I'll keep you safe

Chapter 162

Twenty minutes later...

The Boxing Match was well under way. The atmosphere was electric! Any nerves Bolton had, had before had disappeared the second he'd stepped out of the changing rooms and heard everyone cheering for him. Not even meeting his opponent, Johnny Hayes, for the first time had fazed him. The second he'd stepped into the ring, he was ready.

The hall was completely full. One half of the seating stands were occupied by Waterloo Road staff and students. The other half was filled with friends, family, and members of Camden Amateur Boxing Club (who Bolton's opponent was representing).

Everyone was having a great time, all except for Rachel.

She didn't quite know what was wrong, or how it had escalated so quickly. It had started as the room began to fill up and overflow with people. The heat in the room seemed to have increased with every person that entered. The back row they were sat on, which had been empty when they had first sat down, was now full. Rachel was squished in the middle of Eddie and Matt. She could feel their body heat radiating onto her, and on top of her own body heat, it was becoming insufferable.

She sighed as her stomach started to churn, the all too familiar feeling making her panic. Maybe she should have taken Eddie's offer and stopped off at home to get her tablets before coming to the Boxing Match. She thought the tablets had been working well, but judging by the fact she'd missed one tablet and was already going back to square one, they clearly weren't working as well as she'd thought. Rather than treating the problem, like the Doctor had said they would, they only seemed to be masking the problem. There had to be something wrong if that was the case, right? She couldn't be reliant on the tablets for the duration of her pregnancy.

Her mind once again wandered to the upcoming scan.

What if something was wrong with the baby and that was what was making her sick?

What if they weren't growing properly?

What if there was no heartbeat?

Suddenly, her mind was racing with a thousand thoughts. Her heart was pounding against her chest, her lungs burning as she fought to get her breath. The heat in the room increased dramatically. The room began to spin, making her feel incredibly unsteady on her feet. The bile began to rise in her throat, the sour, acidic taste lingering in her mouth. The noises in the room began to swell, the cheering, shouting and the sound of her heartbeat blurring into one big ball of noise. Her throat felt like it was closing up. The walls were closing in, moving closer and closer the harder she tried to breathe. She wanted to scream.

Eddie cheered along with everyone else as Bolton landed a strong punch to his opponent. He had seen Bolton in action before, right back when he had first started his training with Rob, and he was good then. But now, he was on his way to becoming a professional. A few more years and Eddie was sure he would make it.

He paused when he felt Rachel's hand grip his arm tightly. He turned to her, his heart almost leaping out of his chest when he saw how pale she was. Her gaze locked with his, a terrified look in her eyes. He sat her down, kneeling in front of her.

"Are you ok?" he shouted over the noise

Rachel shook her head, rubbing and clawing at her chest as she tried to breathe. The heat was becoming unbearable, nausea bubbling away in her stomach. The volume in the hall was so loud, she couldn't hear herself think. She gripped Eddie's jacket tightly to keep herself in the present moment and to focus on her breathing.

"Let's go outside and get some air, yeah?" Eddie suggested

Rachel nodded, allowing Eddie to gently pull her to her feet. He clung onto her tightly, guiding her down the steps, trying to ignore the fact that a lot of the attention had turned to them.

The fresh air hit Rachel square in the face the second they got outside. She exhaled shakily as the cool, December breeze brushed across her burning skin. Her stomach was churning violently, the world spinning.

Eddie sat Rachel down on the nearest bench. He watched helplessly as she continued to gasp for air, her breathing still heavy. She was white as a sheet, her cheeks flushed and her forehead clammy. He sat down next to her, placing a hand on her arm to let her know he was there. She was gripping onto the sleeve of his jacket like her life depended on it.

She continued to take deep breaths, her protesting lungs slowly giving in and filling with the fresh air she had been greeted with. Her mind became quiet and empty of thoughts, her ears stopped ringing, and the fire she had felt in her chest had dissipated somewhat. A wave of exhaustion washed over her.

"Are you alright?" Eddie asked after a while

She nodded quietly.

"I'm sorry. It was just so warm and cramped in there. I couldn't breathe" she whispered

Eddie had a feeling there was more to it than that, but he wasn't about to push it. He had enough information for now. She would tell him the rest when she was ready.

"It's ok, darling. Are you feeling sick?" he asked

"A little" she admitted

"Why don't I go and get your anti-sickness tablets from home? I can go back inside and ask Davina to come and keep you company out here while I'm gone?" he suggested

Rachel shook her head, her grip on his jacket growing stronger.

"No, I'm fine, honestly. I need you to stay here with me, please?"

"Ok, ok. I'm not going anywhere, don't worry" he reassured, taking her hand into his own

Rachel smiled weakly, continuing to take deep breaths.

"Do you want some water?" he asked

Rachel nodded.

Eddie grabbed her bag from behind him, handing her the bottle of water. She took it from him gratefully, hands shaking violently as she unscrewed the cap and sipped. Eddie watched on with concern.

"Are you ok?" he asked again

Rachel shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. Her hand moved to her stomach, rubbing it gently with her thumb.

"What if something is wrong with them?" she whispered, looking at her stomach

"There isn't, love. The Doctor said just a few days ago that they were healthy" Eddie reminded her

"What if they were wrong? What if I'm sick because the baby is sick? I've missed one tablet and I already feel like I'm back to square one with the nausea! That can't be right, can it?" she blurted

"Rachel, you've got Hyperemesis Gravidarum- severe morning sickness. You've only been on the medication for a week. It's not going to be an instant miracle cure. It's going to take time. If there was something wrong with the baby, they would have picked it up and they would have told us" he reassured

Rachel nodded quietly.

"I'm so scared" she mumbled tearfully

Eddie squeezed her hand gently.

"I know. But I promise you, it's going to be ok"

"You can't promise that" she argued

"You're right, I can't. But I can promise you that I'll be with you every step of the way. I'm not going anywhere, ok?"

Rachel nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. A wave of temporary calm washed over her. Eddie pulled her further into him, placing a kiss in her hair.

"I love you" she whispered

"I love you too"

"Can we go and get my tablets before we go to the hospital? I think I'll be ok for the next two hours, but maybe not after that" she requested

"Of course" Eddie nodded

It was, at that moment, that Philip came running out of the building, a panicked look on his face. Rachel and Eddie stared at him, confused and concerned.

"What's the matter, mate?" Eddie asked

"You've- you've got to come, something has happened"