Upstairs, Jacob hung up and gave a sigh. Grace had fallen asleep, so he'd called Connie to see how things were going downstairs, but the call had gone unanswered. He was worried he'd made the situation between her and Grace worse by seeming to side with the twelve year old, but he was caught between a rock and a hard place. To work with Connie, he needed Grace's acceptance, but to be with Connie…
"Mia's out of surgery." A nurse appeared with a smile. "She's just been moved to the recovery ward and she's slowly coming around. Everything went well, but as I'm sure you're aware, time will tell whether she needs more surgery. One of you can see her now, but not both, I'm afraid."
Jacob nodded, shaking Grace's shoulder gently. "Grace, she's awake!"
"Can I see her?" Grace asked as she sat up, rubbing her dry eyes.
"Not until she's out of recovery, but how about you go downstairs and tell your mother personally. You two need to have a chat."He was met with an expression that was very much likened to her mother's when he said something completely idiotic.
"She isn't going to listen. I've told you, she can't do talking."
"I spoke to her earlier Grace, and-"
"She isn't going to listen to me!"
"Grace." Jacob placed his hands on her shoulders, and looked directly at her. "Give her a chance?" She raised an eyebrow at him, and he sighed. "Let's have a quick practice."
"Of what?"
"Right, I'll be your mum." He withdrew his hands from her shoulders, and mimed flicking his hair over his shoulders, then fixed his hands on his hips with an accompanying hard stare. Grace burst out laughing, and Jacob couldn't hold the position for much longer before he started laughing too.
"You need to go and see Mia. I'll go and find Mum."
"Alright, firecracker." He rubbed her shoulder encouragingly before calling the lift for her, and waited until she got in before heading to the recovery room.
The ED was in such disarray that Grace felt overwhelmed as she walked into the throng of people. "Have you seen my mum?" She asked a passing agency nurse, but unaware of who her mother was, they just apologised and continued walking. "Have you seen my mum?" She asked Noel, but he just shook his head apologetically. "Have you seen my mum?" She asked Rita, but Grace didn't hear the reply because the nurse spoke too quietly and the room was so loud. She thought then she saw a glimpse of her mother and rushed towards her, only to find it was a drunk woman who loomed over her. Grace darted in the other direction and then spun around in a circle, unable to see her mother. "Mummy?" She called, though her voice made little noise as panic began to overwhelm her.
…
"Hello, you." Jacob smiled as he approached Mia's bedside.
"Sore." She whimpered, trying desperately to keep her eyes open though they felt so heavy.
"We're just giving her something for the pain now." A nurse reassured Jacob as he stroked the girl's hair.
"I want my mummy." Mia cried softly, her tears rolling down her temples to disappear into her hair.
"Hey, hey it's okay. I'm here. And mummy's watching you too, from where she is." He brushed away the tears which trickled down the side of her face and onto her pillow, whispering to her comfortingly until she stopped crying. Her eyes began to flicker shut again, and he continued to stroke her hair, smiling sadly, as she fell asleep. He turned to look at the clock on the far wall of the room, hoping that Connie and Grace had managed to reconcile, and after all this time, they would become a family.