Casualty Fic: Music Numbs my Skin
Pairing: Kirsty/Adam
Summary: Warren's treatment of Kirsty is getting too much for Adam. How will he respond when confronted with the decision to stay and comfort her or go out to seek justice?
Disclaimer: No... still not mine. Casualty belongs to the BBC neither is the song, it's Numb by Envy on the Coast, rights go to them. I don't own aero or mars bars, rights go to the respective companies, I'm just borrowing them for my story
AN: I did a thing with Kirsty and Warren's history in this chapter- just so you know, it's totally made up. But it's needed for the storyline...
also, sorry about the wait, January exams are sooo annoying they're taking over. I haven't been able to access a computer for a while to post this. Oh well what's done is done...
Enjoy!
##########
~~Casualty~~
Chapter Two
Made of Stone
~~Casualty~~
I don't believe in much of anything
I threw that away when I found out
Jesus never learned to sing
~~Casualty~~
What is God? Someone we turn to when desperate? This entity greater than ourselves that we use as a comfort blanket? Something to be feared, or something that we can get help from? If there is a God, he better damn well get my mum better.
Dr Truman, Adam, got me some milkshake. He told me that the police are on their way to talk to me about mum. They'll probably go arrest dad. Then we can go home and not have to worry about him hurting her.
Adam says I should get some sleep, I guess I'm kinda tired, I've been up all day and I think he notices when I start to yawn and try to hide it. 'you look like your mum when you do that' 'do what?' 'try to hide the fact that you're tired. She does that a lot too.'
Mum. Please, PLEASE get better. I have had enough of sitting here, waiting for you to wake up.
Adam's taking me to the on call room to get me some sleep. There's no-one in here, which is good. I lie down on the bed and he sits with me until I fall asleep. I wake up and he's gone. I check the time and two hours have passed.
I turn over and fall asleep again. I must have been tired. Next thing I know, I'm being shaken awake. I roll over to see Adam. He tells me to come with him. I glance at the time. I'd only been asleep for ten minutes that time.
He's taking me to mum's room. I can see her. She's just lying there. Adam tells me that the police had come and he told them that I was asleep, so they are coming back tomorrow. That means I can't go home yet.
I go into mum's room. Her eyes are closed and she looks... relaxed... happy... calm. Not things I'd ever think I'd see on her face.
~~Casualty~~
She was due home EIGHT hours ago. Where the hell is she? Oh well he may as well go to bed, she's not coming home tonight. Nita's probably at one of her friends' houses. The filthy slut, however, was for it when she eventually came home tomorrow. He thought he should get some kip before going out. Yes, he'd sleep for a bit then go to the ED if she still hadn't come home. He set his alarm to wake him in a few hours time. Six should give her enough time to come up with some pathetic excuse as to why she wasn't at home, with him.
His eyes fell on the scattered pile of photos he'd been going through on the kitchen table. He picked up one of their wedding pictures and studied her face. She was smiling at him, and neither was looking at the camera. They'd kissed moments before and she'd gone slightly pink, which caused him to laugh. A frozen moment in time they'd never get back to. Yeah, it had been nice, but he'd grown up. Turns out she was still living in her fairy princess imagination world.
They'd believed that anything was possible. She'd gone through night school, training as a nurse against all the odds. He'd been proud of her when she'd qualified. He'd been ecstatic when she got her first nursing job. There were two salaries coming in and they could be a proper little family. They could raise Nita properly and they were so in love.
Then she'd be out late. Using the excuse of; 'I work in a hospital, Warren. Hospitals are busy places.' Didn't he know it? At first it was ten minutes here and there, she'd call or text him to say she'd be late. When she came home she'd apologise and check on Nita, if she'd already gone to bed, then we'd sit for ages talking. I didn't mind at first. Then it got worse; she was two hours late one time. She hadn't called me. Or even sent me a bloody text. 'My phone ran out of credit, darling. I've just been so busy, I haven't had the chance to get a top up.'
That was the first time I ever raised my hand to my wife.
~~Casualty~~
I'll wear the crown if you say that it fits
You say my head has grown but it fits through the door
~~Casualty~~
Adam stood in the doorway of Kirsty's room watching the teen walk to her mum's bedside. She pulled the chair in behind her and sat down. Adam could see she was gripping her mum's hand, their fingers interlaced. Kirsty's fingers twitched faintly at the contact.
"It's me, mum. It's Nita."
A small slight groan escaped Kirsty's lips. It looked like she'd wake up any second, but Adam knew she'd been sedated enough to put her under for at least twelve hours. That meant she'd still be under for another four. He quietly backed out of the room and quietly shut the door. For a few seconds, he leant against the door, composing himself, before walking down the corridor to the vending machine. He stood there looking at the selection of treats on offers and selected a chocolate bar. He then got a second one and returned to the room. He paused at the door, when he heard Nita talking.
"...and don't worry, mum. Adam says that the police can help us. He told me he's going to take good care of you. I know you won't wake up for a while, but he said it's for the best. He said you'll probably sleep a lot and he'll try to get work off. I told him I could look after you when I'm not at school. Well, I don't really mind. It just means you'll have someone there always with you."
~~Casualty~~
And you think I'm made of stone,
I'm chiseled out of brick.
I'm a vase that shatters
Holding such beautiful things.
I'm made of stone,
I'm chiseled out of brick.
~~Casualty~~
How had she put up with it for so long? How long it had in fact been going on for; Nita had no idea. Was it months? Years? Was that the reason she kept changing jobs?
The door opened behind me and I glanced around to see it was Adam. 'Mum, Adam's here now.'
'Hey, Nita. Hey, Kirsty.'
'Do you want me to give you two some space?'
'No, it's ok you're alright where you are. Which one would you like?' He had an aero bar and a mars bar.
'The aero bar, please. Thank you, Adam.' I broke a piece of and nibbled at it.
'That's another thing you've picked up from your mum' he said, smiling 'She does the nibbling thing as well.'
'It makes it last longer.'
'That's what she said. Whereas I,' he took a large bite out of the mars bar and chewed and swallowed it 'just dive on in there.' This caused me to laugh a little. 'Right. I think we need to get you out of this hospital, Nita.'
I frowned 'but you said I couldn't go home until the police got my dad.'
'Well, sorry but I'm not going to take you to your home. We'll go to mine instead. Is that ok?'
'But what about-'
'Your mum will be asleep for a good four hours yet. You should get a change of scenery and a nice warm bed, where it's quiet. Won't get that here.'
'Thank you. You're so nice. I don't really know you all that well, but my mum knows you and she trusts you, so I guess I can too.'
'Ok. Let's leave your mum in peace to sleep. I told Dr Hanna to page me when it looks like she's going to wake up, ok?'
'Yep. That's fine by me.'
'Let's go.'
'I want to say goodbye first.'
'That's fine. I was going to as well.'
I walked back to the bed and whispered 'Bye mum, I love you' and kissed her on the cheek. I went out the door and let Adam say goodbye. Then he came out after a few minutes and we left.
~~Casualty~~
Nita stepped out of the room and I went over to Kirsty's bed and whispered to Kirsty's sleeping form "Kirsty, I'm going to take Nita back to mine. I've explained to Zoe and she'll let me know when you wake up. We're going to come back later; I just thought Nita should get a change of scenery. I just wish things could have turned out differently. See you later." I half stood up but hesitated when I looked at her face. How could anyone hate her? Least of all her husband. I hesitated before bending down to lightly kiss her on the forehead, brushing a few stray curls out of her pale face.
~~Casualty~~
I'm a machine,
I'm made of recycled clicks
To keep you in line when you step out of time,
I rule with my iron fist
I think about the plan the whole world wrote for us
And sometimes it hurts,
~~Casualty~~
Warren awoke a few minutes before his alarm. He turned it off and turned onto his back. He saw with a glance beside him that she hadn't come home. He struggled to get himself up and went into Nita's room. The bed hadn't been slept in and her homework planner was lying on her bed. Neither of them had come home.
She'd disobeyed him yet again. She had to be taught her lesson.
~~Casualty~~
She was floating. It had to be some kind of dream. But usually her dreams were invaded with images of Warren beating the crap out of her. More recently, Adam had featured in the odd dream. When that happened, she'd wake up and blush at the memory of her dream but then compose herself before Warren had the chance to make a comment.
*beep*
Adam. He'd been so nice, despite however horrible she'd been to him, he was always there for her. No matter how much she pushed him away, he would be there. He was just concerned about her.
*beep*
Or was there something else? Did he see her differently now that he knew most of the truth?
*beep*
There were muffled sounds that Kirsty was dimly aware of.
*beep*
And beeps. Familiar beeps.
*beep*
Heartrate monitor.
*beep*
Was she in resus?
*beep*
Or one of the wards?
*beep*
Or the ICU?
*beep*
Wherever she was, it wasn't cubicles or CDU.
*beep*
The muffled sounds became clearer. The beeps louder.
*beep*
She was waking up
*beep*
Light flooded into her vision and she began opening her eyes
*beep*
Her eyes to a minute to adjust and the light dimmed a little.
*beep*
She could see.
*beep* shapes *beep* people
*beep*
Nita
*beep*
Adam
*beep*
They were really there.
"Mum."
She smiled at her daughter, and the darkness took her again.
~~Casualty~~
When you think I'm made of stone,
I'm chiseled out of brick.
I'm a vase that shatters
Holding such beautiful things.
I'm made of stone,
I'm chiseled out of brick.
~~Casualty~~
"Excuse me, I'm lookin' for me wife. Kirsty, she's a nurse 'ere. She didn't come 'ome last night I just wanna make sure she's alright."
The man at the reception desk studied him for a second and said "Ok, what's your name?"
"Warren, Warren Clements. Can you just tell me where she is so we can go 'ome?"
"Well, if you just take a seat there I'll get Dr Hanna to have a look for you."
"Right." Warren replied, unconvinced.
~~Casualty~~
"Zoe, phone for you."
"Thanks. Hello?"
"Dr Hanna, it's Noel. I 'ave someone here says he's Kirsty's husband. Do you want me to send him up or do you want to come down and speak to him?"
"No, Noel, could you page Adam and tell him not to come through the ED. Could you tell Mr Clements I'll be down in a few minutes to speak to him. In the meantime can you call security and have them on standby. I don't know how rough this is going to get."
"Ok, thanks, Zoe."
"Thanks for lettin' me know, Noel."
~~Casualty~~
Stoned in my room,
Yeah they would stone me in my sleep
I learned to stare the way that he did
The way that Jesus watched his sheep
I do this to breathe into the choir,
I preach
You know how it feels,
~~Casualty~~
Adam's pager went off just as they passed the vending machine. They stopped so Adam could read it.
'Don't come through the ED. Warren Clements is here. Get Nita home safe.'
"Right how about another aero bar." he indicated to the vending machine
"No, mum says I shouldn't eats too many sweets in a short period of time. Besides, I'm actually not that hungry, but thanks anyway."
"OK. Let's go back to mine first and then maybe go out and get something to eat. How does that sound?"
"Sounds great! Thanks."
~~Casualty~~
When I start to think you're made of stone,
You're chiseled out of brick.
You're the vase that shatters
Holding such a pitiful thing.
You're made of stone,
You're chiseled out of brick.
I still believe in this.
~~Casualty~~
"Aren't we going out that way, Adam?" she indicated to the stairway that led to the ED, that they'd just passed.
"No. Apparently your dad's in the ED looking for your mum, so I think we'll stay out of his way, don't you? Besides, this way is a bit quicker."
"Ok"
~~Casualty~~
"Dr Hanna will come down to speak to you in a few minutes."
"Has something happened to Kirsty?"
Noel shrugged "I don't know, mate, you'll have to ask Dr Hanna that one."
"Right." He muttered, more to himself than to Noel, who had gone behind the desk.
After a few minutes, he got up and said to Noel "Listen, I gotta go get me daughter, she'll be dead worried if something's happened to her mum."
Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the ED and into the car park. He saw two people walking out of another entrance. He recognised one as his daughter, so he shouted over to her.
"Nita"
"Dad." She whispered and hid behind Adam as her father approached.
"Nita, darlin' come on, we gotta go find your mum... Where were you last night? Did you stay with Emily? Or Georgia? Come on, sweetheart, I need to know where you were. That you were safe. Your mum'd kill me if anything happened to you and it was my fault."
"Is that what you'd do if it was hers?"
"Nita, it's a figure of speech. I'm just sayin' 'ow much we both care about you."
"But mum didn't come home last night either."
"Yeah, I know. That's why we got find her. So I know she's safe."
"Or so you can beat the crap out of her yet again for going against you?"
"I've never hit your mum. Not on purpose."
"You LIAR."
"Come on, Nita, calm down, Let's get you back inside." Adam spoke up for the first time
"Don't you dare tell my daughter what to do."
"Adam, I'm scared." She hid behind Adam more
"You bastard, you've turned my family against me."
Nita screamed and stumbled back a few paces as her father lunged for Adam, knocking the pair to the ground.
##########
So how far will this go? What will happen as Adam and Warren face each other?
Who will come out top?