Gina's mouth fell open. "Oh, thank god..." She breathed. "Would you be willing to fill in an official withdrawal form?"
Marie nodded. "Yes..."
"I've got one in the car... I'll be right back." She trotted away, digging out her mobile as she went. As she stepped outside, she dialled Adam Okaro's number. "Adam... Adam!" She almost shouted, unable to contain herself.
"Gina? Is that you? Calm down."
"I can't... this is important... Marie has dropped the charges. It's over."
"Oh thank god for that. Get it in writing before she changes her mind. How did you get her to change her mind anyway?" Adam flopped into his chair.
"I didn't. Her... her *husband* did."
"Husband?! Gina what aren't you telling me?"
"Marie is still married to a man called Steve Graham. Has been for four years, she won't consent to divorce. She did the same thing to him."
"How come we couldn't find out?"
"I don't know... look, that doesn't matter, just please, please go downstairs and let Jim out. Please."
"I'll do that straightaway. Do you want me to tell him everything or do you want to do that?"
"I'm going to ask Steve to come back with me, and tell him about... well, I suppose the fact that he and Marie are not, and were not ever legally married."
"I think that might just make his day Gina. What do we do about June?"
"I'm going to call her now, she needs to know straight away."
"You do that. It might give her the boost she needs to start living again. I'm off down to custody now."
"Thank you Adam. Give Jim... give Jim my love." Gina ended the call then punched in another number. "June Ackland, please." She asked, biting her nails as she waited.
"I think she's asleep at the moment. Do you want to leave a message or call back later?"
"I... no, please wake her up, she'll want to hear this." There was a pause then the phone rang once more. "Hello?" A weak, tired voice came down the phone
"June... June its Gina."
"Ma'am?"
"June... I hope you're sitting down..."
"Lying down actually..."
"Good, even better... June... June's it's over."
"What's over? What *are* you talking about ma'am?"
"Marie Graham has dropped the charges."
"She's done what?" June sat up suddenly.
"She has dropped the charges." Gina repeated. "Jim's free."
"Thank god for that. Did she say why?"
"Not yet, she's agreed to make an official withdrawal statement... but, June... Jim's not only free in that sense..."
"Spit it out ma'am I just woke up."
"Marie and Jim's marriage was bigamous."
"But Jim's never been married before."
"No, you fool, wake up! Marie had been - four years ago and wouldn't consent to divorce. Their marriage is null and void."
"Oh my god." There was a clunk as June dropped the phone. "Sorry... I... I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. Adam's releasing Jim now, as soon as everything is sorted I'll bring him to see you."
"Thank you, you don't know what this means to me. Has she admitted assaulting him?"
"Not yet, but I think she will. She's a sick woman, June, she needs help, and only the threat of losing her son made her see that."
"I can't take all this in Gina... it's unbelievable. How's Jim taking the news?"
"I don't know, I'm still at the hospital... but I'm sure he'll be just fine."
"I hope so..." June sniffed.
"He will. And so will you. I'll get him to you as soon as I can. Just, you think about yourself and feel better, OK?"
"It's such a weight off my mind."
"It's a weight off everyone's mind. We all love the pair of you." Gina smiled.
"Oh thanks..." June flushed, glad that she was at the end of the phone and out of Gina's sight.
"See you soon." Gina soothed down the phone, ending the call. For a moment, she leant against the wall, then walked toward her car to make the good news official.
***
An hour later.
Jim was sat in the canteen, aimlessly stirring his cold coffee as Dr Andrews looked on. He was still worryingly pale and shaking. He looked up as the canteen doors banged open and Gina appeared, obviously looking for someone.
Gina's eyes finally settled on the odd couple at the table and she strode over, smiling. "Jim... Jim, it's so good to see you... are you..." She took in his pale complexion and demeanour. "Are you alright?"
Jim shrugged. "I've been better... but I've also been worse. Thanks Gina."
"Well, if you're up to it, there's someone in the Super's office I'd like you to meet. And we need to fill you in on the situation at hand."
"OK." Jim nodded, struggling to his feet. "Are you coming?" He looked at the doctor.
"Of course...."
***
Gina rapped on the door of the office and ushered the two men in, gesturing them into seats and then taking a seat herself. Opposite Jim was a man in his mid thirties, brown haired, in jeans and a plaid shirt. He eyed him warily.
"Jim... this is Steve... Steve Graham." Gina nodded in his direction.
"Yeah... I spoke to you on the phone last week." Jim leant over and shook Steve's hand. "Nice to meet you. I hear you're the man I should thank for getting Marie to confess."
"I didn't do much." Steve flushed.
"Don't put yourself down." Adam interjected. "Here's the position as it stands, Jim. Marie has admitted to throwing herself down the stairs. She has also admitted to at least five counts of physical violence towards you."
"So where do we go from here?"
"It depends. She's suggested she'll be amenable to psychiatric treatment, or of course, you could press charges."
"I don't know..." Jim shook his head. "She is ill."
"It doesn't entirely excuse what she did to you..."
"It was a one off though... I mean if she hadn't been ill she wouldn't have done it. I'm sure of it."
"That's your decision." Adam nodded. "Where are you planning to go from here... with your life, I mean..."
"I suppose I should... move on."
"Jim..." Steve interrupted. "There's something I need to tell you. First of all - you're not the only man she has done this to."
"What?" The blood drained from Jim's face as he jerked round to look at Steve. "This isn't a one off?"
"She did the same thing to me. We were married twice... things went wrong after Ben was born, and... the second time around she basically only married me to trap me, to... punish me for abandoning her."
"She never told me she's been married twice. I was told you two split just after Ben was born."
"I think there was something else she never told you." Steve looked down, bit his lip.
"I don't know if I want to know." Jim shook his head. "I'm beginning to think that there's a lot about her she didn't tell me."
"Maybe it's best you don't know, maybe it's best you turn your back and move on... forget her..."
"No tell me... I want to know... well, I need to know."
"Jim... Marie and I were married for the second time four years ago. We separated a year later." He paused, looking to Adam for support.
"Go on." Adam nodded. "He needs to know."
"Jim... Marie and I were never divorced." As the others in the room looked on, Jim's face turned bright white, and he lurched from his seat and headed toward the door. Just as he reached it, he stopped, leaning against the wall and pressing a hand to his chest, his breath coming in gasps.
Dr Andrews crossed the room quickly to Jim, placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're OK Jim... just breathe."
"I... I..." Jim's eyes widened. "I wasn't even..."
"No Jim, you were never married." Gina said softly.
"I don't... believe it..." He leant against the wall, clamped his hand to his head, wobbling unsteadily. "I can't..."
"Maybe you should sit down." Dr Andrews guided Jim across the room to a vacant seat. "You've had a big shock."
Jim dropped into the seat, placing his head in his hands for a moment, then looked back up at the doctor, his _expression utterly vacant.
"Jim... I'm giving you a choice... do you want to take some time out at the clinic?"
"With June?"
"June's there, I'm there..." He crouched down in front of Jim. "It might do you good."
"I... I..." He looked to Adam, then Gina, who both nodded.
"It's OK Jim, you take as long as you need." Adam reassured him.
"I want to see June."
"OK." Dr Andrews looked to Adam. "Is it OK if I take him back with me now, we've got a few spaces available... he needs admitting for rest and stress counselling."
"Of course." Adam nodded. "We want you back as soon as you're ready Jim. But no pressure."
"Thank you." Jim stood, supported by Dr Andrews.
"Take care, Jim. We'll come and see you both, very soon." Adam smiled.
"You will... thank sir, ma'am." Jim mumbled, looking at both of them. "And thank you Steve."
"That's alright Jim... I'll look after Marie - for my sins. You just look after yourself. Ben'll want to see you again."
"I want to see him too, but not when I'm like this... he's got enough to deal with."
"I'll look after him." Steve reassured him, watching as Jim was led away.
As the door closed behind them, Gina looked to Adam. "Let's go and see them after the shift is over, I want to make sure they're OK."
"I get the idea that this will do both of them the world of good." Adam smiled. "I'd like to see June too, she wasn't good last time I saw her in here."
"I think being with Jim will help her. Can I use your phone?"
"Of course you can, do you need privacy?"
"No... I'm just going to call June. I think that Jim needs a welcome committee..."
***
An hour later, June Ackland paced around the large reception area of the Met Clinic, glancing over and over at her watch.
"You'll wear the carpet out." The receptionist smiled at her. "Someone special coming to see you?"
"Yes... someone very special." She looked up as she heard car wheels on a gravel driveway outside.
"Is that him?"
"I don't know... I..." She ran to the door, watched as a black car pulled up, and Dr Andrews emerged, walking round to the passenger side and opening the door.
She peered out of the window and looked on as he helped a forlorn figure out of the passenger seat. "Jim..." She muttered, tears forming in her eyes. She stood back and waited as Dr Andrews supported Jim towards the door. His shuffling gait and vacant _expression made her stomach churn. The door opened and the room was filled with a cool breeze. June stood frozen as Jim looked up at her and their eyes met.
"Jim..." She sobbed, running forward instinctively and taking him into her arms. "Oh my god... what's happened to you..."
Jim said nothing. He held June tightly, burying his face into her shoulder as his tears began to flow freely.
"Shhhh, it's alright...." She rubbed his back gently in rhythmic circles. "It's all over now."
"It is..." Jim murmured.
"And we're back where we belong. Together." She pulled back and looked at him for a long moment.
"Together forever." He placed his hand on her cheek.
"Yeah." June nodded. She looked up at the doctor. "Is he going to be alright?"
"I think he might just be now he's back where he belongs..." Dr Andrew smiled.
A nurse approached. "Dr Andrews, I'm afraid Mr Carver's room won't be ready for another hour or so."
"He can come and sit with me." June said instantly. "That is... if that's ok?"
"That's fine... you can take him up to your room. He's very tired." The doctor smiled and patted Jim on the shoulder.
"Do you want to do that then Jim?" June spoke softly, rubbing his arm.
Jim nodded slowly. June gripped his hand tightly and led him towards the stairs, up one flight, down a long corridor to a room at the end. She keyed the door and pushed it open. "Come on..."
"I'm not married." Jim said suddenly, stopping dead.
"I know. Gina told me."
"She did?"
"She called to let me know you were free... in both senses of the word. She's been great through all of this."
"She has." Jim slumped against the doorframe. "And Okaro too."
"Yeah..." She took his hand once more, led him to the bed, made him sit down, then hunkered down to slip his shoes off. "You need some rest. We've got all the time in the world to talk."
"Two hours ago I thought I was going to jail..."
"That was two hours ago. Come on, lie down."
"Sit with me." He grabbed her hands, pulled her down beside him.
"You really need to sleep..." June's hand unconsciously moved up, she ran her fingers through his mussed blond hair.
Jim nodded, leaning back against the bed head, his eyes slowing falling shut.
June kicked off her own soft shoes, curling her legs up beside her, moving in close to him. She touched his face gently. "I love you, Jim Carver."
"I... I love you too." He wrapped an arm around her absently, pulling her down to him. "I'm sorry..."
"Let's not look back. Let's concentrate on the future." She kissed his lips softly. "Our future... if you want me."
"Of course I want you. If you'll have me that is?"
"Even after everything, after all of the pain, if you'd come to me and asked me I would have taken you back. I can't live without you, and the thought that I'd lost you forever was killing me."
"I was such a fool." Jim gulped back a sob. "I'm sorry June."
"Shhhhhh... you fell in love. I know what that can do to someone's head..." She smiled. "Sleep now." She tightened her grip around him.
"I'm never letting you go." His eyes fell shut once more, his breathing slowing in pace.
"Ditto." June's eyes took in every inch of him, still not quite believing he was here, safe with her, and free from the pain and tyranny of the marriage that wasn't. She kissed him once more, softly on the forehead, then buried her head in his chest and she too, fell asleep.
***
"I think I've seen more of this place than Sun Hill these last few days." Gina shook her head as she climbed out of the car, looking up at the red brick building in front of her.
"I've been here several times - visiting Nick." Adam shrugged. "Now we have three officers in here. June and Jim, I hold out hope for, but Nick..." He looked up as Dr Andrews approached, shook his hand. "Your new patient settling in?" He asked.
"I haven't seen him since he got here, I thought some time along with June might do him good."
"Sounds like a good idea. Those two... they have a bond, even when they were at each others throats we could feel it." Gina and Adam followed him into the building. "They're... both going to be alright, aren't they?"
"I think the pair of them just being together, away from the hassles of life might do more good than any counselling I can offer them."
"Sounds like bliss." Gina observed. "Can we see them? Are they up to seeing visitors?"
"We can go and find out. I really hope this works out for them. They're such nice people and anyone can see they're meant to be together." He stopped part way up the stairs. "I just hope they realise it this time."
"They're both stubborn as mules, but I think all this has taught them they were destined." Gina smiled, following the doctor down a corridor. "And if they start to fall out again, they'll have us to deal with."
"And me. This is June's room." He rapped gently on the door, waiting for a response. "June... June?" He called lightly. Then he cracked the door open, looking in. A slow smile crossed his face.
"What is it?" Gina asked.
"Quiet... look at this." He pushed the door open wider. On the bed lay June and Jim, fast asleep, June with her head still buried in Jim's chest, on Jim's thigh, his hand and June's were clutched tightly together.
"Aww, look at them." Gina peered round the door and touched Adam's arm softly. "They're going to be OK aren't they?"
"Yes. I think they've just started on the road to recovery." The doctor smiled and quietly pulled the door closed.
*** THE END ***
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