Wait For Me

When The Going Gets Tough

Connie strolled around the corner of the corridor, a hand to her back as she released a slow breath. The dull ache in her back had gradually taken on a throb until she could no longer bare to stand around. Wandering towards her office she caught sight of Duffy up ahead who offered a warm smile of concern as she nodded towards her mouthing the all so familiar words. All Connie offered was a polite nod as she continued on her journey towards her office.

As soon as the door was closed, she crossed the office to her desk kicking the heels from her feet allowing herself some comfort in the private confines of this room. Easing herself into her chair, she rest her head on the back of it releasing another long breath. She had learnt to make the most of any small silences she could get in the department at the moment.

Pulling a folder from the pile she opened it up deciding now was a good time as any to make a start on some of this. Logging onto her computer, she opened a few tabs checking her emails and the sort before putting some background music on. Getting on with the paperwork, she found the pain in her back began to dissipate which she was more than grateful for.

In the department, Dylan had everything under control in resus while Jacob and Charlie managed cubicles. "Anyone seen Mrs Beauchamp recently?" Duffy looked up from her paperwork to Jacob as she held the folder to her chest, pointing to the office door. "She headed in to finish some work off about an hour ago." "Thanks Duffy."

Jacob wandered around the nurses station in the general direction of Connie's office before a patient's relative seemed to lose their footing. "Woah..." Jacob was quick to catch them before they hit the floor, noticing that they had fallen unconscious as opposed to slipping. "Can we get some help over here!" Rushing the woman into resus, he forgot all about what he was doing before hand.

As the day rolled on, Connie found herself at ease in the office. She'd made her way through a good proportion of her paperwork and had replied to several emails. It was the time of registrar and consultancy exams and she was beginning to receive applications from various members of staff. Going through them was the easy part, but deciding on who she thought was capable and ready for them was another matter.

Humming along to the radio she continued reading through her emails before spinning her chair around to face her filing cabinet. Standing up, she pulled open a drawer searching for some files. As she did so, the office door opened slightly as Charlie smiled letting himself in. "Knock knock." Glancing over her shoulder she smiled, her humming stopping as she looked back into the cabinet. "How's everything out there?" "Good, under control. Jacob's managing cubicles and Dr Keogh's covering resus."

She nodded pulling out a folder, flicking through it briefly before putting it back continuing on her search. Giving up with that drawer, she pushed it in pulling the one above it out. Charlie watched her before smiling to himself as he looked to her bare feet noticing her heels kicked to one side of her desk. Finding what she was after she looked up from what she was reading to see Charlie looking to her shoes.

Opening her mouth to speak he held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't see anything." He smiled coyly as he stepped back towards the door as Connie moved to her desk placing the folder down and taking a seat. "Wait Charlie, was there something you wanted?" He turned back with a small smile shaking his head. "Just checking you were alright in here." Connie grinned warmly as Charlie left her to it, continuing with the more political side of her job.

After a further hour, Connie pushed her feet back into her shoes deciding to head out and check everything was alright in the department for herself. Her heels tapped across the floor as she made her way down to resus, wandering inside causing Ethan to look up at her. "Dr Hardy, how is everything going in here?" "Uh- Yes, everything's fine." He smiled awkwardly before she nodded still looking to him. "Can I have a word?"

He placed down a clip board wandering out of resus after her. Connie turned back with her arms gently folded across her abdomen as Ethan came to a halt trying to work out if he'd done anything wrong. "It appears admin lost your application for your consultancy exams, so I took the liberty of filling it for you." "Uh there most be some kind of mistake, I didn't apply Mrs Beauchamp."

Connie looked along the corridor with a smile before looking back to Ethan. "Of course you did, you're the most capable registrar in the department." Ethan remained quiet as he was surprised by her words of encouragement. "The exams aren't for another five months so you have plenty of time to get the practice in now, and I'm sure I can find some time to give you a few role play sessions. I think I could manage the role of a difficult patient." "Oh, wow... Um, thank you."

She gave a tight lipped smile with a small nod beginning to turn away. "My office is open if you need anything Dr Hardy." He smiled still stunned by her reassurance and offer. Connie was already down the corridor heading to cubicles as Ethan slipped back into resus with a smile.

Seeing that everything was quiet and under control, she passed the nurses station coming to a halt as she saw Alicia on the phone rubbing a hand against her forehead. "Yes but this patient has been down here hours, she needs a bed-" Sighing heavily it was clear she was struggling. Connie wandered over holding her hand out for the phone which Alicia frowned at before quickly handing it over.

"Hello, yes this is Mrs Beauchamp. I suggest you find a bed and you get my patient in it, is that understood? Good, I'll have them sent up as soon as a porter is available." Handing it back to Alicia, Connie flashed a glimmer of a smile her way as she watched astonished at how she had just done that. "How'd you manage that, she'd been trying the last half an hour." Duffy walked in time with Connie who scoffed with a laugh. "People were worried to upset me before, let alone upsetting me while pregnant."

The women parted ways as Connie returned to the warm confines of her office. It wasn't until the end of Jacob's shift a couple of hours later that he finally managed to find the time to stop in and check on her. "Evening sweet cheeks..." He peered around the open office door to see her sitting at her desk under the dim light of the lamp. "Hmm, hey you." She smiled sweetly as he came inside wandering closer to the desk.

"How's your day been super woman?" She scoffed feeling his hands begin to massage her shoulders. "Long, but it's been alright... I got Dr Hardy to apply for his consultancy exams-" "I thought he said he wasn't ready?" She shrugged leaning her head back. "I guess he realised he was."

Connie relaxed into the chair as Jacob twisted her round to face him. "How about we get out of here and order some dinner? I'm sure Grace wouldn't say no to a takeaway-" "When does that child of mine ever refuse a takeaway?" He smiled passing her her coat as she got up. Taking her keys out of her coat pocket she threw them across to Jacob who caught them quickly. "I'm too tired, do you mind?" "Not at all sweet cheeks." She smiled gently, kissing him before she picked up her bag switching the light off and heading home for the evening.