Zoe

"You have to tell him. You can't just turn up and expect everything to be ok. He was shattered after you left and it's taken him a long time to get to the point he is at now. A long time has passed since then you can't expect nothing to have changed."

"I know, but I really need to see him," her voice sounded deflated.

"I know you do, but at least give him some warning. Give him a couple of days to adjust to the idea before you go and see him." How was I going to explain what was going on here and how Adam was going to need more than a couple of days before he was ready to hear from her let alone see her.

"Ok I'll phone him first, thanks for everything Zoe. We still on for this evening?"

"Yer, see you later, bye," I just about managed to finish talking to Jess as I watched Adam carry Kirsty into the ED.

Warren

Shock, I stood like a statue with wide eyes as Adam ran in the ED with my blood soaked wife in his arms. I didn't even care that he was holding her; I just wanted her to live. She looked dead, so pale compared to the deep crimson of her blood. He went straight though some double door and started hooking her up to machines. Still I didn't move. I watched as she crashed and as her colleges tried desperately to save her their faces telling me they didn't expect her to make it. I watched as again and again her body jerked from the electric pulses sent though it by the defibrillator. I stood praying and promising. I promised if she made it I would never lay another finger on her ever again but still there was nothing, she was too far gone. I knew it and they knew it too. I saw them one by one giving up on her life till there was only Adam left. He was still trying to bring her back unable to accept that she was gone.

I'd killed her. I'd killed Kirsty the only woman I've ever loved, the mother of my daughter. She was gone and it was entirely my fault. I collapsed on the ground unable to take the truth any longer as deep guilt ridden sobs shook my body.

Nita

I'd been at it for ages, weeding her stupid flower bed. It was winter who cared. My mind wasn't on the job though and she kept coming out to check on me, cupping her tea in her hands. She hadn't even offered to make me one. I kept thinking about mum and dad and what they were doing now. Was mum awake yet? Was she talking? Where they sitting in the hospital with mum demanding to go home? I knew that she would hate being held up in the hospital and would be battling against everyone in the small chance that they would let her recuperate at home. From what I'd seen though they wouldn't. She'd really scared them today and they wouldn't want her out of their sight just yet.

I smiled about the thought of mum trying to talk Adam and Tess into letting her go home and wondered how they were going to convince her stay put. It worried me slightly that she might not get all the care that she needed for her recovery but dad and I would take really good care of her at home.

She'd had to stay in hospital over night once when I was about eight. I can remember going to visit her. Dad and I stopped at the gift shop to buy her flowers before we went up to see her. She had pretty much demanded to go home the whole time we were there. I'd thought she was scared to stay in hospital which was weird because she worked there but now I realise she didn't want to be there because of dad. She was scared of them finding out. He'd put her in there; I'm sure of it. I can remember asking her about what happened to her that day, her answer was vague. She'd decided to take a short cut home, it was dark and someone had tried to steal her bag. That was all she remembered.

It never made sense to me because she came home from work that evening and gave me tea but now it does. It was him. I don't know what to think of him. Am I meant to hate him? He's my dad and I'm not sure that I do, even after everything he's done to mum. I hate what he's done but he's never acted that way towards me. Maybe it's her fault maybe she does something wrong, something I don't know about. Really I know there's no excuse that's good enough for what he's done to her but part of me hopes that there is and we could still be a family. There's not though, so I have to stop it. If last night was anything to go by he'd probably end up seriously injuring maybe even killing her next time and there's no way I could live with the fact I knew it was going on and did nothing about it.

Snatching the watering can from beside me I got up and headed around the side of the house to fill it up. The tap was positioned right beside the gate and I took one last look down the side of the house, towards the back garden. Seeing no sign of my Grandma I slid open the bolt and darted down the drive and onto the street. I was free, for now. Wrapping my coat more tightly around me, I headed in the direction of the hospital.

The wind cut at my cheeks. It was getting dark out. The sun was below the horizon, lighting the dark and moody, grey clouds from underneath. A shiver crawled up my spin. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach something was wrong. I walked into the ED and joined the dense atmosphere. I slowly took steps further towards where I last saw mum. I can't explain the feeling of dread I felt taking those couple of steps but somehow I knew.

The first thing I saw was my dad sobbing uncontrollably in a heap on the floor. Tess was trying to comfort him but he wasn't listening to anything she was saying and just carried on babbling about it not being true, that everyone was lying to him. I stood meters away watching my dad and Tess sitting on the floor in front of me.

"She's not dead," he shouted in denial.

"I'm sorry there was nothing more we could do." Tess said trying to pull my dad into her arms.

"No," I whispered but it was loud enough to gain there attention.

"Nita," my dad sobbed my name from his position on the floor, holding his arms open, waiting for me to run into them. But I couldn't, I was paralysed. I started shaking my head back and forth trying to take in what they had just said. It couldn't be true.

I could see the tears in Tess's eyes to and with a quick look around I saw most of my mum's colleagues stood watching either crying or trying not to. The woman who had brought in my mum from the other hospital came up to me enveloping me into a hug. I rested my head on her chest, not crying just silent. I took a deep breath, I could smell my mum. She was wearing my mum's hoodie. I pulled away from her sharply looking evilly into her eyes.

"Take it off," I demanded childishly not caring how she felt. She looked at me not realising what I meant.

"It's hers. Take it off now," my voice erupted into a shout. She quickly pulled off the hoodie and placed it into my hands. Tears fell over her cheeks and she apologised sincerely, making me feel bad. I hugged the hoodie to me breathing in her scent. I wanted my dad. I turned looking for him and found him still in the same position and toddled towards him collapsing in his arms. He pulled me closer and I held the hoodie against my cheek in-between us. I still didn't cry; we just sat holding each other; dad was weeping freely. I buried my head in his shoulder but did not let a tear fall.

You might really hate me for this but it needed to be done. Thank you to anyone who helped me out with information on Jess it will be used the chapter after next. Looking forward to your flames :P