"My mother’s fine," Fox said, followed by a faint smile and the shake of a head. "She’s in the Caribbean with my father, hasn't got a clue what's going on. She'll be fine. I told her to stay there for a while - I don't think she had any plans on coming back to the UK so soon anyway." 

Li moved past him, taking photos and small token presents he had bought her in previous years. He saw her smile as she put them away in her purse, wanted to look at them for himself, but was aware it wasn't the right time. Instead he allowed her to move hastily out of the room with a bag on each arm. 

"I'll be downstairs in a minute. Lock up the car when you're done!" He called after her. Then he retreated back into the bedroom, lowering himself onto the soft linen and taking in the sweet aroma of freshly washed sheets. Downstairs the rattle of car keys could be heard as they were unhooked, then the front door opening and closing. For whatever reason it felt unusually lonely, despite Li being only a few meters outside the house. It reminded Fox of his first night in hospital after the IED exploded underneath his vehicle. The confusion he experienced as he woke up aboard a private military plane headed straight for the UK; his back numb and his mind foggy. Abigale - the only other survivor - had been on the same flight. They had both burst out crying when they saw one another. Abigale was missing both legs, he was experiencing complete paralysis on his right half from his torso downwards. They were both in a state - an understatement, of course. But the two had talked, joked, even laughed on the flight home, and for a while Fox didn't feel quite so hopeless.

That had all changed when he arrived overnight in London. In the confusion there hadn't been a message sent to Li, and so he was forced to endure a night of agony alone. The next months were gruelling. They were lonely. Li couldn't be in the hospital at all times. Even when she had to leave the room for just a moment it felt as if a void had opened up inside of him. A shiver ran down his spine just thinking of those days. 

Pulling out his phone, Fox scrolled though his contacts before clicking on one and sending a message:

[center][i][b]Hey, Abby.
I'm guessing you've seen what's going on. How are you holding up?[/b][/i][/center]
He clicked send and stood from the bed, reaching the landing just as Li asked whether there was anything else that needed to be put in the boot. "That's all, I think. We won't be gone for long." He replied. He saw her move into the living room and was about to come down when he remembered his gun. He walked back into the bedroom, opened the top draw of his bedside table and inspected the Sig Sauer, alternating the gun between both hands after inspecting the chamber. A box of ammunition sat in the draw too which had been buried underneath papers and photographs. It wasn't at all legal to own the firearm, but for the first night in hospital he had no other choice but to remain in his combat gear - of which the back had been cut open so that his back could be accessed - because it was deemed too unsafe for him to remove the clothing. The gun for whatever reason remained in its holster, and although his gear was quickly removed the following day, Fox had already hidden it beside the bed during the night. He decided to leave it in the draw as they would be staying the night and made his way downstairs.

The first thing he heard was Li speaking frantically on the phone. She was speaking to her father. Fox ran into the room and found Li standing in shock with the landline loosely in her hand. He grabbed it and put it to his ear but heard nothing on the other end. Throwing the phone to the side he clasped Li's face gently in his hands and looked her in the eye.

"Li? Baby! What's wrong? Was that your father? Is he alright?"