Part 34 (1/2)

It wasn't until mid-morning that Tom was able to get away from headquarters and make his way to the hospital. He now had two people to visit in ICU, but thankfully both were doing well and were due to be moved onto a ward that afternoon.

He walked past Leo's cubicle, and saw she had a visitor. It was Julian Richmond and Tom smiled. He hoped it worked out for her.

Tom carried on along the corridor in search of Becky. She was alone, and a nurse told him that Mark had finally gone home to get changed. He had been dripping river water everywhere but had refused to leave Becky's side until he knew she was all right, so they had lent him some scrubs until they could persuade him that she was out of danger.

Becky's prognosis had not been good when she was brought in. She had stopped breathing for a long time, so they had hitched her up to a machine to monitor her vital signs.

Tom looked at her now as she lay propped against the bright white pillowcases. She looked terrible and extremely young. Her eyes had purple smudges around them, and her skin was chalk-white with a blue bruise on one temple, but she turned her head slightly and smiled when she realised somebody was there.

'You're a b.l.o.o.d.y idiot, Becky Robinson,' he said softly, knowing that his gruff voice wouldn't hide the emotion he was feeling. 'I thought we'd lost you. Christ, what were you doing?' He walked into the cubicle and sat on the only chair.

'I'm a good swimmer, but my leg got tangled in something. I don't know if it was Duncan Taylor grabbing me, but it felt like rope,' she said, her voice husky. 'What about Maggie Taylor?' Becky asked. 'She knew her husband couldn't swim when she dragged him into the water with her.'

'If he was trying to kill her, who can blame her.'

'What's she saying?'

'Not a lot. She looks stunned.'

'Why the h.e.l.l didn't she tell us what was going on? Surely some of this could have been prevented?'

'We don't know how much she knew. Not much, at a guess. And if you've known somebody loved them even for years, it takes more than five minutes for you to accept that they're not what you believed them to be.'

'Well, she's going to have to be brave now. It's not going to be easy, dealing with the aftermath of all of this.'

Tom decided it was time to change the subject. 'Your Mark's a bit of a hero, isn't he. Are you going to marry him?'

'You can't ask me questions like that,' Becky said with mock indignation.

'Why not?' asked Tom, pinching a segment of chocolate orange off Becky's cabinet.

'So how's Leo?' Becky asked with a faint trace of her usual cheeky grin.

'I think she's doing okay. The nurse told me she's being moved onto a ward later. I was going to call in to see her, but Julian's with her so I'll come back another time.'

'No chance you two will get back together again, then?'

'Don't be nosey, Becky.'

'I can be anything I want today. I'm the heroine, and anyway you asked me about my love life, so why can't I ask you?'

'Because I'm the boss,' Tom said, nonchalantly biting into the chocolate.

'Not in here you're not. Come on. Are you going to have another go?'

Tom feigned shock. 'That's not very delicately put, if you don't mind me saying so.'

Becky tutted. 'You're obviously not going to tell me. I'll remember this, though.'

Tom owed her after the events of the past week, so for a moment he was serious. 'We won't be getting back together. We're friends, but it wouldn't work now, and anyway she seems keen on Julian.'

'Good,' said Becky.

Tom raised his eyebrows.

'Oh, Leo's okay, I'm sure. But you have other fish to fry. The lovely Louisa called in to see me earlier.'

Tom shook his head. 'I don't think she wants to know. I thought she might, but I've seen her a couple of times in here and she's not been the same. She's been friendly, but her eyes are telling a different story.'

'Dear Lord, why are men so stupid?' Becky asked, holding her hands out to her side and looking to heaven. She brought her gaze down to glare at Tom. 'She thought you were with Leo!'

Tom stared at Becky and realised that she was right. He remembered that she had intimated that but he'd been so tired he'd completely forgotten.

It was time to put an end to this conversation. He had revealed far too much of himself to Becky for one day.

He was saved from more questions by the ringing of his phone, and he was surprised to see it was his daughter, Lucy.

'Hi Lucy This is a nice surprise.'

'Daddy, I was so worried about you. Mum said I was being stupid, but I had to call you.'

It was rare these days that Lucy called him Daddy and he still loved it.

'What's up, sweetheart?'

'It said on the news that a police officer had nearly drowned, and I was scared it might be you.'

He could hear that she was close to tears.

'Lucy, love, there are thousands of police officers in Manchester. Why did you think it might be me?'

'Because you're daft enough to jump into a freezing river to save one of the bad guys, that's why.'

'No, I'm not. You'd have to be very stupid to jump into a river to do that.' Tom looked at Becky. 'I promise it wasn't me. It was Becky.'

There was a squeal down the phone and Becky held out her hand for Tom's mobile. She had often looked after Lucy when Tom had been suddenly called in to work during one of his weekends with his daughter. Tom listened to them chatting away and smiled, realising what a hole Becky would have left in their lives if tonight had turned out differently.

When the call was over, he stood up and reached out to squeeze Becky's hand. 'I'm glad you're okay, Becky, but next time, do as you're b.l.o.o.d.y well told. And if you don't want to listen to me, listen to Mark. Okay?'

She smiled back at him, clearly understanding without being told how much she had frightened him.

'Oh, one thing, Tom. Just before the chaos of last night you asked me to find out Sonia Beecham's mother's name, and it kind of got lost in everything else. It's Rose. Why did you want to know?'

Tom stopped. 'Rose Beecham. Of course. Sonia went to see a counsellor, but her mother made the arrangements and went with her the first few times. Rose Beecham's name was on the counsellor's appointment record the same counsellor as the boys.'