Family is Forever

part 8 take two

I'm not sure if you got this as part of the last one I published it before it was totally finished please let me know if you can see this bit of text in the previous part. Beth xxx

Serena went to check on Ali. And stepped through the small gap in the curtain surrounded Ali's bed 'Natalia' she asked looking at the notes then, after not getting any reply, she realised Ali wasn't in her bed. She turned to the woman in the bed next to Ali's
'Mrs Richardson, have you seen the young girl who was in the bed next to yours?' She asked
'No, she was there five minutes ago. Is she ok?' Mrs Richardson replied.
'I hope so..' Serena sighed  and walked towards the nurses station, thinking she had to find Ali before Zosia returned, which could be any second now. She informed the two nurses at the station, Fletch and Lou, that Ali was missing and they both started to look  in the staff room and offices while Serena Rushed off towards the toilets.
She walked into the toilets and saw Ali's bag on the floor, her phone halfway across the room and Ali herself, her frail body sat hunched under the sink while she concentrated on cutting long vertical cuts, slowly and deliberately along her forearm. Almost calmly as if she was in a trance.
'Natalia.' Serena said softly. Which seemed to bring Ali back to reality.
'Don't come near me,'she stammered 'I don't want you here'
'I'm not going to hurt you, I just think that you should put that knife down' Serena said slowly and calmly. 'Come on, you're not helping yourself here, we can help you, just please give me the knife,' the blood flowing from Ali's arm started to trickle into the floor. 'you're safe here' Bernie Wolfe another doctor pushed open the door of the ladies as she heard something was going on. 'Get Zosia March down here now' Serena whispered to Bernie. Bernie left before Ali had even seen her as she was facing away from the door making another cut along her arm. 'Natalia,' Serena tried again more firmly. 'You need to give me that knife. And your cuts need medical attention.'
Ali held out the knife to Serena with a shaking arm. Serena took it 'good girl. It's going to be ok, we're going to look after you' she whispered to Ali. Ali looked at Serena who was crouched beside her she made eye contact with the concerned doctor then put her bleeding arms around her and burt into tears.