A/N Thanks for all R & Rs!
More chapters on the way!

xXx

The next morning.
Chris awoke, finding the sun's rays had filtered in through the window and flooded onto the bed.
He wished he didn't have to get up for work – just lie there and soak up the sunshine all day.
He looked over at the time, mentally sulking at having to get up. At least it was edging towards the end of the week.

He tiredly sat up, already dreaming about slipping back into bed, disappearing under the blankets and going back to sleep. He wasn't exactly exhausted, but it was surprising how draining the previous day was.
He decided to check up on Clara, and he hovered by the spare room's door once he'd gotten himself dressed. She was still deeply asleep.

He guessed that she was probably still tired from not knowing where he'd gotten to when he said he would come back after work to talk. It got so late that night, and he was sure that she'd convinced herself that he'd gone back on his word.
He sat next to her on the bed, sliding his fingertips through her hair as it'd fallen slightly askew from tossing and turning during the night.

He noticed her clothes remained folded up at the far end of the bed, and he realised that those were all she had. What she'd carried about in her bag, he didn't know, but he could probably rest assured that there were no spare clothes in that.

She stirred within the blankets, and her eyelids fluttered open. "What's the time?"

"Just gone seven." Chris watched her rub her eyes free from sleep.

She sat up, seeing him dismount the bed and move over to the window so he could look at her better.
He had to admit that she did look much better. She didn't exactly look unwell or anything, but the previous day's events did take its toll on her.

"Are those the only clothes you have?" He asked her eventually, as she watched him tilt his head towards the folded up ones near to her.

Clara shrugged. "I can manage."

"Don't be silly," he made to disappear from the room, "not if they're the only ones you've got, you won't."

She felt a wave of guilt crash over her. She knew that he meant well and he did want to treat her as he would if she'd been with him for longer than she had, but she didn't want him to fuss over her.

He came back into the room, handing her his debit card.
"Take it," he urged her, "I can give you the PIN so that you can use it."

She took it from him, looking to him in surprise. "This is yours."

Chris took on a more steadier posture.

"You've barely known me for long enough to trust me, surely."

"You're my daughter." He reiterated. "I think I can trust you enough from now on, Clara."

Clara looked to him, puzzled.

"Once you've gotten yourself sorted, I can give you a lift into the centre." He noted as he got his jacket on. "Nowhere will be open as it'd be too early, but I'd rather drop you down so I know you're there."

"But you have to go to work."

"I can carry on into work, it's not a problem." He assured her. "I've got to think about going soon, and I don't really wanna be late."

Being as good as his word, he dropped her off into the centre.
"I won't be back as late tonight," he explained, "so if you want, you can meet me back here to be picked up."

"If that's not too much trouble…" She made to get out of the car and went to close the door to let him carry on. She didn't want to make him late, but then again, she didn't know what time he even started.
She was starting to think that he was one of those who worked quite unsociable hours. And what exactly did he work as? They were all questions she was burning to ask him.

"No, it isn't." He looked to her, an air of concern clearly there on his features. "Just be careful, ok? And keep that card on you at all times."

She nodded, evidently thankful for what he was doing for her. "I will."

He sped off, leaving her on her own.

Chris went into work, relieved that he was there before anyone else. Not that it was a race as such, but if he were to be in charge for the time being, he had to ensure everything was ok – plus having to tell everyone else about the situation.

He got in to Karen's room, heavily sitting down behind her desk. He was worried about her, sure, and he didn't even know if she was well enough to be discharged as the doctors had said she would be.
He would have to check with the hospital first to make sure.

Karen woke up, hearing the familiar sound of the monitors' constant beeping. She opened her eyes, noticing the nurse looking over her drip.
She half-expected Chris to be there, but she looked over at the time, realising that he was probably at work, getting things sorted.
She smirked to herself. If he had hisway, he'd have gotten there at the crack of dawn.

Images of him bent forwards behind her desk, diligently writing sprung to mind and it was something she considered highly amusing.
He was always such a hard worker, but that wasn't what attracted her to him.

She drew in a small sigh, looking over to where he was standing the previous night. If only he were still there.

"I think you're pretty much ready to go." The nurse cheerily noted to her. "We'll have to go through the discharge papers and give you a few bits and pieces that'll help you, but everything's turned out well."

She nodded dimly.

"Have you got someone to come and collect you?"

Chris parked up in the hospital's car park at lunchtime. He absolutelyresented paying out so much money to simply go in and pick someone up, but there was little he could've done about it.

He went to the discharge ward, seeing Karen sitting up in a chair with her leg in a cast.
"Oh dear," he smiled softly, "you look as though you've been in the wars with your leg plastered up like that."

She breathed a sigh of relief at seeing him come over to her. "You're here."

"I said I'd come to get you, didn't I?" He noted playfully, sitting beside her. "You pretty much feel ready to go?"

"I guess so," she weakly got up, although not without his help, "but I'm still finding it hard to get used to using the crutches they've given me."

"Oh, you'll soon find using them no problem." He assured her, as she steadied herself with them.

"Things at the school ok?"

"Not worrying about things at work already, are you?" He smirked. "You've barely gotten out of the hospital yet!"

"Just concerned, that's all."

"Well, concern yourself no longer." Chris got his car keys out. "I'm taking you straight home and once I've done that, you're going to rest."

She looked to him thankfully. "You're being so good to me."

"Not another word." He looked to her teasingly, as he kept decidedly slow for her to go with him to the car park.

He pulled up outside Karen's place, helping her out at her side and waiting for her to right herself on the crutches. "How does it feel now?"

"Not as bad." She managed to get the house keys out with no problem. She tilted her head at him questioningly. "You want to come in for a bit?"

"Sure." He didn't see why not. "If you want any extra help with anything…"

She smiled to herself. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the young male – if only he knew what she really wanted him for!
Of course, she wasn't going to get right in there and touch anything she shouldn't, oh no. She had to respect him. She wanted to.

What would've happened if she didn't? Well, he wouldn't have enjoyed the inappropriate contact, to say the least. He may even refuse to help her again, although why would he do that?

"Right then," Chris helped her to sit down on the sofa in her lounge, "if you feel ok to get yourself sorted…" He was rather surprised that Jess wasn't about. He figured that maybe she was in bed resting or she'd taken the little one out for some fresh air.

"Stay for a bit." Karen spoke up insistently, her eyes looking to him in a pleading sort of way. It was almost as though she didn't want him to go.

"…For what?" He wasn't exactly bothered about the time – he had more than enough to get back to the school as he was on lunch. "You want me for something else?"

She shook her head weakly. "I feel alone."

"Don't feel like that." He softly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Karen, please don't feel that way. Wherever Jess has gone, she'll come back. She would know better than to leave her own mum like this."

She swiftly placed her hand on top of his, caressing the dewy skin. Tempting, so, so tempting…

He tilted his head in mild confusion, not really understanding her feelings for him.
He could only put it down to fear. Clear-cut, absolute fear. After all, could he blame her for feeling that way? She was partially immobilised and was probably in a lot of pain!

"You want me to get you to bed?"
He couldn't see the harm in that. He wasn't going to see anything he shouldn't, and it wasn't as though she was going to make it up the stairs by herself. And it was something that wasn't exactly forbidden between friends.
Was it?

She nodded slowly.

"Ok then." Chris placed a hand around her wrist, carefully pulling her back up onto her crutches but not in a forceful way. He understood that it was still going to take time for her to adjust to weight bearing on them and that she didn't have the full use of her leg. "Let's get you to bed."

Karen felt warm all over as she felt the young male place a hand on her lower back as she slowly hobbled up the stairs. She wished that he did more than just hold her there, although she knew deep down that he was only doing it so she didn't fall back.

When she got to her room, she heavily dropped onto the bed and he took the crutches from her, propping them up against the nearest wall within her reach in case she wanted to use them again.

Taking hold of her legs, he lifted her uninjured one onto the bed and under the blankets and then slowly took care of the plastered-up one, careful not to put any strain on it.

Thatwas touch that almost took her breath away. What she wanted do more than anything at that point was grab hold of him, pull him into bed with her and do so many naughty things to him. But she decided to hold off for then, simply peering up into his soft blue eyes.

There was such meaning within them – meaning that she almost wasn't sure of. She placed a hand on his wrist, keeping him from leaving her. "Thank you ever so much."

"I-I just wanted to help you." Chris stated shyly. "If you want any other help with anything, and I mean anything…"

She smiled to herself as dark thoughts entered her mind.

"…Let me know."

She nodded thankfully. "I will."