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“What? What’s happened?” Betsy jumped up out of her seat at the sight of Asha walking through the doors
“He um…I’m sorry, he didn’t…the knife punctured the membrane around his um”
“No”
“I’m really sorry Betsy”
“No, please, no” the dam broke as tears streamed down the young girls face before she turned and flung herself into Abi’s awaiting arms.
“It’s alright” Abi kept repeating to the heartbroken teen in her arms.
Lisa had rushed through the halls of the hospital after she hurriedly parked her car, All that mattered was getting to her daughter—to hold her, to reassure her that no matter what had happened, she was there. But as soon as she pushed the doors open and heard Betsy’s heart-wrenching wails she knew, she knew she was going to have to comfort her daughter all over again. The Radcliffe brothers had already taken Betsy’s mother from her, and now... her first love. She couldn’t help but think back to the last time she heard Betsy cry like that when she sat her down and told her her mother wasn’t coming home. The tears began to form in her eyes and as much as she wanted to, no, needed to cry, she couldn’t, she had to be strong, for Betsy. She could cry about it later, right now her daughter needed her. She took a deep breath, cleaned her face and walked round the corner to see Betsy clinging onto Abi who was doing her best to hold the teen up despite her keeping her hands off the girls back. Why? Because her hands were covered in blood. Mason’s blood.
Lisa took a slow walk over to them as to not spook the already shaken teen, she reached out and placed her hand on Betsy’s back, the younger Swain whirled around and fell into her arms, sobbing.
“Darling, I’m so sorry” it was the best Lisa could come up with because truly what can you say to bring comfort at a time like this. Not only had her daughter lost the first person she loved, but a teenager’s life had just been tragically taken in a careless act of violence. Something that was so avoidable and unnecessary. He was just a kid. They were just kids. They shouldn’t have to be dealing with things like this, their biggest worries should be what flavour milkshake they’re going to get on their next date, not whether they’re going to live to see the next day.
Betsy’s legs gave out from under her, the sheer weight of her emotions becoming too much for her. Lisa and Abi quickly caught her, helping her into the chairs beside them, with each of them sitting on either side of her. The two adults looked at each other with a mutual understanding before Abi headed off to clean her hands.
“I was so mean to him. I told him he was just like his brothers, but, but he’s not. He was turning it all around and now…” she turned to face her mum “why were they out? You had them in custody. I don’t understand Mum”
“Oh Betsy, I wish I could give you all the answers you’re looking for, but I can’t”
“We argued, I was so mean to him…” the tears swelled in the young blonde’s eyes “what if he died thinking I hated him, I don’t want him to think that. I loved him so much” Lisa’s heart shattered as she pulled her daughter into a tight embrace, cradling her like she was still a little girl.
“You listen to me, Betsy Swain, he knew. He knew how much you loved him and how much he meant to you. One argument does not change that”
Betsy pushed away from her mother’s grasp
“How can you know that? I need to see him, I have to tell him” She pushed herself off the chair and staggered towards the doors, Lisa close behind gently reaching for her daughter’s arm
“You can’t see him right now. There are…there are things they need to do to prepare his body” Lisa’s voice trailing off as the weight of what she’d just said registered. She watched her daughter’s eyes widen in horror, the realization dawning on them both. In that moment, it became inescapably real—Mason was gone. Just like Becky.
Abi had walked back through at that moment, her hands now clean of the crimson blood that had dawned them; she was closely followed by a nurse who had agreed to show them to one of the family rooms while they waited.
For the next 10 minutes the three women sat in silence, Abi had sent word around to let people know what had happened. Betsy had closed herself off completely sitting in the armchair in the corner, taking comfort in fiddling with the ring on her finger. Lisa couldn’t stop staring, she looked so small curled into herself, as a mother there was nothing worse than not being able to take away your child’s pain. All she could do was sit and watch her little girls’ heart being ripped apart.
The door opened timidly and in walked Sally and Tim, Sally’s eyes were red raw and Tim looked white as a ghost
“Oh Betsy” Sally whispered as she went over and wrapped her arms around the teen who had no reaction whatsoever but allowed the older woman to console her. Tim had taken a seat beside Abi and put his hand on her shoulder knowing the memories this must have brought up for the woman.
Lisa sighed and glanced out the window and spotted Kit standing there. He motioned to her, and she softly told Tim that she’d return in a few minutes before stepping out of the room.
“Hi Serg, how’s she doing?” he asked nodding towards the room where Betsy was still curled up in the armchair, Sally having finally let go.
“She’s shut down. I think she’s blaming herself Kit, I don’t know how to help her” her voice wobbled as tears threatening to fall
“Listen, we’ve got teams out looking for Matty and Logan. Dylan, he made a statement so we have a witness placing them at the scene. We’re gonna get them on this one. And hopefully we’ll get justice for your missus and all” he gave a sympathetic smile. She may not be Kit’s biggest fan, but she really appreciated the support and understanding he’s given her in regards to this case and everything with the Radcliffe’s.
“Listen, why don’t you go, take some time to get your head straight” he suggested “I’ll stay here and call you if anything changes”
“Really, Kit, thank you, but there’s no need”
“I think it is,” he countered. “You need to take care of yourself if you’re going to help Betsy through this. She’s going to need you now more than ever. But, Serg, you can’t do this alone. You’ve got people who care about you. And if I’m not mistaken, one Carla Connor happens to be in this hospital right now. You wouldn’t be going far.”
She took one last look through the window at her daughter. She was surrounded by people who knew the gravity of loss. Kit was right, she needed her girlfriend.
“Promise you’ll call me if anything happens” Kit nodded before stepping past her “Oh and Kit, thank you” he gave her shoulder a light squeeze before walking into the room.
Three floors up, Carla was sat in her hospital bed, book open trying to read but she couldn’t get her mind of the tiny blonde detective who plagued her every thought. She hadn’t heard from Lisa since this morning and couldn’t help but worry, Roy had popped in to see her brining her actual earbuds because once Ryan had explained that no, cotton buds and earbuds were not the same thing. True to form, Roy felt the need to correct his mistake.
Reaching the end of another chapter, she dog eared the page and picked up her phone noting the 4 missed calls from Ryan, 3 from Maria and even one from Roy who despised mobile phones. She felt her stomach drop. Just as she went to call Lisa, the door opened and there stood Ryan
"Why haven’t you been answering your phone?"
"My phone’s on silent—we’re in a hospital, Ryan," the younger Connor rolled his eyes "What’s happened? Is it Lisa? Is she okay?"
"Lisa’s fine. Carla, it’s Mason. His brother… he stabbed him."
"Oh god," Carla whispered, her face going pale. "He’s going to be okay though, isn’t he?"
Ryan’s silence told her everything.
"He died. There was nothing they could do." Carla gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth as tears welled in her eyes.
"Have you seen Betsy? Or Lisa? Are they okay?" She immediately shook her head, realizing how ridiculous the question was. Of course, they weren’t okay. "Forget that—I need to find them. I need to be with them."
She began ripping the monitoring wires off her chest before Ryan could talk her out of it, determined to leave.
"Nurse! NURSE!" Ryan shouted, leaning out the door and calling down the hall.
Two nurses came running, trying to steady Carla and calm her, but she refused, she had to get to Lisa.
"You don’t understand!" Carla cried, her voice breaking as she pushed against them, struggling to free herself from their hold.
“Hey, what’s going on?” a worried voice called out as they rushed into the room. Carla froze in the nurse’s arms, her eyes locking onto the face that had come through the door, the only person she wanted to see in that very moment. Lisa. The blonde quickly moved to Carla’s side and helped her back into bed before apologising to the nurses on behalf of her partner as they hooked the monitors back up before leaving the room.
Lisa spun around with a glare “what the hell were you thinking?” she demanded
“Ryan told me about Mason.” Carla replied sheepishly, her gaze falling to her lap "I needed to make sure you and Betsy were okay. I just... I wanted to be with you."
Lisa’s face softened, she let out a slow breath as she took a seat on the hospital bed. Reaching out, intertwining her fingers with Carla’s who in return gave her a gentle squeeze of reassurance.
“What happened, love?” Carla whispered
“I uh, I don’t know all the details yet, his brothers – they were waiting for him…god, Carla there was so much blood” Lisa’s words fell away as she began to sob, all of the emotions she’d supressed came flooding out with every tear as her body shook.
Carla shifted, gently guiding the younger woman to lie beside her and held her. There was nothing she could do but soothingly stroke the blonde’s hair and murmur soft words into her ear. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched her incredibly strong, brave girlfriend fall apart in her arms. For now, all Carla could do was be there as Lisa clung onto her for dear life.
Ryan lingered at the doorway it was clear that Lisa needed this, she needed to let everything out, to breakdown in the safety of her lovers embrace. Ryan slowly left the room giving the couple some privacy.
“Lisee, come on sweetheart, breathe. Take some deep breaths” Carla whispered. It took a couple of minutes for Lisa’s breathing to even out and for her cries to quieten, she rested her head on Carla’s shoulder, the older woman turned her head and kissed her crown, a silent reminder that she was there.
Lisa lay still in Carla’s arms taking the time to feel the comfort of her girlfriends embrace. It was the one place she felt safe and loved and as though the outside world didn’t matter because Carla was there. Here, she could breathe, take a moment to gather her thoughts, and begin to process everything happening around her. No matter what, she knew Carla would be by her side; the woman who had come into her life and turned it upside down in the best possible way. The woman she couldn’t imagine living without.
“I love you” Lisa quietly blurted out as she turned to look into Carla’s eyes “I love you so much Carla”
Carla’s lips curled into a gentle smiled “I love you too” she replied before she leaned down and lightly kissed Lisa’s lips.
As they pulled away a gentle knock was heard at the door, Ryan slowly pushed it stepping inside with a small smile and a tray of coffee for three.
“Here, I thought this might help” he handed a cup to the detective who gently pulled herself away from the tight embrace and leaned back against the pillows beside her girlfriend, she wasn’t quite ready to let go of Carla’s touch. Carla slid her arm around Lisa’s shoulder, pulling her close in a quiet gesture of reassurance.
“I went online. News of the stabbing is everywhere” Ryan stated as he plopped down in the chair “I just don’t get it, why carry a knife?”
“It’s this vicious cycle,” Lisa began. “One kid hears that someone else is carrying a knife, and they think they need one for protection. Before you know it, ten teenagers are walking around armed. It’s not that they want to hurt anyone, they’re scared.”
Lisa let out a deep breath she didn’t realise she was holding “Betsy isn’t the first to lose someone she loves to a blade and sadly she won’t be the last”
“How’s she doing?” Carla voice full of concern for the younger Swain
“They argued - her and Mason, she said some horrible things to him. I don’t know how to help her through this” Lisa couldn’t bring herself to pull her attention away from the coffee cup in her hands. Carla reached out, gently cupping Lisa’s chin and tilting her face upward getting Lisa to look her in the eyes.
“Just remember, you don’t have to do this alone. You’re not alone and neither is Betsy. We’re here for you both” Carla looked over to Ryan who nodded in agreement.
“This is going to be one of the hardest things you will ever have to face.” She continued, her thumb gently stroking Lisa’s cheek the gentle touch grounding them both “It’s not like a grazed knee or a broken arm, her grief isn’t something you can fix, and that’s going to hurt. I know you know this. But Lisa, love, you have to promise me that when things get tough, you’ll lean on me. Let us help, ok?”
Lisa looked over at Carla, eyes glossy with unshed tears. She leaned forward pressing her forehead against the brunettes
“I’ve got you” Carla whispered, her voice full of love and admiration for the woman in front of her.
Lisa closed the gap between them kissing Carla in a way that conveyed everything she couldn’t put into words. “Thank you”, “I love you”, “I can’t do this without you”, “you make me stronger that I ever thought I could be”.
As they pulled away their eyes locked on one another, a phone started buzzing. Lisa jumped up, grabbed her coat and fished her phone out of the pocket.
KIT GREEN CALLING
“Kit?” Lisa’s eyes widened as the man on the other end of the line spoke
“Gone? What do you mean gone?”
Carla and Ryan looked at each other concerned expressions on both of their faces as they waited for Lisa to fill them in.
“I’m on my way” Lisa hung up the phone before throwing her coat on
“Lisa, Lisa wait. What happened?” Carla reached out and gently grabbed the detectives arm stopping her from dashing off
“Betsy told Sally she was going to the bathroom, 30 minutes ago, she hasn’t been back since” her voice laced with panic
“Ryan, go with her. The more eyes, the better” Carla instructed her nephew who was happy to help.
Before leaving, Lisa walked back over to the hospital bed, she leaned down, her lips meeting Carla’s in a soft kiss “thank you” she whispered against them “I love you”
“I love you too” Carla murmured, her hand lingering in Lisa’s before her and Ryan hurried out the door, promising to keep her informed of any developments.
Running down the hallway, they reached the family room to find Kit stood outside awaiting their arrival. The tall detective’s face clouded with guilt.
“I’m sorry, Lisa” his said in a low tone “I didn’t even realise until Sally mentioned it”
Before he could say more, Lisa shoved him against the wall, her smaller stature doing nothing to diminish her intimidating presence.
“You promised me you’d keep an eye on her.” Lisa hissed “And now she’s gone walk about! She could be anywhere Kit! Anywhere!”
Ryan put his hand on her shoulder trying to calm the enraged woman, but she just shrugged it off and she stalked closer to Kit
“You best hope she’s safe or I won’t be held responsible for my actions” With one final shove, she turned and stormed into the family room, leaving Kit stunned. Ryan offered an awkward apology before quickly following the blonde.
As the door to the room slammed open, all eyes turned to Lisa, the anger disappearing from her body immediately.
“I know I’m in no position to ask this right now after everything that’s happened” her voiced cracking slightly “but I really need your help. Betsy shouldn’t be on her own right now, she’s vulnerable and…” she faltered “just please, help me find her”
Tim was the first to rise, offering Lisa a reassuring smile.
“I’ll call Eileen, get her to put the word out to the cabbies. They’ll keep an eye out”
“I’ll call around the girls from the factory, just in case she tries to contact any of them,” Sally said, wiping away her tears, clearly finding a small comfort in having something to do. Keeping busy is what she does best and in a crisis you can always be grateful to have Sally Metcalfe on your side. Lisa gave her a quiet but heartfelt thank-you as Sally stepped out, Tim following both having pulled their phones out ready to call.
“Why don’t you four search the hospital, hey?” Kevin suggested “I’ll hop in the car and have a drive around. If she’s left the hospital, she won’t have gone far.” He gave Abi’s arm a reassuring squeeze before hurrying out of the room.
“Kev’s right, someone should probably stay put here, just in case she comes back” Abi suggested.
Lisa nodded, her focus shifting. “Kit,” she said sharply. The tall detective barely had time to open his mouth before Lisa left the room, leaving him standing there with no choice but to stay put.
As the four of the got searching Carla couldn’t help but feel useless, she knew exactly what Betsy was going through—that desperate need to run away and escape the pain. It was the same thing she’d done when Liam was killed. Not being able to go out and look for the young teen was tearing her apart. She checked her phone every few minutes hoping for a message from Ryan or Lisa with good news; that Betsy had been found, safe and sound. But the phone screen stayed black.
Carla let out a deep sigh as she threw her phone down on her lap in frustration and leaned back against the pillows propping her up as she closed her eyes for just a moment, trying to steady herself.
“I’m sorry” Carla’s eyes snapped open hearing a timid voice cut through the silence “I-I-I didn’t know where else to go” the young girl stammered, tears spilling down her cheeks.
“Oh Betsy” Carla breathed; tears filled her own eyes as she opened her arms wide. “Come here, darling.” Without hesitation the teen ran to her, climbing on the bed beside her curling into the older woman’s side. Carla wrapped her arms around Betsy holding onto her as tightly as she could as the young girl wailed.
Betsy kept trying to speak, her mouth opening and closing as though searching for words, but none came. Carla could feel every emotion radiating off the young girl - the hopelessness, the despair, the complete lack of belief that anything would be ok ever again and she knew that there was absolutely nothing she could do to take away the pain. All she could do was hold her, offering the one thing she could give: the assurance that she didn’t have to face it alone.
Her and Betsy hadn’t had the best relationship to start with, Betsy was feisty, strong-willed, determined and annoyingly sarky. All traits Carla had herself at that age. The past few months as her relationship with Lisa had grown, so had her relationship with Betsy – it comes with the territory of dating someone who has a child. Betsy clearly respected that Carla didn’t treat her like a child, before she and Lisa had even acknowledged their feelings for each other, Betsy found solace in the silence of Carla’s office, the two of them often sitting together while they worked. Those moments were the foundation of the understanding and mutual respect they now shared.
It was Carla who Betsy had confided in about Joel, what he’d gotten her to do. It was Carla who had managed to get the two Swain women to put their differences aside and try to understand each other. Carla, who convinced Lisa to sit down and give Mason a fair chance. That was a memory that had been on loop since the news of Mason’s stabbing, that meal the four of them had shared. Mason nervous, Lisa wary and Betsy on top form with the sarcastic remarks. Yet by the time they’d left the Bistro there was an air of something new, something special. She could only hope that that memory was something Betsy would be able to hold onto, something happy shared with three people who cared so deeply for her.
When Carla was Betsy’s age, she didn’t really have anyone looking out for her, not an adult anyway. Her mother was more bothered about what answers she could find at the bottom of a bottle and her father was nowhere to be seen. She was determined to make sure Betsy never felt like that. No matter what happened, Carla wanted Betsy to know -really know - that there would always be people in her corner, fighting for her. That she would never have to face the hardships in life alone.
Betsy’s cries seemed to have quietened as her eyes ran out of tears, the tracks of ones that had previously fallen marking her cheeks.
“He’s dead, Carla” Betsy whispered, her voice fragile and broken
Carla sighed deeply, her heart aching for the girl. She pressed a soft kiss to Betsy’s forehead. “I know, love, and I am so, so sorry.”
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do” Betsy said, her breathing becoming uneven and frantic “it hurts. I want it to stop. I want it to stop hurting. Why does everybody leave me?”
Carla could see Betsy was spiralling, the girl’s eyes darted around the room, her body trembling uncontrollably, her breaths becoming more rapid and shallow. A panic attack. Carla gently pulled away just enough to make Betsy face her. She cupped the teen’s cheeks, her thumbs brushing away the new tears that had begun to fall
“Listen to me, Betsy you need to breathe. Copy me” Her voice firm but calm. Carla took slow steady breaths and watched on as Betsy attempted to mimicked her breathing pattern. Slowly but surely, their breathing began to fall in sync.
It took a few minutes to get her breathing under control, the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion caught her off guard and the teen collapsed back into Carla’s awaiting embrace.
Carla took a deep breath, her voice steady but filled with emotion. “I lost someone I loved very much. His name was Liam. He was my everything, and he was taken from this world in a horrible act of violence, just like Mason. The last thing I told him was that I didn’t love him, and he died that same night.”
She paused, feeling Betsy holding back tears in her arms. “That pain you’re feeling, Betsy, I understand it. And so does your mam. There’s nothing anyone can say to make it stop hurting. It’s going to hurt for a long time. Grief isn’t easy—it’s heavy, and it’s messy. But in time, it gets a little less overwhelming. Eventually, you’ll be able to think about the happy times without that sharp, unbearable pain. You’ll look at photos and smile instead of cry. You’ll celebrate the moments you got to share, instead of mourning the ones you didn’t.”
Betsy began to cry silently, Carla held her tighter, stroking her hair gently as she continued. “You’re going to be okay. This pain you’re feeling, it’s temporary. But the love you had for Mason, and the memories you made with him, those will stay with you forever. They’re a part of you now. And Betsy, listen to me, you are not alone. Ok?” Carla planted a kiss on her crown, the factory owner held her tightly, running her fingers through Betsy’s hair, murmuring soft reassurances. Gradually, Betsy’s sobs quieted, her breathing steadied, and she drifted into an exhausted sleep.
Once Carla noticed Betsy had fallen asleep, she gently shifted and reached for her phone with her free hand, she kept her other arm wrapped securely around the girl, who instinctively snuggled closer to her in her sleep. Carla’s hand finding the girls hair again something that it seemed they both found comfort in, a silent reassurance that neither of them were alone.
She unlocked her phone and sent off a quick text to Ryan and Lisa.
I’ve got her
She barely had time to set the phone down before it buzzed. The screen lit up with Lisa’s name, and Carla answered immediately, keeping her voice hushed to avoid disturbing the sleeping girl beside her.
“Carla! Carla, is she ok?” Lisa’s panicked voice came through the phone
“Darling calm down, take a breath” Carla said softly, a small smile forming on her lips as she heard Lisa exhale deeply on the other end of the line “She’s ok. She’s sleeping” they weren’t physically together but Carla could sense the relief flood through Lisa
“Thank god. I’m on my way. I won't be long" Lisa’s voice softened at the knowledge of her daughter being safe
“Grab some water and something sugary on your way please?” Carla requested “I’ll explain when you get here” she said before Lisa even had the chance to get her question out. There was a slight chuckle on the other end of the line which made Carla’s heart skip a beat.
“I love you Carla Connor” Lisa said, her tone filled with gratitude and affection.
“I love you too” Carla whispered, her heart full of relief and love as the call ended.
It took Lisa 20 minutes to get to Carla’s room, hospitals can be a nightmare to navigate in a hurry, as she walked through the door Lisa’s breath caught at the sight of her daughter curled into her girlfriend’s side, Carla’s hand still running through her hair.
“Hi love” Carla whispered “She’s ok, Lisa. I promise” Lisa took a seat in the chair on the other side of Carla’s bed to Betsy. She reached out to take hold of Carla’s free hand wrapping both hands around it and bringing it up to her lips. A silent thank you.
“How long has she been with you?”
“I honestly don’t know. But she’s been asleep for about half an hour” Carla replied as she moved her hand from Lisa’s lips to cradle her cheek and wipe a stray tear that Lisa hadn’t even realised had fallen
“I’m sorry” the older blonde whispered leaning her head into Carla’s touch, she just needed to feel her
“You never have to apologise for showing your emotions, especially not around me” Carla brushed away another tear and Lisa turned her head to plant a kiss on Carla’s palm.
“Mum” a sleepy voice whispered from the other side of Carla
“I’m here sweetheart” Lisa smiled softly at her daughter
“My head hurts” Betsy sighed leaning back onto Carla’s shoulder. Apparently, Lisa wasn’t the only Swain who found comfort in the older woman's touch, Betsy seemed extremely reluctant to move away from Carla.
“Here” Lisa held a bottle of water out to Betsy who accepted it gratefully, Carla shimmied over in the bed so Betsy could sit up comfortably. Taking a few tentative sips Betsy handed it back to her mum thanking her.
“What happened Bets?” Lisa gently questioned
“That room, it felt like it was closing in. I had to get out of there so I went walking and ended up here” Betsy looked up from her lap “I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m sorry Mum”
“It’s ok. I’m just glad you’re safe” both Swain women stood up and reached out for each other holding on tightly as they hugged. As they pulled away Betsy stumbled slightly, it was only now that Lisa realised just how pale her daughter looked, she guided her back to sit beside Carla who rested her hand against the teens arm.
“And that’s what the sugary thing is for” Carla prompted Lisa to get the chocolate she’d brought, a mars bar was passed to Betsy along with a bottle of Lucozade
“Sugar helps after a panic attack. Eat it please, love. It’ll help” Carla said
“A panic attack? Oh Betsy, I’m sorry” Lisa glanced at her daughter who was hiding her head clearly embarrassed that she’d been found out
“I’m ok. It all just got a bit overwhelming and suddenly I couldn’t breathe” Betsy recounted as she made her way through her mars bar, the colour starting to come back to her face “Carla helped me through it” Lisa looked over at Carla, the love she had for the woman radiating through her skin. She couldn’t help but wonder how she got so lucky. Carla blushed slightly seeing the twinkle in Lisa’s eye.
There was silence in the room, nobody really knew what to say they just took solace in the company of each other. They knew whatever came next was going to be extremely tough, but they had each other and that was enough to get them through anything.