Brax's POV:

I'm sitting in the waiting room, anxiously waiting for some news from Sid. Minutes feel like hours, and with each one that passes I feel myself growing more and more worried... but as Casey and Ruby come rushing in, I am forced to push my own feelings aside, to be strong for them...especially for Ruby. I know that's what Charlie would do for Casey if it were me.

"What happened?" Ruby asks me, her face like a mirror of my own, filled with panic and concern. "I'm not sure". She doesn't need to be told of the state that her mother was in when I found her. "But they're in there working on her now. She's going to be fine, Rubes." At this point I'm not exactly sure if I'm trying to convince the kids or myself.

"I'm going to talk to the nurses, see if they know anything" says ruby, walking off in the opposite direction, leaving Casey and I alone.

"Brax..." Casey says in a stern voice... "What really happened? No lies or half truths... I can take it"

It's no point keeping anything from that kid, he'd only find out about it later...

"Brodie and Tegan", I say, "that's what happened"

"Brodie and Tegan?"

"Look Casey, I'm not exactly sure what went down, but I know what it's about, and that they're going to pay for what they've done."

We share a moment of shared silence, before it is broken by the return of ruby... "They wouldn't tell me anything... they said we have to wait for Sid to talk to us" she says, frustrated.

With a sigh, she sits down and buries her head in her hands. Casey and I are quick to join her. Apparently I'm not the only one who the suspense of not knowing is killing...

The time passes slowly; it seems like forever for the three of us. After what seems like a good eternity, I see Sid walking towards us. Almost at the same time, the three of us get to our feet, and we make our way over to him.

"Is Charlie okay?" asks Ruby, a tear falling down her face..."please tell me she's okay!"

Sid hesitates. "The surgeons had a bit of trouble controlling all of the internal bleeding, but they've got it under control and she's in a stable condition."

Relief floods through all of us.

"Can we see her?" Ruby pleads.

"Not just yet...she's awake, but I need to talk to her before you can see her. And I'll need to talk to you as well Brax"

I nod, already knowing exactly what he needs to talk to Charlie about, and what he's going to ask me.

Charlies POV:

I wake up in a daze, wondering where I am. It smells like a hospital. I realise my detective instincts are correct when I see Sid walking through the door.

"Do you remember anything about what happened?" Sid says with a very serious tone of voice... "Your injuries are consistent of a beating...we're going to have to contact the police".

"Well pass me my phone and I'll wait for your call" I say, trying to lighten the mood.

Sid smiles weakly, but his seriousness soon returns..."about your test results Charlie"

"You had a pretty bad fall, and were concussed. You had internal bleeding, which we were lucky to stop" Sid says... I feel tears welling up in my eyes as I remember my ordeal...

"And one last thing... and I am really sorry to have to tell you this Charlie"

I was beginning to worry, and longed for Brax and Ruby to be by my bedside.

"You were pregnant, but because of all physical trauma you were subjected to, you lost the baby"

I break down into tears... I can't believe it... I was going to have a baby...Brax's baby...and now it's gone...

"I'm so sorry Charlie" he says as he watches me breakdown"

"Can I please see my family?" I sob... "I really need to see them"

"Well Ruby is here with Casey, and Brax was the one who found you so he too is here... would you like me to bring in the three of them and tell them what happened?" he asks as gently as possible, seeing how distraught I was...

"Yes... but please don't tell them what happened...they don't need to know"

"Charlie" Sid says, "I think it's important that they know – "

"Please..." I beg. Sid nods and leaves the room. I rest my head back on the pillow and try to keep myself from crying again... I can't believe I was going to have a baby...

It isn't long before Ruby comes crashing through the door of my room, closely followed by Casey, and of course Brax. The way Brax looks at me as he comes in...It's as if he already knows what's happened...of course he could never know the full extent of what has happened.

Ruby throws her arms around me... I would have returned the hug if it didn't make my body ache all over. I give a soft cry of pain and Ruby jumps back, apologising for something she had no control over.

"Its okay, Ruby," I assure her, although my voice betrays me. "Really... I'm fine."

"You don't look it! What happened Charlie?" she asks, sitting down beside me on the bed..."who did this to you?"

I can't bring myself to tell her. There's no way she would be able to handle it if I'm barely able to. I hate myself for it, but I have to lie to her. "I was on my way to meet you," I say, trying to sit up in the bed. Ruby reaches forward to help me as best she can, but every touch and every movement hurts, so I give up. "And I wasn't looking whether there was traffic coming... next thing I know, I'm in here."

"You got run over?" she gasps.

"That's what Sid tells me."

"Yeah," Brax jumps in, I can see in his eyes that he knows that what I am saying is a lie; that he knows the truth, but he helps me cover the truth up because he knows how badly that could hurt Ruby. "And whoever the scumbag was just left here there. I found her when I was going back to the diner to see if she had shown up yet.

Ruby looks at Brax, shocked, and Casey puts his arm around her to offer his support... I could tell that even the lie was devastating her... "I really am fine Ruby, there's nothing for you to get upset over... now how about you and Casey go home and you can get some sleep?" I say, trying to calm her down... "I promise I will still be here when you wake up in the morning okay?"

After some hesitation, Ruby finally agrees. They say goodbye to us both, and leave for the night. Brax takes a seat next to my bed and takes hold of my hand... "I'm not going anywhere" he says to me. I think about what Sid had told me earlier... the baby... I needed to tell Brax... but how would he react? I wasn't ready to tell him...before I know it, I break down in tears.

"Hey, hey, hey," Brax says, putting a hand on my face. "Don't cry, you don't have to be scared, you're safe now."

"It's not that," I say through my tears... it takes me a moment but I calm down enough to begin to tell him. "I...I...I was pregnant Brax"...i can feel the tears falling faster and faster. "I lost the baby Brax...our baby...it's gone!"

Brax's POV

I couldn't believe it... I was supposed to become a father... with the love of my life... but Brodie and Tegan have taken that away from me! They are going to pay for this... but Charlie needs me now... "It's okay Charlie, I'm here for you...I'll always be here for you no matter what. You're the strongest person I know... you are going to get through this". Charlie weakly smiles at me through her tears. She nudges me over to the bed, where she has made room for me. I lay next to her holding her tightly, afraid to let her go. I smile as Charlie gradually falls asleep in my arms. It doesn't take me long to fall asleep after her.