What Should Have Been

Chapter 82

As weeks continued to pass, Connie was becoming more and more irritable. Her moods very rarely changed but seemed to remain in the same angered ones whenever she was around people.

"It's not that hard! A 5 year old could do it, Christ I could get my daughter in to do your job right now!" Connie slammed down the folders storming away leaving a nurse cowering in her shadow. "And that is the happy Mrs Beauchamp we have all come to love over the last three weeks... Someone has to say something before she tears someone apart with her bare hands." "Alright, alright, now that's enough. Back to work, come on."

Charlie glanced around to her office where he could see her pacing back and forth with a hand placed to her bump. He frowned looking away before turning back once more seeing her placing a hand down to her desk leaning forwards slightly.

Leaving the department as it was, he knocked lightly before pushing the office door open quickly not giving her time to compose herself or lie about how she was feeling. "Connie?" She shook her head releasing a long, slow breath. "Nothing... It's nothing, she's been doing this for days."

Charlie stood beside her with a warm hand placed to her lower back for both comfort and support. "Are you sure this is nothing? Let me find Duffy and get you checked anyway?" She shook her head but he refused to take no for an answer. "Will you be alright while I find her?" "I'll be fine..." Charlie nodded once more before swiftly exiting her office, pulling the door to but not entirely shut.

Connie continued to take long deep breathes as she rubbed a hand along her bump. "Why do you feel now is a good time to do this when I have so much paperwork?" Closing her eyes for a moment, she focused on the strange sensation of her daughters kicks trying to ignore the pain it caused her.

When she opened her eyes again Charlie had reappeared with Duffy following him in. "Is everything okay, Charlie seemed worried-" "Everything is fine, he's overreacting." Charlie rolled his eyes letting Duffy stand where he had been as she gently moved her hand across her back. "How far along are you now?" "34 weeks." "Okay, do you think you can come and take a seat over here?"

Connie nodded as Duffy directed her towards the sofa, her body falling down as she tried to relax into the cushions surrounding her. "How are you feeling?" "Like she's made a punching bag out of my bladder." Connie let her head rest backwards, her eyes drifting shut as she took another deep breath.

Minutes went by and Connie was seated in a more normal position. "I would say you are probably having Braxton hicks, but I'd say you already knew that." Connie nodded as Charlie looked over at her. "You're sure?" "Charlie I've been a midwife for twenty years, I'm sure. Relax, Connie knows what she's doing." Connie smiled placing her hand on top of his. "I'm okay, we  both are."

After leaving her office everyone returned to work, Connie moving her paperwork to the sofa so she could sit a little more comfortably. Charlie had found a small table that he placed in her office so she could rest against it while writing. Her shoes were placed on the floor beside the sofa as she moved her legs up beneath herself. Running a hand over her neck she sighed noticing all the familiar aches and pains she had with Grace this late in the pregnancy returning.

"Your Daddy best love me for carrying you about all this time..." She tried focusing on her work but found herself easily distracted with the gentle kicks that had ensued. Sitting backwards, she placed her hands either side of her bump as her daughter continued kicking and moving about. "You're certainly your father's child moving about like that, can't keep still for two minutes. Ohh, if you're going to be like this at night you're going to be the nightmare child from hell..."

Her head lifted at the laughter coming from the doorway as Sam wandered in, letting it fall shut behind him. "I'd ask how you were but I think I got the answer for that." She nodded with a smirk as he picked up a selection of scattered papers taking a seat beside her. "Sorry, it's a bit of a mess in here... Someone wouldn't let me settle today." "She causing you problems today?"

Connie shook her head as Sam sat forwards placing a warm hand to her stomach. He rubbed his thumb back and forth gently, caressing it smoothly helping to soothe the aching. "How'd you do that?" He smiled as she lay back against the sofa looking to him. "The magic touch-" "Yeah and it was your 'magic touch' that got us here in the first place Strachan so don't get cocky." "Isn't that exactly what I did?"

Her glare was turned on him as he nodded cowering back slightly knowing not to say anymore to upset her. "Listen you... You best let your Mummy finish her work, because it doesn't matter how amazing she is she can't ignore you... She loves you too much." Connie's smile flickered onto her lips as she watched him speaking down to her tummy.

"And as much as I love you, if you get on your Mummy's wrong side, you're on your own baby because I'd be an idiot to take on your hormonal Mummy." Connie gently whacked his chest as he laughed. "Let her work, and in a few weeks you can bug her all you like out here in the real world." Connie lay her head to the side on the pillows, content just watching Sam as he spoke.

With a final glance up to Connie she saw the smile stretch across his face. "3 weeks, that's all then she's here." She nodded sighing as he neared her lips kissing her lovingly. He lifted his other hand to brush over her cheek and caress her freckled skin. "Take it slowly, I love you." She smiled, her eyes shut as he ran his fingers back through her hair. Leaning down he placed a kiss to her forehead before easing himself off the sofa.

Connie lifted her head back up smiling as Sam stopped in the doorway. "I'll get Grace on my way back tonight, you go straight home okay?" "Okay. I love you." He smiled once more before letting the door close leaving her to make her way through the last documents of the day before she could return home and relax properly for an evening.