What May Come

[soph1303]

Amazing update - totally agree with what you said about getting the tissues prepared at the start of this update btw,

More soon please

[AvrilRP212]

Love this fanfic. Update soon please

[Sazzle]

Another fabulous emotional update! Writing is really good and excited for your next update. Thank you

[faith406]

Hey, here's the next chapter hope you enjoy.

Chapter 16

Casey

8 days since the shooting and the doctors were seriously talking about switching off the life support machine and keeping it off. The doctors had told us that even though being on the life support machine was keeping Charlie alive it exposes a patient to loads of risks of further medical complications, and offers no guarantee of a positive outcome.

Today they decided to take Charlie off her life support machine. Ruby was on edge and looked considerably drawn out, Brax was his usual quite self but there was something about his demeanour that scared me.

Whilst I watched Ruby to leave Charlie’s room, Brax went in next to sit with her before the doctors came.

“Ruby” Sid said as he approached us.

Keeping her head in my chest I felt her choke up from her tears then take a deep breath and face Sid with Morag and myself by her side.

“So what happens now?”

“We do it just like before only this time if she is unable to breath then the hospital is under agreement that we leave her off the machine. Ruby I’m sorry it’s come to this; we have followed procedure and have cautiously tried to wean Charlie from the support systems. Being able to breathe adequately without the ventilator is one major hurdle that she still hasn’t been able to manage. We feel that over the period of time we are just doing more damage than good.”

“But she might still breathe on her own this time?”

“Yes but you need to prepare yourself for the worst outcome because it’s not looking good right now.”

Bianca

I’d had updates about how Charlie was doing but still hadn’t been back up to the hospital. From what I heard from April things were tense and I didn’t want to add to it with my presence. It was a shock when I got a telephone call from Brax telling me that if I had anything to tell Charlie now would be the best time. My heart dropped as he said that her life support was going to be switched off and it wasn’t looking good for a positive outcome. When I reached the hospital the sight that greeted me was heart breaking, Brax looked so drawn out and tired. Ruby looked weak and tired and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

“Hi, I said walking up to Brax. I came as quick as I could.”

“She’s in there, Leah’s with her. You can go in after, this may be the only time you can say what you need to her.”

“Thank you”

“Despite what you think I’m not all that bad, I mustn’t be not for someone like her to love me like she did.”

As Brax walked away from me I saw an upset Leah walk out of Charlie’s room, she gave me a brief hug before I went in. My eyes instantly started tingling as I laid eyes on Charlie lying in the bed. I slowly made my way to her side and took her hand in mine. Gone was the vibrant loving women who I had shared so much with, the giggly funny best friend who’d I’d shared my secret’s with over red wine. As I sat down I held onto her hand and started to cry.

“I’m so sorry, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you when you called me for help. I’m sorry for the way I behaved after the accident. I know now that you weren’t to blame; if I was to be honest I was angry at myself. Liam was coming back from being out of town because of me, because of the way I was treating him. I felt so angry at myself that I lashed out and blamed you and Brax. I hate to admit it but even Heath didn’t deserve the way I treated him but I was so lost in myself I couldn’t look beyond anything else. I’m so sorry, I love you I may not have shown it recently but I do. I don’t want to lose you”

Sitting in the waiting room my heart breaks that little bit more seeing a lost Ruby going into Charlie’s room. No one deserves this, to lose their mother in a senseless attack engineered by revenge.

Ruby

Empty……..

Right now all I feel is empty; I can’t stop the tears from falling as I try to speak to Charlie, to my mum. I’m so scared that when they turn it off it will be like all the other times they tried but instead of them putting her back on they let her go. My eyes hurt; my head hurts my heart as a constant pain. When I think of not having her here with me I feel so lost. Taking her hand in mine I just sit looking at her.

“I don’t really know what to say, I feel like everyone’s trying to prepare me for the worst. If you can hear me you really got to keep fighting because they’re going to turn these machines off. I don’t want this to be goodbye, I feel like we’re really beginning to get better with each other. I know I’ve been a handful in the past and am very stubborn and strong minded but I get it from you. I think that’s why we clash the way we do, we’re so alike. Please don’t leave me, I still need you. I’ll always need you in my life, you’re my mum.”

Brax

I don’t understand why this is happening, in the matter of a few minutes I could lose the women I love. For the first time in my life someone put their trust in me that I could be a better man, that I could be more than just a river boy. I believed it for Casey, that’s why I push him so hard. But this woman here believed it for me, I can’t lose her not now not when we were so close to our new life. To me just being Darryl Braxton without any stereotypes or preconception’s. It felt like my body was on auto pilot as I got up and blocked the entrance to Charlie’s room. Why can’t we just be together, it’s so simple when I think of me and Charlie together in my head. Right now I just wish I could will the world away and it’s just me and her. Right now I wish we never left the cabin and came back to summer bay.

“I’m not going to let them take you away from me, I love you too much. I can’t lose you” Brax said to Charlie as he held her hand and kissed it.

Heath

As Sid leads Ruby, Morag, Bianca and Casey to Charlie’s room I get up to go and follow them. After the fight with Brax at the hospital a couple days ago I went straight to see Darcy. I didn’t say anything as I walked in and went to hold my daughter in my arms. She’s a good kid, she just told me she loved me and that everything would be alright while hugging me back. I knew what Brax had said was true; I did play a part in all this. I’m so used to having Brax bail me out no matter what I do but this time the end results got out of hand. What else was I supposed to do, I’m Heath Braxton. I don’t take anything from anyone; I’m the hot head who just reacts without thinking about the consequences. That’s been me for years, that’s my reputation and live up to it well. I don’t know how to do anything else. But right then I realised that I need to be a brother to Brax, I need to be there for him and if he’ll let me I’ll be around to try to help him. I need to be something else other than just the hot head Braxton brother who acts first and very rarely thinks later.

Reaching Charlie’s room I realise there’s a problem as Sid call’s Brax’s name through the door.

“What’s wrong Case?”

“The doors locked, Brax has put something against it”

“Brax” Sid called again from the door

“Leave us alone, I’m not going to let you take her from me” Brax shouted

“Brax you need to let us in, that’s not what we are doing” Sid tried to reason

“I SAID GO AWAY”

“If he won’t let us in I’m going to have to get security to get this door open” Sid told the anxious people outside.

“No, Sid I’m not happy about this but he loves her. Give us some time to try to get him to come out himself. This is a hard time for everyone, I’m sure you can understand that.” Said Morag

“You have 20 minute’s then I’m going to have to call security” Sid said

“Ok so anyone have any ideas, it won’t do him any good if security gets involved” Morag said looking to Heath and Casey

“Brax” Heath shouted through the door

“Go away Heath” Brax said

“You were right, about the part I played in all this. I let it get out of control and I’m sorry. You’ve always been the one thinking things through, you need to do that now Brax. I get why you’re doing this but it’s not helping anyone. They’ll get into the room and they’ll still switch the machines off this won’t stop them. All you can do is be in that room with her, be there for her no matter what the outcome. But if it comes to them breaking into the room you won’t be able to be there for her. Brax please you need to think.” Heath tried to get through to his brother

“I can’t……….. I love her Heath. I love her so much I just can’t”

“Brax please listen to Heath, we’re all scared. She had so much faith in you Brax, she believed in you. Now it’s your turn to believe that she’ll be strong enough to get through it. Don’t let her down, not now” Casey tried hoping that they were getting through to Brax.

Hearing no reply from Brax, Ruby decided to try get through to him.

“I see why you’re doing this” Ruby said through the door “I don’t want to have to think about a day where I don’t have Charlie in my life. She’s the one constant thing in my life; she’s always been there whether it was us living in the same house or her being a phone call away. Brax I don’t want to lose her but we have to let them do this, what if she’s in pain and we’re making it worse by making her hold on. I don’t want her hurt anymore, if she wants to go………. If she wants to go then we need to be strong for her.”

[caroline77]

This so heartbreaking and well written. I'm glad Bianca came to make her peace with Charlie. Brax shutting himself into her room. Can't blame him not wanting to let her go. She is the love of his life. I am looking forward to where you go.... hope Charlie wakes up.

[Inactive User]

Such a sad and beautiful, well-written chapter! Well done, Faith. Update soon please xx

[Sazzle]

Oh my gosh! So sad...poor everyone!! Great writing...really fab description and emotions portrayed.

SO hope that she makes some miracle recovery! Nice to see everyones thoughts...

Looking forward to next update and hoping for good news

[faith406]

Thanks for taking time to leave comments and for reading. Here's the next Chapter, it's not that long so I'll follow with the next one very soon.

Chapter 17

Morag

10 days since the shooting, 2 days since Charlie was taken of her life support machines. 2 days since I saw the melt down of all melt downs. I was never supportive of Charlie’s relationship with Darryl Braxton and from the outcome of her being involved with him I was right to be worried about the repercussions of being with this man would have on her career and personal life. But after his display it would be hard to doubt that he loved her.

I don’t think I ever thought I would see the sign of a broken man in Darryl Braxton. I’ve known loss, even more recently with Ross. Even now it still hurts that he’s not here with us and I miss him so dearly every day. By some miracle we were blessed with the reprieve of that day not being Charlie’s last. As they switched of the machines it felt like hours rather than minutes that we had to wait to hear the faint beat of Charlie breathing for herself. She wasn’t out of the woods yet but she was breathing by herself, she had to stay on some of the machines so her body wouldn’t tire out but we were all given a renewed lease of hope that maybe just maybe she would make I back to us.

Heath

I had finally relented and let Darcy come up to the hospital with me so that she could see Charlie. Brax had finally left the hospital a few times since the whole incident but only to have a shower and get a change of clothes. Ruby was no better but Brax would persist with her to look after herself even though he wasn’t doing the same. Ruby was the only one who could really get him to take time out to eat something; we could all see a bond growing between the two of them.

“Hi Uncle Brax” I heard Darcy say which brought me out of my thoughts. I felt her hand leave mine as she went to him to give him a hug.

“Where’s Ruby” Darcy asked Brax

“She’s just gone for a shower and change of clothes and to get something to eat with Casey” Brax replied

“I drew this picture for Charlie; it’s of you, Charlie, Ruby and Casey at your new house” Darcy told Brax handing him the picture before she went to Charlie and brushed her hand very lightly scared that she might hurt her.

“Hi Charlie, I’m sorry for what that bad man did to you. Daddy say’s that you’re getting better and you just need time for your body to get stronger again. Uncle Brax and Ruby are so sad, they miss you a lot so please come back soon. Wake up soon cause we’re all here waiting for you.” As Darcy finished talking to Charlie she lightly kissed her hand before she moved back to Brax and sat on his lap cuddling him.

Leah

Going back into the house again felt so strange, it was good to have Elijah there with me. I could still see the faded stain of Charlie’s blood on the floor of the living room which sent tingles through my spine. Thinking back to years past to when Sarah Lewis held us all hostage in this very house, she almost killed Peter in this room. She killed Noah on my door step in cold blood just like that sick man did to Charlie. As I feel a gush of emotions come over me I break down in tears, how did this year turn out so bad. The start of the year with Ruby, Charlie and Morag losing Ross, Thabo dying, me losing the baby, Miles leaving, Irene’s cancer and now Charlie being shot fighting for her life and losing her baby. Couldn’t we be given a break just once, hadn’t we already been through enough to be given a reprieve.

[Inactive User]

Great chapter. Liked the point views of the characters-really well-written. Update soon please xx

[mizziette]

Until halfway through the second paragraph i actually thought Charlie might have died. I'm glad she didn't. I felt sorry for Leah that update. She's been through so much, she really does need to jet off to some remote in Hawaii for a couple months. Maybe she could take Charlie with her. They both need some serious downtime.