‘I don’t know about that…’ Melanie’s lips were quivering and she clamped them together to keep them still. ‘But thank you, anyway.’

The nurse left the room, and Matt moved to stand alongside the wheelchair. ‘Hello, Melanie,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m Dr Calder. I was sorry to hear about what happened to you. It must have been very upsetting.’

‘Yes, it was.’ She studied him, her gaze bleak, her expression full of defeat, but something flickered briefly in her eyes. ‘I know you, don’t I? Aren’t you the doctor from the television?’ The fact that she recognised him didn’t seem to do anything to lift her spirits, and her tone stayed flat.

‘That’s right, I am.’ Matt was very gentle with her, bending down beside the wheelchair and coaxing her to talk to him. ‘What did the doctors say to you in A and E? I can see that you have a drainage tube in place, so they’ve obviously been looking after you.’

He was very perceptive, Abby thought. The tube was mostly covered by the folds of a blanket, so that it was barely discernible, and the receptacle was strapped to the wheelchair for safety.

‘Have they managed to sort out all your problems?’ he asked. ‘Well, the medical ones, at least.’

‘I think so. The doctor said he thought my pancreas was damaged slightly and that there was a build-up of blood in my abdomen. They’ve put a tube in to drain it, and they say it should heal well enough, as long as I rest up for a couple of weeks.’

‘Are you going to be able to do that?’

The woman lowered her head and her voice faded into the covering blanket. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Do you have any family who can help you through the next month or so?’

Melanie shook her head.

Matt studied her thoughtfully. ‘It’s important that you realise you have alternatives. You don’t have to stay at home and put up with bad treatment, you know.’

Melanie winced. ‘I’ve nowhere to go, and if I was to try to leave, my husband would come after me.’ Her voice wavered. ‘Anyway, I’m more worried about Ryan. He looked so ill. He was so upset and frightened.’

‘He’ll go on feeling that way unless you do something to change the situation. I know it’s hard, but you don’t have to do it on your own.’

The little boy opened his eyes and blinked slowly. ‘Mummy,’ he said, a smile creeping over his lips. ‘Are you better now?’

‘Very nearly,’ his mother said. Her face lit up as she looked at her small son, and her features softened. She laid a hand on his head and tenderly stroked his hair. ‘How are you feeling, sweetheart? I was so worried about you.’

‘I’m all right.’ The words came out as a whisper.

He wasn’t by any means all right, Abby thought, and neither was his mother. They were traumatised, hurting and exhausted after what they had been through.

‘Is Daddy going to come here?’ Ryan asked. His eyes were troubled.

‘I don’t know, Ryan.’

Abby studied the child for a moment or two. Was there any way she could bring this whole situation out into the open so that they could deal with it once and for all? They didn’t seem to be getting anywhere very fast. The nurse from the adult A and E unit had tried, and Matt had done what he could to coax Melanie into accepting help, too. The woman had resisted, but Abby had to respect him for trying.

She said carefully, ‘How would you feel about it if your daddy were to come here, Ryan?’

The boy didn’t answer. Instead, he looked down at the sheet that covered him, and his bottom lip started to quiver.

Matt was looking at Melanie, and now he said quietly, ‘I know of some agencies that can look after both of you. They can keep you safe and advise you on how to get through any difficulties.’

Melanie didn’t give any sign that she believed that, and instead, as she glanced towards the door, she bit her lip, as though she had the worries of the world on her shoulders. She tensed suddenly, staring through the partitioning glass wall, and her shoulders stiffened as though she was bracing herself.

Abby could see what was troubling her when the door opened and a man walked into the room. He was smartly dressed, wearing a dark suit and a crisp, pale-coloured shirt.

‘So there you are,’ he said, his gaze homing in on Melanie and ignoring everyone else. ‘I’ve been worried sick about you. They told me you were hurt and that you had been brought here. I know you had another of your falls, but you were fine when I left the house. You just need to rest up.’ He frowned. ‘I was only away for half an hour, and you disappeared. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.’

His glance went to the bed. ‘What’s Ryan doing here?’

‘He had an asthma attack.’ Melanie’s voice was barely audible, and she seemed to shrink into herself. Abby’s gaze caught the faint tremor that affected her hand.

‘Another one? It’s time he grew out of those. You both need to be at home where I can look after you.’ He swivelled around and glanced dismissively at Matt and Abby. ‘Let’s get that organised right now.’

Abby intervened when he would have taken hold of the wheelchair. ‘Mr Stanton?’ she queried.

He nodded briefly. ‘Who are you?’

‘I’m Dr Byford. I’m looking after Ryan. I’m afraid neither he nor your wife are in any condition to go anywhere. Ryan needs to be monitored constantly because his oxygen level is dangerously low, and your wife has just undergone minor surgery. We have to keep an eye on her in case any complications arise.’

‘Surgery? They told me over in A and E that she was bruised where she fell onto the arm of the chair. She’ll be all right. I can take care of her. You don’t know my wife. She hates being in these places. They make her nervous and unsettled. She’ll be far better off at home with me.’

‘I’m afraid that’s not an option, Mr Stanton. You have to understand that it would be dangerous for either of them to be discharged right now. Arrangements have been put in place for them to be admitted.’

‘Then you’ll have to cancel them.’

She tilted her head back. ‘I’m sorry, but that wouldn’t be wise.’

His expression hardened. ‘I don’t think you realise who you’re dealing with. I know what’s best for my wife and son.’

He took hold of the handles of the wheelchair and started to turn it around. Ryan began to whimper as he saw his mother being trundled away, and as his lungs constricted the oxygen monitor started to bleep a warning. The nurse hurried over to attend to him.

Abby positioned herself in front of the door. ‘So do I, Mr Stanton. I’m in charge here, and I have a duty of care to my patients. If you insist on attempting to remove them against their will, I shall have to call Security.’

Her heart was thumping erratically as she said that. She was taking a chance here because Melanie hadn’t actually said anything about wanting to stay, and it was only the woman’s haunted expression that drove her on…that and Ryan’s distress. She was going out on a limb to defend them both.

The man’s jaw hardened, his mouth making an ugly line. ‘You think you’re going to stop me from taking my family home where they belong? You don’t have a leg to stand on.’ He swung around to look at his wife. ‘Tell her, Mel. You want to come home, don’t you?’ His mouth was curved as though in a smile, but his eyes were as cold as ice, daring her to oppose him.

‘I suppose I…I…’

Abby was desperately afraid that Melanie would give in to his pressure. What on earth could she do to resolve the situation if the woman allowed him to badger her? She had already extended her powers to the limit and beyond.

‘Your wife is too ill to make that decision,’ Matt intervened, moving to stand between Melanie and her husband, and Abby felt an immediate rush of relief sweep through her. ‘Leaving here at this time could lead to her suffering a life-threatening relapse, and if you persist in trying to remove her, I will testify as such in court. The same applies to your son. You can hear the heart monitor bleeping. It means that his heart rate has accelerated dangerously and he is in desperate need of medical attention. Your presence here is hindering the accident and emergency team from being able to do their job. I suggest you leave before I assist Dr Byford in calling Security to remove you.’