Have No Emotion, Show No Weakness

You Don't Want Me?

Connie had returned to work three weeks later despite everyone's persistence that she take longer off. Jacob was angry that she didn't seem to be taking her health seriously.

She strutted about the department after treating several patients already. Since being in hospital she'd not found herself struggling at all but today was different. She paused at the nurses station for a while taking a few slow breaths.

Grace had come into work with them as she didn't have school at the moment. "Hey sweetheart, what are you doing out of my office?" Connie composed herself to face her daughter so she didn't think anything was wrong. "Mum I'm bored-" "I know baby but I promise it won't be for long." Grace nodded and turned around to the office once again.

Connie hadn't told Jacob about the pregnancy and it was becoming harder to hide it from him. She wanted to tell him but it never seemed like the right time.

Charlie stepped beside her glancing across. "Have you told him yet?" Connie put the folders back down raising her eyes straight ahead with a sigh. "You know he has a right to know-" "And what about my right to think about what the hell I want?" She spoke in a quiet voice despite the annoyance evident in it.

Grace had gone to the office but needed to ask her Mum for some money. She stepped out unnoticed listening to Charlie. "What's that meant to mean-" "It means I don't know if I can really be a mother, Charlie. I don't know if I want this." Grace's face dropped and her eyes began to get tearful as she stepped back into the office.

Charlie placed a hand on Connie's. "Of course you can do this, you won't be alone." She sighed pulling her hands away and wandering off. "Connie-" "Just leave it." Connie headed to resus to continue treating patients as it distracted her.

Grace sat in her Mum's office, Connie's office. It seemed like she didn't want her to be her daughter anyway. Grace began tearing various pieces of paper up as her anger boiled over. She screwed various things up not caring what what happened because of it.

Tears soon fell down her cheeks as the anger turned into upset. Noel breezed past the office door and saw Grace and the mess before her deciding to go find Connie. Grace continued to slowly rip pieces of paper in half while wiping a hand across her cheek to remove the tears that had fallen.

Noel opened the doors to resus causing Connie to glance up. "Mrs Beauchamp, it's Grace." Immediately she followed him and walked behind him coming to her office. She looked into the room and took in the huge mess. "Grace, what are you doing!?"

She pushed some folders to the floor knocking a photo frame off too. "Grace!" Connie walked in and picked up the smashed photo. It was of the two of them. Grace continued to pull at the paper as Connie looked towards her.

"Grace what's going on? Grace talk to me, what's happened?" She rest a hand on her arm causing Grace to finally look across at her. Grace began to speak but sounded breathless. "I h-heard you... I he-heard wh-what you said, you don't want me." Connie shook her head kneeling down.

"No-" "You- you don't w-want me to live with y-you..." "I'm sor- Grace no it's not that..." Connie looked up as Grace's breathing became erratic and she struggled to return to normal. Panic began to surge across Connie's face as she watched her daughter.

"What's wrong? Gracie? What's wrong darling? Grace?" She continued to panic as Grace struggled for breath. Jacob wandered in not realising the situation. "Ah there you are, I've been looking for you-" "No, she can't breath... Jacob she can't breath."

He rushed inside and around the desk. "Do something- I don't know what's going on." Jacob pulled Connie out of the way gently before crouching down to Grace's level. He took her hands in his and warmly smiled at her. Connie stood behind him panicking. That was her little girl and she was helpless. She couldn't do anything for her, how could she care for another child when she messed up so much with this one.

"Grace look at me, look at me... You're okay, you're okay..." She held onto his hands as she slowly began to calm down. Her breathes becoming slower and longer again. "There, alright?"

Connie stepped around Jacob as he moved backwards letting her resume her position. She took Grace's hand and looked up at her. "Grace, what you heard... It's complicated." Tears brimmed in Connie's eyes, she knew she'd have to tell them both but this isn't how she wanted it to come out.

"But it doesn't in anyway mean that I don't want you to live with me." Grace looked down away from Connie causing the tears to fall down her cheeks. "You have to believe me sweetheart..." Grace wasn't believing a word she said, there was only one way she would.

Connie sighed dropping her head and closing her eyes briefly before looking back at Grace. "I wasn't talking about you sweetheart-" "But you couldn't mean anyone else." Connie nodded slightly forcing the tears to not fall. "I can, sweetheart I'm so sorry..."

Jacob was left confused by the entire conversation as he didn't even know what had caused this but he was soon bought out of his trance by Connie's words. "But you said you couldn't be a Mum. I don't understand-" "Baby I'm pregnant, I didn't mean you in anyway." Connie ran a hand across Grace's cheeks as the tears fell down her own once again. "I love you so much Grace, but this is more complicated than you could ever understand sweetheart."

Jacob couldn't understand this either. Firstly, Connie was pregnant!? Why hadn't she told him, surely he had a right to know he was going to be a Father, assuming it was his. Why would this be complicated? What had caused such an issue, did she not want this baby? Their baby. He turned away and walked out of the office.

Connie had forgotten he was there until she saw him walk away. "Ja..." She went to speak but he was out the door before she had a chance. "I'm sorry Mum-" "It's okay baby, it's not your fault. I love you so much." Connie pulled Grace into her chest as she held onto her never wanting to let go. She needed to find Jacob and explain everything.