The Own Goal ✔️

Part 55

"Have ya got hold of him yet???"

"Bro I'm on it!!" Madders calls back to Jack.

"We need to go....." Craig interrupts, I'd forgotten he was here.

Jack looks at him, like he'd forgotten he was here too "nah, how? We've all been drinking and we're like nearly three hours away ya prick! How you gonna get us back hey? I'm fuckin' dealin' with it so just butt out!" I don't bother reacting to the aggression in Jack's voice.

"Oh my god Jack what are we going to do?" I wail at him.

He kisses my head, and I realise my head is on his chest, when did he start hugging me?
"they're calling a mate, we know someone that can fly us in a helicopter"

"A helicopter??"

"Yeah, we'll be there within an hour"

"Got him!!" Madders yells, Jack releases me and goes to talk on the phone.

Craig's arms replace Jacks around me. "She'll be ok"

I don't feel reassured by him though. It's not him I want reassuring me.

Jack returns and sits on a bench nearby "it'll be here in 15 minutes, it'll land here in the garden so do ya need to get anything from inside?"

I shake my head. "We shouldn't have both left her"

"Chels, she was fine, jus' a sniffle.......you'd sent her to nursery all week, she was the same today as she was when I got her yesterday" he's right, I know he's right.

"We'll be there soon Chelsea, try not to panic" Craig rubs my back.

Sian, Jasmin and Layla run out and I hear Ben and Madders fill them in on what's happening. They all gather around me and I notice Chris hovering around Sian.

Jack's staring at the floor. I break away from everyone and sit next to him. Immediately like an automatic reflex, his arm lifts for me to snuggle in. "I swear she was no worse this morning than last night, an' the same when I left......I wouldn't have left her if she was really ill"

"I know, I know" I rub his chest. "And I know she's safe with your parents until we get there" my only comfort is that I absolutely do trust his parents with her life.

Our heads are right next to each other, literally cheek to cheek "of course she is"
He checks his watch, it's nearly 11pm already "we'll be there by midnight"

I bury my face into his chest as tears of fear start to run down my face.
I know by the way Jacks positioned his own face, hiding it into my hair and shoulder that he's struggling too. She's his weakness.....he can't cope when anything happens to her that he can't fix straight away.

I know everyone is looking at us. Nicole has joined the group. If Jack has noticed he doesn't care.

"There it is!" We both turn and Dele and Madders are pointing to the lights in the sky getting closer.

We stand up and Jack squeezes my hand "ya ready?"

I wipe my eyes and nod. We watch the small helicopter land.

"Oh crap I feel sick just looking at it Jack!"

"You'll be fine, I'll sit with ya in the back"

Craig runs up to us "ready? Jasmin said she's fine to drive my car back and all our stuff tomorrow"

"Craig, no it's ok, you don't need to come, me and Jack will be fine" I can see Jacks jaw clenching.

"No, Chelsea, you're my girl and I'm coming with you to look out for you, plus I've become quite attached to Mia Chelsea, I want to know she's ok"

"I'll ring you craig"

"I want to come because I care about you, you and Mia"

Jack turns to him "oh fuck off! Jus' cos ya been fuckin' Chelsea for 4 months gives you no fuckin' claim ova my daughter! Become fuckin' attached to her! Pffft! How dare ya, ya fuckin' prick!"

"Hey pal, I've probably spent more time with her than you the last couple of months!"

I instantly step in front of Craig incase Jack hits him. Jack's furious, but attacks him with words rather than his fists.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?? Fuck right off Mr fucking boring! This does not concern you! An' I am not ya fuckin' pal!"

Jack stomps off to the helicopter. I look at Craig. "You don't need to come. We are her family, it's just me and Jack going" I walk off following Jack, who is ready to help me into my seat.

-

I hate every second of the helicopter ride. I barely open my eyes the whole time I don't want to wear the headphones, but the pilot tells me I have to incase he needs to give safety instructions. I tune out to him and Jack making idle small talk and grip Jacks hand the whole way making both our palms sweaty.

We finally land and there's someone waiting to guide us from the roof down a stairway into the main belly of the hospital.

"Do you know where childrens is?" The man asks Jack. Jack nods and leads me around the long empty corridors of the hospital.

He hasn't dropped my hand for a second.

The door to the children's department is locked. Jack presses the buzzer and tells the lady that answers we are Mia Grealish's parents.

We are let in and guided into a side room.

We walk in and survey the scene in front of us.
We both seem to give way at the same time and we cling to each other, like two playing cards leaning together, holding each other up, if one were to fall the other would too.

Mia's fragile small body is laying on a large bed with cot sides raised. There's monitors and wires draped over her little still body. An oxygen tube under her nose.

Karen and Kevin are sitting either side of her, both holding her tiny hands through the bars.

They both look exhausted.

Karen stands and scoops both of us into her motherly embrace.

"She's ok" she finally says, "they are waiting on a few results coming back, but it looks like bronchiolitis, her airways have narrowed, she was struggling to breathe.......she were fine at bedtime, soaked grandad at bath time.....but she woke around half nine, her breathing sounded bad, her little chest was working so hard......we called 111 and they sent the first responder.....her oxygen levels were low....and for a moment she went floppy....." karens voice breaks, "so he called in the ambulance"

I leave Karen's embrace and move to the bed, I immediately feel Jack behind me, his arm holding me around my waist.

"She's doing much better now she's got some oxygen" Karen continues "they've given her steroids and she's been sleeping peacefully"

I let my body relax, I lean into Jack, I feel his body relax too. The tenseness of the fear leaving us. We stand together, I reach through to hold her hand, my head against Jacks chest. He gently strokes her face. His other arm around my waist, holding me close.

A nurse comes in and tells us we can't all stay, but given how late it is, both me and Jack can. Kevin and Karen both kiss Mia's head gently and hug both me and Jack before reluctantly leaving.

There's a huge reclining armchair in the room for parents.
Jack drags it as close to Mia's bed as possible, he sits in it then pats his thighs, indicating for me to sit with him. I oblige and Jack reclines the chair back. I turn slightly so I'm laying on my side, half on him, half next to him against the egde of the chair. His arms cradle around me and I feel his chin on my head.

We lay in silence, watching Mia, listening to her breathing. Listening to the hum of the machine monitoring her. The slight rasp of her breathing.

Eventually I feel Jack's body drop slightly, his breathing becomes deep and regular. I close my eyes and join in him in sleep.