Another short chapter and one I'm not so sure about- I've written about six different chapters for this chapter and none of them have quite nailed it for me but this seemed like the best one and I wanted to update on Thursdays as promised. I've been rather busy though so it was a little rushed and there may be mistakes; if you spot any please feel free to point them out- I'm rather conscious there's something I've missed. Anyway, thanks to Meggi and AmberFrenchChambers for reviewing the first chapter, HermioneLumos and Trudes193 for following and Sam2012Nicholls for reviewing all of my last story (don't think you're reading this one but ah well, I had to say thank you somewhere)

Disclaimer: I unfortunately own absolutely nothing. Actually that's a lie, I own lots of things, such as the computer I'm typing this on, just not casualty or anything I've written you may recognise!

This is for Meggi again (I'll reply to your PM after this! I've been busy!) This is from Nick's point of view and if anyone wants this in Spanish, please ask as I wrote it in Spanish first time round :P

She has nightmares all the time; they both do. They're both frequently waking up in the middle of the night with unsteady breathing and quickened pulses, their skin whiter than its natural colour, which is pale anyway. The only difference in situations is that Isla tends to scream when she wakes up; alerting us to what's happening and the fact something is terrifying the vulnerable girl in the room next to us. Yvonne just lies there quietly, trying to calm herself and refusing to move. Yet I always know when she wakes; she doesn't need to make a sound because I can tell, I can feel her stiffen in my arms and begin to toss and turn when the nightmare starts and when she awakes, her muscles flop a little, going from tense to slightly more relaxed and almost floppy.

I often wish there was something I could do to make their nightmares stop; some sort of anecdote I could give them to prevent the thoughts that seem to terrify the women in my life, transform them to nervous wrecks. But it seems to me like their nightmares are never-ending, they started but they never stop. It seems to me that no matter what I do the nightmares will stay there, imprinted on their minds like scars, mental scars. As I stop to drop Isla off at her school I notice the way her shoulders are slightly higher than most children her age; her walk slightly stiffer and her moves just a little more static, as though she's always nervous. That may just be down to the fact it's a new school but I'm sure her behaviour is normal for her, I'm pretty sure she always looks like she's treading on mines or walking on a tightrope; worried she may step the wrong way or topple from her tightrope.

That's what it's like for Yvonne too, it seems to me both girls are fragile and could break at any moment; one wrong move could destroy their slowly building up confidence; shatter and destroy it, stamp it out. I glance at my watch and realise I've spent far too long in front of the school gates; I should be well on my way to work by now, not sat here thinking. As I start the car the purring of the engine becomes oddly comforting and the sound of the other cars passing on the dual carriageway seems to remind me just how many people there are in the world and just how few of them I know. For some this may be a daunting prospect but for me, it is an exciting concept, the thought that there are so many encounters I'm yet to have, so many people I can label 'strangers'.

A stranger. It's a peculiar word; it implies that everyone you don't know is strange, which is certainly not true, seeing as I'm sure I know or have met a fair few people far stranger than a majority of the population in this world. Stranger. The more I mull over the thought of how incorrect this word is, the more strongly I begin to feel about it and by the time I arrive at Holby, I have become immersed in the sea of thoughts within my mind, pouring words that are incorrect in, filling the sea up.

This is probably why it is with a reasonably large amount of force I park the car, slamming on the brakes; rather violently pushing the clutch back and it possibly has something to do with just how hard I slam the door to my car shut. No sooner have I walked through the door than I am greeted by various forms of friendly welcomes and I soon become surrounded by various colleagues. I am immediately bombarded with questions but I somehow manage to reflect them all and make my way upstairs, to my office. I gently push open the door to find Zoe, sat at my desk, her shoes off and paperwork that has no doubt been designated initially to me but passed on to her spread out across the room.

'Made yourself at home I see' I say lightly and Zoe, who has been studying a sheet of paper incredibly intensely looks up with a start. The look on her face, which when she first looks up appears bored soon transform when she sees me into a wide grin, her mouth somehow stretching from ear to ear and her evidently rather important sheet of paper discarded and dropped upon the large pile of paperwork, where it would seem rather a lot of important sheets have been left to lie and rot.

'Nick!' She exclaims, and immediately makes her way round her desk before pulling me into a friendly hug before pushing herself away from me, gripping my arms as though I'm a young child and she wants to see how much I've grown. 'How're you? How's Yvonne, it's been far too long, I haven't seen you for what, four months? And do you think I can stop being clinical lead today, seeing as your back' she pours out, a torrent of questions flooding from her mouth, disallowing me to even get passed answering the first question, let alone the stream that soon follows.

'Slow down' I laugh, before attempting to answer all her enquiries. 'I'm fine, Yvonne's fine and unless I'm corrected I've been reinstated with immediate effect so yes, I daresay you can go back to being chief consultant if you so wish' I glance around the office and various piles of forms and folders 'or you could always finish the paperwork, seeing as you looked so enthralled in it when I came in' she gives me a friendly glare, before pulling me into yet another hug.

'It's so good to see you again, Nick' she says 'it really is'

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-Checky x