I have managed an update! Those waiting for "Underlying Facts" won't be impressed but I found it easier to write for this story. Currently enjoying a short break with my boyfriend in Canberra/Cairns and I used my relaxing afternoon to update. Hope you like it.
Thanks must go to quonoeye for commenting on the last chapter.
*****
After re-parking his sister's Beetle, Ben went back inside his parents' house, waiting to see if Julie had been able to find out anything more.
"Have you hear..." he was cut off when Dave pointed to Julie, pacing at the other end of the lounge, cordless phone pressed to her ear. Ben shut up quickly, guessing she was either talking to the hospital or her daughter and father.
"Okay..." Julie said, glancing up and seeing her husband and son's eyes both boring into her, so turned her gaze away from them. Ben sighed.
"I'm going home," Ben whispered, loud enough so Dave could hear but not loud enough to disturb Julie. "Let us know what you find out." Dave nodded in agreement, turning to watch his wife as Ben left the kitchen. With Julie taking a while to talk, Dave turned back to the computer screen he was looking at, now checking sporting scores. The phone beeped as Julie hung up a minute later.
"Jake was in an accident last night," said Julie, throwing her hands up to emphasize her point. Dave had now turned to face her.
"Is he alright?" asked Dave slowly, thinking deeply about his worker.
"They wouldn't say anything more other than that he was having surgery this morning," replied Julie, still trying to absorb the information she had been told.
"Surgery?" replied Dave, not quite absorbing the information himself. "Do they know what happened or...?" he couldn't seem to finish the sentence but his wife knew the question.
"Well if they did, they wouldn't tell me," replied Julie, plonking herself down on the chair. Dave came over and leaned on the edge of it.
"Well, how's, how's Rachel?" he asked quietly. Julie shrugged slightly.
"I couldn't get a hold of her. She might have turned her phone off. Dad didn't answer either." Dave nodded. They looked up when they heard footsteps entering the kitchen. Ben and Melissa had just entered the kitchen and approached Dave and Julie.
"Back already?" teased Dave jokingly. Mel smiled before answering.
"Actually, I spoke to the hospital about Jake," she told Dave and Julie. Julie sat up a little straighter.
"They wouldn't tell me anything," said Julie. Mel smiled again.
"Got to be some advantages to working at a hospital. Anyway, apparently Jake, his mother and brother were on their way home last night when a drunk driver cleaned them up," started Mel before Julie added her own question.
"Grace and Alex were in the car?" she asked, having not heard this until now. Melissa nodded.
"Yeah. Grace required surgery and so did Jake. Alex escaped pretty well; few bruises and cuts but he'll be fine. But Jake and Grace had internal bleeds, Grace had to have pins put in her arm and Jake broke his collarbone. That was all they had to tell me," said Melissa. "I don't even know if Rachel knows yet." Julie pushed herself up off the sofa.
"Maybe we should head there," she suggested to Dave. But Ben stepped forward.
"Grandad's there. And Mel and I are going to go; at least Mel will be able to find out more details instead of having to wait." Dave looked to Julie.
"And we'll call you as soon as we hear anything," promised Melissa. Julie kept her face still for another moment before nodding.
"Okay. But you have to promise you'll call if you hear anything," she told them, her voice determined. Both Ben and Mel nodded. Ben stepped forward and hugged his mum.
"Promise. It'll be okay," he reassured her.
0730am, Royal North Shore Hospital
Melissa lead Ben into the hospital where she knew Rachel and Ted would be. Sure enough, Ted was sitting on the same seat he had been on earlier. Rachel was standing, one hand pressed against the side of her face as she paced. Ted looked up as he saw his grandson and Melissa approach. Rachel noticed too and looked up.
"Hey Rachel," said Melissa tentatively whilst Ben didn't even say anything, he just went straight up to his sister and wrapped her in a hug. The warm, familiarity of her brother was enough to set Rachel off again.
"Shh," comforted Ben as began with the sobs. The hug was like the one he had given her when she had confided in him about her past with Daniel, yet it was somehow different. While Ben comforted his sister, Melissa sat down next to Ted.
"Have they told you anything?" she asked him quietly. Ted nodded slowly.
"They told us a little while ago that Jake and his mum were having surgery," he replied softly, glancing at his granddaughter as he spoke. Melissa nodded.
"Yeah, that's what they told me too." By now, Rachel had pulled away from Ben and was looking directly at the nurse making her way down the long corridor.
"You're back already Mel?" asked the nurse as she approached the group. Melissa gave her a small smile.
"Tracey, this is Ben, his sister Rachel and their grandfather Ted," introduced Melissa. She turned to the others. "I work with Tracey." Ben nodded while Rachel didn't say anything.
"You're waiting on Jake Barton?" questioned Tracey, remembering seeing Rachel approach the reception area earlier. Ben turned to look at his sister, who nodded.
"Is he okay?" she asked straight away, not being patient enough for Melissa's colleague to say anything more.
"He appears to be doing okay," replied Tracey. "The doctor's are confident that they repaired any internal damage." Rachel sighed and if they didn't know any better, the others would have assumed she was just being dramatic. Ben put an arm around his sister's shoulder as the nurse continued. "Grace appears to be doing okay as well. And Alex is fine apart from a few cuts and scrapes."
"That's great," piped up Ted. Rachel hadn't said anything more, as if she was trying to register everything that had just been said.
"Rach?" prompted Ben, tugging slightly at her shoulders to try and make her speak.
"That's great," she eventually managed. "Since he's okay, we can go now." Ted looked to Mel, who looked to Ben. Rachel began to walk away. Ben took the hint the others were shooting him as well as his own guts instinct. Hurrying along the hospital corridor, he left Melissa, Ted and Tracey behind as he tracked after his sister.
"Rachel!" he called out as he came through the sliding doors of the hospital, out onto the ambulance bays and the car park. Rachel paused slightly at her name, turning slightly to see her brother behind her.
"Ben, we're not even together anymore," she told him before he had the chance to say anything.
"And that matters?" was Ben's reply, finally catching up completely with Rachel.
"He doesn't need me," Rachel tried but she wasn't going to get that by Ben.
"Rachel, you can try and tell us you're fine without him, but you're not getting it past any of us. Least of all me," Ben told her firmly. "You know yourself how much you care about that guy. And when you care about someone, you stand by them." Rachel inhaled a deep breath, registering her brother's words of wisdom. Very similar to the ones Ted had given her just hours earlier.
"Ben, I just..."
"Rachel, just shut up and get back in there!" Ben cut her off. Rachel gave him a small laugh at the tough love approach, hanging her head slightly before nodding. "Good," replied Ben with a smile, turning so they could head back into the hospital. He took one step, assuming she'd follow when she stopped him.
"Ben." Without another word as he turned back, she flung her arms around him. She really couldn't ask for a better brother sometimes.
0800am, Exterior of Royal North Shore Hospital
"Apparently they will be," Ben spoke into his mobile phone. "Eventually." He had called his parents' house to let them know what was going on, as promised. Having had his back turned away from the exit doors of the hospital, he hadn't seen someone come up behind him.
"Hey." He turned around at the close voice, phone still pressed against his ear. Seeing Mel, he smiled before continuing to speak.
"Yeah I will. Bye Mum." He pressed the little red telephone on the phone, before turning fully to Melissa.
"You informed your mum?" she asked, although she had already gathered it was Julie on the phone, considering he had ended the call with 'Bye Mum'.
"As promised," he replied. "How's Rachel?" Melissa shrugged.
"She's going in to see him in a minute." Ben nodded, slipping his phone back into his jeans pocket.
"We better go back in then," he replied, placing his arm around Melissa's waist and guiding her back inside the hospital.
Inside the hospital, Rachel was standing, as was Ted. They were waiting for Tracey to return, who had promised she would go and check if it was okay for Rachel to go in and see Jake. Ben and Melissa came back in, reaching Ted and Rachel just a moment before Tracey did.
"Good news. Jake just woke up," she smiled.
"Really?" was Rachel's reply. She was trying not to get too excited, scared her greatest hopes would get crushed. But Tracey nodded, causing her excitement and joy spill over. She sighed and laughed nervously at this.
"Come on then, I'll take you," said Tracey, gently placing her hand on Rachel's elbow. The brunette nurse was a good head shorter than Rachel, despite the heels she was wearing and seemed to be kind and very warm in personality.
"We'll stay here," Ted told Rachel as she and Tracey moved off. Rachel turned her head to glance over her shoulder, smiling before walking further off. Ted sat back down next to Melissa and Ben remained standing in front of the seat.
Tracey led Rachel to a room off the corridor. The white door was almost completely closed, bar the small gap close to the door frame from where the door was slightly ajar. Tracey stepped forward and pushed it open, gesturing to Rachel to come in. Taking her steps slowly, as if they were baby steps, Rachel entered the room she knew Jake was in. As she manoeuvred around the door, she saw Jake lying in the bed, his dark hair and tanned skin an obvious contrast to the white sheets and white walls surrounding him. As Tracey walked around to the far side of the bed, reading the monitor there, Rachel planted her feet firmly flat, barely centimetres away from the door as if she was too hesitant to enter any further. In a way she was; her and Jake were barely on speaking terms after the altercation with his interfering mother. She felt out of place being there, despite how much she really wanted to be by his side. Tracey noticed her hesitation and laughed quietly.
"You can come in further; I doubt he'd bite," she smiled. Rachel nervously smiled, take a small, tentative step closer to the bed. She was so nervous, the butterflies in her stomach driving her mental. So nervous was she that she thought she would trip over her own feet. Concentrating on her steps, despite looking forward, she wasn't expecting another comment, especially as his eyes had been closed.
"She did say I wouldn't bite," came Jake's weak voice as his eyes fluttered open. At hearing his voice, Rachel took the next steps quicker, coming right alongside his bedside.
"How are you feeling?" asked Rachel quickly, not knowing really what else to say and kind of freaked out by the state he was in.
"Bloody fantastic," replied Jake, his mouth forming a small smile. "What about Mum and Alex?" Tracey came in to answer this one, saving Rachel who really wouldn't have had an accurate clue.
"Your brother is fine. A few cuts and scrapes. And your mum had some internal bleeding, but she's doing really well," replied Tracey in a reassuring voice. "She's going to be sore for a while though."
"Just like you," added Rachel, watching him intently.
"No, I'll be fine," was Jake's reply.
"No need to play tough guy," said Tracey, lifting her eyes from his chart as she spoke. "You won't be leaving here for a while and even when you do, you won't be doing anything."
"Someone has to look after Mum and Alex," said Jake, closing his eyes, as if they were too heavy to stay open. But he reopened them slowly. Before she knew what she was doing, Rachel cut in.
"Don't worry about. I'm going to be here every step of the way," her voice firm but reassuring. Jake, who had closed his eyes again, reopened them to look directly at her.
"Your Mum won't be leaving here for a while either," interjected Tracey.
"And I'll stay with Alex until you're better," promised Rachel. She could hear a voice in the back of her head screaming that Grace would only disapprove. But right now she didn't care; she loved Jake and was determined to do whatever she had to do to prove that to him.
*****
I'm going to leave it there. That turned out longer than I thought! Updates are unpredictable so who knows when I'll be updating again.
Please, please read/review/comment. I will love you forever!
Also, if you are not a member of a Packed to the Rafters forum, message me and I'll give you the link. Would love to see more of you there! But for now, just get writing! LOL