Wait For Me

The Waiting Game

Jacob and Grace walked into the department, several saddened faces offering small smiles and greetings as they went towards the resus doors. Looking inside, they could barely see Connie with all the people that were bustling around the room. Jacob shook his head turning away as he held out a hand for Grace. "Let's go wait in the office, there's nothing we can do out here."

Grace nodded gently following after him, grateful for the seat as she slumped down. Jacob watched her, seeing so many things in her that reminded him of Connie in that moment. He knew he was overthinking, a natural reaction to not knowing what was going on, but he had no idea what he'd do if anything happened to Connie in there. How he'd cope, how he'd help Grace cope. There was no option, she had to be okay.

"Connie?" "Where's Grace?" Charlie took her hand firmly causing her to focus on him. "She's with Jacob, he's looking after her." She nodded letting her head fall backwards as people continued to rush around her. "What's wrong with me?" "Nothings wrong with you-" "My baby then, what's wrong with my baby?" Charlie looked across the room as Duffy returned in a rush.

"Okay Connie, the pain you were experiencing earlier is down to baby moving the opposite way she should have been-" "Is she okay?" Duffy nodded clasping her hands around Connie's. "She's fine, a little distressed but she is perfectly fine. You were right about one thing though, you're in labour." She gave an encouraging smile as Connie felt the fear set in. This was happening.

She zoned out momentarily, the voices around her becoming an echo as she became lost in her thoughts. Her daughter was coming, and it didn't matter whether she thought she could manage or if she was ready, it was happening and she would have to find a way. "Connie I'm going to examine you-" "Jacob... I want him here."

Duffy nodded as Elle looked from her to Connie. "I'll go and find him." Connie let her head fall to one side as Charlie tightened his grasp on her hand. "Hey, you've got this under control..." Turning back to him she shrugged shaking her head. "Have I?" "Haven't you always." He gave a caring smile keeping hold of her hand the entire time.

"Right, Connie take this it should help ease the pain." She took hold of the tube she was passed quickly taking a deep breath. The doors were pushed open hastily as Jacob came through. "What's happening, is Connie going to be okay-" "I can hear you, I'm in labour not dying."

Duffy turned to him as he slowed taking in the scenes around him. "Right as rain, as you can see." Jacob smiled briefly before making his way round the other side of the bed. She watched him open his mouth before speaking herself. "Don't start with some uplifting shit Jacob, hold my hand or get out." "Noted sweet cheeks." Her cold glare warned him off saying much more than that.

"Connie, how long have you thought that you might be in labour?" She was reluctant to answer causing Jacob to fold his arms against his chest watching her. "Con?" "Since about 6 this morning-" "It's 3 in the afternoon!" She shrugged shaking her head. "There was nothing they could have done here anyway-" "You might not have ended up in the state you did scaring the life out of your 13 year old daughter!"

Charlie stopped them from saying anymore seeing the upset he had caused. "That's enough. Jacob I don't think now is the time for this conversation." Tears rolled down Connie's cheeks as he surrendered trying to take her hand, only for her to retreat. "Con-" "Just go... Go be with Grace. Please." "Connie?"

Turning to look away from him Charlie looked down to her before seeing Jacob wander away from the bed, only to be stopped by Duffy. "I need a nurse to assist me, she may have told you to go but I could use the support." He smiled gratefully as he grabbed an apron standing beside Duffy while Charlie continued to hold her hand.

Already an hour had passed since she'd been admitted. It wasn't easy and it didn't seem to be getting any better either. "And push!" Connie sat forwards, doing everything she could until she fell deflated back into the bed. "I can't..." Shaking her head she struggled to catch her breath. "Connie keep calm for me, I need you to steady your breathing."

Her breaths shortened as she continued to struggle. "Connie?" Charlie became worried beside her as she moved a hand to her chest. Reaching above her he grabbed the oxygen mask moving it to cover her face. Jacob looked up to see the panic, everything all too familiar. "Con... Connie, nice and slow just like we've done before."

Jacob moved from the end of the bed to encase both her hands within his. Breathing deeply and slowly, she fought to copy him but continued to struggle. "We really need to calm her down, baby's becoming more distressed."

Jacob moved his hands to her cheeks, cupping then gently as her eyes found his. "Connie, baby, it's just me. I really need you to focus, in... and out..." Slowly, Connie found herself breathing in time with Jacob, her hands had found their way to his wrists, clinging onto him as she breathed. "I can't..." "Of course you can, you're Connie Beauchamp. And you're strong, you've fought all your life. You can do this Connie, I know you can." Leaning down he kissed her forehead as she rest a hand against the oxygen mask. "Keep it on sweet cheeks..."

Groaning she looked as Duffy spoke again. "Ready?" She nodded tiredly as Jacob gripped her hand tightly. Placing a kiss to the back of her hand, she looked to him quickly before focusing on Duffy.

Another half an hour and it seemed things were finally moving along. "Okay Connie, one final push and that'll be it..." She let go of Jacob's hand, keeping hold of Charlie. "Go..." She looked as he frowned before she pushed him towards the end of the bed with the little strength she had left.

"Want to do the honours Daddy?" Jacob looked to Duffy with a hazy expression. Stepping in front of her, she stood to one side with her arms either side, guiding his own hands. "When you're ready Connie, we need a big final push... On 3?" She nodded pulling the oxygen mask off, swapping it for the medication.

"1...2...3!" As Connie pushed Grace wandered in through the resus doors. Jacob was focused as he felt his daughter's body quickly fall to his hands, Duffy helping to support him as she smiled over his shoulder. The room was rapidly filled with high pitched screaming as she showed off her lungs.

Connie felt the tears rolling down her cheeks as she let herself relax, noticing Grace smiling from the doors. "Come here sweetheart..." Ushering Grace over, she was quick to run towards her mother. Kissing her head she encased her as best she could before Jacob finally lifted his eyes from his daughter. "She's beautiful..." Connie heard him sniffing seeing the tears within his eyes as she paid attention to him.

"Grace..." Duffy called her to the end of the bed. "Want to help Jacob out?" She nodded as Duffy handed her some scissors to cut the umbilical cord. "Really?" She nodded with a warm smile as she pointed. "Just here..." "Here?" Duffy nodded as Grace did as she said, her baby sister still crying out.

"I just need to clean her up and weigh her." Jacob nodded passing her over carefully before wrapping his arm around Grace's shoulders. "She's so pretty Dad." Jacob looked down at her, Grace's focus being on her sister. "That she is firecracker..." A smile on his face as he looked from one daughter to the other.

Connie was slowly sitting up in the bed as Duffy confirmed all the details she needed before carrying her across the room. "Here we go... Baby Masters I presume?" She nodded with a friendly smile as her daughter was placed into her arms. "Hello baby..."

Her eyes were solely trained on her little girl in that moment. Jacob looked on in complete adoration at the sight before him. Connie holding their little girl was everything he had imagined it would be and more.

They wandered closer, Jacob lifting Grace up to sit on the edge of the bed while he continued to watch the pair. "She looks just like you sweet cheeks-" "You think? I thinks she looks more like you." Finally lifting her eyes she smiled across at him as Grace shrugged. "She'd be unlucky if she looked like Jacob-" "Hey you." Grace giggled as Jacob was quick to tickle her waist.

In the moment, they had missed everyone else leaving the room. The only people left were the four of them. "What will you call her?" Grace looked down at her wrapped in the baby pink blanket, her finger tightly encased by her sister. "I don't know... Muscles? Got any thoughts?"

"I thought you liked Bella?" Connie looked down at her daughter before shaking her head. "It doesn't feel right..." Looking up at the windows, Jacob noticed a few people standing there looking in. Connie lifted her head to see who she was looking at, before a smile reached her face. "I think that could be the one..." Jacob turned back with a smile as he ran a gentle hand across his daughters head. "I think it's prefect."