Enough is Enough- A Reddie Short Story

Chapter Four

Eddie sat in a small cubicle in A&E, bouncing his leg up and down nervously.

Rachel had left with a Doctor to go for an x-ray of her head and wrist about ten minutes ago. Whilst Rachel's nose didn't appear to be broken, the Doctor was convinced her wrist was. She'd also wanted to check her head. Eddie had stayed in the little cubicle to look after her belongings.

He felt so guilty that he hadn't been there to protect Rachel today when she needed him the most. Had he never left Waterloo Road to work elsewhere, he could have been. Or then, maybe if he hadn't left he wouldn't have had to protect her at all, because Max wouldn't have been at Waterloo Road at all.

He couldn't believe any of this was happening. He knew Max was a bit of an arrogant and stuck up tyrant, but he never thought he would hurt Rachel like that. In a way, he hoped he would never cross paths with him, ever, because he wouldn't be able to be nice.

That was his mistake, thinking Max was harmless, that even though he was a bit of a git, he was adamant he wouldn't harm Rachel. The amount of times Rachel had come home, stressed, frustrated and upset over something he'd said or done, and he hadn't thought much of it, when alarm bells should have been ringing in his head. He thought Rachel was handling it well; she was headstrong and was more than capable of fighting her own battles. But even she needed protection from time to time. He should have been there for her, to stop him.

The curtain opened again, revealing Rachel. The bruises on her face were more prominent in the bright lights of the hospital. She was pale and shaken, the sparkle that usually danced in her brown eyes, was gone.

She smiled at him weakly.

"Everything ok?" he asked

She nodded

"They're just waiting for the results of my x-rays" she explained

Eddie nodded

She sat beside him on the bed, resting her head on his shoulder. Eddie wrapped an arm around her, feeling her body relax instantly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently

"A bit better, the painkillers have helped" she answered

She knew he didn't mean physically, but she couldn't tell him how she felt emotionally, because she didn't know. So much had happened in such a short space of time, she didn't know how to process it.

The Doctor entered the tiny cubicle, causing Eddie and Rachel to spring apart from one another. They both looked at the Doctor expectantly.

"I have your X-Ray results, Miss Mason. You do have a mild concussion, as I suspected, but otherwise there is no damage to your head" she announced

Both Eddie and Rachel sighed in relief.

"I'm afraid your wrist is a little more complicated. It's broken. You'll need to be in a cast for 6-8 weeks whilst it heals. I'm going to get a nurse to come and sort it for you now and then you are free to go home. However, I'm going to write you a sick note so you can rest at home for a week. You have a concussion and you need to rest and recover" the Doctor continued

Rachel nodded. She was relieved at that, knowing she wouldn't have to face Max again tomorrow.

Eddie was surprised at how well she was taking the Doctor's orders. He expected her to be protesting. Even when the Doctor left to get a Nurse, she stayed calmed and seemed unfazed by his words. It worried him a little, but he wasn't going to question her on it now.

A few minutes later, a Nurse came in. Rachel's arm and wrist were put into a cast, and once she'd signed some papers, they left A&E and got back into the car.

The whole ride home, Rachel was quiet and distant. Eddie knew she shut down when she was upset or angry. But right now, he couldn't really make out which emotion was at the forefront. Rachel's expression was blank, emotionless. He couldn't read her.