Kirsty

I sat in the car out side St James's wondering whether to go in. I'd been here so many times since we moved here, there was this one nurse her name was Emily who was watching out for me. She knew what was going on. She had guessed and every time I was in she was there trying to get me to open up. She wanted me to leave, to get away from whoever was hurting me and she wanted me to press charges. She had no idea that I was married or that I had a daughter because I gave her my maiden name Willow.

I ditched my wedding rings, leaving them in the glove box, took a couple of breath to steady my self and walked into St James's.

"Kirsty," great! I turn to face Emily. She stood in front of me in her light blue scrubs her sleek honey coloured hair pulled into a tidy pony tail. She studied me worriedly wondering what I'm in for this time. I smile nervously.

"I had an accident with the hob. It's alright, I was just wondering if you could take a quick look." She looked sceptical.

"Follow me." she said sadly leading the way to cubicles. I sighed and followed her checking my watch, an hour till I had to be at work. I sat up on the bed and removed my jacket to reveal my makeshift bandage. It was still burning intensely and I sharply pulled my arm back when Emily went to touch it. Taking more deep breaths I unwound the bandage from my arm and revealed my injury to her.

She looked shocked and I couldn't help shifting nervously under her disapproving gaze. She could see that this was no accident and I couldn't be bothered to make up a story so I sat, looking at the floor in silents waiting for her to act. I'd had patients like me before. They were the ones you wanted to shake some sense into. I knew what I was, she felt sorry for me because I wasn't strong enough to leave but really she didn't understand she had never been in my situation. She'd never met the wrong side of Warren. She didn't have a daughter to think of.

I was becoming restless I had to be a work in 20 minuets and Emily still hadn't come back to dress my arm. Giving up I gathered up my things deciding to just do it myself in holby.

"Where are you going?"

"Emily, I've got to get to work I can't be late." I say still moving to wards the door.

"Kirsty please, let me dress it at least and then you can go. If it gets infected." I cut across her knowing exactly what she was going to say.

"Yes I know, please can we make it quick."

"Ok, but I want you to come back after work so I can take a prober look at you."

"I'm fine it's just the arm." I kept my voice steady even though I wanted to scream. I looked at her not wanting to commit to anything.

"I-I can't. I've got stuff to do." I said earning a disappointed look. I sigh, I felt bad I didn't want to put this on her she was just trying to help me but I couldn't leave and I defiantly couldn't have anybody know. She led me back to cubicles, mine was on the far wall furthest from the exit. Probably so it's harder for me to slip out.

"Do you have anyone to talk to? At work or a family member."

"Talk to about what. I'm fine my, life is fine, everything is fine. Can you just drop it?" I snap not meaning to and immediately feeling guilty. I slump my shoulder and try and hold in the tears.

"I'm sorry," I mumble looking into my lap. She sat down beside me talking my hands in hers.

"Don't be. I know you don't want to admit it, not yet anyway but someone's hurting you and you need help even if it's just somebody to listen to you."

"Please stop, I know all of it. I've heard it all before. Talking never helps its not going to change anything. I can't just up and leave he would never let me. I came to terms with that fourteen years ago I just wish other people would as well."

"Fourteen years! come on Kirsty you can't let this carry on. It's getting worse I've seen it and I'm sure you have to."

"Can you just fix my arm up please." I cut my self off. This conversation was only hurting me it would do no good.

She sighed, stood up and reached for the cream and protective plastic to stop my arm becoming infected.

Emily

Kirsty was back again. She had showed me her arm but kept the rest of her body concealed. I wasn't stupid I knew if I looked I would find all kinds of bruises and scars covering her but I knew she wouldn't let me. Whenever she came in she was always very tight lipped, only ever really giving her name.

Today was worse, whoever it was hurting her had held her arm onto the hob giving her second degree burns. What worried me most was the way she acted, she was so calmly about it, it made me want to shake her until she came to her senses. I knew I didn't have much of a chance of getting though to her but I had to try. Her injures were getting worse every time she came in and I was scared that one day soon I would see her heading straight down stairs to the morgue.

I thought I was getting somewhere but I had pushed her too far and she had firmly put her guard in place. I wish there was more I could do but she wouldn't let me so I sighed and went to treat her arm.

The ground shook underneath us. We heard the explosion as it rippled around us. Kirsty grabbed me and roughly shoved me crouching into the corner pushing the bed against the wall covering my head. This took all of a second and I was so shocked I didn't have time to react. Then the ceiling caved in sending rubble and dust flying everywhere.

There was a moment of silents and stillness before the sound of screams could be heard around me. There was dust everywhere filling my lungs leaving me sputtering for breath. Kirsty, I scrambled out from under the bed and was met by the ceiling. It was connected from the top of one of the wall I was against but instead of being held in place by another wall it was now on the floor trapping me. I looked around panicked I was trapped. Rubble had fallen all around and created nothing more than a little air bubble which if I tried to get out could collapse at anytime.

I heard a small raspy intake of breath before a weak cough filled the bubble, Kirsty. I navigated my way over the rubble towards her she was buried but I could make out her head and arm, both were covered in blood and dirt.

"Kirsty, its ok I'm here can you hear me?" my voice was shaky and I took her hand in one of mine then stroked her hair with the other trying to comfort the woman who had probably just saved my life.

"Emily?" she questioned rather than knowing it was me.

"Yes hunny, I'm here where does it hurt?" She gave a little smile to this question.

"It would be easier for you to ask me where it doesn't hurt." She said making an effort to sit up. It then truck me just how strong she was. She was probably seriously injured and she was getting up like nothing had happened. How much violence was she met with at home?

"I'm trapped." She panicked her shallow breathing becoming unsteady as she started pulling at the debris on top of her.

"Calm down, its ok, help will be coming soon." I talk to her as I start moving the fallen hospital off her. There where two beams pinning her down, luckily they weren't too heavy. The larger one was on top of her left arm whilst the smaller one was across her torso. No wonder her breathing was shallow. I tried to move the beam off her torso but it was too heavy so I started looking around for something to use as a leaver. Kirsty's legs where still buried so I started shifting what was on top of them looking for something I could use. Finally I found another piece of wood that was big enough that it wouldn't break.

It worked and Kirsty managed to wriggle out from underneath it. God knows how. Her arm was still trapped I was sure she has broken ribs and I noticed a deep gash on her lower abdomen that was bleeding freely. I pulled off my scrub top and used it to try and stop the bleeding.

"Hold this." I instructed. She did as she was told and held the top tightly to her wound. I then went to free her arm. This beam was quiet a bit heaver than the last one and as much as I tried I could move it.

"It's ok, just leave it. Are you ok." Her breathing was still short and laboured.

"Kirsty you saved my life. I haven't got a scratch on me." She smiled again.

"Good, you're a good person."

"So are you no matter what anybody tells you. I'm living proof of it. Most people wouldn't have done what you did today."

"You don't know me; I'm not a good person." I stopped her there. It was heart breaking to hear her talk that way about herself and I was trying to hold back the tears.

"I know enough. You're amazing, you protect someone who hurts you everyday. You're incredibly strong and annoyingly loyal and stubborn."

"Stop please." She was obviously uncomfortable with compliments so I did.

"Emily, tell me about your life?" This could be a good way to get though to her.

"Ok but I want to know about yours in return." I didn't wait for a reply, "I live with my flat mate Jenny. I started nursing about ten years ago. I love it I never wanted to do anything else. Ever since I was three I wanted to be a nurse. We were both smiling. I used to go everywhere in my nurses costume. Most of my childhood photos are of me dressed as a nurse."

"I never had that drive or direction when I was little. It drove my parents mad especially when it came to picking my GCSE's I was hopeless, no idea what I wanted to do. I spent my time handing cutting classes and hanging around with boys."

"How'd that turn out for you?"

"Not bad, I've got a career I love. My parents disowned me for dropping out of school and haven't spoken to me since but I've got a long term boyfriend."

"I just spilt from my long term boyfriend John. We been going out for three years when I found out he was cheating on me, but that's nothing compared to fourteen years." I'd found my way in and I wasn't going to let to go.

"Emily, I'm not feeling good."

"It's ok, help will be here soon." I had no idea how long it was going to take for help to arrive I didn't know what state the rest of the hospital was in. It could be hours before they reached us. If they even knew we were alive.

Kirsty was falling in and out of consciousness despite my best efforts to keep her awake. She was unconscious when I heard movement coming from out side our bubble. The screams had long since gone and we had been left in silents. I had tried calling out but after what seemed like hours of no reply I had given up.

"HELP, WE'RE IN HERE." I screamed as loud as I could manage.

"WE'RE GETTING TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BUT IT'S TAKING A WHILE TO MOVE ALL THE RUBBLE." A male voice yelled back.

"I'M GOING TO NEED A FIRST AID KIT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. MY FRIEND IS BADLY INJURED."

"WE'LL SEE AS ONE IS READY."

"THANKS." After that I listened to the noises of them moving rubble. They where getting closer and closer. I kept checking Kirsty's pulse. Even though I could see her chest moving up and down I was checking to see if it was holding steady, which it seemed to be doing. Thank god.

Finally they reached us, shortly followed by paramedics. We were given hard hats to wear. They removed the beam from Kirsty's arm then moved her onto a stretcher. It was wonderful to feel the bitter wind tearing at my face and I took a second to be thankful for my freedom and my life before climbing into the back of the ambulance which Kirsty was in.

This turned out longer than I thought. Thank you so much for reviewing. Hope you like it. I'm going to see if I can bring Jessica back in a couple of chapter's time. Any other suggestions are welcome.