I've really got to sort out the fics I've already written but this one was started while I was sat in corporate induction (woo!) in order to keep myself awake / alert. This is sort of based on a true story - and is definitely one of the things that has really stuck with me. Hopefully this is ok and thank you to anyone who reads it.
20th August 2013
"You alright Jonny-Mac?" Mo enquired softly, as her friend sat at the desk on Darwin yawning. There were bags under his eyes and something about him just seemed off. Jac sidled up to the pair, one hand resting on the bump which she was no longer able to disguise although she still made vague attempts at it; there was something about strangers thinking her baby was public property that annoyed her and so she tried to hide it.
"He's just being martyr" Jac answered on behalf of her partner, giving Mo a look that dared her to challenge this, "He's not the one, who can't sleep because it's too hot even though we have all of the windows open and fans going – and he's not the one losing their waist line due to an ever growing meconium producing foetus" Jac concluded which earned a small smile from Mo, who remembered how she had been feeling at 20 weeks pregnant and a frown from Jonny who was thinking about the sheer lack of sleep he was having.
"No he's the one who can't sleep because his girlfriend is snoring like my grandpa Jon after Christmas lunch and has the room at a temperature which would cause even polar bears to shiver; I'm surprised I haven't developed hypothermia" Jonny retorts, and Jac narrows her eyes in annoyance and what he has said, and for a moment she is glad that the only people around are the three of them.
"I do not snore" Her voice is low and Jonny can detect the warning notes within the words, but he is tired and grumpy and for those reasons they do not quite register as strongly as they normally would. He knows he should be sympathetic to Jac, and indeed he has been for the most part, but a part of him wishes people would give him a little more notice given the effects of Jac's hormone levels are affecting him as well.
"Do you want me to play the tape?" he asks, turning to look at her properly and he can see the anger which is drifting just beneath the surface. He notes that Mo has moved a little way, away from them as if she is doesn't want to be caught in the crossfire.
"You better not have recorded me Nurse Maconie" Jonny rolls his eyes at the comment, but a small smile plays on his lips and he raises an eyebrow at her.
"Sounds like you've just admitted there was something to record" is his response and he watches as the frustration dances across her face as she realises her mistake. She forces herself to think to come up with something that will stop him in his tracks before they attract an audience of more than Ms Effanga.
"You're on thin ice Maconie" she tells him, choosing not to acknowledge the comment he made and she sees the smile of satisfaction on his face as he assumes he's won this one.
"Well I'm not surprised given our house is like Siberia" he responds to her and he watches as her expression changes, how she shifts position a little. She closes her eyes for a second before she looks at him.
"Sounds like you don't want to come to scan later" She knows it's a low blow, that he has been talking for weeks about seeing the baby again. He's been trying to persuade her to let him sneak a look in with the portable ultrasound but she has resisted him, fearing that they would see something and misinterpret it. She also worries that too many scans could be damaging. She has relented with the sonicaid, letting him listening in to the baby in quiet moments; to hear the steady beating of its heart and though she would never admit it, she has used it on herself when alone in the office feeling comforted by the sound that confirmed that her baby was alright.
"Jac" there's a slight pleading to his tone, and she does feel for him. She has to turn away from the puppy dog eyes he is giving her, knowing they will cause any hint of annoyance to diffuse and will lead to the arrival of guilty tears. She is already convinced that the child is a daddy's girl – though as yet they do not know the gender.
"I'll think about letting you come" She answers, not turning back to him. Instead she walks away, rubbing at her bump with one hand and smiling at the thought of seeing her baby. She wants him there, and she's certain that she won't keep him from attending. For one thing she's nervous, she's nervous about what could be picked up at this scan and the potential problems. She knows she should have talked to him about it but he's been so excited that she hasn't wanted to spoil that. But a part of her is terrified, she can count the beats of her baby's heart and know they are within normal limits but she cannot know that everything is growing and developing as it should – not until today at least. She slips in side of her office, suddenly overcome with terror at the prospect of the scan. She tries to force herself to breathe normally but her own heart is hammering now, challenging the rate of the baby's but try as she might she cannot push away the feeling of terror that has settled over her.
Back at the desk, Jonny has turned his attention to Mo. His face is crestfallen at the idea of potentially not being able to see his baby again, to watch the miniature show that their little person will put on for them. He hopes the baby will play ball at let them know whether they are having a son or a daughter, he hopes he will get a precious new photo which he can upload to his facebook with a cute caption. He will upload it regardless but he wants something he can add something funny too, to imply the baby already has his personality.
"You don't really think she'll stop me see Boo do you?" Jonny sounds so forlorn at the prospect of missing out on seeing his child. Mo raises an eyebrow
"Boo?" She questions with a smile, she hadn't realised her future godchild had a nickname already "after the cartoon bear right?" she adds thinking of her friend's love of cartoons, despite the fact she thinks he is too old for them. Still at least Boo has a ready made DVD collection waiting for him or her.
"Guilty, I'm sure Jac's gonna kill me for using it one of these days" he says quietly "but at least I didn't go for the cliché of peanut. I tried to tell her I was being literary and it was from to Kill a Mockingbird but she said that Scout would have been more appropriate" he adds with a smile, knowing just how much clichés annoy Jac, though in some ways she may have been more open to that over Boo and he just couldn't bring himself to call the child Scout.
A call bell rings and Jonny looks up at the panel and sighs, it's a patient who has been giving the ward grief for days and he dreads having to answer it but still he goes with a sigh in Mo's direction while she flashes him a cheeky smile. He goes in the direction of the patient, and seeing his state, quickly grabs a receiver but unfortunately for Jonny he isn't quite quick enough and ends up getting vomited over by the patient – much to his disgust. He frowns, wondering how on earth his day can actually get worse now but he does his duty and sorts out the patient before he slips off to the locker room to strip off his soiled uniform and to replace them with the clean set he keeps there.
He pulls on his clean uniform and grumbles a little from the static shock he receives from it. Once he has it on he uses the alcohol hand gel in his pocket to sanitise his hands quickly, before he leaves the room to make his way to the dirty utility where he plans to wash his hands properly. He prefers the soap in that room, as for some reason it hasn't been updated to the new style which is in the other areas.
He walks slowly, not really paying attention to what he is doing. He sees Mo up ahead and a stray dynamap which has been left abandoned by the wall socket.
He doesn't even realise.
It takes a second for the reality to sink in.
He hears the scream from Mo
He looks down
His hand is alight
He tries to bat it away with the other hand
In horror he sees the flame jump across
And the screaming increases
He doesn't scream
He doesn't know how to react
And then it's gone
To fire is out
And he can't look at his hands
Or block out the scream.