Food Poisoning?
One. Two. Three. Breath in, breath out. In through the nose, out through the mouth. No matter how hard Samantha Nixon tried, she couldn't hold it down. She ran to the toilet, and brought up last night's dinner and dessert. She flushed it away and sat next to the toilet, breathing heavily. 'I am going to kill that bloody fish and chip owner.' She thought. 'I knew I shouldn't have bought that hamburger. Food poisoning, that's all I need.' She thought, groaning inwardly. She stumbled back to her bed, taking her phone as she went. She dialed Jack's office.
"DCI Meadows." He picked up.
"Hi, Guv, it's me Sam."
"Sam, how you doing?"
Sam let out a small laugh. "Not very well. I'm feeling ill, I think its food poisoning." She explained.
"Oh. I take it you're calling in sick, then."
"Yeah, thanks. Erm, did Stuart call in sick as well?" Sam asked.
"No, he's fine." Jack answered. 'Figures.' Sam thought. 'He got the fish.' The thought of food made Sam want to vomit again.
"Listen Guv, I've got to go." She hung up and ran into the bathroom, ready for another round with the toilet.
A week later, and Sam was still sick, but not as violently as before. She was sick of daytime TV, so she decided to go back to work. Sitting at her desk, a pile of paperwork surrounding her, she didn't hear when Tony called out for her. "DS Nixon?" he tried a second time.
"What?" she was quiet angry at being interrupted.
"I have a case for you." He said, holding up a folder.
"Yeah, what is it?" she asked.
"A body was found down at the warehouse on Loftier Street, in between the freezers. They store meat there. Anyway, the owner goes in this morning, and finds him. One of the employees, apparently." Tony explained.
"Alright, thanks Tony. I'll take it from here." Sam said.
"Sarge."
Sam looked around CID, trying to find someone to work with. Finding no one, she sighed and walked out to the car yard. Ten minutes later, she arrived. Honey met her as she got out of the car. "Okay, where is he?" Sam asked, following Honey. The factory doors were already open.
"Through there." Honey pointed her in the right direction. Sam walked through the freezing cold factory, passing various dead animals hanging from hooks. Her stomach immediately churned, making her feel nauseous, and the meaty fumes weren't helping either. She continued to walk towards the body.
"Sarge." Reg greeted her, steeping aside so she could see the corpse. The blue, dead man with half of his skull missing was too much for her, and as soon as she was out the front of the factory she brought up breakfast.
"Wow, that must be one bad case of food poisoning." Honey said, patting Sam's back. But Sam's mind was somewhere else. The last time she had been this sick was eighteen years ago, when she was two months pregnant with Abi.
Sam stared at the thin blue line in front of her. 'Oh God.' She thought. She was pregnant, and if the symptoms were correct, about two months into it. 'That would explain my illness – morning sickness, not food poisoning.' She thought. She frowned at the white stick she held, before throwing it in the bin, flushing the toilet, washing her hands and heading back to her desk.
"Sam, I heard you were sick again. Are you okay?" Stuart asked her, rushing up to her as she entered CID. "No, and I haven't been for the past week, thanks to you." Sam snapped, walking over to the water cooler.
"What? How is it my fault?" Stuart asked, following her.
"Ooh, look, trouble in paradise." Jo said to Phil, nodding towards Sam and Stuart.
"Ooh, here we go." Mickey added, standing next to Jo, behind Phil who was sitting at his desk..
"Sam? How is it my fault?" Stuart asked Sam, who was sipping on her water ignoring him.
"Because you got me pregnant." She hissed. Stuart's face went white.
"What's going on?" Suzie asked, joining Phil, Mickey and Jo. No one answered her, they were too busy watching.
"What? How?" Stuart asked.
Sam snorted. "How do you think?"
"Well, I know that, but, I mean, we were careful." Stuart said. Sam didn't reply, choosing to stare out the window instead.
"Well, erm, how far along are you?" he asked.
"Two months." She replied, her back to him.
"Oh." He said. "You know, this could turn out to be a good thing." He continued, stepping closer to her. "A very good thing." He added, wrapping his arms around her waist, placing a hand on her stomach. She sighed and relaxed into him.
"Urgh, what is that?" Phil asked.
"Yeah. By the way his face went white, I thought she dumped him." Jo replied.
"Oi, you two, get a room!" Mickey yelled, while the rest laughed.
"Should we tell them?" Stuart asked.
"Yeah." Sam replied.
"Erm, right then, listen up you lot." Stuart addressed CID. "We have something we want to say." He gave Sam's hand a gentle squeeze.
"I wasn't sick for the past week because of food poisoning." Sam started.
"Oh." Suzie and Jo realized what she was talking about. Phil and Mickey exchanged confused looks.
"It was morning sickness. I'm pregnant." She said.
CID remained silent. "Well, don't all rush to congratulate us at once." Stuart said sarcastically.
"Congratulations." Suzie said, walking up to them.
Stuart laughed. "Thanks Suzie."
"Well done, mate!" Mickey said, whacking Stuart one on the shoulder. Sam looked in the opposite direction and rolled her eyes.
"Congrats Sam." Jo said, smiling. "And…Stuart." She said, before walking back to Phil who was still sitting in a stunned silence.
"You alright Phil?" Jo asked.
"Yeah. It's just…a bit of a shock, you know?" Phil answered her. She squeezed his shoulder in acknowledgement.
"What's this Phil? No word of congratulations?" Stuart asked smugly.
Phil managed a tight smile. "Congratulations." He said, before getting up and walking out of CID.
"What's his problem?" Stuart asked.
"Just leave him." Sam replied.
A week later and Sam was sick of staying in CID, pushing around paper. "Stuart, get down to the Bronte. There's a suspected drug deal going down there later. One of Mike Heath's dealers. I just want you to do surveillance from the car, but if Heath shows up, arrest him." DCI Meadows instructed him.
"Can I go with him? Please?" Sam asked, desperate to get away from the pile of paperwork on her desk.
"I don't think – " Jack started, but Sam interrupted him.
"Come on Guv, please? I'll only be sitting in the car." She said.
"Alright. But no heroics." Jack said.
"Right, lets' go." She said to Stuart.
Ten minutes later, they were sitting in the car on the Bronte estate. Sam sighed. "If I knew this is all we'd be doing, I would have stayed and done the paperwork." She said.
Stuart looked at her. "No you wouldn't." he smiled.
She smiled back. "You know me to well." Stuart laughed.
"Oh, here we go." Sam said, nodding to her left.
Stuart got the camera out and started taking photos. Just as the deal was being done, uniform ran towards the dealers. "Oh, great." Sam said, unbuckling her seatbelt.
"What are you doing?" Stuart asked.
"Going after him." Sam said, opening the door.
"I don't think that's a good idea in your condition." Stuart said, grabbing her arm.
"I'm pregnant Stuart, not ill." She replied, pulling her arm out of his grip, running after one of the dealers. Stuart took off after her.
"Oi, you – stop! Police!" she yelled, chasing him down the Bronte then up a flight of stairs. He showed no sign of stopping; he was clearly very fit. She chased him up another flight, then gave up, catching her breath resting against the wall.
"Sam! He's coming your way!" Stuart yelled, chasing the other dealer with PC Stamp behind Stuart.
"Stop! Police!" She yelled, blocking him. He didn't stop though. He wrestled with Sam, trying to get past.
"Stop struggling Gavin!" Stuart called out, almost reaching him. Gavin saw his chance to escape, as Sam had hold of him but appeared to be distracted. He quickly struggled out of her grip, shoving her out of the way, and continued on. Stuart and Tony continued running after him, until Stuart saw something that made his blood freeze – his pregnant girlfriend tumbling down the flight of stairs behind her. Gavin's 6"0 frame had strongly over-powered Sam's 5"2 one.
"Sam!" Stuart screamed, racing to the bottom of the staircase where Sam was now laying in a heap.
"Sam?" he asked, checking her pulse.
"Sarge? I got Gavin." Tony said, looking around for Stuart. He soon found them.
"Tony, call an ambulance." Stuart instructed.
"Right away. Sierra Oscar from 532," he said, talking into his radio.
Stuart looked up to find Gavin standing there. "You. Look what you've done!" he yelled. Gavin could only stare.
"She's pregnant!" Stuart screamed. "With my child! And if she dies…" Stuart spat, rage filling his voice.
"Pregnant? I didn't know! I didn't mean to push her down the stairs…" Gavin was interrupted by Stuart.
"You shouldn't have shoved her out of the way in the first place! Look at her, she's tiny. She never stood a chance against you!" Stuart yelled.
"I…I'm sorry." Gavin pleaded. Stuart ignored his apology.
"You do realize you could be up on a manslaughter charge, don't you?" Stuart asked.
Gavin's eyes grew wide. "Or two." Stuart added.
"Two?! Why two?" Gavin was almost hysterical.
"Because she's pregnant!" Stuart yelled.
"Sarge, the paramedics are here." Tony reappeared with the two paramedics, carrying a stretcher.
"Come on." Tony grabbed Gavin, taking him to the area car.
"What happened?" A paramedic asked.
"She fell down these stairs when the druggie shoved her out of the way." Stuart explained.
"Alright, what's her name?" the paramedic asked.
"Samantha, Sam." Stuart answered. "Oh, and she's two months pregnant."
The paramedics exchanged glances. "Do you know of any way that we could contact her partner, the baby's father?" A paramedic asked.
"Yeah, that's me." Stuart said.
They nodded. "Samantha? Can you hear me?" a paramedic asked.
She groaned. "Sam? Sam, it's me, Stuart." Stuart asked, squeezing her hand as they put her on the stretcher.
She opened her eyes sleepily. "Stuart?"
"Yeah, sweetheart I'm right here." He said. Her eyes closed again.
They were almost at St. Hugh's when Sam opened her eyes again, this time they were round in fear. "Stuart! The baby!" she croaked.
"It's ok, darling. It's …it's ok." He whispered.
"I'm sorry sir, you're going to have to stay here." A paramedic told Stuart. "We'll contact you as soon as we know anything." She added. Stuart nodded and sat down in the waiting room, pulling his phone out to call the DCI.
"Alright. Thanks Stuart. Call me if anything happens." Jack hung up the phone. He grimaced, than walked out into CID. He was going to go down to the hospital; he couldn't help but feel slightly responsible.
"Guv, what's wrong?" Mickey asked, seeing the look of Jack's face.
"It's Sam. She fell down a flight of stairs while chasing a suspect on the Bronte. She's down at St. Hughes now." Jack explained.
"Is she okay? What about the baby?" Mickey asked.
"I don't know Mickey, but it's not looking good." Jack replied, walking out of CID.
Mickey walked back to his desk with a worried look on his face. "What's up Mickey? You look like you've just seen a ghost." Jo remarked.
"Yeah, what's wrong, mate?" Phil asked.
"Sam fell down a flight of stairs on the Bronte. She was chasing a suspect. She's at St. Hughes now." Mickey said.
Phil's face went white. "Is she okay?" Jo asked.
"Don't know, but the Guv said it's not looking good." Mickey replied.
Phil remained white. "Who's down there with her?" Jo asked.
"Jack's just gone. And Stuart's been there the whole time." Mickey answered her.
"I've got to go see her." Phil uttered, grabbing his coat off the back of his chair, walking out of CID before Jo or Mickey could say anything.
"Stuart Turner?" a doctor asked, looking around the waiting room.
"Yeah?" Stuart walked up to the doctor.
"You're Ms. Nixon's husband…?" the doctor asked.
"No, her boyfriend." Stuart corrected him.
The doctor nodded. "Samantha has suffered a miscarriage. She also has a few cuts and bruises." The doctor explained. "She's ready to see visitors now. If you'd like to follow me." The doctor led Stuart to Sam's room.
"Through there." He gestured.
"Thanks." Stuart said. He pushed the doors open to find Sam lying in her bed.
She smiled as she noticed him. "Hi."
"Hi." He smiled weakly. "Are you in a lot of pain?" he asked, sitting down next to her.
"A bit. They gave me painkillers though." She replied.
"We got him. Tony's taken him to the station, where he'll be charged." Stuart said.
Sam tried to smile, but the tears rolled down her cheeks, and the corners of her lips turned downwards.
Stuart held her hand and tried to comfort her. "It's okay Sam. Everything is fine."
"No, it's not Stuart. How can you say that? Our baby is gone." Sam sobbed.
Stuart didn't know what to say, so he kept quiet. "Come on Sam, shhh. It's not too bad, I mean, it wasn't planned or anything…" the moment the words left his lips he knew he had said the wrong thing.
Sam turned her head in his direction, her eyes glistening. "Do you think that just makes the pain go away? Because it wasn't planned, it deserved to die?" Sam asked.
"No, Sam, I didn't mean –"
Stuart was interrupted. "You never wanted this baby in the first place, did you? I saw the way your face paled when I told you I was pregnant." Sam said. Stuart remained silent; he knew that Sam already knew his answer.
"Just go please Stuart." She said, turning away from him. He sighed and walked to the door.
"So that's it? We're over?" Stuart asked.
"We've got nothing left." Sam replied, tears running down her cheeks. Stuart quietly closed the door behind himself. He looked up to find himself staring at Phil.
"What are you doing here?" Stuart asked.
"I'm here to see Samantha, aren't I?" Phil replied.
"Well, I'm warning you, she's not in a good mood." Stuart said, walking away.
"No thanks to you." Phil said. Stuart turned around to say something, but then decided against it. He just snorted and shook his head, before continuing down the corridor. Phil went into Sam's room.
"Sam?" he asked. She turned around to face him.
"Phil." He came and sat down next to her.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
She faintly smiled. "I've been better."
"I'm sorry Sam." He said.
"Thanks. But, maybe it was for the best, you know? Maybe now I can move on." Sam said.
"Sam, I like you. I like you a lot, and – " Phil started.
"I know, Phil. And I do too. But give it a couple of months though, okay?" Sam replied. Phil smiled.
"It'll all work out, you know." Phil said.
Sam returned his smile. "I know."