The Final Straw- A Reddie Fanfiction

Chapter Three

An hour had gone by. Rachel was still in the staffroom. She had calmed down significantly, mainly because she was away from Max. She refused to go back to her office until the end of the day. She wouldn't be going back in there until she was sure he was gone.

The pain she was experiencing had been coming and going for the last hour, growing in intensity each time. It was getting harder to concentrate on her paperwork. She was adamant it was Braxton Hicks. It couldn't be anything else. The thought of it being anything else scared her. Her back was aching too after Max had pushed her into the wall. She could feel the bruises starting to form under her skin.

The pain was getting to a point where she had thought about going to see Eddie. She didn't know what to do. She knew he was on a free, she knew his timetable off by heart. But she didn't want to bother him, and she didn't want him to find out about what Max had done.

As another pain ripped through her, she knew she couldn't hold it off any longer. Something wasn't right. She needed him. She was scared and she wanted to be in his arms.

She stood up, heading in the direction of Eddie's classroom, hoping that he was in there doing his marking. To her relief, he was.

She knocked on the door, watching as he looked up from his paperwork. He smiled at her.

She stepped into the classroom, one hand on her stomach. Eddie studied her carefully. Something wasn't right, he could tell from the way she was looking at him. He stood up, walking over to her. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently

"I really don't feel well" she sighed, resting her head on his chest

Eddie sat her down in the nearest chair, kneeling in front of her.

"In what way?" He questioned

"I'm in pain" she admitted

"Ok..." he replied hesitantly, trying to stay calm for her sake

Rachel stared at him, eyes wide with fear. She was visibly trembling.

"Do you think you might be in labour?" He asked

"No, no, I can't be. It's too early. She's not due for another month" she replied, panic laced in her tone

"You can go into labour safely at any time from now, Rach" he told her, recalling what the midwife had told them at their last appointment

"I'm not in labour!" She snapped

"Ok, ok" Eddie soothed, rubbing his hands up and down her arms

Rachel hissed painfully, grabbing Eddie's hand as she tried to breathe. Her other hand rested on her stomach, rubbing it gently with her thumb.

"I don't know what to do" she whispered, her breathing becoming rapid and wheezy

The pain eventually died away. Eddie took both of her hands into his own, rubbing the backs of them with his thumbs.

"Rach, it's ok. Everything is going to be fine. When did the pain start?"

"I don't know... a few hours ago I think. I thought they were Braxton Hicks" she told him

"What do you want to do? Home or hospital?" He asked

"I'm not sure" she whimpered

"Ok, ok. Don't panic. Let me get someone to cover my lessons for the afternoon, and to keep on top of things in your office, and then I'll take you home, ok?"

She nodded, her whole body shaking with nerves. Eddie wrapped her in a hug to reassure her. He felt her relax immediately, melting into his arms.

"Let's get you back to your office and get your things" he decided, helping her to her feet