57

PJ's blue eyes widened in surprise, both at the fact that her eyes were open and at the smirk she was now giving him.

"What?!" he couldn't help it.

"Just you "Maggie swallowed dryly, and PJ held a glass of water to her mouth, helping her to take a tiny sip. "Just you doing acrobatics" she finally croaked out.

"Wha – oh" PJ suddenly realised what she meant, and smiled. "Yes, well you try sleeping in a chair for a week, and then you see how – " he stopped and, if at all possible, his eyes widened even further. "Mags, you're awake!"

"So I am" she croaked.

"But you – you were –and now - you're awake!"

"I think we've established that fact"

"You're awake!"

Maggie sighed theatrically, and glanced down, finally finding the call button. "I'll call Zoe then shall I?"

"What?" PJ really couldn't take it all in.

"I think she means that it's usual practice to call a doctor once a patient wakes up after being unconscious for a week" Zoe said, smiling at Maggie as she came into the room, her smile faltering slightly as she saw Maggie's reaction.

"A week? I was – PJ – " As ever, Maggie turned to the one man who could help her make sense of the world.

"Mags," PJ said, having seen the look of panic race across her face, "Sweetheart, it's ok. You just needed to rest, you're ok, she's ok, isn't she?"

"She's fine" Zoe said, having finished checking on Maggie as they talked. "She'll probably be a bit tired for the next few days, but she's fine"

PJ's sigh of relief was almost hidden but, good copper that she was, Maggie picked it up, smiling over at him. PJ smiled back, his detective skills having picked up on her relaxing at Zoe's words as well.

"So," Zoe said, coming to stand at the end of the bed. She hated to do this, to break the little bubble that they were currently hiding in, but she had to. "Maggie, do you, - ah - look, I'm sorry, but do you remember anything?"

And just like that, Maggie's whole world turned upside down. Memories crashed in at her, the pain, not only physical but mental as well, the bullets piercing her body, realisation piercing her soul, Mick's eyes as he shot her, distraught but determined, the knowledge that she was dying, was losing PJ, the –

"Mags, sweetheart, calm down, breathe Maggie, breathe, come on – " PJ's voice finally penetrated the blind panic she'd been falling into, and she fought to get back to the surface, back to the safety that she knew he held, back to the warmth that surrounded her every single time she looked at him.

Maggie stared at him, forcing herself to mirror his movements, mirror his slow controlled breathing. He held her face gently in his hands, fingers stroking her cheeks in a calming movement, voicing words that neither really heard, but that brought her back to him just the same.

"PJ" she whispered, "PJ, it was - "

"I know," he whispered back, the alarming shriek of her heart monitor falling back into a steady rhythm, Zoe standing nearby with a syringe in her hand, before taking a step backwards and letting PJ take the place of medicine.

"It – " Maggie tried, words failing her again.

"Mags," PJ kissed softly her forehead, letting his head rest against hers. "I know"

""I need to say it though," Maggie choked out, before straightening up and taking his hand tightly in hers. "I need to say it, because then it's out there, and I can't hide from it any longer. I need to say it because it's real then, and I can't hide from it, and - and it can't hurt me, it can't - I can't hide behind it, I can't – "

"Mags" PJ's hands traced gentle calming patterns up and down her arms, as she struggled to get the words out. "Maggie, I love you. We'll get through this, you and I, we'll get through this together. You and me, Mags, we're a team. We can face anything together. I love you, and I'm never going to leave you. I'll be there for you every single second of the day, wherever, whenever and however you want me."

Maggie watched him, absorbing his words, taking it all in and finally feeling safe. Mick, Mick couldn't hurt her now. Nothing could hurt her now.

"It was Mick," she finally whispered. "My brother. Mick, he shot me" and with the words finally braking through, it was as if a dam had opened as fat scalding tears began to fall. "My own brother, PJ, it was Mick"

PJ held her as she sobbed, moving around to sit on the bed behind her and hold her tightly against his chest, his own tears falling softly on her hair as her heart broke. His own heart was breaking for her as it all finally sunk in, as she finally understood that it was family who had done this to her, family who had set in motion the final catastrophic events of the past few years.