I never know why. I only know who. (AU)

Chapter 36

Dave waited in the corridor next to Gran. they said nothing as they twiddled their thumbs, hoping that the Doctor would return soon. It was horrible to keep Clara waiting this long. Dave was sure he never wanted to see his daughter more hurt than she was when in that car and trying to hold on.

Diana had arrived and sat down beside them at some point, but the silence remained as they all pondered what it would do to their kids if it was the thing that they all feared.

After all the things they had gone through together so far, would they be able to ever adjust to a normal life again. A normal teenagers life, rather than an adult one.

"How is she?" Diana finally asked Dave, making him look up from his dream-like state.

"Scared." Dave admitted. "I could tell she was trying to not seem like she was, but I could tell. She sounded so distressed, I've never heard her like that." He looked down to his feet. He shrugged his shoulders as he ran out of things to say. "I'm sorry we didn't call sooner. I just don't have John's number, and Clara's phone was at home, so I had to look through recent calls to find yours. Clara always says I should add people as contacts on my phone, but it all confuses me too much."

Diana was sure that Dave was also trying to seem less scared than he was. Seemed like a family trait. She looked up and smiled at him softly. "No problem. Thanks for calling though."

Dave looked over to her. "She kept asking for him. There was no way I was letting my baby girl live this alone." He mumbled quietly.

Clara smiled John sadly, squeezing his hand to make him look less sad. "You came." She mumbled, her heart feeling a little lighter with that realisation.

"What?" John asked, confused as to what on Earth she meant.

"I kept praying that you would come to help me, and you did. I didn't want to be alone when..." She didn't even allow herself to say that far, hearing John's sharp intake of breath when he knew what she was implying and she thought it better to not say it, in-case he had more hope than her still.

A minute later, the curtain surrounding them was pulled open, the bright lights from the hospital corridor bleeding in and making Clara wince from the sudden contrast.

John and Clara looked up at the three Doctors who had now just made their way into the small cubicle. John felt Clara's grip tighten around his palm and he was sure his heart had stopped as one of them opened their mouth to speak.

"The bleeding you had was caused by something we call placenta previa. It means that your placenta is slightly or entirely covering your cervix. In your case, it's only partial, so it shouldn't be a major problem." One Doctor said kindly, speaking slowly to check that Clara fully understood, even though she still looked confused.

"It's for this reason that we strongly advise you go to your six month check ups." The doctor continued, "That way we would have been able to identify this. These things usually move naturally by themselves and that means they won't be problem. But if they are, that does mean we'll have to perform a caesarean section. So from now on you will have to refrain from all strenuous activities and be on total bed rest. A midwife will check in on you once a week until then."

Clara's brain hurt from all the words running through her mind. "Wait..." She began slowly, furrowing her brow as she made sense of what they said, "The baby's okay?"

The Doctor nodded kindly at her. Clara let out a choked sigh of relief she didn't even know was coming as she turned her body towards John whop had visibly relaxed.

"Oh thank God." She cried, tears pooling up from relief and pent up emotion. She had never been so scared before.

John held her hand tighter, his body noticeable less tense than before as he whispered words of love to her as she clung on to him for all she was worth.

"I really thought it was some sort of karma for telling you that the baby was gonna be alright." Clara mumbled against John's shoulder, after moving herself so she could hold herself in John's arms.

"So did I." John said honestly, kissing her temple as he finally let go of that awful thought he had been holding on to. The baby would be okay, and so would Clara.

Dave, Diana and Gran quickly moved into the room, giving their love to Clara as they checked she was okay.

Gran seemed much happier about the idea of bed rest for the next two months that Dave did, not liking the sound of having to do everything for Clara. Because in the end, she was his daughter and he wouldn't let her down if he could help it. Not any more than he already had.

She knew she had to stay in over night, but at least the baby was okay.

John stayed with her all night, falling asleep in his chair beside the bed, his body hunched over as he rested his skull beside her leg. It was the furthest thing from comfortable, but he didn't care. He wasn't leaving her again.

He was insistent on that point. He sat next to Clara on the car drive home and he even carried her to her bedroom, refusing to allow her to walk in case it counted as strenuous activity. Clara could tell he was going to be like this all the time and not just for a few days, but she was grateful for it in some ways.

He lay her down on her bed, pulling the covers up over her body sop she could get some more sleep. Her body really needed it. They had been running more and more tests all night just to determine what would be best for her and the baby.

After a while of Clara's begging, she finally convinced John to lie down beside her and sleep there. She just wanted to be held by him. It was a weird feeling she often felt in regards to John, and she often thought it was love even though she had always told herself that there is no such thing as true love, especially as a teenager. But she somehow felt, knew even, that she definitely loved everything about John and just John in particular. He was perfect for her in every way and she hoped she was to him.

John lay beside Clara, listening to her hum lightly as he traced hi fingers around in circles along her shoulder. It was a comforting feeling that she loved a lot.

"I worry that when I'm away from you, things will happen and I won't be there." John mumbled, not quite sure where this honesty was coming from.

"Why?" Clara asked quietly, nearly asleep. It had been a long two days for the both of them and now she was completely shattered.

"Because I'm always too far away. I don't want to leave your side Clara. Just in case." He admitted, not quite sure if she'd find that cute or creepy.

"Then don't." Clara mumbled tiredly, her eyes drooping shut as she tried her hardest to cling on to her last moment before she slipped into unconsciousness to dream away her night. "Live here with me."

And it was almost like it had just been the plainest answer all along. He knew he wouldn't even need to ask. It was just that simple for them. They knew, especially now, that they didn't want to be separated.

Because when you think that you're about to lose something you love, only then do you realise what you're missing. And John and Clara definitely knew now what they held dearest to them above all else.