Chapter Five Hundred and Fourteen
Charlie felt like she couldn't breathe as she drove towards the hospital in the city where her Dad was seriously unwell. She hadn't really paused to find out what had happened or what was wrong. She just knew that she had to get there to be with him and also to be there to support Morag. She was grateful to have Joey by her side and Ruby in the back of the car. Everyone was scared. But at least everyone was united.
At the hospital, Morag sat beside Ross's bed. He was asleep and hooked up to machines. She cursed herself for not bringing him to the Doctor sooner. He had been ill for a few days but it was always such a challenge getting him to appointments she had opted to see how it went. It had had seemed like just a cold.
Then this morning, she had brought him breakfast and he had barely responded. She had called an ambulance immediately. The hospital suspected that he had an infection and were running tests. They had already started him on antibiotics. Morag prayed that the girls would get here soon. She just didn't think she could do this by herself.
Bianca had stayed in her room all morning and had no intention of ever getting up and facing the world. She just didn't know how. Last night had changed everything. Again. Down on the beach, she and Liam had kissed. A lot. While Vittorio had been out celebrating his so called last night of freedom, Bianca had cheated on him with her ex.
She had ended things with Vittorio last time because he had cheated on her and it had hurt her so much and now she had betrayed him in almost the same way. In fact, what she had done was worse because at least Vittorio hadn't had any feelings for that random waitress. Bianca had cheated with her body and her heart.
This morning, Vittorio and Liam had texted her almost simultaneously and she had ignored them both. Vittorio wanted to meet up and spend the day with her finalising wedding details, once he had recovered from his night out. Liam wanted to know where they stood with each other after last night. She just didn't know what to do.
She jumped when someone banged on her door.
"Bianca? Are you ever coming out of there?"
It was her mother. She clutched the blankets closer to her. No, she did not want to ever come out of there.
"Bianca? We've got a bridal shower to arrange, you know," her mother insisted.
She remained silent.
"Bianca?" Joanna persisted.
"I'll bring her in some tea," said April's quieter voice.
Bianca shrank down. She didn't want to see her sister either. She would be full of questions about Liam. It would not have escaped her notice that the pair of them had disappeared the night before. She would demand to know everything, including what she planned to do next.
She sighed as the door opened and April appeared with a cup of tea in her hand.
"Morning," she said. "Or should I say, afternoon? Mum's losing her mind over this bridal shower."
She handed the tea over and perched on the edge of Bianca's bed.
"Thanks," the teacher said.
"But I'm guessing you have other things on your mind?"
Charlie held Ruby's hand as they followed Joey onto the ward. They found Morag sat by Ross's bed. Charlie's breath caught in her throat as she saw her father, once so strong, now often so confused and bewildered by the world, weak and sad, asleep on the bed.
Joey reached out to hug Morag, who held her tight, needing support and strength. Charlie and Ruby hugged Morag too and the four of them sat down around the bed.
"What's happened?" Charlie asked, taking her father's almost lifeless hand.
"They think he has an infection," Morag explained. "He's been off colour for a few days but I didn't know it was anything serious. I'm sorry."
She looked close to tears. It was startling for all of them.
"Hey, it's not your fault," Joey said gently, taking her hand. "You're doing amazingly, looking after Ross. You couldn't have known it would become an infection like this. You can't blame yourself."
Morag nodded and wiped her eyes. She had feared condemnation from Charlie but it didn't come. The police officer just held Ross and Ruby's hands, gazing sadly at her father's still face.
"So?" April nudged. "You and Liam?"
Bianca blushed. April saw it, even in the dim, curtain drawn room.
"I knew it! I told Xavier! I said!"
She looked elated.
"So, have you told Vittorio that it's over yet?"
"What? No. I haven't decided anything…"
April looked annoyed.
"What do you mean? You haven't decided anything? Surely sleeping with Liam is a decision? You've chosen him?" she accused.
"I only kissed him!"
"Whatever," April said dismissively.
"I like Liam," Bianca said. "It felt right but…"
Joanna burst through the door. She had clearly been listening to their conversation.
"But you are engaged to Vittorio," she stated. "A civilised, well-mannered man, good man who loves you. You do not end things with someone like him, someone with such good prospects for some drug addled, layabout, has been. Have you got that?"
Bianca and April looked horrified.
"Liam is not…" Bianca started.
"How can you say…?"
"I can say it because it's the truth," Joanna told them. "And you'd do well to remember that, Bianca. I'm not saying this to be cruel. I'm saying it because I'm looking out for you."
She marched out of the room.
"Don't listen to her," April begged. "You need to listen to your heart, Bianca. And you know your heart is calling for Liam. Not Vittorio. That's just Mum's screwed up idea of a good future. You won't be happy with him. You know you won't. Liam loves you and you love him. Please. Hold onto that."
Angelo was surprised when Alf walked through the door of the restaurant.
"I didn't think you were on shift today," he said.
"The girls have had to rush into the city," Alf explained. "Ross has been rushed into hospital."
"Oh no," Angelo said sincerely. "Will he be okay?"
"Not sure," Alf said. "Joey said she'd call me with news. But she asked me to take over from her while they're gone. They're not sure how long they'll be away for."
Angelo nodded, disappointment in the pit of his stomach. Why hadn't Joey asked him to step up if he had truly proved himself last night? Why did she always defer to Alf?
"So, how have you all been?" Morag asked.
She, Charlie, Joey and Ruby were still sat around Ross's bed, all with hot drinks. So far, he had made no improvement but the staff were still treating him. They were being very attentive and kind.
"I've been a brat," Ruby she said honestly, making them all laugh.
"But we're over it now," Joey said kindly.
Ruby smiled gratefully at her.
"And I think in the circumstances, we can draw a line under everything and cancel your grounding," Charlie said, looking at Joey to check it was all okay.
Joey nodded her agreement.
"Really?" Ruby asked.
"I think that's a good idea," Joey said.
"What good parents you have, Ruby," Morag said seriously.
"Well, I'm going to do everything I can to be a good daughter," Ruby replied.
Bianca knocked on Liam's caravan door. She took a deep breath, letting it out only as he answered the door. He looked pleased to see her which only broke her heart further.
"Come in, come in," he welcomed. "I was hoping to see you today."
"I won't," she said hesitantly. "I just… I came to say that last night can't happen again."
He looked utterly crestfallen.
"Why?"
"I like you," she said. "But I'm marrying Vittorio. It's… it's cast in stone. It's done."
"It's not done until you sign the register," Liam pointed out.
"I'm sorry," Bianca said. "I won't change my mind."
She turned and walked away, heading towards the house to see if Nicole was home. She needed some alterations on her dress and her student was the perfect person to ask.
At the police station, Robertson was in an annoyingly good mood. Watson was quietly seething, knowing it was because Charlie had called in to say that she had had to rush to the city to be with her father and wasn't sure when she would be back. It meant that Robertson would have free reign to carry out his investigation into Penn Graham's death however he wanted. He wouldn't have Charlie there to correct him for being unprofessional.
As the hours ticked by, Charlie, Joey, Ruby and Morag worried that Ross might never wake up. He was pale and weak and the constant beeping of the machines he was attached to was drilling into their brains. They just wanted him to wake up and reassure them that he was alright. The minutes were dragging by so slowly and painfully. And silently on their minds was the fact that even if he pulled through this time, they would have to do this again and again until the last time, when he wouldn't make it.
Will sat on the beach, gazing out at the sea. He breathed in and out in time with the waves. He thought about the bad decisions he had made in recent months and how badly he had messed his life up. He thought about how it had all started that day he had met that girl and allowed himself to stray from his wife, Gypsy. He hated himself for that. And he loved Gypsy. He still loved her. He always had and he always would.
He remembered all the time they had spent together here in Summer Bay as stupid kids, carefree and falling in love. When they had had their baby, Lily and moved away, he had truly believed that that would be forever. And they had lasted a long time. They had been happy. And then he had messed it up.
He supposed he had got too comfortable. He had trusted that no matter what he did, she would always forgive him. And he pushed things too far. He got bored and lazy. Gypsy had been too busy at work. She wasn't paying him enough attention. Work, kids, that sort of thing. And that girl had flattered his ego. He'd made a mistake and for Gypsy, it had been unforgiveable. He didn't blame her. He blamed himself entirely.
But since then, he had made mistake after mistake until he had fallen into this black hole of despair that he just couldn't get out of. Irene was trying to help him. So was Lily. So was Joey. Even Angelo was proving to be a good friend. But deep down, Will knew it was too late.
He looked up as a shadow fell over him.
"Can we talk?" Robertson asked.
"Dad?" Charlie said urgently as Ross began to rouse.
She, Joey, Ruby and Morag all stood up, hovering over him, hoping he was waking up. A nurse came in just as he began to wake. He mumbled several incoherent words, not seeming to know where he was or even for several moments who he was. The nurse calmly explained that he wasn't very well but that he was safe in hospital and his wife and daughters were there with him. He relaxed, looking relieved. He gently squeezed the hands he was holding – Morag and Charlie's.
"You're here," he said quietly. "You're all here."
"So, what did you decide?" April asked urgently, the second Bianca walked through the door.
Bianca sighed heavily and looked her sister directly in the face.
"Liam and I were a mistake," she said. "I'm going ahead with the wedding and I don't want Vittorio to know anything about last night."
April looked half disappointed and half furious.
"Then I'm sorry," she said. "I can't be your bridesmaid. I just can't support this farce of a wedding."
She walked past her and out of the house.
"What do you want to talk about?" Will asked gruffly.
"Alf Stewart," Robertson said, still standing over him.
"When are you going to leave him alone and actually look for a proper suspect?" Will asked. "He's a good man. He hasn't done anything wrong."
"And how do you know that?"
"I've known Alf a long time," Will said. "Everyone has known him a long time. Everyone knows he's the salt of the earth."
"And yet Penn had a dark history with him and Penn has ended up dead," Robertson pointed out.
"It had nothing to do with Alf!" Will yelled furiously.
Robertson merely raised his eyebrows, curious about his passionate response.
"If you say so," he said, walking away.
Will was more frustrated than ever.
The Doctor came round to speak to Ross and his family.
"We've identified the infection," she said. "And we're already treating it. It was caught early enough that he should be fine. But he was really lucky this time. It could have been a lot more serious if you hadn't acted so quickly."
She looked at Morag. Joey patted her hand to reassure her. Morag managed a small smile. She was still desperately worried about her husband.
"How long will he have to stay here?" she asked.
"A few more days to make sure we eradicate the infection but then he should be fine to go home," the Doctor replied. "And then he'll need a lot of TLC which I'm sure you already provide."
She smiled kindly.
"And we can help as much as possible," Charlie said. "We can take time off work and help more than we have been."
Joey agreed.
"Plus school has finished for the holidays," Ruby added. "I can come and stay and help too."
Morag thanked them both and looked sadly at her husband. Something told her that her time with him was running out.
Next time… Charlie, Joey, Ruby and Morag continue to stay by Ross's side, Romeo has a confession and April causes trouble at Bianca's bridal shower…
