Christian's POV

I have to wait for Welch but if I am right then I wonder what Cecilia's relationship with Ana was, if any. While I know that there is no way that she would have known that Ana would be coming to see me because Ana didn't even know she was doing that until yesterday morning, Cecilia must have recognised her. Is that what triggered her running Ana off the road or is it something else? Either way, she had been breaching security for two whole weeks that we know about so it still comes back to me that this has happened to Ana.

Placing a quick call to Welch just to clarify if Stephen Morton is the common link, I am met by quite a growl. Welch is usually very contained so I am surprised by that response and his "That fucker appears to have a lot to answer for but yes, he was married to the now Carla Adams from August 2006 until the end of January 2007. They appear to have been together from September 2005 while she was still married to Ray Steele, she didn't divorce Ray until July 2006 and then was quickly married to Morton in August 2006 and then just as quickly divorced in January 2007. What I find interesting though is that Ana Steele lived with them for just 3 months of that time and then appears to have moved back to Ray Steele in December 2005. In the short time she lived with them, there are several hospital visits and police reports that I am trying to get my hands on."

Agitated, I run my hands through my hair "I'll leave it with you and expect a detailed report tonight" I say. I have a feeling I am not going to like the information he is going to find and right at this point I need to get back to Ana's room. She should be coming out of surgery soon and I want to be there in the recovery room. Not only that, I want to make sure that Ray is able to see her and soon, he seems to have been the only there for her when others haven't and I trust him to help her heal, as mom said, with love.

As I go to get up, Miss Kavanagh comes barrelling towards me "Why are you here, where is Ana?" and I have to tell her that there was a complication that sent her back to surgery and that they decided to fix her leg at the same time but I am hoping to go back in now and find out where she is. However, as she will be post-op, it is highly unlikely that anyone other than close family eg Carla and Ray will be allowed in the room.

I suggest that since Ana needs quite a bit of blood that perhaps she could go be tested to see if she is compatible and if so, she might be able to help Ana that way. I promise I will let her know as soon as they can go in to see her and turn abruptly and leave, I don't want to see her face mirroring the despair I feel for the situation and I just can't deal with any antagonism at this point.

Grace's POV

Oh thank goodness, the operations look like they have been a success however the drugs to thin the blood to dissolve the embolism and ensure another one doesn't occur are going to cause issues in relation to the lacerations. However keeping her alive is our first priority and the rest will flow from that. She is a fit healthy girl, well child really, so I have high hopes of her being fine but it hurts my heart to see her so disabled on the bed, the gown is swamping her and I just want to be able to give her a good wash.

I'd better ring my poor son and let him know that I will allow him into the recovery room, it is completely against all policy but I don't care, I never want to see him like this morning ever again – it was such a contrast. From the picture in my mind of them sleeping when both were comforting each other to the absolute terror of seeing him curled up in the foetal position in the chair, I just need Carrick to hold me to take away the pain, today has been more than a bit too much.

As I leave the theatre, I see Christian walking towards me, he looks like a man walking towards the gallows so I give him the biggest smile I can muster and the light that shines in his eyes and the tentative smile he gives me is all the reward I need. "She's in recovery now darling, let's gown you up so you can go in" and I think he almost goes to give me a hug but settles on kissing me on the cheek. Oh Christian!

I smile my thanks to John Flynn and ask if he will be staying around and he says he has other commitments to see to as he will be going away soon and I can't help but think the timing couldn't be worse and wish him the best for his trip, in case I don't see him before he goes away. He grasps Christian's hand and as he gives a firm shake says "You know to call me at any time if you or Ana need me? I don't care what time it is", claps him on the shoulder and heads off.

To Taylor I say, if he is coming in, he needs to suit up but Christian suggests that perhaps he could be of assistance in relation to Carla and Ray and I couldn't appreciate it more so ask if he can pass on the fact that there had been a complication but that we expect Ana out of recovery by early afternoon so perhaps if they could have lunch first and then head back in. I can only imagine that they are all beside themselves with worry and Taylor nods and heads off as well, leaving Christian to suit up.

Christian's POV

Seriously, I chair meetings with the top executives of companies all over the world, I can break down the most narcissistic self-important politician and yet here I am with my knees trembling as I walk into the Recovery Room.

I can hear all the sounds of the portable equipment helping people breathe and survive. I can hear other patients regaining consciousness and the soft music that is piping through the room supposedly to help the transition back into consciousness. I can hear the nurses monitoring patients, checking breathing, pulses, temperatures, changing bandages and gently cajoling patients to wake up.

Each bed is surrounded by a curtain though so I am relying on mom's hand on my elbow directing me to the last bed and finally I see her lying there. Thankfully she looks peaceful despite all the tubing, the nurse working on her looks up at me and blushes, oh lady, it's just a pretty face, let it go. She catches sight of Grace and quickly smiles and says "Doctor, she's doing really well and it looks like she is about to start transitioning, I've been asking her to come back to us and she is starting to respond, I'll leave you with her," and walks off to the next patient.

Mom gives me a small nod and I reach for Ana's hand and am surprised it is quite cold and she seems to shiver and then I completely forget that Mom is there and reach up and place a kiss on her forehead and say quietly into her ear "Come on baby, you can do it, come back to us" as I stroke her hand.

Slowly she starts to moan and her eyes flicker open and then close but her hand tightens onto mine and I lift and press her knuckles against my lips. Her eyelids flicker again and then she blinks like she is trying to clear some blurry vision. Her eyes close again as if her eyelids are too heavy and finally they open again and I am a puddle looking into those blue eyes. "Welcome back baby" I whisper and I am rewarded by a slight pink blush rising on her cheeks but she shivers like she is freezing. "Mom why is she shivering? Does she need extra blankets?"

I realise that Mom has been watching me as she says with a choked voice, "No honey, it's a normal reaction to coming out of the anaesthetic. As the body clears it, the shivering will reduce and she'll be fine" and then to Ana "Welcome back Ana" but those blue eyes are trained on mine and she is clinging tightly to my hand and I don't ever want to let go.

I don't know how long we sit there as Ana fades in and out of consciousness until finally those blue eyes open and stay open and she starts to move the hand I am holding and I attempt to let go but she clasps it back and just drags both hands towards her mouth like she's trying to show that she wants to say something.

"Ana, I understand you are probably feeling thirsty, are you?" at her nod, Mom says "I'll leave you for a moment and get your supervising doctor so that he can remove the tubes, get you a drink and we can move you back to the room as soon as possible" and she walks off with a smile on her face.

Ana looks so tiny and so fragile lying there in the bed but her eyes are bright and questioning and she looks like she'd like to say something. She moves our joined hands up to her forehead and grimaces and I ask "Is your head hurting?" and she nods so I do what used to work for me, I get up, saying as I do "This will draw all the pain away" and plant a long kiss on her forehead, and then sit back down with a smirk.

It was worth it to see the light dancing in her eyes, the blush rising on her cheeks and the shaking of her body from repressed laughter, closely followed by the obvious frustration that she couldn't say anything and then a gasp as the broken rib obviously made itself known.

"Oh Ana, I'm sorry, I'd forgotten about the rib" I say, mortified that I have caused her more pain.

She looks at me and reproaches me with her eyes and points back to her head.
"Again? Well don't laugh" and I give her an even longer kiss "There, that should have removed the whole headache this time" and her eyes shine with delight.

I sit down again and like an arrow to my heart, the memory comes back to me as to who it was that used to kiss me on the forehead to take away the pain. When I was so hungry and thirsty that even my head hurt, the crack-whore would take me in her arms and kiss me, drawing away the pain and I loved being held by her at that time, it was one of the few times I felt truly loved. The room starts going black and I can hear the pimp screaming at me and just as it is becoming too much, I feel a soft clench of my hand and look up to Ana's worried eyes and they pull me back. Oh god, I nearly had a panic attack here, what must she think of me? Surprisingly, she just looks concerned so I rearrange my face, counting to ten to calm my breathing and say "Sorry, very bad memory" as I kiss her hand and hope she'll not mention it when she can talk. She blushes on cue and gives my hand another squeeze.