penultimate chapter guyes, hope you like it. and sorry, wont be updating for a little while, going away for Easter. as always, please read and reveiw. wish i culd say if you don't reveiw you can't read it but hey, tis not the way the world works. pity :)

Chapter 8

The next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by Jack, I looked at him for a moment then I sat up looking around wildly for Sam, I needed to know she was ok. I could see her a few yards away, Phil was crouched over trying to revive her. I scrambled up and crawled over to where she was laying. My muscles weren't working very well but Jack, seeing that I would not rest till I got over there, helped me up and practically carried me over there. He saw I was shivering cold and he draped his jacket over my shoulders. I smiled at him gratefully but one look at Sam in her dirty, once white but now muddy brown nightgown, told me that she was colder than me so I removed it and put it around her shoulders. She blinked and looked up at me with a faint smile on her lips. I felt another jacket sling round my shoulders and looked up gratefully to see Phil standing over me with a strange look in his eyes. He turned to Jack saying, "You reckon you could check how long the ambulance is going to be?" he suggested. Jack looked affronted for a moment but he nodded and headed off. I looked back at Sam and saw she was unconscious again. I tried to pull her closer to me but my muscles couldn't lift her. Phil squatted down beside us, sitting himself down, then he pulled Sam into his arms effortlessly. I felt a twinge of jealousy, however irrational, Phil looked at me exasperated, "Jo, come here" he told me. I looked at him mistrustfully but he grabbed my wrist and I couldn't protest. He pulled me in close too, putting his arm around my shoulders and tucking me under his arm as he murmured. "Haven't you ever been to a survival course? They advise you to share warmth."

"That's what I was going to do" I muttered sullenly but he was warm so I snuggled in.

"With Sam? You don't have any warmth to give, it's better this way" I nodded grudgingly and sighed, closing my eyes, I was so bone tired but Phil opened his mouth started talking again. "Besides, you don't need to be jealous, Sam obviously loves you" I stared up at Phil, gaping. He chuckled, "You think I can't read the looks you've been giving each other all week. As soon as I got to Sam's house that night, well let's say I realised you didn't need that teddy." He laughed at my amazed expression. And I shook my head, resting it back in the crook of his shoulder. "Remind me to hit you when I can be bothered" I muttered he laughed again. "Somehow I don't think you'll have trouble remembering" he whispered back and with that I slipped back into sleep, taking warmth from him and feeling a bit more human.

I could hear voices around me but I was too exhausted to open my eyes yet. I tried focusing on the voices to see if I could recognise any of them. Jack was saying, "Do have any idea how long it will take her to wake up?"

Some one else, the nurse I presumed, was saying, "Sorry sir, we don't know. They were out there for a long time, exposure plus the injuries they sustained it could be anywhere from a few more hours to another week." Another week? Did that mean I had already been unconscious for a week? It must, a week was too long. I forced myself to open my eyes, "Hey Jack" I rasped, the only words I could get out, my throat was so sore.

"Or she could wake up now" the nurse muttered walking over to me and pouring me a glass of water. She helped me sip it and she checked my vitals and reflexes. "You seem to be doing really well, I'll leave you two to it" she smiled at Jack, "Don't over exert her" she warned and left. I struggled up into a sitting position, adjusting the tilt of my bed. "How's Sam?" I asked. Jack sighed grimly, "She's still in ICU, unconscious" he answered. I bit my lip, this was all my fault. "And Jo, I don't want you to be blaming yourself, no one could have predicted that she would come after Sam because you were staying with her" Jack warned.

"I could have Guv" I muttered.

"Jo, that's an order, you are not to blame yourself"

"Guv" I muttered taking another sip of my water. My throat was still sore and my head was pounding, my vision was starting to swim and I needed more sleep.

"Jo, I'm going to need a statement from you ok, we found Theresa bound and beaten in the van, do you know why?"

"Can we do this later please Guv, I'm still really tired." I murmured.

He nodded, "Of course, I'll see you later ok?" I nodded and he left.

The next time I woke Phil was sitting by my bed, "Heard you were back in the land of the living" he commented, "Sam will be glad"

"She's awake?" I asked hopefully.

He shook his head, "Not yet, but she's a fighter, she will be back."

I nodded praying that he was right, "How long?" I asked

"You been in here? Ten days"

"Ten days?" I asked incredulously, "God, do you know when I might be able to get out of here?"

"Well, you had major surgery, put those poor broken ribs back in place, so I'd say not for a while" Phil and I talked for a few more minute before the nurse came in and told him he had to leave. She tossed me some clothes, looking at them I realised they were my pyjamas. She helped me swing my legs over the side of the bed and put them on. Then she helped me to the bathroom. After that I was put back to bed and given some chicken soup, really chunky with lots of veggies. It was good and it made me rather sleepy.

Over the next few days I had aqua therapy in the pool, try to exercise my muscles without straining them, I wasn't allowed to visit Sam though and frankly I don't think I would have had the energy to either. After half an hour in the pool I was ready to collapse. But on Wednesday the nurse agreed that I could go down and see her instead of going to the pool. She wheeled my chair most of the way but I pushed myself into the room, Abi was sitting on the chair next to her mothers bed, she looked up when I came into the room and she glared at me. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I came to see Sam" I murmured realising that I was going to have to watch what I was saying because she already didn't like me very much, she probably blamed me for her mum being in here in the first place and she was right to, it was all my fault.

"Well, I don't want you in here so go away" Abi demanded turning away from me as though that was the conversation finished. I wheeled myself over to Sam's bedside and I took her hand in mine, ignoring the glare Abi was directing my way. I had noticed early on in my placement at Sunhill that Sam had gorgeous hands, I took hers in mine and squeezed it softly. Silently I said, come on Sam, you've got to come back to me, I need you. Abi needs you. I hoped it would be enough, I turned around and wheeled myself out of the room, back to mine. By the time I got there I was worn out so I clambered into bed and fell asleep.