Caught in the Undertow

Doctors Notes

It had been a full-on few weeks since Nikki regained consciousness, although for Nikki her recovery was yet to be over with extensive physiotherapy to potentially bring Nikki back to where she was before the accident. Nikki had finally got back to walking with help from the nurses although the accident had left Nikki with one-sided weakness and she had even forgotten how to open doors which became very frustrating for Nikki who would end up crying hysterically to herself for hours on end because she couldn't do what has had been able to do before.
Jack on the other hand had been with Nikki for the entirety of the journey even though he had to miss a few appointments due to work commitments. Even though he had been helping her to remember stuff he still couldn't bring himself to tell Nikki about her miscarriage even though she wouldn't have known she was pregnant or so he thought.

It's half ten in the morning and Jack who has been stopping at Nikki's house recently has just got out of the shower, he had made himself at home in the spare bedroom. Today was the day of Nikki's review with the nursing team to see if she would be able to come home, Jack prayed that she could come home and be with her as the news was giving reports of a potentially deadly virus sweeping the nation putting many individuals in the hospital's or worse putting them in the mortuary. With the death toll rising and the PrimeMinister scheduled to give a national briefing at the end of the week, Jack was praying she could come out and be with him, it wasn't looking well and it looked like the country was heading in the same direction as other countries around the world.

Jack picks up the razor blade off the window ledge, he knew Nikki would kill him for reorganizing her bathroom window ledge which has all her makeup on and wash items on, he smiles to himself in the mirror as he begins to shave his face. Once clean-shaven he washes his face but realizing he has run out of soap so quickly looks around Nikki's bathroom for more soap, he comes to one cupboard and opens it, and searches through it although his mind is sidetracked when he comes across a small box.

He pulls out the box and looks at it, it was clear as day what it was, a pregnancy test. Jack prayed to god that she hadn't taken it but then he opens the box to check, one pregnancy stick still wrapped up the other clearly used, a sticky note wrapped around it, he pulls out the used pregnancy test and reads the note 'Tell Jack...' she was forever leaving herself notes to remind herself to do things.

Jack's heart plummets as he flips the pregnancy test over to see the faint outline of a positive sign. Nikki knew, he grabs hold of the sink beside him and takes a breath. "Fuck!" He mumbles, Jack's mind beginning to race, what if she had told him that day, she did seem pre-occupied that morning, what if she had told him she was carrying his child would she not be in this mess? Jack thinks she would have been just over the twenty-week mark now, they could have to know what they were having but now all he felt was emotion rush through his body he wanted to punch something, yell or break something.

Slamming the pregnancy test down on the skin he rushes through to the bedroom and pulls out Nikki's diary he had placed in a drawer, flicking through the unused pages he finds the date she had marked up as 'possibly pregnant.'
He wanted to shout at her tell her not to keep things from him especially when she was carrying his child all those weeks back. But he knew Nikki clearly didn't remember and it was best to leave it for a while.

He sits down on Nikki's bed and sighs deeply as he picks up her pillow and holds it against his chest, closing his eyes he takes a deep breath in picturing the days where Nikki would lay beside him, their little secret not a care in the world and now he was uncertain to where they stand. Placing the pillow down on the bed and gets up, Nikki's appointment was soon so he grabs a set of her vans trainers from the cupboard in her room and then a few items of clothing just in case she can come out.

Soon Jack arrives at the hospital and rushes up to the ward which Nikki is on to see her struggling to pull her trousers up as she dresses, "Hey... where are the nurses?" He smirks as he walks over to her.

Nikki looks up as she keeps herself supported while standing, She takes a breath and thinks about what she is going to say before speaking slowly, "I need to get out of here..." She speaks.
Without thinking, Jack grabs her trousers and pulls them up, Jack knew Nikki had found out about the two coronavirus cases in the hospital and wanted out.
"Nikki, slow down, look you're making yourself dizzy" Jack responds as he places his hand on her back and supporting her until her dizzy spell had passed.

She sways as she holds onto the bottom of the bed, "I'm going to be sick," She speaks and swallows harshly. Jack quickly grabs the bowl and holds it in front of her. She heaves but not much at all comes up, "I'm sorry," Nikki mumbles as Jack places the sick bowl down and helps her into the armchair beside the bed.
"Hey don't you worry, it happens," Jack speaks as he sits on the bed and looks down at her.
She slowly looks up at him and he notices the missing patch of hair on her head and an impressive scar running down her right side. He then looks down at Nikki's hand to see her holding a hair bobble.

Slowly Nikki raises her hands but can't gather her hair into a ponytail, Jack smiles and stands up again, "Here let me help you," He smiles.
"No, I can do this," Nikki breathes as she manages to scrape her hair back up knocks herself dizzy again.

Jack smirks at her and then without her asking he scrapes her hair back into a ponytail and grabs a hair bobble before flattening down the bumps in the hair, "Ready?" Jack smiles as he sits down beside Nikki, as the doctors walk over to her.
"Nicola, how are we feeling today?"
"Human," She smiles up at the doctor causing Jack to smirk.

The doctor gives a smile and clears his throat, "I am Dr. Burton, Nurse Guildford has alerted me of your progression although you still have a long way to go we would like to discharge you to out-patients. Purely because we need the bed for the Coronavirus patients and we think you would be best-suited shielding at home. Will your husband be at home to help you?" Dr. Burton asks looking between Jack and Nikki.

"Oh no, we're not married... dating," Jack smiles.
"Are we?" Nikki says in a shocked tone turning slowly to look at Jack.
"Erm... yes, don't worry" He chuckles placing his hand on Nikki's shoulder and squeezing it delicately.

"But yes I will be around to help Nikki with daily life and getting to and from appointments," Jack responds cheerfully as he looks down at Nikki with a half-smile. A few notes are signed by Jack as Nikki struggles to remember how to write and then the Nurse hands Nikki her medication and sends them on their way, wishing Nikki all the best with her recovery.