Back in Town

Chapter 4: Emergency

Alec was about to climb out of his skin. He had started pacing after only five minutes of waiting, and now twenty minutes later his skin was itching and his hair was disheveled from his hands running through it repeatedly.

Finally, a nurse walked in. "Alec Hardy?"

Alec approached quickly, "Yes?"

"You and Ellie Miller were put on a list of her emergency contacts, a few months ago when she was last here, so I can provide you with information. Please, have a seat." The nurse motioned to one of the seats in the waiting area and Alec shook his head.

"I'll stand," he grumbled and the nurse sighed.

"Mr. Hardy, Olivia has suffered multiple fractures in both her legs, right arm, ribs, and shoulder. She has severe contusions and swelling throughout her body. One of the broken ribs punctured her lung and she has serious internal bleeding. She has been taken in for surgery to repair as much of the damage as is possible--"

"SOCO needs to collect evidence--" Alec interrupted her.

The nurse nodded. "They've just arrived and are gathering everything they need before we take her back."

Alec sighed and sank into the chair, burying his face into his hands as his elbows propped on his knees.

"How long will surgery take, Helen?" he heard Paul Coates ask.

"At least four hours, Reverend," the nurse responded kindly.

"Thank you, Helen. We'll come to the nurse's station if we have more questions," the reverend finished the conversation and Alec heard the nurse leave.

"Where is your daughter, Hardy?" Paul questioned.

"Home. She's used to being there on her own when I'm at work." Hardy's answer was muffled by the fact that his face was still buried in his hands.

"Are you okay with her staying there overnight on her own, or should you call someone?" Paul was trying to help Alec see the next steps he needed to take, and Alec was sincerely appreciative as his brain wasn't able to connect many dots right now.

He sat up, taking a deep breath as he did so, gaining some clarity of thought. "I hate to wake her, but she needs to know about Liv. They're very close." He thought a moment. "I should call Beth. Daisy and Chloe spend a lot of time together. I think they wouldn't mind her staying for a while." He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and continued as a side note, "I won't be leaving here till Liv does."

He finished the thought and then pulled up the appropriate contact on his phone, setting it to dial.

"Hi Beth, this is Alec Hardy. Yes, I'm here. I thought she might call you—" Alec paused as Beth spoke to him. "That would be good, yes. That's why I was calling. Thank you so much. You'll tell her? Very good. Thank you. Bye."

He finished the call and turned to Paul. "Beth is going to go to pick up Daisy. She's going to wait till she's there to call and wake her. Then she can explain in person—I think Beth's training as a counselor is kicking in—then she'll take her back to her house to sleep and stay for as long as needed."

"Good. Now, what about you?" Paul asked.

Alec's brow furrowed. "What about me?"

"You should get some sleep." Paul stated matter-of-factly.

Alec stared at the man a moment before a single chuckle escaped him. "Right. That's going to happen."

Paul shrugged. "Yeah, I thought so. But I'm pretty sure I'm required to suggest it."

Alec nodded. "Consider that job done, then."

-*-*-

-Forty minutes later-

Alec was staring off into space in the general direction of a window that overlooked a carpark in front of the hospital when a voice made him jerk back into the present.

"Dad! Dad! Where is she? Is she okay?" Daisy came running towards him and he leapt up out of the chair in time to catch her in a hug.

"Woah, woah—what are you doing here, love? You were supposed to be on your way to the Latimers'." Alec buried his face into his daughter's hair, relishing her embrace.

"Yeah, sorry. She insisted on coming by to see you before we went home." He looked up to see Beth Latimer, in a baggy t-shirt that was probably Mark's, and baggy pajama pants, with a long overcoat on top, standing in the doorway. "Can't say I wasn't hoping for an update, either."

Alec continued hugging his daughter while Paul answered, "She's in surgery. It's going to be a long night, and a long recovery. We won't have an update till the morning. I expect that Ellie will be busy for some time. Beth if you can check with her father tomorrow and let me know if there's anything I can do to help with the boys, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course. Thanks, Paul."

"Yes," Alec looked directly at the vicar. He had softened to the man slowly over the past year, and his respect was going up fast this evening. "Thank you for everything, Reverend."

Paul nodded and shrugged. "Yes, of course."

Alec kissed his daughter on the forehead and squeezed her close again, whispering to her, "I promise I'll let you know something more as soon as I can. Okay, darlin'?"

"Okay, Dad. I love you." The tears started to spill over her cheeks. "Tell Liv—tell her I asked after her—when you see her."

"Oh darlin' of course, I will. But she already knows, she knows you care." He squeezed her close one last time before pushing her off to Beth, nodding to the older woman in thanks. "Now go, get some sleep. I'll talk to you both in the morning."

Beth nodded back and took Daisy under her own arm, guiding her back out the way they had come.

-*-*-