Polly looked around at the inside of the x-ray machine, feeling more uncomfortable as she lay there; since the last two attacks she had found out she was badly claustrophobic, so this was hardly the ideal situation.

She closed her eyes, trying not to notice how small the space was, but she couldn't, she could only see his face when she shut her eyes.

"Let me out, let me out, please!" she cried after a few moments, she felt like she was going to pass out "Please, I don't like it, I want to come out! I-I…" her voice tailed off as she struggled to breathe, the room was spinning again and she couldn't see straight. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she was only just aware of someone holding her hand and stroking her hair.

"Pol, it's alright babe, I'm here, it's alright" she heard Alex say. She tried to move her head to see him, but she couldn't because of the straps that were holding her still. She writhed around, for a moment going back to the warehouse where she had tried to get the man's attention, but this time just wanting some comfort "Polly, I'm here love, your girls are here too, Dixie's with them back at the ward" he smiled as she started to calm herself down, mentioning her girls usually got a good reaction from her.

"I'm sorry!" she said, suddenly remembering their argument last week.

"Shh, forget about that, I should apologise to you; I should never have said that, I'm sorry"

"Forget it" she half smiled at him, the small smile quickly turned into one that made her eyes sparkle when she saw her girls with Dixie.

"Heya Pol. We've got some news for you, haven't we girls?" Dixie smiled; she couldn't wait to see what her reaction would be.

"Mama!" both girls said in unison before Polly could ask "Mama, mama!"

"They just started saying it when you went for your x-ray, they're early talkers" Dixie laughed, the twins were only 9 months old.

"Mama!" Isabel said, more determinedly this time, reaching her arms out to her mother. Alex picked her up and helped Polly to sit up before placing her down so she could hold her "Hello Issy, I can't believe you two are starting talking so soon! I love you Issy, love you too Nieve"

"Mama!" Nieve joined in, not wanting to be left out "Mama, mama, mama!" Polly smiled at her, kissing her head and cuddling her. She looked at Isabel, who was happily playing with her mother's hair, twisting it between her fingers, but not roughly, as if she had sensed that it might hurt her.

After a while, both girls fell asleep and Alex and Dixie put them in their car seats. "Thank you, both of you" Polly said gratefully "I'm sorry you had to be dragged in to all of this again"

"You don't need to thank me, I love you Pol" Alex said, kissing her "I'm going to take these two home, I'll come and see you tomorrow though"

When it was just her and Dixie, Polly reached out to her for a hug, resting her head on her shoulder; recently, it had become something of a ritual, she couldn't fall asleep on her own. Polly needed someone to be with her to reassure her that she was sfe.