He Called Me Wife. Disaster Engagement Series Book 5.

Episode 15

POV Fran

I got up early the day after Carmela’s party because I had to text Lydia. When I got home from the party the night before I had asked her to come to my house for breakfast but she didn’t text me back, which was annoying but I had turned my phone off because Monica had been calling me all night giving me abuse down the phone. I got up and got changed and I had a spring in my step because I couldn’t wait to see her. I carefully choose my outfit because I wanted everything to be perfect. I was going over in my mind what I was going to say to her. I didn’t want it to sound like a speech but I kept going over it and over it. I was saying it out loud into the mirror and it sounded really rehearsed. My front buzzer sounded and I had never felt this nervous and excited at the same time. Then my front door burst opened and it was The big man and he stormed in past me “don’t you answer your f*****g phone” he shouted and I thought from the way he was acting that someone had told him that I was going to tell Lydia how I felt. “My phones off because I dumped Monica last night and she kept calling me. Anyway I think we should talk...” he cut me off “we don’t have time to talk we need to go, now” “go where?” I asked with a laugh “you mean you don’t know? Don’t you watch tv” he picked up my tv remote and pressed it and immediately there was photos of a car crash. The news reporter said “the accident happened late last night, the car contained the singer Lydia Knight and her two bodyguards, the star is in a critical condition and in a statement released this morning she may not have long to live. We are reporting live from LA general Hospital” I couldn’t take in what I was hearing and my legs gave way underneath me. “Come on mate we need to pull it together we need to be there if she.. when she wakes up. Come on let’s go” he picked me up off the floor and we went out to his car. “What happened?” I asked and I could hear my voice trembling “I honestly don’t know, when the party finished we all left and got stuck on the high way because the traffic was at a stand still, it was back to back, they said it was a bad accident on the road. we had no idea it was her. There was ambulances and police everywhere. Mick and Stacey were sharing a car in front of me and Tommy. We all got out and stood talking on the road when John Steel came over, he asked what happened we told him it was a white Range Rover and that’s when he realised it was her. I didn’t know he had bought her a new car. He lost it mate, he tried to run into the accident when they were cutting her free. Tommy tried to punch a copper that wouldn’t let them through to her. John was shouting and screaming her name and Mick held him back.. it was f*****g terrible. I was in shock I couldn’t take it in. Stacey fainted but Mick kept a level head, he was trying to calm us all down because Chris and Carm had the kids with them. The four of them were crying hysterically” I didn’t know what to say or think because I was in shock.” I took a deep breath “is she going to be ok?” I asked, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer. “We don’t know, we just need to get there, be there for her. We need to have faith she’s going to pull through. She has multiple injuries, they said they could tell us more today. Everyone wanted to know where you were” “I feel awful, I could kill Monica for making me leave early” “there was nothing you could do” “have you seen her yet?” I asked “no they said only her next of kin can get in just now, but she’s on the life support machine” “I need to see her” I said and I could feel the tears dripping down my face. We got outside the hospital and abandoned the car in the car park, there was press and film crews everywhere and lots of fans crying with candles all over the ground like a candlelit vigil. It was insane I couldn’t believe I had went from expecting her for breakfast to this. The cameras turned to us and loads of reporters were shouting questions but we didn’t know anything, we quickly went inside and got into the elevator. I was shuffling from side to side and rubbing my face. I didn’t want to cry in front of everyone but I couldn’t help it. An elderly woman in a dressing gown was being pushed by a nurse. The lady reached out and brushed my arm “hey I’m sorry about your girlfriend but she’s going to pull through I can tell she’s a fighter” I just looked at her, I was in shock. Then the big man said “shes not his girlfriend” even now when we were about to lose her he was still being competitive about her. We got out the elevator and we ran along the corridor to the waiting room. I burst in first and they were all there and they were all still in there party suits and dresses from the night before. Carm was holding Chris like a baby as he sat swaying and crying. It broke my heart. Carmela’s face was tear stained and puffy, she looked drained. Stacey was next to Carm and her eyes were bright red and she just sat staring at the floor. Tommy was siting with his head in his hands he looked like he was crying. Mick was pacing back and forward and John was standing with his back to them all looking out the window. They all looked up when I walked in but it took them a second or two to register that it was me. Chris jumped up and hugged me tight “they won’t let us in Fran, and they won’t tell us anything. I can’t have her die in there on her own” the big man cuddled both of us “shes not going to die Chris” said the big man. “she’s in the best place possible” said Mick “she’s going to be fine” said The big man no one could look at him as if they knew something we didn’t “have they told you guys anything?” I asked “no, not yet” said Chris “then why are you all convinced that she’s not going to make it? It’s written all over your faces” “you didn’t see the car Fran, nobody walks away from something like that” Said Carm “what about Vinnie and Danny are they ok? if they are ok then so will she” “they were wearing there seat belts” John punched the wall “calm down John” said Mick. “I’m going to kill those two they should have been looking after her” he shouted “it’s not their fault John” “I’m going to end them and their families for this” then a doctor opened the door “can I ask you to keep the noice down, I know this is a difficult time but you are disturbing the other patients” “can you tell us anything doctor?” Asked Mick “Not at this time” “I need to see her” I said “as I’ve told your friends only next of kin” “I’m her husband” I turned to Carm “we never got a divorce” the doctor nodded his head “I will take you in to see her for a few minutes” I could feel the rest of them staring at me as I walked out of the room. I took a deep breath at the door “she’s unconscious, but please be aware there is a lot of machines working to help her so please don’t be alarmed” he opened the door and I couldn’t believe my eyes, my tiny beautiful girl in a large bed cover in wires and tubes. I went over to her and took her hand I was crying uncontrollably “it’s me Gorgeous it’s Fran, you gave me a fright. It’s time to wake up now” there was only the beeping from the machines. Her long lashes sat on her cheeks and she looked peaceful she didn’t look in any pain. “I love you Lydia, I mean it and once you feel better I’m going to give you everything you want in life and your going to live a long and happy life with me” I kissed her forehead. “They are going to continue with more tests this morning” “can I stay with her for a while” “no I’m sorry” he said, I kissed her again and wiped my eyes “I’m a huge fan of her and the band” “thank you” was all I could say. I went back into the room and they were all on there feet waiting for me except Tommy he still had his head down. “What did he say is she ok?” Asked Mick “she looks really peaceful, like shes not in any pain, your right Mick she’s in the best place, they are going to do more tests and the doctor is a fan of the band he’s going to take extra special care of her” Carmela smiled “she’s dying mate” said Chris, “stop kidding yourself” “don’t say that Chris she’s going to be fine” said the big man. I could hear high heels walk along the hallway outside and a bit of an argument then the door burst open and it was the Lydia’s mum the dragon. She looked at them all “hello” she said and looked around the room “Christopher stop your bloody bubbling” he wiped his tears “sorry auntie Elaine” he said with a sniff. “hello Carmela, Stacey…hello Jamie” “hello mrs Knight” he said and he looked uncomfortable “there he is, my boy, my little sunshine, come here” she grabbed me into a cuddle and I felt like a little boy again. I would always run to her when my mum left me for days on my own or when her boyfriend kicked the s**t out of me” “it’s going to be ok” she whispered and I believed her. “Oh and you three are here too, the dirty old man, the one that made her get a tattoo and the one that proposes without her fathers permission” she turned back to me “Where is she?” “She’s next door” she turned and barged by the doctor and nurse and out of the door and she was in there for about an hour.

When Elaine came back in we all stood up because we thought she would have some news for us and also because we were all scared of her. “Joes in there with Lydia, he’s in a bad way he can’t stop crying, bloody p***y I told him to grow a set of balls, so he’s just pulling himself together” she looked at everybody and said “sit down” and everyone of us including John did as they were told. She sat next to me and took my hand “come here my boy tell me what happened” but I didn’t have any answers. “The police said that someone had deliberately drove them off the road” she said “what?” Said John and stood up “someone done this to her?” “yes and don’t interrupt me” she said I seen Chris’s eyebrows shoot up and John sat down “as I was saying they have CCTV of a car driving them off the road they will find out who it was, but obviously I don’t want the police involved. We would like to sort them out ourselves” I looked at Tommy and he looked terrified of her. “Auntie Elaine we shouldn’t be thinking about that right now we should be concentrating on her” her whole demeanor changed when she spoke to me “I know Frankie your right” she kissed my cheek. John looked at the big man and then at Tommy. “I’ll find out what happened and deal with them myself” “don’t be stupid, Joe wants blood as usual, a few of you lot are lucky to still be standing. here he comes now” the door opened and my uncle Joe peered his head in” I stood up and he gave me a hug “she’s my baby Frankie I can’t believe this is happening” “I know Joe” we both hugged “Chris she’s my little girl she’s in there with tubes coming out of her nose and machines keeping her alive” “Jamie son, have you seen her? Have you seen what this bastard has done to her” he shook his head. “Sit down and calm down tiny tears” said the dragon, I forgot just how cut throat she was. But she wasn’t all bad I knew that better than anyone, she just knew we all needed a bit of tough love to pull us together. That’s when the door opened again and it was Julia, Lydia’s sister. I haven’t seen her in about five years and she just how I remembered her. She was the most nervous quiet gentle soul I had ever met. Although she had Lydia’s long dark hair she wasn’t as pretty and she didn’t have her perfect body, she was a lovely person but had a really bad habit of pointing out the obvious and it had grated on me since we were kids. “Julia are you ok?” I asked. She just shook her head really fast “Julia I’ve told you to stop f*****g crying” said the dragon “she’s been in a car accident I can’t stop crying. What if she dies I’ve lost my best friend and my sister” I felt bad for her but when she would point out the obvious I wanted to slap her and I knew it annoyed Lydia too because we used to laugh about it behind her back. Julia was like a sister to me too, I had basically lived with them at one point or another and when we were kids Lydia and I used to kind of gang up on her but she was such a lovely person she would never complain. Lydia told me that Jimmy said he was going to r**e Julia if she ever told anyone what he was doing to her, and that’s why she let it go on for so long without telling anyone. She said Julia didn’t have the strength to get over something like that. When I got older I realised what she had done for Julia and it broke my heart. Poor Julia sat down next to me and started to ring her hands with nerves. Her whole body was always hunched over with anxiety, but now it was out of control. “Where’s Robert?” Asked Uncle Joe “He’s out in the hall, he didn’t want to come in and annoy you by crying, but his leg hurts, he should have a sit down” Robert was her husband, they had married when they were really young and the dragon hated him. “Good he can stay out there” she turned to everyone “I think you kids should all go home and get some rest. You all look tired, and there’s no point in you making yourselves ill, you need to keep your strength up for when she wakes up” “she’s going to be ok?” Asked Chris “of course she is Christopher, it would take a silver bullet to kill one of us. And can everyone stop crying I hate it when people cry” “so does Lydia” said Stacey with a smile it was the first time she had spoke since I had got there. “Yes she’s cut from the same cloth as me, now everyone go home and we will call you if anything changes” Carmela stood up “actually I should go home and see the girls they’re with my mom and they were really upset” “I’m not going anywhere” said Chris. “Me either” said the big man “me either” I said and I could see Elaine nostrils flare with anger “I should never have let her join that bloody band, this is all your fault Joe you better sort this” “I will, I always do” the three of us didn’t leave the hospital for days after that. We just sat around praying that she would wake up.