The doctor said if I wanted to see kp before she went down to theatre I needed to come now. She was going to theatre to stem the blood loss she was experiencing because of the pelvis. I approached gingerly psyching myself up for a kp I couldn’t recognise.

But it was the Karen I love with a bad gash on the top of her head and lots of blood in her hair. Everything else was covered up.

Me: “Hiya love – how u doing?”
kp: “I am in agony” (said in kp’s normal voice as if she wasn’t in agony, very weird)
Me: “You’re going down to theatre and they are going to sort you out”
kp: “Make sure there is someone with you”
dp: “Yes I will don’t worry. I am fine.”

We told each other how much we loved each other. I did my normal kissing routing and finished by ensuring I said “Love you” at the end. I always try and say “I love you” as the last thing I say to her before we part even if its just going to the shops or work.

I rejoined Ian (the policeman) and he started handing me his business cards and explaining things a bit more, at which kp was being wheeled past us. The nurses asked if I wanted to kiss my wife again. I remember saying “No, she doesn’t like being kissed” or words to that effect. Which is a known family in-joke. This would become very key later on

I was left alone for a while and immediately phoned Jane Burns (kp’s best friend). Jane was shocked but dropped everything to come straight to the hospital. I then phoned Marie and her words were “You lie ! You’re having me on”. I can’t remember who else I phoned apart from my Dad who said “Will you both still be coming to Devon this weekend ?”. This angered me at the time and I said something like “No, but I’ll let you know if Karen pulls through or not !”. Within a few hours I understood that he was in shock just like I was.

Within an hour or two, family members (including Jane Burns) started arriving at the hospital and we all convened in “The Green Room”, a small visitors area next to the Intensive Care Unit. Little did we know how much time we would be spending in that room. How much laughing we would be doing and how much crying.

Then began the longest night of our lives.