No To Fell Walking

Eventually

"Oh..." Jac replied again. This wasn't a topic of her expertise. Their eyes locked on one another, neither looking away for what felt like an age.
"Yeah so uh, I should probably get going now. I need to uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I need to get back to the kids."
"Yeah of course, go. I'll be fine." She smiled up at him. "I'm not going anywhere this time, don't worry about me."
"Good." He smiled back, the awkwardness instantly fading away. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Fletch turned away from her and went to move towards the door when he was stopped by a hand grasping his.
"Fletch..." She said softly, barely audible in the still room. He turned back to face her. "Thank you. For staying by my side."
"You're welcome. I couldn't leave you until I knew you were going to be okay." He smiled again.
"I don't just mean today. You've been there for me even when I didn't realised I needed you. So...thank you." She whispered. These words shocked the Nurse; it was rare that you heard Jac Naylor ever say thank you. "Come here." She held her arms out helplessly, wishing that she wasn't confined to this bed so she could initiate her movements without needing to ask him to come closer. Thinking she wanted to hug him, Fletch leaned down and wrapped his arms carefully around her back, however his breath hitched as Jac turned her head in the embrace. She placed a fleeting kiss on his cheek, soft enough that he could have merely imagined it.

As they pulled away from their hug, colour rose in both their cheeks, both embarrassed. It was a good job it was Jac who was hooked up to the heart monitor rather than Fletch, his secrets would have been revealed immediately as his heart pounded out of his chest. She squeezed his hand and let go and watched as he turned to walk out again. The Nurse paused at the door and glanced back at her and gave a small smile and then slipped out of the room without another word. The surgeon stared at the closed door, tears filling her eyes. He had only just left but in his sudden absence she had never felt so alone. Her empty hand fell cold and limp onto the mattress beside her. She wanted him to stay forever. But for that to happen she had to face up to the truth of her feelings and even then she couldn't be one hundred percent sure that the outcome would be in her favour. Nope that's not happening Naylor, the surgeon thought to herself. Why would someone like him love someone like me anyway was a question which she had frequently asked herself over the past few months. She knew she was the only one to blame for missing her chance to open up to him. When she had returned from her extensive time away from Holby she had been prepared to spill her heart out and lay all her cards on the table in front of Fletch but then Ms Tate had stepped in the middle of them and her plan had fallen to pieces around her as Fletch spoke the dreaded words; "It's not what it looks like". Jac knew she had no right to be angry with Abigail but she couldn't help it. It wasn't often that Jac Naylor would get jealous over something like this.

Back at the Fletcher household, the four kids were sat watching a film on the tv snuggled under a blanket. Evie looked up as she heard the living room door open and watched as her father made his way over to stand behind the sofa which they were all sat on together. The three youngest were all too engrossed in Finding Dory to notice that he had returned home.
"Thank you for looking after them Sweetheart." Fletch whispered and kissed his daughter's forehead as she tilted her head back to look up at him.
"It's fine, Jac needed you Dad. I understand." She whispered in return, trying not to disturb the others. He smiled down at her, proud of the maturity she was showing.
"Alright, shall we have an early dinner?" She nodded in response. "Ham, egg and chips?"
"Yeah please Dad."
The young girl turned back to the tv as her father walked away and into the kitchen to start the dinner.

Twenty minutes later and Fletch called everyone out to the dining room to eat the freshly prepared meal. The film was on pause so Ella and Theo were eager to get back to watching. In a few minutes flat they were finished eating and grinned up at their dad.
"Can we go back to watching the film now please Dad?" Ella asked and jumped out of her chair.
"Ella no, you know you have to wait until everyone else is finished. Sit back down please." With a frown she sat back in her place and waited until the plates were cleared away.
"Right, now you can all go." He announced and all went charging back down the hallway to the living room and launched themselves onto the sofa.
"I'll help you wash up." Evie spoke softly from behind him where he was stood at the sink.
"No no Evie, you've done enough today to help me. Go and watch the film with your brothers and sister, I'll be in in a minute." He protested. He felt it wasn't fair on her to allow her to feel bad for him doing the chores by himself.
"Dad...I've seen it like ten times already anyway, plus...I uh...I want to talk to you." She replied and picked up a towel and began to dry a plate. She watched as his face filled with panic and confusion.
"About what?!" He asked nervously, scared of what she was about to tell him.
"Jac." The panic left his features and was replaced by a look which Evie couldn't quite put her finger on what it meant. "Have you told her yet?"
Fletch sighed, exasperated that everyone seemed to be able to read him like an open book. Knowing that he couldn't deny it anymore, he gazed out into the garden through the window above the sink.

"No." He replied barely audibly. "I will...eventually."