, who was curled up alongside him, clinging onto him as though her life depended on it. Still, Robbie mused, almost six hours sleep wasn't actually bad. Shift work for such a prolonged period had fundamentally messed with Robbie's sleeping patterns and these days, the idea of more than seven hours sleep, unbroken and undisturbed was fanatastical much less improbable. He knew Laura's insomnia was something chronic too, even without the nightmares. 5am was no time to start a Saturday though, and if Laura was now off the clock for the next ten or so hours, he supposed it might be worth trying to doze a bit longer. One of the things he missed most about Val was having someone to curl up with at the end of the day. It had taken him years to get used to not sharing his bed, and short though their stay in Dorset had been, it had been absolute bliss having Laura in his arms each night. He kissed the top of her head absentmindedly, and adjusted his grip around her. She fitted so neatly in his arms and he loved the sensation of her skin against his. It was ridiculous really how much had changed in the last fortnight, the last month. Better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all. Lynne had said that to him in the dark months after Val's death. She was a wise kid, Robbie mused. And it had taken the prospect of losing Laura to force Robbie's hand. As he'd driven down the road towards Homewood at ninety miles an hour, James talking nine to the dozen to dispatch in agitated tones, the depth to which Robbie loved Laura had been revealed to him.

The prospect of losing her was too awful to contemplate and later that evening, when he'd seen her safely tucked up in that hospital bed, he'd sat outside the John Radcliffe with his head in his hands, trying to control his breathing as the alternative ending to the evening had dawned on him. He recalled Hathaway touching his shoulder gently, and he'd flinched at the contact. "She's asking for you," he'd said quietly and Robbie had sighed audibly. "There's no one else she wants," Hathaway continued and Robbie nodded, getting up and following him back into the hospital. Hathaway had escorted him to the room they'd found for Laura, holding the door open for Robbie and then closing it behind him, lolling on the horrible plastic chairs in the corridor, as thought guarding them. Laura had looked up at him, wide eyed and Robbie had grimaced at her expression. "Oh Laura," he'd murmured and she'd shaken her head, tears beginning again. "Are you okay?" he'd murmured and she nodded, tears still trickling down her face. "Bit bruised, quite traumatised," Laura replied, her voice cracking and Robbie sat down on the bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her as she sobbed into her hands, leaning against him. They'd sat there for what felt like hours to Robbie, Laura sobbing and him feeling useless, inept and vulnerable.

Eventually her sobs had subsided, and they'd sat together in silence, Robbie's arm still around Laura until a rap at the door had revealed Jean Innocent. Laura had recoiled from her and Robbie exchanged a grimace with Jean. "I just wanted to check you were alright," Innocent had said kindly, and Laura nodded, wiping the tears from her cheek. "Thank you," she'd said quietly, not meeting Jean's eye, which resulted in Jean and Robbie exchanging another look. "Your brother's on his way. He'll be here within the next half hour," Jean continued "and you're on compassionate leave until, well, for as long as you need." Laura nodded again. Jean glanced at Laura and sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry Laura," she said softly, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder and then making her way out of the room. Laura rubbed away at another tear, and another trickled down her cheek. Robbie brushed it away with his thumb and Laura froze at his touch. "Sorry," he murmured, and she stared at him, rigid with fear. "You're okay, love," Robbie told her softly and Laura grimaced. "Sorry," she whispered. "Don't apologise," he chided and another tear rolled down Laura's cheek. She leant her head against his shoulder, and Robbie tightened his grip around her. He wanted to gather her up into his arms, but he just didn't dare. She was so fragile and he didn't want to upset her further. So they sat there in silence, tears trickling down Laura's cheeks, Robbie's arm around her as she cried.

Movement outside the door caught Robbie's attention, and he saw James stand up, then hold out his hand to a fair-haired man who Robbie immediately recognised as Laura's brother. The two men shook hands, before James tapped on the door. "I think it's your brother," Robbie said to Laura, and she sat up, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She slipped down from the bed as Sam Hobson came into the room, and his expression quickly turned from concerns to anguish as his gaze fell on his little sister. "Oh Laura" he said kindly, wrapping his arms around Laura as she buried her face in his chest, and looking over her head at Robbie. "Robbie, hi," he said, cradling Laura against him as though she were a small child. "Thank god for you two," Sam observed, glancing between James and Robbie and both shrugged slightly. "Seriously, thank you for getting her out of that," Sam continued before glancing down at Laura "Miriam and I will take you home with us?" he suggested and Laura nodded. "Thank you," she said quietly, her words muffled in his embrace and Sam glanced down at her. "You allowed to leave?" he asked and Laura nodded. "I've been discharged," she replied quietly, the most words Robbie had heard her utter within the last half an hour. "Right then, let's get you home with us then," Sam said decisively. Robbie got the impression that this was exactly what Laura needed, someone familiar to make basic decisions for her. "What about your things Laura?" Sam asked and Laura froze. She had absolutely no desire to go back to her house right now, to see what state it was in, and Robbie grimaced as he realised this. "If you can send me a list, Laura, I can arrange for your stuff to be sent over," he offered and Laura nodded. "Thank you," she replied "I'd rather do that, if you don't mind." Robbie nodded. "It'd be no trouble," he replied. Sam relaxed his grip on his sister, and he surveyed her quickly. "Shall we?" he proposed and Laura nodded. It wasn't that warm out, Robbie suddenly realised and without thinking, he draped his jacket around Laura's shoulders, over the scrubs she'd be given. Her clothes had all been taken in as evidence, and thought she was happy as anyone in scrubs, he thought the chill merited the loan of his jacket. "Oh thanks Robbie," Sam said "I've got one of my wife's jackets in the car but I didn't think to bring it in. Come down to the car with us, and you can have it straight back.

Robbie clapped James on the shoulder as he followed Sam and Laura out. "You head home," Robbie told him and James nodded curtly. Robbie and Sam walked Laura out to the car, and Laura smiled weakly at Robbie as Sam helped her into her sister-in-law's fleece and pass Robbie's jacket back to him. She hadn't the heart to tell her brother that Robbie's jacket had been a considerable source of comfort to her, the faint scent of his aftershave and the warmth of it soothing her. As Sam went to put something in the boot, Laura stepped towards Robbie, taking his hand into hers. "Call me if you need anything," he said quietly and Laura nodded tearfully. "Can I hug you?" he asked, hesitant and she nodded again. She began to cry again in earnest as he enveloped in her arms and Robbie sighed, letting her sob against his chest. Sam grimaced, and caught Robbie's eye. "Give us five," Robbie mouthed and Sam nodded. "I'll phone Mim," he replied and walked away from the car to make his call. When Sam returned, Laura was talking to Robbie, still tearful but no longer sobbing into his chest. She turned as he approached them, and he held his hand out to Robbie. Robbie shook it firmly, and folded his coat over his arm. He leant in to Laura, and kissed her cheek affectionately. "You take care," he told her and Laura nodded. "Thanks Robbie," Laura said softly, opening the car door, and sitting herself in the front seat.

Robbie mulled those moments over in his mind, as he lay there in the dark. It was easier with Laura in his arms, easier to dispel the demons which lurked, rebuking him over his behaviour in those few weeks, and he rubbed his hand over her shoulder gently, cuddling her closer. Robbie wondered if they'd talked through those events enough, understood each other's perspectives on that traumatic evening. Perhaps they hadn't. Robbie considered that they probably should at some stage, but he was nervous about upsetting Laura again at a point when she seemed to be so much happier. He closed his eyes, wondering if sleep might come, and he yawned. It was cosy in the room, and there really wasn't any need to get up, even if insomnia had come calling…