Frank was pacing the Friends and Relatives room as June crashed through the door. He turned to look at her, fear overtaking him, was she going to blame him as he blamed himself? No words were spoken, she just moved over to him, clinging on to him, each of them finding support from the other.
After a while Frank moved and slumped down in a chair positioned directly behind him.
�It's my fault June, all of this, he trusted me. I let him down.� Frank shook his head. He had lost many colleagues during his time on the force, but never had he felt like this, like his world had been torn apart, a feeling of helplessness, anger and desperation all merged into one.
June moved and sat beside him, tears streaming her face as they had been since Matt Boyden had tracked her down and told her what had happened. She had slumped to the floor, her legs supporting her no longer; to such an extent that Matt had had to practically carry her to the car.
The journey to the hospital had seemed to take an eternity. She had gazed at the streets of Sunhill, her beat, what she had given her life to, but she knew then that it would be nothing without Jim.
They both jumped as the door swung open and a tall, young, typical male doctor walked into the room.
�Hello there, I am Doctor Thompson. Are you friends, relatives of PC Carver?� he looked at them enquiringly
June looked at Frank, unsure of what to say. What were she and Jim now? They weren�t together anymore, in fact, what was she really doing here, would Jim want her here?
Sensing her reluctance Frank spoke up for her. �Jim�s my best mate, and he is also June�s partner. Please this is killing the both of us. What�s happening?�
Dr Thompson looked and them and smiled. �Yes, of course sorry. This must have been a tremendous shock for the both of you. Jim�s going to be fine, it was touch and go there for a while, but he must have something here keeping him going; he put up a hell of a fight! He is unconscious at the moment, but hopefully should wake up soon; you can go and sit with him if you want.�
�Please Doctor,� June pleaded, the twenty years her face had gained suddenly being wiped off. She moved to follow the doctor, but stopped as she saw Burnside collapsing into a chair.
�Frank? Are you ok?�
�I thought we�d lost him there June, I really did.� He looked up at her taking her hands in his and looking at her with the most sincere face June had ever seen. �Before he went unconscious he told me to tell you he loves you, and he does June, more than anything he loves you. Now, I�m not going to stand here and watch you two throw away this.�
June looked back at him, fresh tears gleaming in her eyes, but this time not tears of sadness, but tears of joy and hope. �Believe me, I don�t intend to.�
Ten minutes later they were sitting by Jim�s bedside. June clutching at Jim�s hand, gently stroking at it and Frank sitting beside her thanking God for bringing back this man that he loved, but at the same time filling up with guilt for what had happened.
Gradually Jim had woken up, June reaching a whole new level of emotion as she had felt his hand tighten around hers. He had glanced up at them, smiling, reassuring them that he would be ok.
After a while seeing that Jim was going to be ok, Frank said his goodbyes and retreated to the sanctuary of his hotel, the emotions of the day taking a hold of him.
June however had stayed with Jim, still holding onto his hand, they had both drifted off to sleep.
It was Jim who awoke first. He opened his eyes gradually, the painkillers still having a strong effect over him. The previous days events came flooding back to him. He really thought that that was it, the end, and all he could think about as he had slipped closer and closer to unconsciousness was about June, how she would have to spend the rest of life without him. How he had just wanted one more time to take her hand and tell her that he loved her; forever. Considering these things Jim reached over and took hold of a piece of tin foil which had been left on top of his locker. He looked at in and grinned as he proceeded to craft it in the familiar way he would have done, back in his schoolboy days.
Eventually June had awoken. She shot, fear hitting her that something might have happened to Jim during the night, but smiled as she saw the grin she loved coming back at her.
�You have no idea of how much you scared me Jim Carver!�
�I know, I know,� laughed Jim. �I will try and be more careful next time.�
�Next time?! There had better not be a next time,� joked June. But then her face turned more serious. �Jim. I thought that breaking up with you was the hardest thing I would ever have to do, but that was nothing compared with what I went through yesterday. I thought that was it, that I would never see you again, and I realized that I had nothing else to live for.� She looked at him, tears starting to stream out of eyes as she relived the previous days emotions. �But don�t you see, if we aren�t together this is what we will be condemning ourselves to Jim. A life without each other. Look, I know things haven�t been perfect between us, but I know now that we can work through them. We have to.� She paused again, struggling to find the right words. �Jim, what I am trying to say is, Will you marry me?�
Jim jumped in shock. �She just proposed?� he questioned himself in his head. Slowly because of the pain in his chest he turned to his side.
June looked on at him, her heart sinking as she saw him turn away, apparently rejecting her proposal. But then hope came back to her as she saw Jim turn back to her, a look of joy like she had never seen before radiating from his face.
�What can I say June, you beat me to it. Look, I even got a ring for you.�
He held out his hand, in his palm lay a ring, crafted from the tin foil he had found earlier.
June looked at it, shook her head, and burst into tears and laughter simultaneously, her body shaking as she moved in to kiss him. He kissed her back, and then leaned back, cupping her face in his hands.
�I love you June Ackland; I always have done since we first met those 20 years ago. I know I haven�t made things easy for us, but I promise from now on to always put you first, to live for you. June, will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?�
June looked straight into his eyes, well, as much as she could do through the curtain of tears over both their eyes.
�Of course I will! I love you too Jim Carver, and I am going to be the luckiest women ever to have lived in being your wife.�
Jim took the ring which he had created and carefully placed it on her finger.
�Jim, its beautiful!�
They looked at each other and both burst in spontaneous laughter, tears still streaming down their faces.
TO BE CONTINUED�