Have No Emotion, Show No Weakness

Beauchamp's Back

The frosty air whipped up the leaves from the ground that morning as everyone began making their way inside the ED. Jacob had stopped outside with Rita and Iain talking when she arrived.

Their attention was gained when they heard her pulling into the car park, except they had no idea who it was. The slim figure turned the engine off before carefully lifting her leg over the bike and standing straight. She noticed several members of staff outside before she pulled the helmet off.

Connie moved a hand to her hair shaking it out for a moment before she wandered forwards and into the department. Iain and Rita were giving each other a look of shock while Jacob had walked off to catch up with his boss.

"Wow Mrs B, you certainly know how to impress people-" "Why do you like what you see Staff Nurse Masters? Not that I do it to 'impress' people."  He laughed as she opened her office door and disappeared inside leaving him to it.

Connie sat in her office for hours replying to email after email all the while their brief conversation from earlier playing on her mind. Did she really want to play this game and get involved?

There was a knock at the door before Alicia appeared. "Mrs Beauchamp, I just wanted to know if you were coming to get some lunch?  Ethan and Lily are coming too."  Connie glanced at the time not realising just how late it had gotten. "Mrs Beauchamp?" "Sorry Alicia, I'm not going to be done for a few minutes-" "It's okay we'll wait out here for you."  The younger doctor smiled closing the door and returning to the staff room.

10 minutes later and Connie gave up deciding to go with them. She opened her office door almost bumping into Alicia. "Oh hey, are you ready it's just I'm starving..." Connie smiled as they began to wander towards the entrance until her eyes fell on someone. Alicia had noticed and spoke quietly. "Did I forget to mention Jacob was coming too-" "Yeah you forgot that little fact."  Connie grinned sarcastically at her before they continued walking towards the others.

After a short walk they stopped at a small cafe. The five of them sat around a table with Connie putting as much distance as possible between herself and Jacob yet somehow by the time their had their food he was sitting opposite her.

"What?"  Connie had noticed Jacob looking at her for a while but not mentioned it. "Nothing Mrs B, so what's the deal with the bike?"  A small smile graced her features before she picked up her fork again. "Don't know what you mean Staff Nurse Masters, is just a means of transport."  He watched her smiling shaking his head. "Not exactly the shiny flash car though is it?"

They continued to eat before they slowly left together. "Ooh Mrs Beauchamp what time should we get there tomorrow night?"  Connie had forgotten about the dinner she promised everyone. "It's booked for 8, so about quarter to?  I know some people like to turn up late so if we're early then they should be on time-" "I hope that's not aimed at me!"  Jacob watched as Connie looked across at him. "Of course not Mr I forgot to turn my alarm on and slept over..."

Although it was a short walk back to the hospital it was enough time for Connie to begin feeling butterflies in her stomach but she didn't show it. "Come on then Queen B, why the bike?"  She rolled her eyes "If you must know Staff Nurse Masters I've always had it, just never come here with it exactly for this reason, happy?" 

The rest of the walk was silent until they all stopped outside the ED entrance. Lily and Ethan went back inside whilst Alicia waited for Connie. Jacob turned to Connie and lowered his voice. "In response to your question earlier, yeah I'm pretty happy... Seeing you in leather certainly ticked all the right boxes.  See you later sweet cheeks."  Jacob winked before turning back into the department as Connie watched his confidence in amazement.

Alicia noticed the way she looked before standing beside her. "Oh for god sake will you just ask him out before I do it for you!?"  Connie turned her attention back to the younger doctor. "I don't know-" "Oh please, you know exactly what I'm on about. You can't exactly hide much from me remember?"  Connie rolled her eyes before walking inside with Alicia. "At least think about it?"  She left the clinical lead by her office to return to work.

Connie's eyes wandered the department before falling to him. He was talking to a patient before laughing and she couldn't seem to look away. "I've been meaning to ask you about that-" "Oh Charlie please, just leave it. Nothing's there to ask about."  Charlie laughed walking away while Connie went into the office to finish her paper work.

For the rest of the afternoon Connie was icy as usual with everyone. Despite how she felt, she never showed any emotion and it seemed only Alicia and Charlie could see past it all which she was grateful for. If anyone else knew how she really felt she definitely wouldn't feel like being able to show her face around here all the time!

The shift ended for many people, but Connie was still working. She watched as several people left the department for the night, while filing some discharge forms at the nurses' station. "See you tomorrow Mrs Beauchamp" Alicia smiled before leaving with Cal and Ethan as Connie watched them go. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow night Queen B."  Connie sighed moving her gaze to the man standing before her. "I guess so Staff Nurse Masters... And don't be late-" "Yeah yeah..." He laughed walking away from her while she returned to cubicles to finish her own shift off.