Have No Emotion, Show No Weakness

Illness

Connie rested her hands against the counter in the kitchen. Her head was spinning and she felt weak. "Hey Mum-" "Morning darling, you ready to see Elliot?" Grace nodded while Connie let go of the side moving around again.

Grace was waiting by the door while Jacob came downstairs. "Hey Grace where's your Mum gone?" She shrugged while Jacob turned around and went back upstairs. "You up here sweet cheeks?"

He heard a faint reply before finding Connie on the floor of the bathroom. "Woah, everything okay?"  He ran to her side as she pushed him away. "I'm fine Jacob, I just slipped okay."  He helped her up from the floor.

"Did you hit your head or anything? Do you feel okay?" "Jacob stop fussing I'm fine."  She walked past him and let a shaky breath go once she was away from him. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach, she was dizzy and felt she could barely keep her balance.

Jacob drove the three of them to Elliot's to drop Grace off before finishing the drive to the ED. Connie didn't wait for him to get out of the car. Once he was out he grabbed her hand and pulled her out the way of an oncoming car.

"Jesus Con are you trying to get yourself admitted today!?  Are you sure you're okay?"  She took a moment to realise what had almost happened before shutting off again. "I'm fine just leave it Jacob." 

Connie walked away from him and into the department. Jacob stopped beside Cal outside. "Is she okay, that was really close."  Jacob didn't know what to say, something wasn't right.

She spent most the shift in her office sitting down but soon left. Connie made her way to the toilets before completely emptying the contents of her stomach.

Connie felt drained of all energy as she tried getting up from the floor of the cubicle. She managed to push herself up and leave before standing by the sink.

Looking down at her hands they were shaking before she washed them and splashed some water over her face. She was hot. Really hot and it felt like her temperature kept going up.

Ignoring it she left the bathroom only to be called by Rita into resus. Connie followed her in listening to everything she said. Connie began giving her orders without doing anything herself, worried at how she was feeling.

Connie stepped back when everything was done insisting to make the phone call upstairs herself. It was just an excuse to have the support of the side. She rest against it feeling her legs become weak again.

After putting the phone down Connie took a few deep breaths standing up and walking from resus. She disappeared to her office again and sat down attempting some paperwork but as she focused on the words her vision became blurred.

Connie looked up as someone knocked at the door. She just prayed they didn't need her. "I just came to see how busy you were-" "It's an emergency department and I run it. Does that answer your question?"  Jacob came inside and sat on her sofa.

"I bought some lunch, figured you'd not eat otherwise."  He waited for her to come and sit beside him but when she didn't he stood up and walked across to her twisting the chair to face him. She forced a smile up at him as he kissed her taking her breath away. 

It caused her to go even more light headed than she already felt. "I see in a lazy mood today?"  He smirked as he wrapped his arms around her waist lifting her up and carrying her over to the sofa.

Truth is she tried to move but couldn't. She just didn't have any strength to get herself from her desk to the sofa. Something was seriously wrong but she refused to admit anything. Connie sat with her legs up and head resting against Jacob's chest.

She took a few deep breaths trying to steady her breathing. "You need to eat babe-" "I know, I'm just feeling a little uneasy right now."  He placed a kiss to the top of her head.

Connie tried eating some of the sandwich he passed her and drank some water. She began to feel a little better as she closed her eyes and relaxed into Jacob.

They sat talking for almost an hour, Connie not realising just how long they'd been sat there. Jacob thought it was strange that she hadn't tried to get back to work or tell him to leave but didn't mention it.

"I better get back to work, tell me if you're not feeling good, okay?"  She nodded as he kissed her before disappearing. Suddenly she began feeling sick again but wasn't sure if she could even manage getting up.

Connie lifted herself up and found herself moving quickly towards the bathroom again. This time Alicia noticed and followed her in.

Soon enough Connie sat down and began throwing up again. "Mrs Beauchamp? Are you okay, I'll get Jacob-" "No Alicia, I'm fine. Dodgy lunch."  Connie came out of the cubicle putting on a brave face.

They wandered to cubicles Connie ignoring everything Alicia was telling her to do. "I'm fine, please just stop fussing." 

Almost two hours later Connie found herself gripping onto the nurses' station to keep herself standing. Jacob approached her so she grabbed some folders to make it look like she was doing something. "Alright sweet cheeks?"  He leant in and kissed her quickly but she barely responded.

Jacob disappeared frowning to himself while Connie stayed at the desk her head spinning. "Connie?"  She looked across at Charlie smiling. "Is everything alright-" "What is it with everyone today!? I said I'm fine!"  She spun round too quickly causing her head to spin further.

She barely made it into the toilet before everything went white. She closed the cubicle door behind her as she hit the floor. "Is everything okay in there?" Robyn.

Connie tried to speak but nothing came out. Her eyes began to close as the pain in her head returned and seared through her body. Robyn noticed someone on the floor before running outside.

"Alicia quick help!"  They ran inside followed by Zoe. Alicia looked underneath. "It's Mrs Beauchamp."  She went into the cubicle beside Connie and climbed up onto the toilet looking over the top.

Zoe banged on the door. "Connie? Connie can you hear me?"  Alicia looked into the cubicle. "She's passed out..."  She lifted herself higher dropping into the cubicle.

Alicia rushed down to crouch above Connie. "Alicia check her neck and if it seems clear then open the door."  She did as Zoe said, following her every instruction. Carefully she sat Connie forwards before opening the cubicle door and lying her down again.

"Robyn get a trolley-" "On it."  She returned shortly having caught the attention of several other staff. "Charlie? I need some help in here to move her."  He nodded getting Cal to follow him in before their eyes widened seeing who it was.

"What's going on-" "She passed out, her SATs are dropping rapidly and pulse is weak."  Cal moved to help lift her onto the bed before they rushed her through to resus.