For All Eternity

Zero Day

"Daddy, Daddy," Connie came skidding around the corner of his office, pulling Joe from his emails.

"Connie Louise, how may I help you?" He said calmly, picking her up resting her on his knee.

"Daddy, Dot is sick," she explained, eyes widened in panic.

"What do you mean, silly? She's fine, she had breakfast," Joe said, wondering where she had got such an idea from.

"Welld now she's on the couch sleeping wiv a water bottle like me when I ate too many sweeties. She's really bery bery poorly," Connie didn't sound wrong, it did sound like his love was poorly which made him even more confused because nothing had pointed to the fact that Dianne was at all sick. She had offered to get up with Connie and even made him breakfast. In fact, if he recalled correctly, she had been just fine when he left her to do some work.

"Okay, thanks for telling me, I'll go and check on her, do you want to put your clothes on to get ready to pick Ibrahim up?" Joe suggested, placing her on the floor. Connie nodded and walked into her room but didn't get dressed instead she closed the door a little and peeked out of the gap to try and see what her Daddy was doing.

Joe didn't notice her however, because he was too focused on his girlfriend who was definitely asleep, looking significantly pale. "Di, honey, wake up," Joe whispered, shaking her shoulder. She jumped, opening her eyes and groaned, turning her head away from the light.

"Are you okay, you don't look very well at all," he said gently, stroking her hair.

"Cramps." Dianne mumbled, "and a migraine. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

She tried to sit up but was stopped by Joe's hand. "Why? Have you caught a bug?"

"No, it's my fucking period, I'll be fine," she tried to sit up again but Joe hand stopped her once more.

"What can I do, do you want some painkillers maybe?" He was now stroking her cheek, a frown still on his face.

"I've already had some it didn't really do much, I'm just going to have to shake it off."

"Okay, are you still okay for Ibrahim to come over? I have a feeling they'll be quite loud. I can call Miriam and cancel and rearrange, Connie won't mind if you're not feeling well enough, love. It's just you're very peaky an clammy, you look quite sick." Joe had sat down and lifted her head onto his lap, fingers teasing her scalp, trying to relieve her headache.

"No she's fine, I'm fine, I'll be feeling better by the time you get back anyway."

"Alright, go back to sleep little one, I'll wake you up when we're leaving," Joe dipped his head and kissed her forehead, as she sighed and closed her eyes, pushing away a small tear of frustration.

"You're so lucky you're not a woman Joe," she mumbled, as she tried to ignore the various bits of pain going on inside her body.

"I know, I know." And Joe did. He had seen childbirth after all, and it wasn't something he ever wanted to go through.

He studied her, as she fell asleep, more satisfied that she was okay than when he saw her. It still wasn't nice though, he wasn't used to her not feeling well. She was usually bouncy and happy but this Dianne was floppy and flat. He had only experienced Dianne properly poorly one other time in their relationship- when he had met her in a hotel in London during the pro tour. She had collapsed upset in his arms the minute she had arrived, feeling very unwell.

"So is she sick?" Connie asked, still in her pyjamas.

"Erm, sort of, she doesn't feel very well. But she's not sick so to speak," Joe answered, pushing Connie's hand away from her head.