‘Get well sweetie,’ said Tina and kissed her forehead.

‘Don’t ever scare me like that again,’ said Alice and hugged her gently and they all filed out of the room.

‘You didn’t have to stay you know,’ said Helena.

‘Did you want me to leave?’

‘Not really,’ she admitted.  ‘I wanted you here.  Let’s get a nurse to bring a bed in for you or something,’ she said with a yawn.

‘Hey don’t worry, I have this big comfy chair right here.’  Alexa pulled it up to Helena’s bed and watched her as she drifted off to sleep, finally giving into her tiredness.

Alexa stayed awake for a long time, watching the rise and fall of Helena’s chest,  stroking her hair, listening to the small sounds she made in her sleep before the lure of sleep inevitably took her too.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Five days later and Alice was enjoying a visit with an increasingly well Helena.

‘Do you need anymore magazines?’ she asked.

‘Oh god! I think I am going to go insane if I have to read one more article on how to understand what your man is thinking or how to improve my man’s performance in bed.’

Emma laughed.  ‘How about some books then? I just finished this one by this great writer..’

‘Thanks Emma but I just want to get out of here.  I mean I’m pretty much fine now but they say I have to stay for a few more days.’

‘Helena you just had major surgery you can’t just run out the next day and start back at Peabody Central your body needs time to recover.’

‘I don’t care about starting back to work,’ said Helena honestly, surprising Alice and herself.  ‘I just want to be back home in my own bed.’

‘Right,’ Emma smiled.  ‘In your own bed with your British bombshell right?’

Helena smirked, knowing she was busted.  ‘I wonder how her interview is going, she was really nervous but Harry loved her when he met her at the Gala, told my mother he was impressed by her modesty and integrity a quality we could apparently both do with learning from her.’

‘What a charmer,’ said Alice, raising an eyebrow.  ‘You think she’ll get the job then?’