Wait For Me

Forgetting The Past

Waking up she felt the warmth surrounding her before instantly being reminded of the previous evening. She sat forwards groaning as she felt the stiffness in her neck from the awkward position they had slept in. "Morning... I er- I wasn't sure whether you'd want me here when you woke or not."

Connie turned to look at him with a small, gentle smile. "Of course I would... Listen, one of Gracie's nurses will be along soon. How about we grab some breakfast, let me make up for last night? My treat-" "No, I mean yes, but I'm paying." She let a small easy smile come to her lips as she pushed her hair back from her face. "I've got some spare clothes here, mind if I just change quickly?" "Not at all, I'll stay with Grace... If you don't mind me being here."

Turning back from where she stood pulling some items from the small bag, she shook her head. "Course I don't..." Putting the bag back on the floor, she wandered closer to him placing a hand to Chris' shoulder. Lingering for a moment, she wandered away without another word.

Connie closed the door to the room gently as she wandered along to the room she stayed in every now and then since Grace had been in hospital. Pushing her hands to the sink, she looked to the mirror seeing the colour within her cheeks. It had been a while since she had been here and seen herself looking so healthy. Other than the few cuts left to heal, there was no way of telling Connie had been in the accident physically, but mentally...

Shutting her eyes for a split second, the images flashed through her mind before she shook them from her memory. It seemed it would be an event that would forever haunt her. Slipping out of the burgundy dress, she changed into the jeans and jumper she had bought with her before standing back into the heels once more.

Downstairs the ED was running like clockwork as everyone went about their days. Connie was only part time within the ED, knowing that she couldn't completely stop spending her days with her daughter. If she had it her way, she wouldn't be working at all. At least not until Grace was back home but it seemed that was further away from her than she wished and totally unrealistic.

"Jacob? Have you seen Elle-" "Just went into the office, something about some paperwork that Connie was meant to have finished." Charlie nodded leaning against the nurses desk as he looked up to him. "What's bothering you?" Jacob shook his head looking down at the file before him, Charlie reaching over to close it causing him to sigh. "I almost lost them in the accident and it broke me Charlie... But now, now I've lost them both anyway and I miss it. I miss everything about it."

Charlie placed a comforting hand to his arm about to speak before Elle returned. "Charlie, any chance you could go and see if Connie has the paperwork for the staff meeting tomorrow?" He nodded looking across at Jacob, then back to Elle. "I think she's upstairs so I'll go and find out." "Thank you, and Jacob... I trust you can manage resus for me this afternoon?" He looked to her as she begged him before he gave in with a nod.

Parting ways, Jacob turned to see Charlie heading towards the other end of the department. "Charlie!?" Jogging over to him, he slowed up beside him. "Can you let me know how they both are?" "Why don't you go and see them? Get the paperwork from Connie while I manage down here until you get back." Nodding he removed himself from the department, heading along the path that had become familiar to him in his late nights.

He slowed up as he wandered the quiet corridor knowing that the nurses would be on their rounds soon. Jacob came to a stop outside one of the rooms, looking through the window to where she lay. Resting a hand to the glass he sighed, saddened to see that there seemed to have still been no change for the youngster. Rather than seeing Connie beside her, he saw the back of someone else.

"Jacob?" His head shot up as her heels slowed across the corridor having seen him ahead. She looked up at him properly for the first time in a long time, seeing how upset he seemed. "What are you doing up here?" "Elle's after a document for a meeting tomorrow? Asked if you had it up here." Connie nodded as she stepped past him, Jacob taking a deep breath before reaching out to grab her hand. "Connie..."

Turning back, he noticed the body inside shift to face the window. She felt how his hand held onto hers softly, something about the gesture reminding her of everything they had lost all those months ago. She found it hard to breath being so close to him, it made her feel helpless. Jacob saw the emotions she hid day in, day out when in the ED and knew that there was no way she was coping.

"How is she?" No matter how much Connie wanted to answer, she found it impossible to speak the words. She wanted to scream and shout, she should be asking him how he was doing after everything... Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she glanced through the window to her daughter. There was only one way she'd get through this conversation, but she knew how much it would hurt him. "My daughter's in a high dependency unit and has been for the last five months. How do you think she is?"

Jacob shook his head feeling her hand slip from his grasp. "You know that's not how I meant it Connie-" "Well in future, don't ask such ridiculous questions. I'll get that paperwork and then you can leave." Shooting her icy glare his way, she soon turned her back on him and headed into her daughters room.

He watched as the other man stood seemingly speaking to her with a small glance to where he stood outside the window. Connie shook her head as she moved a few things about before picking up a folder from the side of the room. Jacob sighed looking to the door where she emerged to take the file from her. "For what it's worth Con, just because you no longer care doesn't mean I ever stopped."

Taking the file he looked to her before walking back along the corridor away from Grace's room. She stood, watching for a moment feeling a small piece of the person she used to be shattering all over again. Blocking it out, she returned to the room with a small smile as Chris approached her. "Someone you work with?" Connie nodded not wanting to delve into her relationship history right now.

"About that breakfast-" "Mmm, I'm starving." He laughed as Connie lifted her head with a small smile and a shrug. "You laughing at me?" "Nope." Connie pushed him gently before the door was opened by one of the regular nurses. "Morning Mrs Beauchamp-" "Morning..." Chris raised his eyebrows at the formality used towards her causing Connie to hide the smirk before turning her focus back to the bed. "We're just going to get something to eat, I'll be back up later on."

The nurse nodded kindly as Connie stepped out of the room behind Chris descending along the corridor. "Everyone speak to you like that?" "I told you, I'm the boss around here and they know it." Shaking his head he smiled as they idly chatted on their way out.

The weather had perked up in the last 12 hours as Connie looked to the sun that was shining over them. "So Mrs Beauchamp, breakfast?" "There's a small cafe down the road." He nodded as they crossed the car park to the other side of the footpath, unaware of the eyes that settled on her from across the road.

Charlie leant against the wall as he watched Connie wander alongside the man she had left with. Leaning into him gently, she continued to talk about random things as they headed away from the life she now had centred around the hospital.