Some tense hours later and Harry was sitting by Nikki's hospital bed, it wasn't a large hospital, only two stories high not including the morgue in the basement, but it still felt very eerie to be all alone in it. Harry found himself suddenly hating the people in the town with such a passion that it scared him, they didn't even have a proper hospital and staff and because of that his Nikki could...he didn't want to think about that as he reached out and grasped Nikki's hand in his own. His hand started to shake as he remembered how scared he had been while performing the surgery he hadn't done for years and how he knew Nikki would die if he didn't do it. Maybe that was what helped him get through it on his own, Harry thought but Nikki wasn't out of the danger zone yet. He ran one hand over his face and looked up when the door opened and Adair walked in.

"How is your wife?"

"She's fine" Harry responded automatically and turned back to Nikki who looked so small and fragile in the bed that it broke his heart to see her like that "I just don't know if my surgery was a success or not, I might have killed her" he choked out and Adair placed one hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"You tried" he told Harry who shook his head and looked at the older man.

"No you don't understand" he whispered as his eyes filled with tears "I couldn't ever live with myself if I was the cause of her dying"

"Maybe" Adair shrugged "But by performing that surgery you have given her a chance"

Harry didn't reply to this so Adair patted him on the shoulder again and walked out of the room leaving Harry alone with his thoughts. He then remembered that Leo hadn't been informed of the situation and pulled his phone out of his pocket, his other hand still gripping Nikki's tightly.

"Dalton" came Leo's voice down the phone

"Leo" Harry replied so relieved to hear the older man's friendly voice "Um..Nikki's..she's in hospital"

"What?" Leo asked instantly and Harry heard him drop whatever he was holding "What happened?"

"Her appendix burst" Harry choked out and almost lost control of his emotions as he looked down at Nikki again "I had to..the doctor, surgeon, wasn't in the town so I had to..what if I did something wrong Leo"

"What did you have to do?" Leo asked evenly "The surgery?"

"Yes" Harry replied as he took a deep breath and nodded even though Leo couldn't see "God Leo it was the most scariest thing I have ever done, what if I did it wrong and I did more harm than good and something happens?"

"At least you tried" Leo soothed Harry but the younger man felt more vulnerable than he had ever felt in his life "She needs proper hospital treatment"

"I know" Harry whispered as he ran his hand over Nikki's damn forehead "I can't lose her Leo, I've only just found her"

Leo didn't question this at that moment but sighed.

"I'll get onto one of the hospitals and tell them your situation, I'll ask for a helicopter to be sent to bring you both back to London so she can have proper treatment"

"Thank you Leo" Harry choked out and took a deep breath, he didn't want to break down on the phone to his boss.

"I'm sure you did your best Harry" was Leo's last comment before the older man hung up the phone and left Harry with the dial tone in his ear. There was a groan from the bed and Harry sat up slightly when Nikki moved her head and her eyes flickered open, Harry's relief was short lived when he saw the pain in her eyes.

"It hurts Harry" Nikki whimpered quietly "Please make it stop"

"I tried to Nikki" Harry replied and rubbed her hand that was gripping his tightly with his thumb. He was more worried now than he was before the operation, Nikki wasn't meant to be in as much pain as she was and he was terrified that he had done something wrong.

"I trust you Harry" Nikki whispered and gave him a small smile but then screwed her face up in pain again and gripped his hand tighter "With my life" she told him and a few tears leaked down her face which Harry wiped away and leant over to kiss her forehead and run his hand over her hair.

"I've been on the phone to Leo and he's going to contact a hospital and use his status to try and get a helicopter to come and get us" Harry told her quietly "because there isn't enough medical equipment up here to treat you and I would rather a properly trained doctor looked after you"

"You are a properly trained doctor" Nikki mumbled "What about..the operation..you..performed in...Africa?" her words were punctuated by short intakes of breath. Harry didn't want to think of that, that person had died and he wanted to forget it.

"You know what happened then" he whispered tearfully and had to look away from her to blink away the tears.

"It's..not a..crime..to cry..Harry" Nikki told him quietly and he turned to look at her "I love you"

"and I love you" Harry replied and leant over to kiss her as his voice cracked "And when we get back to London and you are all better I intend to marry you"

Nikki gave him a small smile and closed her eyes while nodding.

"I'd like that" she whispered before she lost consciousness again. Only then did Harry let himself break and he gripped Nikki's hand in his and sobbed loudly.

Meanwhile, Leo was on the phone to one of the powers that be at the home office telling him the situation.

"Look you sent them up there and I want you to send a helicopter up there to bring them back, if you don't we will all hold you responsible for the death of one of your top pathologists, two actually if you count the fact Harry will lose the will to live if anything happens to Nikki"

"Leo look we can't just send a medical helicopter past the Scottish border to pick them up" Professor Williams was saying on the other end of the phone.

"Contact the Scottish authorities then" Leo snapped "Because I don't want to lose the only family I have left because of bloody rules and regulations" he stopped and took a deep breath "Please?" he asked quietly and then heard a small sigh on the other end of the phone.

"Call Dr Cunningham and tell him to get ready, one of the Scottish officials owes me a favour anyway"

"Thank you so much James" Leo gushed out and hung up before dialling Harry's number.

"Leo" the phone was picked up straight away "What did they say?"

"A friend of mine in the home office is contacting the Scottish authorities to allow one of our medical helicopters up there, one of them owes him a favour" Leo explained and he heard Harry's sigh of relief "Get ready to leave as soon as possible"

Angsty fluff! XD Dunno if it was written alright but there we go.

xxx