Molly is going to be just fine
Molly misses the train
Molly is lying in the hospital bed only half listening to the doctor. She already knows what he's going to tell her. She knew as soon as she came round at the bottom of the stairs and felt pain in her abdomen and blood between legs. She's lost the baby.
She's hardly spoken since the fall; she's not felt able to bring herself to speak to anyone beyond answering the necessary questions from the medics who've been caring for her.
Dylan has been playing the dutiful boyfriend, fussing over her and providing additional information to the hospital about the accident and the patient. She has to hand it to him, he hid his surprise at her being pregnant well in front of the doctor and seemed genuinely distressed that she has now lost the baby.
The doctor makes to leave and Dylan's right in there again, taking control of the situation. "Thank you Doctor. I will take it from here and make sure she gets some rest."
Finally alone, he turns to her and tries to hold her hand, but she's too quick for him and manages to pull it away. He's looking at her with a mixture of fear and remorse on his face, "Molly, I'm so sorry. I will do anything you want."
"Anythin'?"
He sounds pitifully apologetic, "Yes. I'm so sorry."
She looks him squarely in the eye, "In that case, I want you to stand up, walk over to the door, open it, walk through it, close it behind you and never come back."
She looks away, indicating that the conversation is finished. It takes him a few minutes to actually leave the room. She can tell he's trying to work out whether there is anything he can say to change her mind but eventually gives up and leaves.
She's all alone when the tears come and she weeps for her lost baby, Dylan's ultimate betrayal and everything else that has gone wrong in her life recently.
-OG-
A little while later, there is a knock on the door and she looks up to see her best friend Jac, which prompts another flood of tears. Jac gives her an enormous hug and wipes away her tears.
"Bloody hell, Molly Dawes. I just looked at your notes and you've had a bloody lucky escape."
She smiles ruefully, "You can say that again Jac."
-OG-
She's finally leaving the hospital after a fitful and broken night's sleep and a frustrating morning trying to get discharged. She's feeling a bit bruised and battered after the fall and has a small cut to her forehead, but she is essentially physically ok.
Jac has insisted that she moves back into her old room for the time being and has promised to go over to the house and collect some of Molly's things when her shift finishes later.
She's wandering through reception, not really concentrating when she hears a familiar voice, "Molly?"
She looks to see Charles, with a woman and a teenage boy, "Charles?"
A few quick strides and he's right in front of her, holding her arms, worriedly looking at her, "Shit, Molly. What happened to you? Are you alright?
She feels so comfortable in his hold and is looking at him shyly, "Long story, but the other guy came off worse."
She suddenly remembers the woman and boy and looks over towards them. She sees that they're watching this exchange with interest.
Charles seems to have forgotten about them too. He lets go of her arms and says apologetically, "Shit, sorry for my bad manners. Molly, this is Rebecca, my soon-to-be ex-wife and this is Sam, my son. We've just been visiting my mum, who's not very well."
Rebecca looks pretty amused at this introduction, and extends her hand, "Is that seriously what you're callling me now? Sorry about him. Nice to meet you Molly."
Sam is also grinning, "Yes, sorry about him. Hello Molly."
Charles looks quite uncomfortable, "Right..."
After a few moments of awkward silence, she gathers her senses, "I'd better be off. I'm sorry to hear about your mum Charles."
It's his turn to look at her shyly, "Thanks... Look can I give you a lift home or buy you a coffee or something? Rebecca, Sam, you don't mind do you?
Rebecca doesn't hesitate and doesn't sound at all bothered by this suggestion, "Not at all Charles. Come on Sam, let's go."
Sam's looking pretty pleased with himself and before he walks away, chides Charles, "Err Dad, there's just one thing wrong with your plan... you didn't bring your car."
Charles' face is full of apology as he turns to her, "Shit, he's right. Let me get you in a cab home."
"Actually, I'm not going home. I'm moving in with my friend Jac. Dylan and I have split up. A coffee or something would be great."
"Right. Lovely."
She's not entirely sure this, whatever 'this' is, is the best idea in her current emotional state, but she knows she doesn't need or want to ignore the obvious attraction between them any longer. As crazy as it seems, she knows she's going to be just fine.
Molly catches the train
Molly can hear distant but familiar voices. She tries to open her eyes but doesn't seem to be able to make it happen. The effort feels too much and she drifts off again.
-OG-
Now someone is shining a light into her eyes which is bleedin' annoying because she's happy sleeping. She's so very tired.
-OG-
She's aware that someone is holding her hand, gently stroking her knuckles. It feels nice and reassuring.
She's trying to open her eyes again and manages it this time. She's blinking because it is bleedin' bright in the room. She focuses on her surroundings and realises it is Charles holding her hand and sees Jac and Elvis stood next to him. She attempts to speak but can't make any sounds because there seems to be a tube in her throat.
Charles is speaking, "Thank god. Jac, she's opening her eyes."
Elvis is heading towards the door, "I'll get the doctor."
Jac's leaning over her, looking at her closely, "Molly, don't try to speak. The tube is to help you breathe. Do you understand?"
She nods.
Charles is still holding her hand and looking at her intently, "Molly, do you remember what happened?
She nods as the memories start to come back. Charles' betrayal, the bridge, running and being hit by a motorcycle.
"You were in an accident. You were hit by a motorcycle. You're going to be ok. The motorcyclist is ok too."
She feels her tears coming again, her heart breaking again and she turns away; she can't look at Charles. She weakly tries to remove her hand from his, but he won't let it go.
"Molly, please don't cry. Please look at me. I know I've messed things up."
He's interrupted by the arrival of a doctor who consults her notes, does some tests and instructs a nurse to remove the tube.
Once it is done, the doctor speaks to her, "You've suffered a nasty head injury and concussion but the CT scan is clear so there should not be any lasting damage. You've got some minor cuts and bruises on your body and will feel a bit bruised and battered for a few days, but you've been very lucky. I'm going to keep you in for observation for 24 hours. Do you have any questions?".
She shakes her head, "No... thank you."
The doctor turns to leave and addresses Charles, Jac Elvis, "Please make sure she gets some rest."
-OG-
Once the doctor has left, there is an uneasy silence in the room. Eventually, she looks at Jac avoiding eye contact with Charles, "Please get 'im to leave."
"I will if you really want me to, but I think you should hear him out. Listen to what he has to say and then if you still feel the same, I will. I promise."
She's surprised that Jac hasn't immediately complied with her wishes. She trusts Jac implicitly, so agrees, "Ok."
As Jac and Elvis leave the room, Charles comes to her side and hesitantly picks up her hand again and lightly kisses her knuckles. "Thank you. Are you sure you're up to this?"
"Not really, but runnin' isn't an option and besides it didn't work out too well for me last time."
A relieved smirk escapes onto his face, before he looks at her and becomes serious again, "I am so sorry Molly. I am married, but we have been officially separated for 6 months and we'll soon be divorced. In reality the marriage has been over for a very long time and I haven't been together with Rebecca in the married sense for years. In fact I haven't been with anyone until I met you."
He's paused and hasn't taken his eyes off her the whole time he's been talking.
"My mother is dying, as you know, and Rebecca agreed to keep up the pretence of our marriage for my mum's sake. Rebecca is with someone else; she will be marrying them as soon as the divorce is final. We have a thirteen year old son, Sam. He's very much part of my life."
He's paused again. She feels his grip on her hands tightening.
"I know I should have told you weeks ago. I've wanted to tell you so many times, but the appropriate moment didn't come up... and then when I had left it so long, I didn't know how to bring it up. Now you've found out in the worst possible way and I wish I had just been braver and told you myself. Shit, I told Rebecca and Sam about you weeks ago."
After everything he's said, this last bit of information is the most surprising to her, "Really?"
"Yes, really. Sam is desperate to meet you. I have been such an idiot. Please forgive me Molly. I love you so much."
"You love me?"
"Yes, more than I ever thought possible. I really don't want to lose you."
She looks at him and knows he is telling her the truth. He has tears in his eyes and looks desperately sorry.
She's taking in everything he's told her. She realises that she's actually ok with the soon-to-be ex-wife and son news. Whilst she wishes he had just told her and they could have avoided all this drama, she is human enough to know that sometimes secrets get out of hand.
"Molly, please say something."
She knows she is going to forgive him because she loves him too, with every fibre of her being and she's not going to deny her own happiness to make a stupid point.
"I love you too Charles. Now please stop holdin' me bleedin' hand and give me a proper kiss."
He laughs with relief, takes her face gently into his hands and looks at her intently, "Thank you Molly, I will never let you down again."
He kisses her tenderly and she feels her whole body respond to his touch; she knows without a doubt that she has made the right decision, that she's going to be just fine.
THE END
Thank you for reading and for all your lovely comments during the story. I couldn't resist a HEA ending in both stories. I'd love to hear your final thoughts. I have an idea for my next story but in the meantime if you haven't read my first story "More alike than we realise" and my one-shot, "A mountain proposal" please do!