Love me like you do

Chapter 12

This chapter speaks for itself, Kisses x

Connie and Elliot headed up to the NICU, there were still some parents there with their babies, even though it was really late, Connie all of a sudden felt really lucky compared to some of these other parents. Their babies were in really bad ways, she spotted a premature baby that didn't look more than 24 weeks.

"Wait here, just a second"

Connie went over and spoke to the nurse on duty.

"Hello, I know it's really late, but I was wondering if it would be OK for me to hold my baby, I haven't really been able to yet, not since he's come in"

"I'm not allowed to bring the babies out, I'd have to go and get the on-call doctor, only consultants and registrars are allowed to bring the babies out the incubators when they first come in, I'm sorry"

"My name's Connie Beauchamp" the nurse looked back at her, not understanding why that would change her mind

"And?"

"I'm a consultant in cardiothoracic surgery and emergency medicine, I'm the lead consultant in the Holby City ED.. I know what I'm doing, and he's also my son"

The nurse paused, Connie could see she was defiantly thinking. She could tell by the blank stare in her face.

"Let me go and ask the Doctor, I'm sorry, rules are rules, doctor or not!" Connie glared at her as she shuffled away. The young girl headed over towards the on-call room.

"Doctor Stevens, I'm really sorry to bother you, but I've got Connie Beauchamp in NICU demanding to take her baby out his incubator, she says she knows what she's doing and she wouldn't take him out if she was going to harm him in anyway"

"The Connie Beauchamp?" The Doctor was astounded to hear she was here.

"You know her?"

"Not exactly, Doctors talk. That woman is incredible. Let her do what she likes, she'll do it anyway. I might even come and introduce myself, it doesn't hurt to stay on the right side of Connie Beauchamp"

Connie and Elliot waited as the young girl scuppered back along towards them.

"Doctor Stevens says you can take him out if you want - I presume you know where he is?" Connie quickly made her way over to where her baby boy was, Elliot waited with the young nurse and gave Connie a few moments to get organized. He also had a subtle word with the nurse, informing her that Connie didn't mean to be so snappy, but she'd had a tough day.

Elliot was signalled by Connie to come over and join him. She put her hand in his incubator and let him squeeze her finger with his tiny hands.

"He's perfect" Elliot stated. Her eyes started to fill up with tears.

"My beautiful baby boy, he doesn't know how hurtful this world can really be"

"The nurse said he'll only have to be in here for tonight, they'll probably move him into a high dependency unit for a few days just to keep an eye on him because he was early"

"Yeah, that's right, he's only in here because they weren't sure how much damage the smoke inhalation will have done"

Connie carefully took her baby boy out of his incubator, she could see some of the other parents staring at her, as none of them had been allowed to take their babies out of their incubators, understandably, they were jealous. She carefully held him in her arms, resting his tiny head in her arms, and supporting the rest of his body weight with hers.

"Come to Mama" she cooed at him.

"Oh Connie, you suit him so much"

"Thanks Elliot" she started to rock her little boy in her arms "Do you want to hold him?"

"No, it's alright, he looks happy with you, anyway, I really have to go, I'll be thinking of you, I'll come and see you in a few days, night Connie" He kissed her cheek and she returned the gesture.

"Thanks Elliot" After he left, she all of a sudden felt alone, but she wasn't alone. She had Grace, Amelia and now her baby boy, whom she decided Jacob would be a very appropriate name.

She stayed with her baby for a little while longer, and one of the other Mums came over to her

"Are you a Doctor?" the girl questioned Connie. She looked about 30, a little scruffy and she definitely hadn't had any sleep

"Yes, but not here, I work at Holby"

"Can I ask your advice?" the girl pleaded with her

"Go ahead, although I don't know how much use I'll be"

"The doctors here don't tell me anything, we've been here for a week and so far all I know is my baby girl is sick. I don't know what's wrong with her, she was born at 28 weeks, do i trust them? Do they know what their doing"

"You need to trust them, she was very early, so, she really is just sick, trust me. My baby girl was born early too, I accidentally shocked myself with some defibrillator paddles at work and it caused me to go into premature labour, not quite as early as you, but she's 9 now, and she's absolutely fine. Put your faith in the Doctors, we've worked really hard to get where we are now"

"Thank you..Doctor..Mrs...?" The girl didn't know what to call her.

"Call me Connie" The young girl nodded and headed back over to where her baby was. Connie kissed her little boy on his forehead and carefully put him back in his incubator. She glanced over at the girl who was worried and saw her baby, she was tiny, she could have held her in the palms of her hands if she wanted. Connie headed back to her room, she wasn't tired, so she decided to lie on her bed, just thinking about how her life was going to change, but she must've dosed off, because she was awoken by Charlie shaking her to wake up.

"Charlie, what the? why on earth are you here, it's 3am!" Although he would've meant well, she was furious at him for waking her.

"I need to talk to you.. it's urgent"

"SO urgent it was worth waking me up at 3am for? Why aren't you sleeping? You've had a long day!" Connie barked at him. What could possibly be so important he had to drive here at this time in the morning for?

"I've been at work helping with the clear up, but I needed to see you now, there's been a huge mistake Connie, they've just formally identified the body that we all assumed was Jacob, the body is so badly burnt, but there's absolutely no way it's Jacob, forensics are absolutely certain of it"

"Where is he then? Was he in the hospital? He might not be dead?"

"Connie, they've still got a huge amount of rubble to search thr....."

Just then, the door burst open and an extremely familiar voice bellowed

"I believe its me you're looking for?"

"Jacob!" Connie cried, pulling herself free and ran into his arms, and burst into tears.