Family is Forever

Chapter 38- a family

"Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine oh yeah" Zosia and Ali were both singing along and giggling. Zosia's phone started to ring she rolled her eyes at Ali and picked up her phone "Hi dad- I can't talk tonight I'm having a girls night in with Natalia......Ciocia Klaudia......Mama Natalia" Zosia's face had turned white and and Ali was staring at her cousin. "Ali it's your Mama, she's in Gloucester Royal. She's been beaten up." Zosia looked at her younger cousin. "To musiał być Ricky. Nienawidzę go. Jest mama dobra. Mam na myśli, czy żyje" (it must have been Ricky. I hate him. Is Mum ok?I mean is she alive?) Ali asked in Polish panic hers eyes darting about scratching herself.
"Ona żyje" she's Alive Zosia assured her cousin. "Natalia Spójrz na mnie, look at me" Zosia took her cousins hands in hers. The cousins locked eyes. "Breathe kochanie, breathe" Zosia breathed in and out with her cousin "Alright. Let's go to Gloucester, let's go and see your mama."

In about an hour Zosia and Ali were in the car park at Gloucester Royal hospital. Zosia turned off the engine but rather than getting out of the car turned to a tearful Ali. "Natalia, before we go in you have to tell me the truth kochaine. Did he.....Ricky..... did he ever hurt you? I mean I know you told me some of what he said but did he ever, hurt you... physically."
Ali looked down at her lap.
"Natalia?" Zosia asked.
"When mama was out, or sleeping, or playing music loud. He used to come into my room. He would kick me. It happened a few times. It was never too bad, just a few bruises but one time....I retaliated I tried to hit him back. That's when he kicked me out...well kind of... he said if I ever came back he would kill me and my mother too. And he'd kill her if I told anyone."'Ali continued to stare at her lap.
"Oh Kochanie" Zosia leaned over and hugged her cousin. "I'm so glad that you came to holby  to find me."
"Kocham Cię" I love you Ali whispered to Zosia.
The went into the hospital where Guy was waiting for them. He hugged his niece who was crying again and kissed Zosia's forehead. "What's happened dad?" Zosia asked.
"Shes been assaulted. Bumps and bruises, broken nose. A few broken and fractured ribs, radial fracture. Most worryingly she has an acute subdural haematoma, they're performing a craniotomy now." Guy told Zosia.
"What does that even mean?" Ali asked
"She got a broken nose and some bruises, a few broken ribs and a broken arm. She also has a bleed on her brain which the surgeons are working on now." Zosia calmly told her cousin. "Brain surgery?" Ali asked. "That's really serious, isn't it?"
"She's in the best possible hands" Guy tried to comfort Ali putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She shook it off "don't be so patronising, tell me what's going on. I'm not a baby!" She made eye contact with Guy. "Sit down Natalia." Guy led her into an office.
"We won't know anything for definite until she's out of surgery if she wakes up. Many people with this kind of trauma end up with some kind of brain injury. All we can do for now is wait."
"Can I see her?" Ali asked
"When she's out of surgery, I'll go and get an update." Guy walked out of the room and Ali burst into tears. Zosia hugged her cousin. "I feel so helpless. I should have been there to protect her." Ali sobbed,
"Don't be silly Natalia your 16. It's not your job to protect your mother" Zosia held Ali.
"Ojcze nasz, któryś jest w niebie
święć się imię Twoje;
przyjdź królestwo Twoje;
bądź wola Twoja jako w niebie tak i na ziemi;" Ali whispered the Lord's Prayer Zosia joined in
"chleba naszego powszedniego daj nam dzisiaj;
i odpuść nam nasze winy, jako i my odpuszczamy naszym winowajcom;
i nie wódź nas na pokuszenie;
ale nas zbaw od złego. Amen."
Zosia held a crying Ali until Guy came back in "She's out of theatre. You can come and see her but she needs to rest. She won't wake up for a while yet. But it's looking ok so far" Guy led Ali and Zosia towards the lift.

"Mama!" Ali ran up to her mothers bed then stopped abruptly. Klaudia was intubated, her nose was bent out of shape and her face was covered in cuts and bruises. She was in a side room on her own, being kept alive by tubes and wires. "She doesn't even look like my mama anymore..." tears leaked from Ali's eyes. There were a few chairs next to Klaudia's bed. "Your mama needs some rest Natalia, and so do you. I mean what a day you've had. Day treatment then this.
It wasn't too long until Ali fell asleep. Zosia saw a blanket in the corner and draped it over her sleeping cousin. Guy came in quietly and pulled up a chair.

An hour or so later everyone was sleeping but Guy. Ollie Valentine had got a text from Guy telling him what had happened so after his shift he drove to Gloucester. He walked into Klaudia's room with two coffees. He saw Zosia and Ali were asleep. It was such a beautiful family moment that he felt he was intruding. So he turned back to leave the room. Guy heard him and turned around. "Oliver, where are you going?" Guy asked
"Ali and Zosia, they need their family right now. You and Klaudia. I don't want to intrude."
"Oliver, You are part of this family now! You and Zosia are good together . I might have been hostile towards you in the past. I'm an overprotective father. I wouldn't have though prince Harry was good enough for my Zoshie. But I've seen how much you love her. How happy you make her. And that's good enough for me." Ollie shook Guys hand. Then they embraced. As a family Kaludia, Ali, Guy, Zosia and Ollie.