Perfect Illusion

Chapter 14: A Foot In

"It's nobody's fault but the driver's, Connie." Elliot uttered his kind words equally as soft, placing his warm and pudgy hand on her knee whilst he remained crouched before her. "You need to stop doing this to yourself." The exchange between the two felt quite private, forcing Sam to take a step back so as to be out of earshot.

"You don't understand." Her last sentence was barely spoken at all, the words just sort of floated out as she exhaled tiredly. She was too emotionally exhausted to even cry anymore. Life was truly playing hardball with her, just catapulting one trauma after another at her without so much as a break. Elliot was on the verge of speaking again, he had no idea what to say but the swinging doors behind them opened softly. A sorrowful silence rained over the three of them as two nurses wheeled the blanket covered box away. It didn't take a genius to work out beneath the blanket lay the baby nobody could save. Sam's whole body ran cold at the sight, his eyes closing with disappointment.

"You musn't blame yourself for this, you did everything you could." He continued to soothe, a single tear rolled down her left cheek followed shortly after by another down her right. They left clear trails through the dust powdered over her slightly freckled face. Sam could feel his throat aching with that awful feeling one gets whilst trying to bite hold of their sadness. Elliot was an emotional and sensitive gentleman too and this situation was also proving difficult for him. He glanced at her aggressively injured elbow, wondering just how he was going to get it looked at with her in this despondent state. His eyes flickered down to her ruined dress, it had looked so elegant this morning as it hung beautifully in their office and then covered her in an effortless grace this evening. Now it was torn and tattered beyond recognition. His eyes ceased movement, swallowing hard he looked back to her face before turning to Sam quickly.

"Mr. Strachan, get somebody from Obs and Gynae down here, now." He rotated his body a fraction whilst still crouching before her, quietly but urgently ordering his instructions. Sam stepped forward, his jaw becoming slack with the sight before him too as Connie finally seemed present again. She looked down at the ruby red blood running down her leg, her heart racing as her breathing seemed to mimic it's speed.

Sam could both feel and hear his own heart beating in his ears, fast and hard. His breathing seemed to match in heaviness and speed as he walked slightly ahead of them, holding the double doors open. Stood to the right of her, Elliot had his left arm wrapped supportively around her lower back, whilst his right was reached across his large, protruding stomach holding onto her right hand comfortingly. As they passed him slowly, Sam couldn't help but find his eyes focusing on the blood trail behind them, he could feel his body warming with panic.

"Mr Strachan." Elliot huffed, struggling to hold her upright. "The door." He jumped to it without question, opening the next door for them. Up ahead the on-call Obstetrician was walking towards them with a purpose.

"In here, quickly." He wasted no time in barking his orders, all three of them abiding without hesitation. They were ushered smoothly into the private room, Sam couldn't help but feel as though he was out of place, despite being the Father to one of these babies. "Are you in any pain at all, Mrs Beauchamp?" He spoke urgently whilst setting up the scanner. Elliot had managed to get her seated on the bed, letting her shimmy on to it carefully before laying back against the stacked pillows behind her. She was a type of pale Sam had never seen before, not even in a patient. He crossed his left arm over himself, his right elbow coming up to rest on it as his hand covered his mouth and chin.

"No." Her voice was small and afraid whilst her eyes held a question as she gazed across to the Obstetrician, her chest rising and falling almost in time with Sam's. "Nothing."

"Alright, let's have a look." He sanitised and gloved up efficiently, looking back to the two men. "Perhaps we can give Mrs Beauchamp some privacy?"

"Right, yes, of course." Elliot was quick to agree, nodding reassuringly at his dear friend. "We'll be right outside." Stepping back, he looked at Sam as if prompting him to follow, to his surprise he did. Although, Elliot couldn't help but feel for the young registrar, he looked positively grief-stricken.