You took my heart, could I please have it back?

[47] You took my heart, could I please have it back?

Dedicated to ColmPatrick for helping me get over my writers' block! Thank you so much :D

.:Recap:.

I was very pleased to meet you Addy, I really needed that release, and I sincerely hope you feel better too.

Your friend,

Liz

Then I hurriedly followed my dad out of the B&B, in desperate hope that Sue - and her children - were alright.

.:Story Start:.

The taxi ride seemed to last forever as we drove through surprisingly busy roads. Every second seemed like a minute as I stared into space, wondering if Sue was okay, if Sarah was okay, if Alex was okay. I ran my hand through my hair, terrified for them. What if she...I couldn't even bring myself to think the damn word.

Dad, next to me, looked equally anxious, his face pale, his blue eyes thick with worry. I bit my lip and sighed, yet again, trying to think positively for their sake. They couldn't lose another parent, especially not so soon.

"Dad, she'll be okay, right?" I asked timidly, and he glanced at me.

"Of course she will. She's a Collins, they make it through anything," he smiled weakly and I nodded in agreement, thinking about how they had all seemed so strong after Neil passed away.

Finally I saw we were getting into familiar territory, and I glanced out of the windscreen and saw our town in the distance. Within ten minutes we were drawing near the town centre, and then finally we were home. Dad paid the driver while I got the stuff out of the boot, and we went inside, dumped our stuff and got straight into dad's car to head to the hospital.

The drive was short; the hospital wasn't far away and dad was driving fast. We got out of the car, dad shoved some money in the parking machine to get his ticket while I waited, shifting from one foot to the other impatiently, and then we hurried to the doors.

A&E was half full when we arrived. Actually most of it was filled with the Collins' extended family; I noticed with a twist in my gut that James was sat beside Alex, who was staring at the wall, looking numb. Sarah was the first to notice us and gave me a mammoth hug before letting me go to Alex.

It almost physically hurt me to see his face, so gaunt and pale, his eyes, so filled with pain and worry, his lips in a hard line. I sat beside him and wrapped my arms round his waist, feeling his warm body against mine, comforting him for once. He hugged me back, resting his chin on my head, and I entangled my fingers in his hair, hoping to make him feel comforted.

His body began shaking in my arms and I realised he was crying, but felt powerless as he was bigger than me so I couldn't simply scoop him into my arms. I pulled him close to me as he buried his face in my shoulder, and clung to me like I so often did to him. I let him, knowing he had much better cause than I did.

My eyes met James' over his head and he frowned sorrowfully. I knew he must be in pain, too, and mouthed "I'm sorry", but he just shrugged, his gaze shifting to the trembling, sobbing boy in my arms. I rubbed his back comfortingly, my lips meeting his neck gently, and he clutched me tighter.

I looked around at the other members of James' family; the twins were sitting on chairs, silent for once, staring at the floor. Sarah was crying and Lucy, James' eleven year old sister, was comforting her. Josh and Charlie were talking quietly a couple of seats further along. Mr and Mrs Black and my dad were all sitting across from us, Mrs Black crying.

"I should be comforting Sarah," Alex's pained, croaky voice made me jump and I frowned.

"She's alright with Lucy," said James. Alex sat up, pulling me into his lap, and I glanced at his tearstained face. His tears had stopped but he still looked hollow and empty.