So I'm going to be updating all three of my current ongoing stories (this one, Burning Desire, and Teach Me A Lesson) all at the same time, one chapter at a time, so that I don't end up neglecting any of them. This might mean a bit of a break in between chapter updates, but I will try to keep it 2-3 days as a maximum. I enjoy writing all of these stories, and I really appreciate your comments!
"How's Chris?" Jacob asked, as he saw Connie walking down the corridor, distracted by her own thoughts. She didn't hear him originally, but then he asked again, and she was able to process the question, asking him how he knew what the young boy was called.
"Robyn told me. Heard you were the only one he'd talk to. Do you know the bloke?" Connie was still slightly distracted, but eventually she forced herself to shake her head, never once looking up into Jacob's eyes.
"No, no," she said, with a lack of emotion. "Never seen him before in my life." Connie was on her way to see Chris now, as she had his X-Ray results, so she made her way to him and was disappointed to find that there wasn't anyone else in there, which meant that she had to make conversation with him. As Connie went over his results to herself, and just checked that he was comfortable, he began some small chitchat with her. She made an effort to reply to him, but the conversation soon ran dead.
"So, Mrs Beauchamp," he said, making an attempt to smile despite his injuries. "Where's Mr Beauchamp?"
"On the other side of the world last time I heard. We separated ten years ago." Why on earth she was telling him this, she didn't really know, but she didn't really find it important.
"Oh, sorry. How long were you with him?" She managed to restrain from smiling when he apologised: this young boy reminded her so much of the young Jacob that she fell in love with twenty years ago, especially now with how he apologised for things that he could not control.
"Not long enough to justify being married and having his daughter," Connie chuckled, and this made Chris smile too.
"You have a daughter?" He asked, and Connie nodded.
"She's thirteen now. Absolutely spoilt rotten." She smiled just thinking about Grace, and Chris sat up in the bed, clearly enjoying having a conversation with Connie, though why she had no idea. She didn't want to think about the photo he had of her, as it was just creepy and she was almost certain she had found herself a stalker.
"Aw," he managed to say. "Do you have any more kids?" Connie stopped still.
"No," she answered eventually, trying to push the memories of her first pregnancy out of her mind. She hadn't spoken about that for almost twenty years - she was damned if she was going to start thinking about it again now. Though she never really forgot. When she'd seen Jacob for the first time, she'd been reminded. It wasn't like she had much of a choice when she decided to get rid of the baby, as she wasn't in a position to be able to care for it. A sudden realisation told Connie that she was never this open to her friends, let alone her patients, and so she vowed to not talk anymore about her own private life. It was private for a reason. She gave Chris his test results before leaving the room, heading straight for her office.
She opened her emails, and for the first time in fifteen years, she typed out a message to Derek Brown, current CEO of Appleby Central Hospital, in Australia. He was still also the Chairman of Education at the University nearby, and Connie hoped that such a busy, successful man wouldn't have forgotten her, and would be able to get back to her quickly.
Thankfully, she received an email back almost instantly, and Derek certainly remembered exactly who Connie was, and what had happened. He was still able to offer her advice even now, from the other side of the world, and Connie almost broke down into tears as she remembered how supportive he had been in the year that he was away.
Derek,
I cannot believe it has been over fifteen years since I last wrote you an email; how is everything with you? I'm sure we'd have a lot of catching up to do. I feel ashamed to be writing to you today, for the purpose behind this email is simply to ask you for a great favour. You may remember Jacob Masters, the boy I was romantically involved with all that time ago, and you may remember how I told you he was responsible for getting me pregnant before I left him. Staff Nurse Masters now works at my department here at Holby and this has been the case for some time now. The two of us have rekindled our romance and I truly have never been happier, as my staff are all supportive of the relationship. However, I have never found the courage to tell Jacob about the baby, and I worry that if I do, I risk losing everything all over again. I am deeply sorry for bothering you as I know you are a busy man now, but I hope that you'll be able to offer me some advice, just as you always used to.
All my thanks, from your friend, Connie Beauchamp.
Connie,
Thank you so much for getting in touch after all this time! I too am surprised that fifteen years has passed so quickly; we certainly do need to catch up with one another! Of course I remember Jacob, and the situation the two of you were in, and I don't believe there is any reason to panic. You gave up that child because you weren't in a position to care for it, and I completely respect your decision. As a father now, I know how difficult it must have been to go through that, and I'm sure that Jacob would be able to understand too. You did always say that he was understanding, and supportive of you. My advice would be simply to ask yourself: must you tell him about the baby? Would it achieve anything other than pain for the both of you? If you can answer yes to either of these questions, then Connie, all you need to do is take a few deep breaths, and tell him the whole story from the start to the end. Explain why you made that decision and I'm sure he'll understand.
Don't apologise for seeking my help - I promised you I'd be here for you, and that promise will always stand.
Love, Derek.
Connie was about to reply when she heard a knock on the door, and Jacob came in. She minimised her emails immediately, and he informed her that Chris had been given a sedative to calm him before the doctors treated his wounds. Connie was unsure as to why Jacob was telling her this; it was standard procedure for an erratic patient to be sedated before performing surgery, grafting, or suturing on them, but it didn't take him long to elaborate.
"He was upset before the sedative that he only wanted to be treated by you. He kept calling for you, but we were told that you were busy."
"We?" Connie asked, folding her arms and looking up to Jacob. "You mean, you were treating him?"
"Connie, he was originally my patient," he protested, not understanding where her concern was coming from, and she shook her head firmly.
"No, Jacob, I don't want you around him. Do you hear me? I do not want you to treat that patient. He came in this ED with a photograph of me - there's something strange going on and I don't want you to get involved." She argued defensively and he couldn't fathom why she was being so irrational, but decided that there must have been a proper reason for it and so he just accepted it. She was grateful for that, and apologised for snapping at him before giving him a hug.
"I'd better go and treat him, hadn't I?" She smiled, and he nodded, rocking her gently. "Don't ask me why he's so obsessed with me."
"Are you sure you don't know him?" Jacob asked softly, trying to make it clear with the tone of his voice that he wasn't accusing Connie of lying, just enquiring.
"I thought I did," she admitted as she stood with Jacob, her head firmly pressed against his chest. "I thought I knew him because of the little things, like the look in his eyes and the way he spoke. He has an arrogant front but a charismatic charm about him, but it just feels like I should know him from somewhere. I just don't."
"Don't fret about it, Con," Jacob assured her, and he let her go soon later to go to treat her patient.
YOU ARE READING
Déjà Vu - A Connie/Jacob Fanfiction
Fanfiction"Hello," he smiled, presenting his hand for her to shake. "Nice to meet you," she replied, staring at him intently and taking his hand, knowing full well that neither of them had forgotten just exactly how they had met before. ...
