Here's the next instalment let me know what you think.
"Amputating her hand will be the end of her career. She'd never get over it! She lives to work!" Michael's frustration was clear they'd been going over the same argument over and over again.
"She has Grace, don't you think she'd give her hand so that she could see her daughter grow up into a woman, to see her daughter walk down the aisle or to help raise her grandchildren? Do you think she'd want to risk that future?" Elliot spat back also frustrated and angry.
"I have it here in writing from Dr Hannah that Connie refuses amputation." Michael replied holding a piece of paper in Elliot's face and pointing to notes.
"She wasn't in the right mind set to make that decision." Elliot replied shoving the paper from in front of his face onto the ground in between them.
"Elliot I know you love her but we wont lose her, I'll make sure of it. Lets get in there see what the situation is and take it from there. I'm good you know." With that Michael placed his surgical mask on and placed his rubber gloves on his hands, he slipped through the doors into theatre only to be shortly followed by Elliot.
During surgery Elliot had managed to stop the bleed, Michael had stitched the wound and re-modelled the bones. The pair had worked tirelessly for hours on end trying to find where the bleed was coming from and evaluating how badly the nerves were damaged. Connie was now back where she was originally admitted, Dr Hannah had cleared a private room so that they could all be close by if anything was to change. Grace hadn't left the hospital since her mothers admission in fear that she wouldn't be able to say goodbye if anything was to go wrong. Her mother had always said that she regretted not being able to say goodbye to her own mother, Grace didn't want to feel that regret. Zoe had nearly spend her whole unoccupied time with the young girl. The first night after the operation they'd gone into Connie's office to create some place to sleep. Zoe had always enjoyed the company of children and had plenty of experience babysitting. However Grace had clearly stated that she was old enough to take care of herself and didn't need babysitting. Zoe was adamant that'd she'd stay with Grace until her mother awoke and told her that they'd clear space for the both of them to sleep. The task of making the bed area turned more into a game with Zoe trying to make a den. Grace soon followed suit once she realised that it was taking her mind from the situation her mother was in. Although sleeping in the den wasn't comfy Zoe stayed with Grace, they chatted about her life, school, friends, what she wanted to be when she was older. They talked about anything that helped time go by quicker. Two days had gone by when Grace was finally cleared to go visit her mother.
"Your mum is still unconscious Grace and she's still in a critical condition." said Zoe looking down at a nervous looking Grace. All Zoe got in reply was a small nod before Grace stepped through the double doors into the private room that occupied her mother. As she walked in she heard the steady beep of the heart rate monitor. Tess was in the process of changing some of the bandages that were placed over various cuts that the clinical lead had sustained and Elliot was reading over Connie's notes making sure that everything was how it should be and that his friend was making a slow but steady recovery. Elliot looked up from the notes to see Grace slowly moving towards them, at the sight of her he smiled and reached a hand out for her to take hold of. Grace took hold of the hand in her own and let Elliot guide her over to her mothers beside. The young girl was hesitant to touch her mother due to her looking so fragile. Her mother just didn't look like her mother. She seemed to look so defeated, so drained.
"You can hold her hand you know." Elliot stated breaking the silence and looking worriedly at his godchild.
"Whats that tube coming out her mouth?" Grace asked looking up at the older man.
"It's called a trach tube, its to help your mum breathe until she wakes up." Elliot answered lowering himself to Graces level.
"Does it hurt her?" asked Grace. She was clearly getting worked up seeing her mother in this state.
"She's not in any pain at all." Elliot answered back gently and reassuringly.
"So i wont hurt her if i touch her?" said Grace looking over to where her mother lay.
"No of course not, in fact I'm sure it'll help her feel better."
"But she's unconscious she doesn't know I'm here."
"She knows that your here. She may not be able to answer you or react to you but she knows your here. Why don't you talk to her, tell her how you feel or whats happening in your life." Grace moved closer to her mother and sat on the chair that Tess had placed moments ago after finishing replacing the bandages.
Grace reached out for Connie's hand hovering over it at first in hesitation but then taking it in her own rubbing her finger soothingly on the back of Connie's hand. Elliot joined Tess and Zoe who were stood by the doors giving the young girl a bit of privacy.
"This is horrible." Zoe stated to the two stood at her side. "She shouldn't have to see this" she continued rubbing her eyes to rid the tears that threatened to fall.
"I suppose its when it hits home that you understand what relatives feel at times like this. The helplessness." Tess replied. "I mean i know were not relatives but the team feels like a family. Even if we don't like members of our family half the time we still pull together to support them when something happens. It's because we care."
"I know Connie can be hard to deal with but she does have a good heart and does look out for those that she cares for and the team that shes part of. Connie's not like any other human being shes been through things that have shaped her into the person she is today. The facade she puts on is her coping mechanism i hope you know that." Elliot said looking at the two women.
"We know." Zoe replied with Tess nodding in agreement. "I suppose seeing Grace with her as well helps us understand and see the real Connie." They stopped talking as a small voice came from the direct of the bed.
"I made a Den in your office with Zoe the other day." Grace said staring at her mothers hand in her own. "We had fun, I can see why you like her." That made Zoe smile the thought of the clinical lead actually admitting that she liked her, she was certainly going to bring that up when Connie woke up. "Lofty bought me some lunch this morning too, the sandwich was weird and wasn't all that good but you told me not to be rude when people give you things so i ate it and said thank you." Grace looked up from their joined hands to her mothers cut and bruised face. "Please wake up. Theres so many things i need to tell you and say sorry for. Jessica at boarding school stole my locket that you gave me and threw it into the lake, thats the reason why i took all of her clothes outside and set fire to them. Thats why i got suspended. I didn't want to tell you because i was embarrassed. Her and her group of friends have been bullying me since the start of the school new year. I have no friends i just study and wait to hear from you or dad. The money that was taken from your room last month was me not the maid. I don't know why i took it and i was going to put it back but you'd already started shouting and accusing the maid and fired her before i had chance to put it back." Grace was in floods of tears at this point prompting Elliot to approach and try to comfort the child. Grace however shrugged this attempt of comfort off. "Im not finished!" She shouted loudly shocking herself at the loudness of her voice. Elliot quickly recovered from the outburst.
"Grace lets go outside for some fresh air." he said softly.
"No I'm staying with mum i have other things to apologise for that i need her to know."
"Your mother wouldn't want to see you this way, she wouldn't want you to be upset like this." Elliot replied trying to calm the young girl down.
"We were suppose to be watching a film tonight i was going to tell her that i wanted to come home. That i wanted to spend more time with her and now she not going to wake up." At this point Grace was now sobbing into the nape of Elliot's neck. Elliot rubbed Grace's back as her mother would do when she was upset.
"Its ok Grace. Everything is going to be ok."
The door was forcibly pushed open making Grace jump from Elliot's arms. At first the pair were angry at the interruption and both Tess and Zoe began walking toward the person that was the cause with the purpose to remove him from the room. However, before the pair could reach the man Grace leaped into his open arms.
"Dad! I'm so glad your here!" Grace shouted into his chest still sobbing as she had previously.
"I would have been here sooner princess but the plane was delayed. Hows your mum?"
"Mr Strachan. I'm Doctor Hannah I rang you to inform you of Mrs Beauchamp's condition." Zoe stated making those final steps in approaching the man.
"Please its Sam." He said shaking Zoe's hand while still holding his daughter in a tight hug "Hows she doing?"
"She's stable but still critical. We're waiting for her to wake up to review her condition. We're keeping a close eye on her."
"How did this happen? We talked the morning the day you rang and everything was fine."
"Connie was involved in a major RTC with a number of other members of this hospital. Unfortunately Connie was in the seat that took the most of the impact, when the vehicle rolled she got trapped. Our major concern after she wakes is the function that she has in her damaged arm that was crushed. Until she wakes though we wont know what the situation is with that."
"Thank you." Sam said before he focused his attention over to the mother of his child. Elliot stood by her beside once Sam had greeted him and thanked him for his help he sat on the chair Grace had been sat on moments before. He placed Grace on his lap.
"We're going to be here when you wake up Connie." Sam said out loud. "Both me and Grace are going to be here." he reiterated taking Connie's hand in his own.
With that Elliot, Tess and Zoe left the room giving the three the space that they needed and the time to grow that bond that had been damaged through the distance that had been between them.
I hope you guys are still reading I'm not the best with updates (bit of an understatement!) lemme know what your thinking about this story.
