A/N: Set immediately after S03E06.
"Billy!" Martha runs down the road to the nearest pedestrian crossing. She presses frantically at the button, knowing it won't do any good, then finally charges across the road between two cars, just before the green man appears.
When she gets to Billy he's being held up by Jake. "Miss… I couldn't see you," he chokes out. "Thought you'd left me."
"As if." Martha takes his other arm, helps Jake get him into a taxi. "Nearest hospital, please."
They have to wait a while before Billy is seen at the hospital. Only one of them is allowed into the ward with him. Martha hesitates, looks at Jake, he's family after all, but Billy gestures to Martha. "You, Miss."
Martha nods, looks at Jake apologetically, but he shrugs with a newfound maturity. "I'll go to the shops, get some magazines."
It turns out Billy has had a bad reaction to his medication. They'll have to try a different combination. Martha feels almost lightheaded with relief. She had thought that this was the end, although she couldn't admit it to herself. She knows there's still a rough journey ahead for Billy, but for now they can relax.
The doctors want to keep Billy in overnight for observation, so Martha sends Jake to get some of Billy's things. She sits down at Billy's bedside.
"Mr Reader was looking for you," says Billy.
"Was he?" Clive isn't uppermost in Martha's thoughts right now.
"Don't be too hard on him, Miss," says Billy unexpectedly. "You were a bit harsh, over the McBride case." Martha recalls how Billy walked in on her shouting at Clive and winces. For the first time, it occurs to her that she probably hurt Clive as much as he hurt her.
"Who got head of chambers?" she asks, more to change the subject than because she really cares.
"Mr Reader, of course. He had Harriet and Amy on side."
"So Shoe Lane is now a prosecution chambers."
"What will you do, Miss?"
"I don't know yet." Martha looks around as Jake comes in with Billy's overnight bag. "I'll let you get some sleep. I'll come back tomorrow."
She leaves Billy with Jake, who says goodbye to Martha in the corridor. "Billy told me about the head of chambers vote."
"Yeah, well." Martha smiles philosophically. "Mr Reader probably wanted it more than I did."
"He loves you, you know," says Jake, startling her. "He told me, the night of his silk party."
Martha recalls the moment when Clive approached her at his party, seemingly to dance with her, but then leaned in and whispered those three words… "A lot's happened since then."
"Yeah, but I reckon he still loves you, Miss." Jake grins at her. "Who wouldn't?"
Marvelling at this new, confident Jake, Martha shakes her head with a laugh and says goodnight. Her smile fades in the cab on the way home. What will you do, Miss? She remembers to check her phone and sees that she has several missed calls from Clive. She should tell him about Billy, if nothing else.
She calls Clive back and is relieved when she gets his voicemail. "Clive, it's me," she says, realising how late it is now. "I've been at the hospital with Billy but he's okay. He collapsed because of his medication and they're keeping him in overnight. Jake's with him." She pauses, wondering whether she should congratulate him on the vote. She can't find the words without sounding bitter, so she hangs up without saying anything else.