Consequences

Chapter 23

By the following week, Connie was still suffering with a slight temperature and cough but she started to get some of her strength back; her and Grace had spent hours looking online buying her back to school items and Zoe had took her to get some more uniform. A week after been discharged, it was the day of Grace's check up on her arm to see if it was healed enough to have the cast removed; seeing as Connie still wasnt well enough to drive, they were getting a taxi to the hospital and then back again. Stepping out of the taxi at just after 11am, Connie was surprised to see Charlie waiting for them but also grateful as he held an arm out for her to lean against; taking his arm, they managed to get through the department without too many interruptions or notices and into the lift; at the appointment, Connie was grateful for the opportunity to sit down for a while. An hour and half later, they were sat in Connie's office with a drink and sandwich when Zoe entered and sat up to the desk; sending a quick email, she turned back to Connie.

"You look exhausted Con" she noted.

"I'll be fine; Grace comes first, dont you darling?" She asked, stroking her hair.

Grace nodded.

"I'm off shift in a minute; how about i run you home?" She offered.

"You really dont have to" Connie insisted.

"I want to"

Connie nodded a little before resting her head upon her daughters; Zoe was right...as usual. She was exhausted from just the hour she'd been out; this illness had knocked her completely and it wasnt something she was used to.

An hour later, she was settled in the bed, soundly asleep whilst Grace was watching a film next to her; Zoe had given her a brief check over at the hospital before driving them home. Later that evening, her and Grace were sat on the sofa, eating pizza whilst the tv played in the bathroom; Connie looked over at Grace and smiled.

"Feel better with having your arm back sweetheart?"

"Yeah" she nodded.

"I think...we need to talk; you have a week left of your holidays and i need you to talk to me, tell me what's going on in that head of yours" she coughed.

"I'm fine"

"I havent forgotten any of what you said to me; both before the holiday and when i was in hospital. Do you still think it would be better if you'd died?"

"I didnt mean it mom; i was hurting and sad and angry. I know i hurt you..."

"You did darling but you hurt yourself too; i dont want you having feelings or thoughts like that and not telling me. Even if you think i'm going to be upset, i need you to talk to me or Auntie Zoe or Uncle Charlie or Max and they will tell me, okay?"

"Okay" she whispered. "Are you going to quit your job?"

"Do you want me to?" She questionned in response.

"No but...what if you cant spend time with me again?"

"I cant promise that we wont have our days interrupted but i will do my best to make sure it doesnt happen very often; i know you dont like having to hang around the department all the time but...unless we can come up with a sensible solution that we can both agree on, it's the only way if you want me to keep my job"

"I feel selfish though"

"Why?"

"Because...you're this amazing doctor and you get to save people's lives and i'm taking you away from it"

"I love you for saying that but...you are not taking me away from anything; i am doing what i should've done when you were born, put you first. You deserve so much better and i promise, this is when it starts; no more working ridiculous hours, no more arguments or shouting. Just me and you...together"

"I...had a nightmare last night" Grace admitted.

"You did? Why didnt you tell me?" She asked, running her fingers through her daughter's long dark hair.

"I was already next to you and you didnt wake up when i moved and your arms were round me and i felt safe"

"What was it about?"

"You...and been sick"

"You know i am getting better now? I know how was scared you were that morning when i wasnt in the side room anymore and had been moved to HDU but i was...am incredibly proud of how brave you were; you didnt leave my side once and i'll never forget that. You're my little girl and nothing will ever change that"

"I love you too mom"

"It's been a long hard few weeks for us both, hasnt it?" She asked, coughing once again, this time for much longer.

"Yeah, you should probably stop talking now" she said, handing Connie the glass of water. "Aunt Zoe said when you start to cough after talking too much that you need to stop and go back to bed, no arguments; can we watch a film upstairs?"

Connie smiled and nodded; after Grace had cleared up and turned the tv and lights out, they had headed upstairs and gotten changed before lying in Connie's bed, snuggled against each other as a film played in the background; by the time the end credits had started, both Beauchamp girls were fast asleep. In the doorway was Charlie who had been by to check on Connie on his way home after realising how exhausted she had looked earlier on in the day; she had given him a spare key days before to save her having to answer the door when he came by to check on her. Stepping into the room quietly, he carefully pulled the covers over them both before leaving a post-it note on her phone and leaving them to sleep peacefully for the night.