A/N: So here is the next (and last) chapter for the day. This time Lauren and Joey get to see each other again. Hooray.

Chapter 6.

Joey woke with a start, panic setting in before he realised where he was and who was still there. "Lauren..." he whispered.

"Joe, are you okay?"

"I thought you'd gone."

"I told you I wouldn't. Are you in pain?"

"Yeah but it's okay..."

"No, it's not. I can get a nurse to give you something." She stood and began to walk away from him.

His hand tightened on hers, "Don't." There was urgency in his tone that made her stop.

"Joey, I'll only be a second... there are nurses outside the room, I just want to get one of them so they can give you something."

"It'll make me sleep and I don't want to..." he admitted gently, not looking her in the eyes.

Lauren sat back down and pulled her chair closer to his head. "I don't like seeing you in pain, Joe," she explained to him. Without even realising it her hand reached for him and she surprised herself as much as him when she found herself cupping his face tenderly, her thumb brushing across his cheek. Was she imagining it or did he press his face against her hand? And why did that thought send a thrill through her? Lauren pushed all those internal questions aside as Joey shifted again on the bed and groaned in pain, his hand clutching at his stomach and ribs. Tears fell from her eyes as she watched his agony, "Please let me go and get someone?" she whispered to him. He nodded and she poked her head quickly out of the room and caught the eye of a nearby nurse. "Is it possible for him to have some sort of pain relief? He's in a lot of pain..." she asked quietly.

"Of course. I'll just check with his doctor and will be in in a few minutes."

"Thanks." She returned to her seat and squeezed his arm in comfort. "She'll be here with something for you shortly." Again she found herself reacting instinctively and brushing some hair off his forehead. Was there something wrong with her?

The nurse appeared and injected something into his IV and Joey could feel his eyes already drifting shut. As soon as the nurse left the doors opened again and this time it was her parents. "Lauren, why don't we go and get some food?" Max said.

Lauren looked at them both and then glanced back at Joey, his eyes shut and she couldn't help but notice the small crease of a slight frown on his face. "I promised him I'd stay here."

"He's asleep, sweetheart. You need to eat and he won't even know you're not here." Tanya said.

Lauren sighed and knew there was no way she'd be able to get out of doing as they wished but she hated the fact she was going to have to break her promise to her cousin. She rose to her feet and glanced at her parents quickly then turned her attention back to Joey. She bent down so she could whisper in his ear, "I'll be back soon, Joe. Mum and dad are making me go with them for something to eat but I'll come straight back, I promise. Not more than thirty minutes, I swear." She kissed him softly on the forehead, not knowing what urged her to do so but knowing it felt right to do it. "Now don't you go anywhere, okay?" She had to take a deep breath before she could take that first step away from him and when she looked at her parents again, she saw they were both looking at her strangely.

"Lauren..." Tanya said gently once they'd stepped out of the room, "Is there something going on between you and Joey?"

"No." She said, wondering what they would've said if she'd answered with a yes. Not that she'd lied to them but she knew in her heart she felt something for him, she just didn't understand what it was.

"Are you sure?" Her mother asked again.

"Mum, I barely know him but I do want to get to know him. The last twenty four hours scared me and made me realise I don't want to lose another member of my family." She paused briefly, glancing at her dad, "I thought about Bradley earlier today while Joey was sleeping, I wish I'd had longer to get to know him. I can't make that mistake again, mum."

"Leave it, babe." Max said to his wife, reaching for Lauren's hand and squeezing it tightly. "Let's go get some food so Lauren can get back to Joey."

In the canteen, Tanya went to get the three of them something to eat while Max and Lauren found a table. "I meant what I said back there, dad." Lauren told him gently. "About Bradley I mean."

"I know you did." Lauren looked at her dad as he sat opposite him. She could see the lines on his face and for the first time in a long time she felt guilty for being the cause of so many of them. "I was thinking about him as well earlier." He admitted to her.

"You were?"

"Yeah..." She heard his voice break at the admission. "When I saw Joey's injuries, it brought it all back to me, seeing Bradley fall, lying on the ground." He stopped talking for almost a minute and Lauren was about to say something when he spoke again, "When I saw Joey it made me angry about so many things."

"Like what?" She asked hesitantly.

"That someone could do that to him; that my brother could waste all those years of being a father to him. That and so much more."

"I don't understand why someone would do that either." Lauren said, "When I found Joey in the square I thought he was dead and it scared me really badly."

Tanya walked up at that moment and gave them both a sandwich and drink. "Alice went back to the square a little while ago to get some rest and she'll bring some things in for Joey when she comes back." She told Lauren.

"Where's Uncle Derek?"

"We haven't seen him since he went to see Joey." Max said.

"He was angry when he left him. He was leaving as I got there." Lauren said.

"Did Joey say anything about what happened?" Tanya asked, changing the subject.

"No. I didn't want to push him to talk about it until he was a bit better." Lauren admitted, "He's in a lot of pain and the drugs are making him sleep."

"When he gets out of hospital, he's going to come and stay with us." Max said suddenly and Lauren knew he was still thinking about his lost son. "At least until he's better."

"Won't Derek want him with him?" Tanya asked.

"You really think he's going to want to be with his father?" Lauren said sharply. "The first time I saw him he punched Uncle Derek in the face. Living with him will be the last place he'll want to be."

"Then I guess he'll be staying with us." Tanya said. "I'm going to have to head home soon, I need to collect Oscar and let Abi know what's going on."

"Okay babe, I'll stay here with Lauren and Joey." Max murmured.

"What time should I expect you home?"

Lauren looked at her dad and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm going to stay with Joey. I told him I'd stay with him and I won't break my promise." She finished her meal and began to clear up the rubbish. "I need to get back there." She stood and left the table, almost running back to the ward once she was back in the corridor.

TBC

A/N2: So what did you think? Please send me a review and let me know. I promise it will be 3 chapters tomorrow.