"Come on Katie we have to get to the hospital."

That was the first statement Katie heard from her father as she got out of school.

Summer had been and it had gone and Katie had had a great time but she was glad to be back with her friends.

"Why dad?" she asked.

"Its your aunty Judy. She has been involved in a car crash."

Katie looked at her father with shook. It was made worse buy the fact her father was really worried. He didn't know what to think or how bad it was. All he knew was they had to get to the hospital.

"Is she going to be ok?" she asked.

"I think so but I want us to go up and lead your uncle a supporting had." he had to get there for his friend. If it was the other way Gary would be there for him. All he had got out of him on the phone was that Judy had been trapped inn the car.

All the way to the hospital Katie was worried. What if she was so ill after the crash that she died? What if she didn't walk again like they had said her father might not? It hadn't come to that with him…but…

What if…what if… what if…

All the way the two of them was in silence, in there own private worry. As soon as they got to the hospital they run in to A and E but was shocked to find there worry seemed to have been in vain.

"Darling just go and let them look at you." they heard Gary say to his wife.

"There is no need I am fine I am just waiting for Vera," she said and sighed. Turning to see Katie she sighed again. The kiddy hadn't needed this.

"What did you call these two up for? Ah sweet heart," she said to her niece. It was only to clear she had been worried for her. She hadn't needed to be. Judy was sure she was fine.

"Are you ok?" asked Katie.,

"I am fine my darling. Just a bit shaken up." she said as she hugged her.

"I was worried."

"Well there was no need to be, your aunty Judy is just fine. I promise." she said to Katie before turning to her husband. "Garry please just take me home." he said to him and defeated they nodded.

"I don't want to but ok," he said and she nodded.

Once they had returned home Katie sat with her father in the sofa.

"So you think she really is ok dad?" she asked.

"Well I don't see why not lass wee. She seemed ok, so she did." he said as he shrugged off her question. "Have you got any home work".

"Yes." she said to him honestly.

"Right go and get it then," he said to her.

"But it isn't in for tomorrow and I haven't had my play time yet." she protested. "Can't I leave it? Just for tonight… please dad!" she said to him with big eyes.

"Go on then… just tonight young lady."

"You rock dad."

Going up stairs she went in to a deep state of thought of what she had felt when she had though her aunt was really ill.

She had felt so lost. It was then she realized how much she cared for her aunty Judy. She was a second mum to her.

-

A week passed and Katie asked about her aunt every day.

Mostly she was ok but she had huge bruises on her leg and she was a bit out of breath.

Gary who had been asked by Ashley to be his best man, when the day of the wedding had rolled round had to think about staying home to take care of her. He didn't like to leave her when she was so unwell.

Especially when Katie got ill on the day of the wedding. It looked like Judy was determined to take care of all three kids whilst Jim and he went to the wedding. And generally what Judy wanted she got. His wife was a very determined women, thought Gary to himself.

"Go on." she said to the two of them. "We are going to be fine aren't we sweetie?" she said to her tired niece.

Jim looked at her. Her eyes were puffy and glazed and her nose was red. Maybe he should stay back with her.

"Go on dad." she said to him as she shut her eyes and leant in to Judy.

"We can be ill together cant we Katie?" said Judy to her and the little girl nodded as she went in to number nine and laid down on the sofa immediately not even bothering to say hello to the twins.

"We won't be long." promised Garry,..

"Yes you will." she insisted. "you go and be a good best man to Ashley and when you get the two of you must tell me and Katie all that happened, mustn't they?" she called to her.

There was no response.

"Go on, I'll look after her," she said as she gave both men a kiss on the cheek and shut the door.

Going in to the living room she sat down by Katie.

"Well I'll tell you what I hope there not gone long!" she said to her. But it was useless. Katie had gone to sleep already

For a while Judy just sat there and watched her. The twins were having a nap so the house was totally quiet.

It was nice to get time to herself.

Judy how ever was and never had been one to sit still for long

Even though she was honestly feeling god awful she got up and she did the dishes.

After that she did the washing, she took the baby grows and nappies out of the washing machine. By that time though she was feeling really out of breathe.

Maybe she should just go and sit back down with Katie…nah! She'd just hang the nappies out first. It'd only take her five minutes.

The minute she stepped in to the back yard though she heard the twins begin to cry…. But her chest… it was closing up… Becky… Billy…Garry…Katie… she had to get in to the house…

Darkness.

-

Katie awoke to the twins crying.

Getting up in a sleepy dose she looked for Judy and she saw the door to the yard had been left open.

"Aunty, Judy Billy and Becky are crying," she said as she got up and felt a bit dizzy.

Slowly she made her way out to the yard.

"Aunt Judy - JUDY!" said Katie.

There her aunty lay on the ground completely still.

Katie run to her side, and she tried to wake her, but nothing came of it.

Gently she shook her but there was no change. She was so still.

Going in to the house she picked up the phone. She had been taught at school the number if any one was in trouble and she had to help.

999.

"hello." she heard a voice on the other end of the line. "What service do you want, fire brigade, police, or ambulance."

"Ambulance." she said.

Quickly, she was put through to some one who could help her and then she had to answer a lot of questions.

Where she was, who she was with, what was the problem?

It was all so scary!

As soon as she put the phone down when she was told the ambulance were coming to number nine Katie begun to bawl her eyes out not sure what else to do. Going out to the yard she put a blanket over her aunt to keep her warm as she had been told too, before going back inside to try and stop the babies crying.

It was not long after that maybe a couple of minutes though the longest minutes of her life that the ambulance arrived. With some difficulty she opened the door.

Whilst most of two of the ambulance people went to help her aunt one sat with her.

"Can tell me your name darling?" she asked as she sat her down.

"Katie."

"Ok Katie. Who is that's ill outside."

"My aunty." she said through her tears.

"Okay, do you know where your uncle is?" she was asked next.

"He is with my daddy at a neighbor's wedding." she told him.

"Do you know how we can get in contact with him or your daddy because we have to take your aunt to the hospital, is there some one you can take care of you and your cousins!" asked the paramedic.

"My aunty Deirdre." she said. "She lives at number one." she suggested shrugging.

"Right then. I am going to have to go get her. You wait here with the others. You have been very brave Katie. Well done."

Everything was moving so quick that Katie felt she couldn't keep up. Her head was all over the palace. One second she alone. The newt she saw her aunt Judy being taking to the ambulance on a stretcher.

The next her aunt Deirdre had picked her up in her arms and was gently trying to calm her.

For a while though it wasn't working. Katie had got her she in to such a state that she couldn't stop crying and she was fighting her god mother's comfort. She didn't want her!

"I want my dad." she said to her.

"I know and he is coming, he is on his way darling."

Deirdre sat on the sofa and Katie snuggled in close to her as her god mother tried to get her to take deep breathes desperately.

She just was so wound up.

By the time that Jim and Garry got to the her, Katie's eyes were so red that they were burning which didn't help but all of a suddenly just before they had come in she had fallen horribly silent. Just as she had when Andy had first left and just as she had when her dad had found her in the crib all those years ago.

The memory of that day still haunted Jim. Liz had been right. They shouldn't have gone. Just as he knew he shouldn't have gone to the wedding.

There was only one thought on her mind. That Judy might die. And if she did some how it was all her fault because she had fallen asleep.

She could see her father's lips moving and he was talking to her, but it was all mumble to her. She couldn't hear for worry and thought.

Jim was worried for Katie. He was desperate to see some sign she was ok. But there were none.

She was silent and she was so pale.

Garry had already gone again to be with his wife and between Jim and Deirdre they were going to have to mind the twins, who Deirdre realized his main worry was for his own child, quite understandably.

"Come on wee lass its me. Its daddy, talk to me!" he said to her in a whisper.

But she didn't.

"Its ok." he muttered to her as he put his arms about her and picked her up,

Instantly she buried her head in his neck trying desperately to make it all go away. If the two of them were together then maybe things would be ok.

"Ok I'm here." he said to her reassuringly, rubbing his hand round in circles on her back. "Its me, daddy's got yer baby." he promised as he buried a kiss in her hair.

"she was just laying there. I didn't know what to do, dad I couldn't help her." she said finally as she broke down in to his arms.

"Well I think you did pretty well then getting that ambulance here for some one who didn't know what to do."

"I just at her to be ok." she told him.

"I know you do." he whispered to her as he stroked her hair tenderly, kissing her gored head comfortingly.

-

Garry got back to the house five hours later dumb struck by what he had heard and what he had to tell Jim.

If Judy had been on her own then there would have been no hope for her, but due to the fact the ambulance had been called so promptly, she was going to live. In others words the one who had rung the emergency services had saved his wife's life

"I can't tell you how much she means to us now mate."

Jim couldn't believe what he was hearing. This made his daughter some sort of hero he guessed. The ordinary girl who had had to come over so many struggles and still had a long road ahead of her, had saved a life.

"I don't think I have ever been so proud to call myself her father, so I haven't." he said as he watched her sleep totally unaware of the effects of her actions.

"I should think not. If Becky turns out to be half the girl your Katie is then she is going to be fine."

Jim nodded as he took all this in.

"So how is Judy?" he asked concerned.

"She is going to be fine in a few weeks. But she is going to have had to have treatment. I knew she should have got treated when we had been at the hospital. Still, all thanks to your daughter she is going to be fine."

Jim smiled slightly but no more.

He was glad his friend's wife was going to be ok but he was seriously worried about the effect that day had taken on his daughter. She maybe some sort of hero, but she was still a child and what she had seen that day was far too much for a girl of her age and sensitivity.

Katie had come with in seeing an inch of death. She had seen the women she loved like a mother, laying motionless, white as a sheet. He wished she hadn't. He wished he had stayed home with her. How was it going to affect her? She was nothing more than a child. His child…

What if she hadn't woken so soon and she had had to face Judy dead. How would she coped then.

He looked at his daughter as she slept on the sofa and for now he thought she looked rather peaceful but he had an awful feeling that was not going to last.

Going over he sat by her side. She was going to need love and patience more than ever now. He had to make sure he was ready to give it to her.