Hours later and Harry was still sitting on the chair next to Nikki's bed staring at the wedding ring still on his finger. He fiddled with it with his other hand and couldn't help but keep looking at Nikki's own on her hand, he hadn't had the heart to reach over and take them off now that they didn't need them anymore. He liked to think that they could pretend for a little bit longer. Sighing quietly he reached over and took Nikki's hand in his and went to slide the two rings off her finger but the hand contracted around his stopping him from doing so.

"What do you think you are doing?" Nikki mumbled from the bed and Harry forgot all about the rings as he looked up at her and saw her looking back at him with a small tired smile on her face "Hello"

"Hello" he whispered back and leant up to press a kiss onto her forehead, she had a bit more colour in her cheeks now "How are you feeling?"

"Sore" Nikki replied and winced as she tried to move the stitches in her stomach pulling "But I'll be alright"

"You better be" Harry chuckled and pressed a kiss onto her lips.

"What happened?" Nikki mumbled as she patted the bed next to her indicating for Harry to lay there. He moved tentatively as not to hurt her and she moved so her head was lying on his chest, wincing again but then settling down. Harry wrapped one arm around her back and ran his hand through her hair.

"Your appendix burst" Harry explained "I had to perform the operation all the way up there in their little hospital but without proper care you would have...I would have lost you"

"Thank you Harry" Nikki whispered as she sighed contentedly as she closed her eyes and moved closer to her lover "I told you I trusted you with my life"

"I know I just don't know if I trust myself with your life" Harry replied quietly as he leant down and pressed another kiss onto her head, he was so happy to have to back that he just wanted to sit with her all night "You're just too precious for me to lose"

"No-one's ever told me that before" Nikki mumbled into his chest "It's nice to hear you say it"

"Do you remember what I told you back in the hospital?" Harry asked suddenly and Nikki frowned as she tried to think back but her mind was blurry of everything that happened after they had come out of the morgue.

"No"

"Oh" was all Harry said then he bit his lip as he looked down at her "Marry me?"

"Sorry?"

"I told you that when we get back to London I would make you my wife" Harry told her quietly, he thought that she had only agreed because she was under a lot of pain and was confused "And you said that you would like that, I mean if you don't want to then..."

He was cut off by Nikki's lips covering his own but she broke away as quickly as she had kissed him, she smiled and reached up and placed one hand on his cheek, stroking it gently with her thumb.

"I would love to be your wife" she whispered tearfully and Harry looked as though he could hardly believe it.

"You'll marry me?" he gasped and Nikki chuckled and nodded

"That is what usually happens to become someone's wife" she replied and kissed him again "So yes I will marry you" she then moved away from him slightly and took a sharp breath as her stomach pulled.

"Do you want to lay down?"

Nikki nodded and Harry helped her lay down and pull the duvet over her, he then sat on the chair next to the bed and leant forward to cover one of Nikki's hands in his own as she turned her head to look at him with a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry I don't have a ring" Harry said after a while and Nikki chuckled and shook her head

"Don't worry about it" she sighed tiredly "It doesn't matter"

"Go to sleep" Harry told her when he saw her eyes getting heavy "You look exhausted"

"Thank you" she laughed and Harry chuckled and leant over to kiss her on the forehead "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course I will sweetheart" Harry agreed and gave her a smile as she closed her eyes and snuggled further into the bed before her breathing evened out and she fell asleep.

The next morning when Nikki woke up she groaned as the bright light seeping through the curtains assaulted her eyes. Clamping them shut again she moved slightly and gasped as pain shot up her body from her stomach, it was then that everything came back to her. She opened her eyes and looked around the room, the seat next to the bed was empty but Nikki was disappointed to see it empty. The door opened and Nikki turned hoping to see Harry walk in but it was only a doctor.

"Good to see you awake" he smiled and Nikki gave him a small grimace as her stomach started to ache "I'm Dr Carter" he told Nikki "I operated on you yesterday just to make sure that Dr Cunningham did everything correctly, actually it was on his instruction that we opened you up again. He was terrified that he had done something wrong"

Nikki only nodded and sighed

"He's a pathologist not a surgeon" she replied "He wouldn't have done it if it wasn't necessary"

"How are you feeling today?" Dr Carter asked as he walked over to the side of the bed and checked on the drips "Any pain?"

"Just a ache in my stomach" Nikki told him as she brought her hand to her eyes and rubbed them "But I suppose that is to be expected really"

"Yes it is" Dr Carter nodded and they both looked towards the door as it opened and Harry walked in.

"Morning beautiful" he said to Nikki as he walked over to the bed and leant over to kiss her on the lips "How are you?"

"Sore" she replied and entwined their fingers

"I was just finding out how Nikki is this morning" Dr Carter told Harry who smiled and nodded "Actually she should be out by the end of the week"

"But it's Wednesday" Harry said quickly "Isn't that too soon?"

"As long as she gets lots of bed rest then it is fine for her to go home" Dr Carter smiled "But there is to be no strenuous work of any kind"

"None at all?" Nikki whined "What am I going to do?"

"Rest" Harry and Dr Carter replied at the same time and all three occupants of the room laughed

"If I must"

"Yes you must" Harry told her forcibly "I'll stay at home if I have too, just to keep you in bed"

Nikki blushed slightly when he said this and Dr Carter chuckled as Harry realised what he had said and rolled his eyes.

"Not like that" he sighed dramatically "The doctor said there should be no strenuous work"

Well only one more chapter to go now...otherwise this story would get away from me and that would be !

xxx