Chapter 1: Alive

"How is Jul.. Miss Montague going? Please Doctor" pleads David..

Frances looks at him strangely. "Excuse me, sir, but who are you exactly? You are the man Roger was yelling at earlier in the corridor"

"Sorry Ma'am. My name is David Budd. I am Julia.. Miss Montague-PPO. I saved her life during the Thornton Circus attempt of her life and I am so sorry I have failed her today.. and I have failed you as well.. but I need to know if she will be OK, please" says David with some tears starting to form in his eyes. "I should be the one seriously injured or dead to protect her. I have failed both of you".

Frances answers empathically & kindly "David, you are not the one who placed that bomb up there. There was no way you could guess there was a bomb and you said the police checked twice under the stage. You have done all you could possibly do. Stop beating yourself up". David was now sobbing as silently as possible.

The Doctor looks at Frances with an inquisitive look. Frances keeps looking at David but nods at the Doctor. "Please, go ahead, I think David is really concerned about my daughter's health and I think he has the right to know the extent of her injuries". Then turning herself to face David directly, she looks at him in the eyes and says: "Honestly David, I am glad I am not facing this alone and I am glad someone is genuinely caring for her".

The Doctor starts to talk slowly with a kind voice: "Miss Montague is in a coma caused by a serious concussion due to the impact of the blast. I am really sorry but we had to amputate her right leg (below knee)". David & Frances start crying at the same time. "I am very sorry but we had to, to save her life and avoid the infection to spread to her whole body, her leg has been completely smashed into pieces because of the explosion". He pauses. "She also had some internal bleedings that we managed to stop and she did not suffer from any brain damages which is a miracle. She suffered from a collapsed lung that we managed to re-inflate and from severe burns on her right side and both her hands as she shielded her face from the blast with both hands which are more likely going to leave her with scars but we will refer her to a plastic surgeon when she will be ready. She suffered from broken bones (her collarbone, her right ulna and 4 ribs). He pauses again. "The very positive news is that, we have done a full-body MRI and none of her other organs was damaged. It will take her several weeks to heal and some reeducation -we will refer her to the best prosthetist in the UK- and we are confident she will recover at 100%".

David asks tentatively: "is she suffering?"

The Doctor answers: "no, she is not, thanks to the morphine. We monitor her closely"

Frances & David ask at the same time: "when is she going to wake-up?"

The Doctor sighs "I can't answer that question, I am afraid"… we have to stay positive and support her the best we can: us from a medical perspective and you two as her close entourage, before adding kindly "love can move mountains".

David frowns. Is it love? It must be. Even if it is a short time and if they have never really talked about it. But he remembers what she said "I want you right beside me, not because it's your job, but because it's our choice". He never got a chance to reply to her. He thought they had all time later that evening in the intimacy of her hotel room (their Blackwood's bubble) to discuss. But now he is sure. He. Loves. Her

Frances looks at him.. "David, is there something I need to know about you & my daughter?".. David looks at her, eyes wided.. "I.. we.. " he looks at his feet.. he looks around him to make sure nobody was listening and he said with a lower voice "we were.. are.. having an 'affair'.. well, we are in a 'relationship', it is very early days.. just before her speech she said to me: "I want you right beside me, not because it's your job but because it's our choice".. but I did not have a chance to answer yet…but that's what I want.. if she still wants me. I love her and I want to be right beside her, forever". Frances nods and reaches out to him.. "Nice to meet you David", he replies back "nice to meet you Mrs. Montague".

Frances looks back at the Doctor: "can WE see her now, please, Doctor?". Well.. you can see her, Mrs. Montague, but I am afraid Mr Budd is not in her list of approved visitors at the moment…" avoiding David's gaze..

Frances asks him: "how can we modify this, please?". David looks at her with lots of gratitude. The Doctor answered: "leave it with me". David says "Thank you so much Mrs. Montague".

She replies back "My daughter does not trust people easily, and even less often loves people.. if she said that to you, you must be special to her and she most certainly has got feelings for you, that's all a mother wants for her daughter: to love, be loved and happy". David smiled slightly with gratitude.