Forged in Ice (Doctor Who AU Novel)

Chapter 5 The World Inside a Snow Globe

"Go for a walk," Jackie said. "Stretch your legs," Gwen said. "Go get a bite to eat and rest," Katie said. They all seemed intent on getting her out of the recliner and away from his bedside. She had steadfastly refused to move from his side since Gwen sedated him. She sat, her hand holding his, feeling the warmth of his skin against hers, watching his chest rise and fall with each soft breath waiting for some twitch, or blink that told her, he knew she was there. They had planned to take Robbie to the First Day Eve celebration in Central London as a committed family. For the first time in her adult life, she'd looked forward to real fun during winter holiday. Instead, the worst blizzard in a century combined with a freak, unbelievable accident, left her family as fractured as ever. 

Nora watched him, studied him, from the three day stubble on his face to the unmoving eyes  under closed eyelids. The swelling in his face had improved remarkably whilst the bruising worsened peeking out from the edge of his dressing and blackening the ear he always tugged whenever he was nervous. Under his gown, the bruising across his back had spread under his armpits, even the bruising in his toes had darkened. Asleep or not, he had to be miserable. Swollen, bruised and damaged, she regretted the day she'd made the biggest mistake of her life. When he asked again, and she knew deep in her heart; he would ask again, she would say yes.  

The minutes ticked by, turning into hours. She called home, read a stack of magazines and watched people come and go. Jackie and Rose traded places but mercifully stayed quiet. Rose studied training manuals of some sort and Jackie did crossword puzzles. Marcus came exactly every two hours to check on him reassuring her Daniel was asleep, not in a coma. At half five nature forced her from the recliner. She was surprised by how stiff she felt. Her own leg was sore from Robbie's kick. Somewhere there had to be a couple of paracetamol available. 

The hunt took her first to the loo, and then the nurses' station where Gwen gladly pressed the two tablets in her hand. She retrieved her mobile and started walking. Ignoring the ache in her leg, her speed picked up until she was running, blindly, down first one hall and then another until her lungs burned, forcing her to stop. She slid down the wall, gasping and looked up to see a camera. Someone had watched her the whole time. She should have known. There had to be some place in the building where she could be alone to scream. She pushed herself up and returned halfway down the hall to the lift, stepped in and punched buttons. 

 She hesitated when the door slid back at its final stop then stepped into a brightly lit corridor. Windows lined the far wall, with potted plants and art giving the place the look of an ultra-modern high-rise in the heart of London. She stepped out slowly, half expecting alarms to go off, and security guards to come running. If there was a camera tracking her, she couldn't see one.

She wasn't sure if her heart pounded from exertion, stress, or fear of the unknown, but it thudded so hard, it made breathing difficult.The windows looked out on a bleak courtyard obviously intended for employees to enjoy in better weather. Nora eased over and placed her hands on the cold glass and stared at the bleak world outside. It was the first daylight she'd seen since arriving at seven. Except the daylight was dying, leaving the world grey and miserable. 

Somewhere, a giant madman managed to turn the world into a snow globe shaking it with frenzy. The wind turned slivers of ice and snow into daggers, sending them sideways. She was sure the wind howled, but inside she couldn't hear. Snow fell and blew so fast, everything looked grey and white. Whirlpools of snow blew in the courtyard between the tables, turning everything into drifts. The storm matched the turmoil twisting inside . 

Fear was not a new feeling; Ian had left her terrorised more times than she could count before he went to prison. Listening to the doctors tell her beautiful child might not be as smart as others nearly sent her to her knees. But then Daniel came into her life. Strange, funny, as damaged as she was, and always so brave. He'd wrapped gentle arms around her, loved her, and washed all the fear from her soul. For once, she was truly happy, safe, and at peace. Why then, did the universe step in and rip him away? Why did the universe break her baby boy's heart?