It Started in the Summer - (Jack Grealish)

Chapter 19 - Little Jack

"I'll be back in just a minute" said the doc, as she pushed the door open and left us alone.

Jack got up and started pacing the floor, he was making me nervous.

"Please sit down" I asked him "You're stressing me out"

"I can't baby, I can't, the wait is killing me" he said rubbing his hands together, looking all jittery, continuing to pace the floor. I sat on the bed watching him, feeling more and more anxious as the time ticked by and doing all I could to not look at the test.

Suddenly the door opened and the doc was back in the room.

"Right, lets take a look shall we?" she said, putting her glasses on and picking up the test.

"Ok, it's negative, you're not pregnant" she said, putting the test back back in the foil packet and disposing of it in the yellow box on the table.

I looked over at Jack, disappointment was written all over his face as he sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Are you sure doc? Can you check again?" he asked, the sadness in his voice clear to both me and the doc.

"It's definitely negative" she answered "but without knowing for certain when Karly's last period was it's hard to rule it out for sure" she said, giving him an understanding smile.

Jack looked to me "you really can't remember?" 

I felt flustered and under pressure "not off the top of my head no, I've never really kept track of it religiously before to be honest" I started to blush, feeling uncomfortable talking about this with a complete stranger, even if she was a doctor.

"I'm going to go and get your pain meds sorted for you then I can discharge you" she said "I won't be long" she said, leaving the room.

Jack and I sat in silence, I did feel a little relief that the test was negative but also, seeing how upset Jack was, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointment for him.

"Are you ok babe?" I asked him, rubbing his shoulder.

"I really thought you were gonna be pregnant" he said, his eyes glazed, just staring at the wall. 

"We've got all the time in the world to have kids baby, lets just enjoy the practicing shall we?" I said, sitting on his lap and putting my good arm around his neck.

He smiled weakly at me and put his arms around my waist, leaning back in the chair.

The doc came back with my pain meds, and after signing my discharge papers, I got myself dressed, with a little help from Jack, and ready to leave the hospital.

The taxi ride back to the villa seemed to take forever.  Mainly because it was spent in silence with Jack staring out the window as we passed by dozens of pretty little stonewashed cottages. I don't think I realised until now how much being a dad would mean to him, and for some reason I felt immense guilt that I wasn't pregnant.

When we got back to the villa, Jack got me settled in bed, he put the telly on for me and got me some snacks and drinks.

"I'm just gonna pop up to see Ben for a bit" he said "I'll ask Jess to pop down and sit with you in case you need anything" he added, as he began to make his way to the front door.

"Is everything ok babe?" I called out after him. I couldn't help but feel as though I'd done something wrong, even though I knew I was being paranoid and stupid.

"Yeah, all good babygirl, I just fancy a chat with my best mate that's all" he said "I won't be long" I heard the door close behind him and his footsteps as he walked up the gravel drive away from the villa.