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‘Where else would I be headed?’

Noah realised he was out of his depth here He wasn’t a parent rushing to his injured daughter Squeezing Stacey’s hand, he said nothingabout Stacey and the pain she was going through If only he could take it away—or take it on himself But all he could do was be there for her, and in a fewher and he’d become redundant

I don’t want that

The idea of being left out in the cold already ot to hi her agony, had woken his about why she hadn’t talked about Holly Botto important to him

‘Hurry up,’ Stacey yelled at the slowly opening sliding doors at the entrance to the e, and headed to the reception desk ‘I’ht in by ambulance in the last twenty minutes,’ she snapped

Her hand was tre in his He stepped nearer ‘Steady’

The wo at the screen in front of her ‘Holly Wainwright, date of birth?’

Noah listened as Stacey gave Holly’s birth date The door beside theh’

Holly o? That ether So there had been so, she’d said, but it only took once to get pregnant His feet were leaden as he walked beside her She’d become a mother since he’d first known her That was hard to accept As if he’d been abstaining throughout those years There hadn’t been cause to, but neither had he had many dates

But— But he was being arrogant She was entitled to live her life however she wanted, and he certainly couldn’t cole, so he didn’t have to walk aithout seeing if they’d be a et over himself

‘Dad,’ Stacey shrieked, pulling away fro by a cubicle ‘Where’s Holly?’

The composed nurse he knew had flown out theWhich warmed him This was the Anastasia he’d alanted to believe in Nothing like his cold uncle and aunt He’d at first tried to deny Stacey’s loving war her in et

Her father nodded to the bed beyond the curtains, and Stacey disappeared out of sight

Stepping up to the man, Noah put his hand out ‘I’m Noah Kennedy Anastasia ith me when her mother phoned about the accident’

The guy glanced at his daughter and then looked hard at hiaze The question slipped away, replaced elcoone to see Nice to ht, and this’ he turned slightly ‘is my wife, Stacey’s mum, Judy And our son, Toby’

Judy was staring at him, caution couldn’t be more direct on her face Why were these two so wary about a ? Were they overly protective? It wasn’t his place to comment, and he could be totally off track about this family Anastasia never spoke of them without love Did she kno lucky she was? Yes, she probably did He held his hand out to Judy ‘Pleased to ht’

The wohter before co his hand in hers briefly ‘Hello, Noah Thank you for getting Stacey here so quickly’

Noah h ‘Anyone would have done the same’ Then he turned to look at Stacey, and his heart stuttered

She was sprawled on the very edge of the bed, her hand holding her daughter’s and wearing a strained s rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay

The girl was tiny in the large bed, her face abnormally pale with streaks of dried blood fro her cheeks, and her eyes were closed, long, dark lashes black on that wan skin She looked so fragile Noah felt his heart crack For Stacey, and Holly

Someone cleared his throat ‘Excuse ed for a CT scan of Holly’s head,’ he said directly to Anastasia ‘The paramedic said she was in and out of consciousness on the way here, and so far she’s not responding to anything I’ll explain all the scenarios to you She’s also broken her arh an X-ray will confirm that’

Judy said, ‘Stacey’s a nurse She’ll knohat’s going on’

Stacey’s head whipped up ‘Right now I’m a mother, not a nurse’ She nodded to Harry Robinson ‘Talk to Noah He’s a doctor He can tellat her daughter, i silently for her to wake up