Halcyon

A Blow to the Career?

Two and a half hours later Nikki had finally given her statement and findings on the three girls' bodies and is now heading out of the courtroom and just going to the toilet to compose herself and use the toilet before meeting with Jack to head off home. 
Once she comes out of the toilet she walks down the long corridor in direction of the main entrance where Jack has just text to say he is waiting for her. She texts him back before looking at a few more messages which have been sent to her in the past two and a half hours. 

She walks down the corridor and looks up to see Jack at the other end of the corridor, he waves to her and she smiles back before looking down at her phone and responding to the last text message. 
Nikki stops and places her phone in her handbag before zipping it back up, as she zips it back up two people walk towards her, the one bashes into her putting her off balance and the other grabs her and she feels a sharp blow to her ribs, she looks them dead in the face then suddenly realises it's Michael Swayer. "Michael?" She says as gasps as she is winded. 

Before she can say anymore he looks her dead in the eyes, and she feels another sharp blow. Nikki looks down and then the pain kicks in as she sees a knife in her stomach with the blood slowly taking over her white top. 

He pulls away leaving the knife in her stomach and she looks down at Jack in a complete panic, Jack notices something is wrong and then runs to her side. "Shit Nikki!" He panics as he looks at her. 

She looks at him white as a ghost before collapsing to the floor, he looks down at Nikki who is holding the knife in pain and begins to cry and moan in pain, he the notices Michael and a friend running off. "Stay here I will be back!" He says and dashes off after them. 

"No Jack, don't leave me... I'm going to die!" She panics as she cries. 
Jack gets halfway down the corridor before he stops and realises he should be with his fiancee. He turns back and runs to her side and kneels down with her, She is slumped against the wall holding the knife in place, "What you like ay Nik, told you back walking into knives... that's my job" He says trying to make light of this serious situation. 

He moves Nikki's hands and looks at the wound, but all he can see is blood pumping out of her body around the knife, He gently moves her so she is in his arms and he can stem the bleed quicker, "Somebody gets some help! We need an ambulance!" He shouts and a few people run off to get help while another calls an ambulance.
"Jack... Jack, don't leave me... I-I-I...I'm...s-s-scared..." She says breathlessly as she watches Jack wrap his hands around the knife and stem the bleed. 
Nikki suddenly kicks into full panic mode and grabs the knife and pulls it out which only aggravates the bleed. "Nikki... you stupid, stupid woman..." He panics as the blood pours from her body faster than he can stop it. 

Within minutes an ambulance is on its way but Nikki is starting to lose consciousness, "Nikki, Nik, look at me, look at me... you need to stay awake!" He says fighting his own tears as Nikki lies almost lifeless in his lap, her colour fading from her face and suddenly she seems very defenseless and venerable.
"Jack...I-I... Love y-y-you" She says her voice trembling. 
"Nik... look-" He begins. 
"I've always wondered what... it's... like... t-t-t-to die... but... I... never p-p-pictured... it... like...this" She speaks as her eyes roll back into her head again and Jack shakes her as he keeps his hand firmly on her wound. 
"Nikki you need to stay awake" He speaks the tears forming in his eyes as she keeps slipping in and out of consciousness. "Where the fuck is this ambulance" He shouts angrily.  
"I'm tired... let me sleep... please, just...five... minutes-" She whispers and looks up at him and uses all her strength to lift her hand and cup his face.

"Nikki tell me what you're going to do with Poppy and Maddison tonight!" Jack says thinking of the girls suddenly and how she needs to keep awake. 
Jack looks at the floor around them and notices the pool of Nikki's blood-forming, "Look after them Jack... make sure you read then... plenty... of stories... and tell them about... me" She mumbles her eyes rolling again as a single tear slips down her face. 

He shakes her again and just tries to keep her listening as she closes her eyes, "Hey Nik, don't sleep... hey, when you're all better... me and you are going to get married, Nikki. You'll be Mrs Hodgson, we'll have more children... how many do you want? two more, three more? we're going to be a family forever Nik, I promise you just hold on in there!" He speaks kissing her forehead as he blood swamps his hands again. 

Nikki then is quiet and he shakes her but she doesn't respond like the previous attempts. He then moves her gently and feels for a pulse but there is nothing.
"Shit Nicola... don't die on me... you hear me!" Jack panics, as he lies her flat on her back and starts CPR. 

I like a miracle as he begins CPR the paramedics arrive and take over her care and begin to pack the wound and work on bringing her back. 
They hook Nikki up to the External Defibrillator and scan for a pulse before administering a shock to her body, Jack stands back and watches her lifeless body jolt. "Charge to 350... clear... shocking" The one paramedic announces as they do it again, she jolts again and then pauses as a long beep from the machine comes out.  

Jack isn't a religious man but suddenly he found himself preying as he watches on as they take over her breathing and back the wound and as the other still performs CPR on her lifeless body...