The Ambulance arrived ten minutes later. Eddie stood outside the bathroom whilst the paramedics tended to Rachel, who was still unconscious. He paced up and down nervously, waiting for someone, anyone, to tell him what was happening.
"Mr Lawson?"
One of the paramedics was now stood in front of him. She smiled at him kindly.
"Is Rachel ok?" Eddie asked instantly
The Paramedic averted her eyes
"We are going to take her to the Hospital in the Ambulance. She will be treated there" she explained
In Eddie's opinion, she may as well not have answered him, because her reply only left him with more questions.
Still, he nodded.
"Can I go with her in the ambulance?" He added
"Yes, of course" She nodded
Eddie breathed a sigh of relief. The thought of leaving her now to wake up alone in the hospital terrified him. He couldn't do that to her.
Rachel was lifted onto a stretcher and carried carefully down the stairs before being wheeled into the ambulance. Eddie clambered into the vehicle, sitting by her bedside in one of the chairs. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she lay there, unconscious. He was worried for her. Would she make it through this?
He felt so helpless.
How had the last day of term turned into such a nightmare?
Just hours ago, Eddie had come into work and found Rachel in her office with a beaming smile on her face. It was the happiest he'd seen her in months. She had a beautiful smile, Eddie had always thought that. But this time, when she'd smiled at him, it had given him butterflies, a sensation he rarely felt.
Of course, he had been about to break the news to her that he had just removed multiple envelopes from every staff member's pigeon holes, containing details of Rachel's past inside. But the thought had disappeared from his mind when he saw how happy she was. He couldn't destroy that. Instead, they'd laughed and joked with one another.
"Just let her be happy", Eddie had told himself
Instead of telling her the bad news, he'd plucked up the courage and asked her out for a drink. He'd wanted to for so long, and there was his chance. Rachel had agreed, to Eddie's relief. He'd somehow managed to suppress the massive grin that had threatened to cross his face. It was just a drink, nothing more.
How had they gone from that, to this?
His mind wandered back to being in the pub less than an hour ago, thinking Rachel had stood him up and changed her mind. To him in that moment, that had been the worst case scenario. Sitting in the ambulance now, he wished that, that had really been the case, that she had just changed her mind. Anything was better than sitting opposite a broken, bruised and unconscious Rachel in an ambulance.
He tried desperately not to sink into the guilt and self blame, but he couldn't help it. He had sat there in the pub with the other staff, feeling a little frustrated that Rachel hadn't turned up. He couldn't deny it, he had been upset with her, he'd finally made a little progress with her and she'd suddenly shut him out again. He had sat there in the pub, thinking all of this, whilst Rachel was being brutally attacked and assaulted.
If he had just stayed with her...
A whimper pulled him from his thoughts. His head turned to Rachel, who was stirring a little, her eyes fluttering open. He watched her as she stared around in confusion.
"Hey, Rach" he spoke softly so not to frighten her
She turned her head over to him, wincing at the pain the sudden movement caused. Her eyes suddenly widened in fear, her breathing becoming erratic. Eddie stood up quickly, moving to stand by the stretcher.
"Hey, hey, it's ok, you're safe now" Eddie reassured
Rachel didn't hear him, panic taking over every ounce of her being. Before Eddie could stop her, she sat up, instantly screaming at the pain that erupted all over her body as she did so. Her screams threatened to break his heart in two, but he managed to keep it together and lay her back down carefully on the stretcher.
"Stay there Rach, don't try to move, you'll just do more damage. You're safe now, we're going to get you some help, ok? I'm here, I'm not going anywhere"
He sat back in the chair, suddenly feeling Rachel's hand reach out for him. He took her hand into his own, giving her a gentle smile. Her body was trembling with pain, and she was whimpering quietly, but her breathing had calmed down and she seemed a little calmer to Eddie. He decided at that point that he wasn't going to leave her side, no matter what. She needed him.
YOU ARE READING
I'll keep you safe
FanfictionWhen Rachel goes through a horrific trauma at the end of the school term, will Eddie be there for her? (Set at the end of series three of Waterloo Road)
