Hi guys, thanks to everyone who reviewd the last couple of chapters - I know I keep repeating myself but they really are very much appreciated and hopefully you'll next the next bit of the story and feel the need to review that too ;) x

Alex felt like she was waking up from a deep sleep. She could hear voices. Or maybe they were just in her head. Her head was pounding and when she tried to lift a hand to her forehead she felt a twinge of panic when she couldn't move her arm, or any of her limbs. She became aware of something constricting in her throat as she tried to take in a deep, calming breath but found she could neither cough or swallow. She forced herself to calm down a little before trying to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt so heavy and she could hear the voices more clearly now.

"Alex, you're ok, you're in the hospital, don't try and move or speak. You've been under heavy sedation. Just hang on there for a moment."

Where else am I gonna go? she wanted to say but thought better of it. She could hear all kinds of noises coming from around her now; people talking and monitors beeping.

"Not long now Alex", a deep male voice was telling her.

The panic was beginning to resurface as Alex found it increasingly difficult to breathe. She tried to recall the last thing she could remember to occupy her mind, but as her last encounter came flooding over her so did the accompanying shock, relief, sadness, regret . . . Gene. Gene was in 2008. He was older. But he was there. He was real. So I really was in 1982 and Molly . . . Oh My God, Molly. Where's Molly? She must be here. Is she ok?

Just as she was about to call her daughters name she felt her airway clearing, coughing as the tube was pulled steadily from her throat. Sucking in deep breaths, Alex winced as she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen with every inhalation.

"Steady Alex, don't take it too fast, you're still very weak."

Alex put all her effort in opening her eyes and after a few seconds she could see slivers of bright light as she tried to make sense of what she was being told. "Weak? I fainted . . . Molly? Where's Molly?" She tried to sit up but felt hands on her shoulders almost immediately, pushing her gently back down onto the bed.

"Alex, I'm Dr Felton. You did a little more than faint Alex, and you're in the hospital."

Did I hit my head? "Hospital?" Alex had managed to open her eyes fully now and the pang of panic she had felt earlier returned in full force now as she blinked away the light and began to focus on her surroundings. Single beds with dull blankets on them all, machines at the sides of the beds that looked like they had come from the dark ages with manual turning buttons for administering pain relief and the thing that really caught her eye and swept the breath out of her lungs – the uniform of the nurse that was standing to the left of her bed. It can't be. It can't possibly be . . .

The man whose voice had identified itself as belonging to a Dr Felton was stood to the right of her bed, noting something on a clipboard. He looked down at her and must had seen the panic she was feeling reflected in her eyes. "Alex, there's no need to panic. You were shot but you were very lucky. We managed to get the bullet out and it missed all your vital arteries and organs so you should make a full recovery.

Shot? Alex couldn't believe this was happening to her again. "How long have I been here?" she rasped, desperate for some water to sooth her dry and aching throat.

Dr Felton gestured for the nurse to pour Alex some of the water from the jug at her bedside before replying. "A week. You've been in a drug-induced coma for seven days now."

"A week?" Alex almost choked on her water.

The doctor nodded. "Purely a precautionary measure after such an injury and surgical procedure to allow the body to heal."

Alex was having a hard time taking all this in and she could feel tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. She had a horrible feeling this was not where she belonged but she had to try anyway. "Molly?"

The doctor features scrunched up in confusion. "Who's Molly?"

"That's her daughter", came a low, deep, male voice from somewhere behind the doctor. Alex could not see the figure but she would recognise that voice anywhere.

"No, no it can't be . . ."

"It's ok Alex", the doctor gave her his best soothing voice. "It's only DCI Hunt here to see you're ok. He's been here everyday since the shooting and he's very sorry for . . ."

Dr Felton had moved to one side as he was talking and Alex now had full view of her DCI stood at the door, looking rather awkward as he shifted from one foot to another looking down at the floor. She couldn't deal with this right now. "No, no, get him out, I shouldn't be here, this can't be happening, get him out, I don't wanna see-"

"Ok Alex, calm down." Dr Felton turned round to Gene. "Maybe it would be best if you let her rest for now. She's had quite a shock."

Alex fought for control of her breathing as she watched Gene push back through the door to the room, but not before she caught the look of hurt on his face. That was the last thing she saw as she slipped back into the darkness.

Alex woke again some time later. Opening one eye slowly she glance around the room to see she was still stuck in 1982. Fighting back tears of desperation, she noticed a figure sat on the opposite sat of the room reading a magazine. Shaz.

"Shaz?"

Shaz's head bolted up from her magazine. "Ma'am?"

"Shaz, can you help me sit up?"

The young WPC was at her bedside in an instant, supporting her arms and adjusting her pillows as Alex pushed herself to a sitting position. "Ok Ma'am? Do you want me to get the doctor?"

Alex shook her head. "No thanks Shaz, I feel ok at the moment." That wasn't exactly a lie. Alex guessed the morphine was doing it's job and her stomach didn't seem to hurt quite as much as it did before.

Walking around to the other side of her bed, Shaz poured Alex a glass of water and handed it over, Alex gratefully taking it off her and swallowing a couple of sips. "You gave us quite a fright ya' know Ma'am."

Alex managed a small smile. She really did like Shaz. "Sorry about that."

"Don't apologise Ma'am, it's just so nice to see you awake. Up and talking." She hesitated a little before continuing. "Do you remember what happened?"

Alex closed her eyes. Which time Shaz? But she knew what Shaz was talking about. She her last memories of 1982 wash over her and felt tears welling in her eyes again. She had tried to push them away when she had returned home. Home? Where is home? Was I ever actually there? Was it real or just a dream? She was so confused.

"Ma'am?" Shaz placed her hand over Alex's on bed.

Alex's eyes flew open, startled out of her thoughts. "I remember Shaz." I remember everything. Martin Summers. Douglas Lane. Bent coppers. Gene. Gene . . . he shot me. She swallowed.

"He was devastated ya' know?" Shaz told her, as if the young WPC could read her thoughts. "He still is. He thought he'd killed ya'. The doctors told him about the coma and the fact your body needed time to heal but he thought he'd killed ya'."

"Shaz, I don't . . . I mean . . ." She had no idea what to say. It was an accident. I know it was. It was my own fault, I was too impatient. "I don't blame him Shaz."

"You don't?" Shaz'z face was full of hope.

Alex shook her head. Her feelings were currently a tangled, frazzled mess but in that moment she knew she didn't blame Gene Hunt for anything. Not for the shooting, not for her being back in 1982 and not for losing her daughter again. Molly. She choked back a sob, pushing the sadness she felt at losing her daughter for the second time to the back of her mind for later. When she was alone. "He must know that Shaz. He saved my life. Martin Summer would've killed me. It was my own fault he had to shoot and I moved."

Shaz nodded slowly but looked down at her knee. "I think you need to tell him that. And the Super."

Alex was shocked. "The Super?"

"Gene's been arrested Ma'am. They're gonna charge him with attempted murder."

Alex couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But wait a minute. He was here. Before. When I woke up. I sent him away, told him I didn't want to see him."

"The new acting DCI is an old mate apparently. He's escorted Gene here every day since it happened as a favour. DCI Nixon, that's his name, waits just outside the door while he comes in to see you. Only half an hour but it's better than nothing and the Super knows nothing about it."

Alex sat there in disbelief. "But . . . I don't believe this. Arrested?"

Shaz nodded. "Even Ray and Chris have had their doubts. You can see they want to believe the Guv, but everyone heard what he said to you in the office just before it happened and well . . ."

"What Shaz?"

"Well, he hasn't really said much since it happened. 'Cept to ask DCI Nixon to let him come here. He's just accepted everything, not even tried to fight the charges or explain what happened. He just shrugs and tells everyone to get on with whatever they gotta do."

"Shaz, I don't know what to say. This is ridiculous. Where's the Super now?"

"At the station I think Ma'am."

"Can you get me to a phone?"

As always, any feedback, comments or suggestions are welcome and I hope to carry on this story asap! x