Have No Emotion, Show No Weakness

Take A Break

Non stop for the last month Connie had been running here there and everywhere at work. Jacob had tried having conversations with her but they never seemed to have the time anymore.

"Sweetheart we need to go!" Connie called up the stairs to Grace before her face contorted into one of pain as she placed a hand to her bump taking a steady breath.

Connie was only just turning 7 months pregnant and she was not prepared for her little one to arrive early. She walked back into the kitchen shaking it off. "GRACE! Hurry up please!"

By the time she came downstairs dragging her bag behind her Connie was by the door with her keys in her hand. "Oh don't worry about me needing to be somewhere Grace, just take your time-" "You always have to be somewhere don't you?"

Grace pulled the front door open as it hit the wall causing Connie to jump. She sighed closing the door behind her and getting into the car. The journey was done in silence, neither wanting to speak to the other.

Connie got out of the car at the ED followed by Connie. "Grace!" "What?" Connie levelled her eyes at her daughter. "Don't talk to me like that I'm your Mother-" "Don't act like it." Grace turned away from her and headed for the entrance to the ED.

"Excuse me Grace but I have to do more than sit at home with you-" "But when do you ever do that? Never, because you're always too busy with work... And when the baby's here you'll care even less!" Connie moved closer to her but stopped briefly placing a hand to her stomach again. "Grace that's not true-" "It is Mum, see all you care about is them. I hate you!"

"Grace where are you go-" "To find Jacob! At least he actually cares." Connie stood outside speechless as her daughter walked away from her. Her eyes began to sting with the threat of tears before she blinked them back and headed inside to her office.

Connie sat in her office staring blankly at the wall. The only thought on her mind being her baby girl. How could she push Grace away like that again, after everything. Connie sat back resting her head in her hand.

Alicia noticed Connie sitting in her office and headed over. "Connie?" "Hmm... Oh Dr Munro what is it?" Alicia shut the door and sat down beside Connie. "Is everything okay? I couldn't help but hear about everything with Grace this morning."

Connie sighed shaking her head. "It's fine is that all you wanted?" She tried to get up from the sofa but was stopped as another pain shot through her. "Connie?" "I'm fine. Just leave it."

She tried again but was stopped as she moaned in pain. Alicia placed a hand to Connie's back and helped her sit back down. "I'm getting Jacob-" "No! Leave him with Grace, she needs him more than I do right now."

Alicia disappeared to find Zoe and they were back within minutes. "What's wrong-" "Abdominal pains for a few hours. Mainly the left side and started off pretty weak but seem to be- ahhh." Connie doubled over in pain as Zoe tried to settle her.

"Alright Alicia can you find me an ultrasound machine, and also get Charlie in here." She nodded doing as she said before Zoe turned her attention back to Connie. "Okay how far are you?" "This baby is NOT coming now Zoe, it can't."

"Okay calm down, this isn't doing either of you any good. So have you thought of any names for this one?" Connie laughed as she dropped her head back to the sofa. "Jacob thinks it's a boy but can't think of a name he likes at all... I've not really thought about it much. It's been the last thing on my mind recently contrary to what people think." Zoe nodded not aware of her reference to Grace.

Alicia reappeared with a worried trail of people. "Sorry he kind of saw me out there." Connie rolled her eyes as she looked away from him. "What's going on Zoe?" Jacob crouched down beside them before moving back as Zoe instructed.

"I'm not sure, I think she could be in early labour-" "No! There is no way I am having this baby Zoe, so you make sure you bloody stop this!" Jacob glanced to Connie with a small smirk on his face.

Grace appeared in the doorway angry at first before noticing Connie was in pain and something was wrong. "Mum?" Connie's eyes darted up to her daughter. "Alicia get her out of here please-" "Mum? Please, I'm sorry..."

Alicia took Grace out of the room as a few tears rolled down Connie's cheeks. Jacob took hold of her hand pressing his lips to it. "Okay everything looks alright. The baby's not in any distress and it seems as though it's nothing more than Braxton Hicks."

Connie sighed, one of relief as Zoe looked across at them both. "You need to take a step back from here... I'd say your stress levels caused all this today." Jacob nodded as Zoe left the office smiling at Charlie as he looked to Connie before leaving.

Jacob moved so that he could see Connie properly who was now sitting up. "I've lost her Jacob... I had a second chance with her and I blew it." "Hey, that's not true..." Connie nodded as she let the tears fall freely. "It is. I lost her a long time ago, I never really got her back."

"If you'd lost her she wouldn't have been crying to me in the staffroom about how much she misses you." Connie looked up to Jacob who started taking again. "Now what Zoe said, I'm not letting you carry on like this. You need to take some time off sweet cheeks." She was reluctant but when her eyes fell upon Grace standing by the nurses' station with Alicia she nodded. "Okay..."