What Should Have Been

Part 18

Connie wandered through the corridors of the hospital until she came to his office door. It was strange to be knocking here, it was somewhere she used to just enter without a second thought.

"Only me-" "Connie. To what do I owe this pleasure." She smiled closing the office door behind her before walking over to the sofa opposite Elliot's desk. "Thought I'd just say hello." "You never just say hello..."

She smiled leaning back before crossing her legs glancing around the office. "He's not here you know-" "Excuse me?" "Sam. He isn't here." Connie shrugged looking to him as he smiled. "I didn't come up here for him if that's what you're thinking."

Elliot looked across to see Connie glancing down at her hands. "Is everything okay? You two have been pretty close I hear-" "He's been talking about me?" He nodded a few times causing Connie to smile internally. "Quite a lot actually... Connie do you know what you're doing? He doesn't even know-" "Don't."

He went quiet looking over at her seeing the guilt ridden face. "I like him, I like the time I'm getting with him." Elliot sighed getting up to move towards the sofa to sit beside Connie. "And if I'm understanding Mr Strachan, the feeling is certainly mutual... Connie this is risky-" "I know. But I can't stop myself from being around him, no matter how much my rational mind tells me to stay away it just doesn't happen."

They were interrupted by the door opening and Sam coming in oblivious to her presence. He closed the door leaning against it briefly bringing a hand up to his head.

She was on her feet beside him in a seconds notice. "Sam?" He looked up jumping as he heard her before forcing his posture to straighten. "Con-" "What's wrong?" The concern in her voice a shock to both him and Elliot. "Nothing-" "Don't lie to me."

He lifted his eyes to hers feeling his legs shake beneath him before he walked away from her. "It's just some virus-" "You were the same last week Sam." He sat down behind the desk resting his legs as he closed his eyes placing his hands either side on his temples.

Connie had her arms folded tightly across her chest standing by the door with an annoyed expression. "Sam!" "Drop it Connie! I said I'm fine alright!?" She continued to glare across the room, the tension thick enough it could be cut with a knife.

Elliot remained in the corner of the room quietly not wanting to involve himself in whatever this was. Soon enough she sighed dropping her arms to move across the room. She only stopped when she was crouching next to his side. "Sam?"

Her voice was softer unlike he'd ever heard her sound. She placed a delicate hand to his thigh as he moved his hand from his head to look at her. He searched her eyes seeing nothing but worry as her mind ticked over all his symptoms. "Please stop worrying about me..." He let his hand fall to her cheek with a warm smile.

Neither of them remembering that Elliot was still in the room. "Then tell me what's wrong-" "It's nothing, I promise you." Sam continued to caress her cheek as she looked to his face in search of the truth. "You'd tell me if something was wrong?" "Of course I would."

Sam forced a smile trying to convince both her and himself that he was okay. "But if it's all the same I think I might head off early, get some rest... My heads feeling a little dizzy." Before she could speak he started again. "That's not me admitting I'm ill, just knowing when to take a break."

Connie smirked while Sam finally dropped his hand from her cheek. "Will you stop worrying if I go home and sleep?" "On one more condition." He rolled his eyes turning his head back to her again. "Yes your majesty..." She shoved his leg as she stood up from where she'd been crouching. "You let me drive you home. I don't want my staff wasting precious time treating you because you drove into a wall."

Sam laughed as she walked across the office standing beside the door with her hand on her hip. "You're joking." "She doesn't look like she's joking." Both Sam and Connie looked over to Elliot who had moved back to his desk.

Groaning he grabbed his things wandering to the door. "What?" "Nothing Connie... I'll see you tomorrow Elliot." He nodded as the pair left the office wandering back along the corridor. They were in the stairwell wandering down when Sam felt himself losing his balance.

He gripped onto the banister slowing down while Connie continued walking. When she noticed he wasn't behind her anymore she looked back closing the space between them. "Sam-" "It's fine just keep going."

Rolling her eyes she wrapped an arm under his and around his back to support him. "Stop being so stubborn-" "Forgot you were always so compliant." She pushed her tongue into her cheek with a glare helping him walk down to the window.

She stopped letting him recover from his wobble as he looked out the window. "Thank you-" "Pardon?" "I'm not saying it again Beauchamp." She smirked as his lips found hers gently. "You've no idea how much I wanted to do that back there."

Connie couldn't help but laugh before draping his arm over her shoulder once again continuing their walk towards the car park. By the time they made it the colouring from Sam's face had gone entirely and Connie was worrying more by the minute. "Are you going to be okay on your own, you could always stay with me tonight... Just in case anything happened." "No I'll be fine once I'm asleep, honestly."

She drove him in the direction of his house noticing him falling asleep against the window. "You infuriate me... I know something isn't right... I just wished you trusted me enough to talk to me..." Sam kept his eyes closed listening to her mellowing tones.

She pulled up outside his house gently waking him up. "Sam... Hey we're here... Sorry." He smiled getting himself out carefully noticing her outstretched hand. "Keys." He rolled his eyes passing them to her as she went to the front door unlocking it for him.

Once inside she got him a drink before making sure he got himself into bed. "Call me if you need anything. Please?" "Alright... Get home Connie." She nodded looking down at him before leaning over the bed pressing a kiss to his lips. "Let me know that you're okay in the morning?" "Yes..."

He was drifting off as she closed the front door before driving back to the ED. Once Connie was gone he sat himself up grabbing some tablets before swallowing them with the water she'd gotten him. Things were getting worse and he knew he needed to see someone about it, but it would make all this so much more real and he'd have to tell Connie which he couldn't face. Not yet.