Ltfl: Thank you, I just had a bad day and lost one of my best friends. I'm okay now. Same, I feel so sorry for her.

Sally b: I'm glad you liked it. That's a really good idea, I may use it but I'll see where the story takes me :-)

Dancingwithmyshadow6: Let's hope so. Thanks a bunch for your lovely review :-)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Gem was relieved when Connie eventually turned up, with Iain and Jez close behind. It hadn't taken long at all, but to her it had felt like a century. Lily was still bleeding, and she hadn't woken up. In fact, she'd made no sign of movement at all. Gem stepped back, still in tears, and allowed Connie to crouch beside Lily to examine her wound. Jez was straight in there to help but Iain hovered in the doorway with his hands over his face, unable to take in what was happening.

"Her pulse is very weak," Connie whispered to Jez, and flicked her head to look at Iain. "Iain, I'm sorry but I am going to need your help here."

She received no answer though.

"Iain!" She shouted, causing everyone to flinch. "Focus! I know that it's difficult but right now, you are a paramedic."

Iain just ignored Connie and turned straight on his sister.

"I told you to look after her!" He yelled, rage building up inside of him. "I told you and you promised, and look at what has happened! What the hell were you doing, Gemma?"

"I went to make myself some lunch," Gem cried, her arms kept protectively across her chest. "I'm sorry, okay? I know I messed up but I wasn't even gone for that long."

"Messed up?" Iain got up close in Gem's face. "She tried to kill herself, Gemma! She could die!"

"Now is not the time," Connie scolded them both. "Iain, I know that you're scared but right now I need you to do your job. Lily's pulse is extremely weak and she's losing blood fast."

"Don't say that!" Iain immediately began crying, causing Gem to look shocked and panicked. She'd never once seen her brother cry, never.

"Well I'm sorry, but I have to," Connie snapped. "Do you think this is what I want to see? No, it isn't, but I'm dealing with it because I'm a doctor and Lily needs help."

Iain nodded and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his paramedic jacket. He knew that Connie was right, but having to deal with Lily when she'd gone and attempted suicide was probably going to be the most hardest thing he'd ever have to do. He shoved Gem to one side and crouched beside Connie, taking a nervous breath before speaking.

Iain stood outside resus, staring in at the amount of doctors and nurses who were trying to help Lily. He couldn't lose her, not now. He loved her and he knew that she was the woman who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, he didn't care how she felt about herself, and he didn't care that she had a few issues around eating. He loved her and that was all that mattered.

"Iain," Gem whispered, cautiously walking up to her brother. "I...I'm sorry."

"You will be," Iain scoffed, turning and grabbing her arm before dragging her away from resus. "Lily better be okay!"

"I can't be watching her every hour of every day," Gem said. "I need to eat, I need to use the bathroom, I need my freedom Iain. I was only gone for ten minutes, just so I could make myself some lunch. Do you not think that I didn't blame myself for what happened? I do. Lily wouldn't have cut herself if I had been there."

"Exactly," Iain said.

"If Lily is this bad, then she shouldn't be living with us," Gem argued. "She should be on a psych ward, where she can get professional help!"

Gem stopped talking as soon as Iain's hand hit against her cheek. She stared at him, mouth wide open, shocked that he had actually just gone and slapped her. Tears stung her eyes, but she just stepped away from him and tried to ignore the pain.

"Gem, I...I'm sorry," he whispered, shocked at what he'd just done. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's fine." Gem gave a small shrug and avoided eye contact with him. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Go on then," he sighed, sitting down in the nearest chair. "Tell me what you did mean. I'm listening."

"You said yourself that Lily needs to be watched," Gem said, sitting down next to him. "But we have jobs, lives of our own. She tried to kill herself Iain, and I was only making lunch at the time. Maybe she ought to be looked after by professionals, maybe hospital is the best thing for her."

"She's just going through a hard time right now," Iain said. "It's only because Archie hasn't gone to prison. She...She'll be fine in a few weeks."

"But what if she isn't?" Gem asked. "Shouldn't we at least think about this possibility, Iain?"

"It doesn't matter anyway," Iain muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair. "She might not even make it."

"Don't say that," Gem said, giving his knee a comforting rub. "Lily's strong. She's survived so many things in the past, surely she'll survive this right?"

Iain shrugged and glanced across at his sister, sighing wordlessly to himself.

"I'm sorry," he apologised. "I shouldn't have flipped out at you like that. I was just worried, and it was horrible seeing Lily like that. I um...I guess I didn't think about how it must have been for you, you were the one who found Lily like that."

Gem just nodded her head faintly.

"How was it?" Iain asked.

"What do you think?" Gem asked. "Blood everywhere, Lily wasn't waking up, and then I saw the knife and I freaked. First thought was 'I did this to her' and I was so convinced that she was dead. Hearing Connie's voice was the best thing I'd heard all day."

"You tried to call me, didn't you?" Iain said. "I had a missed call from you on my phone."

Gem nodded and said, "you were the first person I thought of."

"I'm sorry I didn't answer," Iain said.

"Hey, let's just pray for Lily yeah?" Gem said, taking hold of her brother's hand. "I know that none of us are the religious type, none of our family are. A good prayer may help Lily pull through though."

"Connie's with her," Iain said. "I'm sure she'll help."

"She's different when she's around Lily," Gem stated. "I bet you anything that if this was any other colleague, she wouldn't have the same gentle touch that she has with Lily."

"She and Lily have a special friendship," Iain informed her. "I think Connie always saw a bit of herself in Lily. Besides, Lily is intelligent and a hard worker, and Connie likes that."

"Favouritism," Gem chuckled.

Iain nodded in agreement, just as Connie strolled over to them. They squeezed hands, terrified that she was going to report bad news, she looked serious and as if she'd been crying. To be honest, she didn't need to tell them. They already knew.

She hadn't made it.

"She's awake," Connie whispered.

"What?" Iain looked up from his hands, alarmed. "Seriously?"

"Would I lie to you about something like this?" Connie asked, sitting down beside Gem. "It took us a while, but Doctor Gardner and myself were determined to save her. She's extremely strong, and she's managed to pull through."

"Is she okay?" Gem asked, gulping to hold back tears. "Can we see her?"

"In a little while," Connie said. "She's quite tired, but I think we need to consider an alternative route for her."

"I know," Iain said. "Gem and I were talking."

"I definitely think that we need to get her put on some form of medication," Connie said. "Whether she spends some time in psych, I'm not sure yet. You both need to understand that Lily is severely unwell at the moment."

"I can't lose her," Iain said, shaking his head and sniffing.

"You won't," Gem said. "You didn't."

"Gem's right," Connie said. "We saved her once, didn't we? We can save her again."

I hope you liked the chapter :-) x