Family - complete

Chapter One

Jacob stood watching through the blinds of the private side room where Connie was lying, she was stable but still in a very bad way. Her doctors felt confident she would make a full recovery but they refused to predict how long she'd be unconscious for. It could be hours or days.
Both himself and Connie had be caught in a ceiling collapse while they were out assisting paramedics. The rubble from a secondary collapse had caught Connie on the head, she hadn't regained consciousness since.
Jacob watched as Zoe checked over Connie's notes, he'd asked her to take a look needing someone he knew and trusted to tell him straight what the prognosis was.
Zoe left the room and approached Jacob.
"Well?" Asked Jacob impatiently.
"She's doing ok, there's been a small improvement from this morning. Her latest scans have shown reduced swelling....but I can't give you want you want to hear, I'm with her doctors I'm afraid, it's impossible to say when she'll wake up. You should go sit with her." She said putting her hand on his shoulder. "What about you...have you been checked over?" She continued.
"Ye, Charlie insisted...just cuts and bruises, nothing serious...it should be me laying there...what am I going to say to Grace?..." Said Jacob shaking his head, he looked like a broken man.
"Has nobody been to see her yet?" Asked Zoe.
"No she's at school. I'm just heading out now, I wanted to pick her up myself. I was hoping I'd have more information for her....oh god Zoe, I've no idea what I'm going to say to her." Jacob explained rubbing his hands over his face.
"Did you want me to come with you?" Offered Zoe.
"I appreciate everything you've done but I think I should talk to Grace myself."
"Well you know where I am if you need anything." Said Zoe as she headed back to work.
Jacob took one more look at Connie before he to left himself.

The children filtered out of the schools main entrance as Jacob stood watching for Grace by the gates.
He spotted her first, she was talking and laughing with a group of friends not a care in the world. It broke Jacob's heart that he would have to destroy her happiness.
Grace looked over in his direction obviously looking for her mum, he waved to get her attention.
Grace scowled over at him.
Jacob was taken back by the angry look she had given him, he expected she'd be a little bit pleased to see him....to start with anyway. He thought they had got along well the few times they spent together since she'd been back.
"Hi." Said Jacob tentatively.
"Why are you here? Where's mum!" Snapped Grace.
"I thought we could talk." Ventured Jacob.
"I won't change my mind." Said Grace trying to pre-empt where Jacob's chat was going to go.
"Change your mind about what?" Asked Jacob confused.
"If mums sent you here to get you to change my mind...it won't work. I don't want you two to be together!" Said Grace storming off and climbing into his car. Jacob quickly followed after her jumping into the drivers seat.
"Woaw there miss Beauchamp! That's not why I'm here, your mum never said that you even knew about the two of us...She just broke up with me this morning...but like I said that's not why I'm here."
"So why are you here then?" Demanded Grace.
"Ok...Well...I'm going to start by saying your mum's going to fine...I need you to know that first of all..." Said Jacob nervously.
"Jacob?" Said Grace, the confident little girl from moments ago had gone. "Where's my mum?"
"There was an accident this morning, it required a doctor and nurse to attend the scene. It was me and your mum that went....the building was unstable and the floor we were walking on collapsed....your mum bumped her head so she's in the hospital getting better...She's sleeping but she'll be fine, ok?" Said Jacob trying not to sound to worried but when he noticed Grace was crying he jumped out the car and round to the passenger side. Opening the door he crouched down and pulled Grace into a hug whispering words of comfort.
"It's going to be ok Grace, your mum's a fighter...She'll be up and bossing us all about in no time...just you wait and see." Said Jacob wiping away her tears.
"Can I see her?" Asked Grace in a small voice.
"Of course you can." Jacob climbed back into the car and drove to the E.D.

When they arrived Jacob held Grace's hand as they made their way to room where Connie was resting.
"Grace you need to now....your mum looks quite poorly at the minute...and she's sleeping while she gets better...it's all very normal, ok?" Grace nodded so Jacob continued. "You can help her though.."
"How?" Asked Grace looking up.
"You can hold her hand....talk to her, tell her what you've been doing at school, let her know your here for her." Explained Jacob.
"Will you stay with me?"
Jacob bent down smiling at Grace to reassure her. "Of course I'll stay, anything you need Grace, I'll be right here."
"Why are you being so nice to me after I made mum breakup with you?" Asked Grace confused.
"Well that's very simple mini Beauchamp...I...care about you...about the both you and your mum...and just because your mum broke up with me it doesn't mean I can just turn off how I feel....me and you will always be friends...I hoped the three of us could spend time together." Jacob told her.
"Thank you for being my friend." Said Grace giving Jacob a hug.

Grace stood in the doorway taking in the scene before her, she saw her mum lying there with wires connected to different machines and a heart monitor steadily beeping in the background.
"Its ok, Grace you can go in."
"What if I hurt her, she looks so poorly." Taking her hand Jacob led Grace into the room.
Jacob gently stroked Connie's cheek as he gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I've brought Grace to see you beautiful." He told her.
"See Grace it's ok, come hold her hand."
Grace edged forword and stood next to Jacob. "You won't hurt her Grace I promise...I'll go and get us some chairs." And Jacob moved out of the room.
When he returned Grace had took hold of her mum's hand and was telling her all about her day at school, chatting away to her as if Connie was about to answer her any second.
Jacob put a chair for Grace at the side of the bed so she could sit close to her mum. He sat and listened to the stories that Grace was telling her mum for about an hour until Connie's doctor came to check on her.
"Hows she doing?" Asked Jacob.
"We're pleased with her progress." Assured the doctor.
"You hear that Grace, you mums making good progress." Said Jacob.
"She's really going to be ok?" Grace asked looking at the doctor recording notes on Connie's charts.
The doctor looked up and smiled at her. "She's going to be fine, it'll be a little while yet before she starts to wake but there's no need to think your mum won't make a full recovery."
"Thank you." Said Jacob appreciating the doctors kind words to Grace.

The pair stayed a while longer when Jacob suggested they leave Connie to rest and go and grab something to eat. "Come on let's get you home, you must be getting hungry."
"I don't want to go home without mum...please Jacob!" Begged Grace.
"You can't stay here sweetheart...we both need to rest so that when your mum wakes up we can take care of her..." Reasoned Jacob.
"What if she wakes up in the night and nobody is with her?" Questioned Grace.
"I don't want to leave her either...listen I have an idea...Why don't we go to yours and collect some of your things, we'll have a sleepover at mine...its closer to the hospital. I'll order us some pizza and we can camp out in the living room. How does that sound?" Asked Jacob wanting to take her mind off her mum. "I'll even insist that the staff ring us no matter what time it is if there's the slightest change to your mum. Deal?"
"Ok, deal." Said Grace shaking Jacob's outstretched hand.

Jacob wondered round Connie's living room looking at the photos that took pride of place on the mantle piece while he waited for Grace to collect a few essentials.
"Jacob!" Shouted Grace down the stairs.
"What can I do for you mini Beauchamp?" Asked Jacob walking out into the hallway.
"Erm....I've got the essentials." She said with a cheeky grin.
Jacob looked down at the two large bag at her feet. He chuckled. "Like mother like daughter....Ok let's get this show on the road." He grabbed the two bags easily from the top of the stairs and followed Grace out the house locking up behind them.

When they arrived at Jacob's he took Grace's bags up to the spare room. "What on earth do you have in here, the whole of your bedroom?"
Grace giggled. "I told you essentials...pyjamas, extra clothes, toothbrush, laptop, tablet, some books..."
"Okay okay...I get it." Smiled Jacob. "Why don't you get ready for bed and I'll order pizza, any favourites?"
"Hawaiian every time. Yummy."
Jacob went downstairs to order pizza leaving Grace to get changed, while he was waiting for her he made a few changes to the living room. Moving the coffee table and pushing the sofa back he'd made space for there camp. He fetched extra blankets to make a comfy base to sit on and took the cushions off the chairs to make walls.
"Wow!" Said Grace when she walked in the room. "This looks awesome...Can we sleep in here and we can put your phone right there so if it rings we'll hear it."
"I think that's a very good idea...What would you like to do?...I could show you how to play Super Mario..."
"Errr Jacob....I'll be showing you how to play thank you very much." Said Grace getting settled next to Jacob.
They'd spent the evening playing computer games and eating pizza, Jacob was glad to see Grace smiling.
It was late when Jacob noticed Grace trying to hide a yawn. "Right little miss, I think it's time we both get some sleep...early start in the morning."
"Oh...please don't say your going to make me go to school...I won't be able to concentrate." Said Grace.
"No, no school...i thought you'd want to get to the hospital bright and early."
Grace nodded. "I can't wait to see her."
Jacob went upstairs to collect a couple of pillows and the double duvet from his bed. He placed them out in their camp, turned out the lights and laid down beside Grace.
"Goodnight Grace."
"Goodnight Jacob."