Wait For Me

Unwelcome Visitor

"Morning baby..." Grace's face illuminated as she saw her mother walking into her room. Connie sat down beside the bed smiling as Grace reached out for her hand. "Did you sleep well?" She nodded slightly as Connie shuffled forwards to run a hand through her hair.

Grace's recovery was taking its time, but she was thankful for the little damage it had seemed to have done. The accident was almost 7 months ago now and it had been the longest time of her life waiting for Grace to wake again. "Jacob says he'll come by later, if he can get away from his shift."

The smile on her daughters face was unmissable at the mention of him. She took a deep breath worried about telling her the truth of their current situation, that he was no longer around to care for them as he once might have. "Maybe we could watch a film tonight, hmm? I'm sure I could get a TV in here." Grace smiled as her mother levelled her eyes with a smirk.

Lifting an arm up, Connie frowned before standing up to perch on the edge of the bed beside her daughter. Wrapping her arms around her she placed a kiss to the top of her head. "We'll get through this sweetheart, all of this... Me and you, against it all." Looking down to her Grace smiled before leaning into her chest again, holding on as best as she could.

There was some chatter from outside as Connie ran a hand through Grace's hair before the door was abruptly opened. Her head snapped up to see him standing there, her expression instantly dropping. Grace looked across the room to the person now occupying the space, her eyes widening a little before she tried sitting forwards.

Connie swallowed past the lump that had risen in her throat, unsure whether it was caused by anger or the doubt she always felt in herself whenever he was around. "Hello Connie." It took her a moment as he moved closer to the bed. "Hi sweetheart, it's good to see you awake again." He smiled running a finger across her cheek before she fell forwards into his chest.

She found herself feeling out of her depth as she lingered backwards, unaware of the face that looked in at them from outside. Moving a hand to cover her mouth she watched them before running her hand through her hair. "You didn't say you were coming-" "I didn't realise I had to. She is my daughter too Connie."

Rolling her eyes she folded her arms against her chest. "I wasn't saying that but some warning would have been nice." "Well I'm here now, and I'll be around for a while... We're going to get you back to normal." He smiled down at Grace seeing some reservations on her face before she grinned up at him. Sam was oblivious to her falter but Connie had seen it and it was enough to tell her that this wasn't what she needed right now.

"Sam-" "Has anyone even been thinking of physio? Therapies for her speech? She's been awake for a couple of weeks now surely it's the next step." "Not here." Connie glared across at him as he flicked through her charts before Connie stepped forwards snatching them from his grasp. "If you're here for her, be here for her. Don't you dare come here and start insinuating I haven't been caring properly for my daughter-" "Well you never have in the past. Excuse me for thinking the worst of you."

Connie stopped still as she watched him turn back to Grace, a pain in her chest so hard to ignore that she didn't even know what to say. Seeing her daughters attention fully on Sam, she placed down the file before removing herself from the room, missing Grace's longing gaze after her.

Letting the door shut silently behind her, she walked somewhat in a trance. Her mind wanting to be anywhere else but here. "Connie?" Her head snapped up seeing Chris watching her across the hall, a worried look upon his face at the distant expression she wore. "What are you doing here?" "I thought I'd come and check on you both, meet Grace properly-" "It's not a good time." Her bluntness caught him off guard as he shrugged. "I didn't know-" "Well you should have called first!"

She snapped before taking a deep breath feeling the world getting the better of her. "I'm sorry-" "Don't be, I should have checked with you." Shaking her head she stepped across the hallway to stand in front of the window with him. Glancing in she saw the smile on Grace's face as Sam sat beside her talking. "That's her father, let's just say we never have been on good terms." Chris nodded as he placed a hand to her back gently.

Sighing she turned to face him before leaning into his chest. She moved her arms around his shoulders as he embraced her tightly, placing a kiss to the top of her head. "How's she doing?" "Really well, not that he'll see that. He just sees his 8 year old daughter unable to move or speak as she should. He doesn't see everything she's been through these last few months."

Chris ran a hand through her hair as she kept her head to his chest. "I wish this was all just some bad dream. That I could wake up and everything would be different." He smiled gently seeing Grace's eyes on them through the window, Sam's gaze quickly following. "I think someone wants you..." Connie lifted her head to see Grace watching her with a wide smile.

"Here's the thing... She doesn't know who you are, she doesn't even know that I'm not with the man I was on the day of the accident." Chris nodded gently adding no pressure, much to her surprise. She had expected a bad reaction from him. "Why would she? She's woken from a serious injury, I don't expect you to give her the run down of everything three weeks in." Wandering towards the door, she paused looking to him standing hidden behind the wall. "Come in with me?" He smiled with a nod as she turned back to the door letting his hand fall from hers returning to the wall.

He watched on from afar as they wandered into the room. Smiling to himself sadly, he took a few steps backwards before disappearing from the ward. A part of him had hoped he would have got a chance to speak to her today, but he could see that ship had sailed along with his opportunity of getting what they had back anytime soon.