My forgotten past

Set when Daisha is set to give baby Joe up for adoption just after she has given him to Jac to watch.

AAU office.

"I want to give Joe up for adoption."

Mark felt his heart slowly crumble as Daisha confessed to wanting rid of her own son. He saw the hurt in her eyes as she lowered her head in shame.

"Are you sure? It's a pretty big thing, you need to be sure."

"Course I'm sure Mark, it's not something I just thought on the spur of the moment, there are thousands of couples who can't have children and I can give them one. I'm not fit to be a mother. I can barely look after myself never mind a baby. I don't know anything about babies."

"Well I can help you I've had practice. Come on Daisha he needs his mother."

"Not if his mother is me he doesn't!"

Daisha flounced out of the office with one last indignant look at Mark. He sighed and began to rack his brains on how he could make her see sense.

Later that night Mark flopped on the small sofa, with Daisha walking up and down trying to get baby Joe to settle.

"Mark, what do I do?"

"What do you mean what for?"

"Joe. Maybe I should talk to someone, who knows what it's like to be adopted or in care. I don't know whether it's best I keep him. I am his mother and I don't want him growing up in a kid's home hating me. But I don't want to give him a bad life."

"You wouldn't-" Mark began but seeing the look on Daisha's face he stopped and changed his approach. "Well you could always talk to a social worker."

"No, I want to talk to someone who has been through it, whether they would want to speak to their mother after it or whether they hate them. I don't want him to hate me; I want to explain to him when he's old enough to know why. Do you know anyone who has been in care?"

"Maria was adopted from three, but she sees her adoptive mother as her real mother, no one really knows she's adopted. There is someone else who was in care from being a baby, but I doubt she'd talk to you."

"Why? Who is it?"

"Jac Naylor."

The next day at work, Daisha was trying to find any excuse to go up to Darwin. She knew the chance of Jac talking to her was minimal but she had to try. Besides Jac was good with Joe, she had even named him.

"Right I need someone to take Mr. Bird to Darwin. They're expecting him."

"I'll go!"

Everyone looked at the overenthusiastic response from Daisha who hurried away with Mr. Bird who seemed quite happy with the response he thought he had triggered from the nurse.

When she reached Darwin after several leering glances from Mr. Bird the first person she saw was Jac sat at the nurses' station eating an apple. She took a deep breath and walked up pushing Mr. Bird in his wheelchair. Jac looked at her expectantly when Daisha didn't say anything.

"Well?"

"Oh sorry, it's Mr. Bird transfer from AAU. Bypass operation?"

"Yes I am well aware what he's here for, anything else?"

"No."

"Then kindly stop staring."

"Jac wait, can I have a word?"

"About what?" She seemed quite exasperated so Daisha waited until she had settled Mr. Bird in his bed before speaking.

"Do you want to go out for a drink sometime?" she blurted out, whilst Jac raised her eyebrows at the suggestion.

"Right is this some kind of bet?"

"What no, I wanted to erm, thank you for yesterday, looking after Joe and you know, naming him."

"Oh right, well I don't see why not. When?"

"Are you busy tonight, I could get a babysitter?"

"Fine, I'll meet you in the bar after my shift. Goodbye Nurse Anderson."

Daisha breathed a sigh of relief and surprise. Now all she had to do was to actually get Jac to talk about her past. That was not something she looked forward to. However she was quite proud of herself for managing to make up a good excuse about asking her for a drink. She was also quite inquisitive as to how the evening would take shape. Jac was an immensely private person, only because if you even tried to ask her what she did after work it was simply not worth the look received. Jac kept her work and private life oceans apart. No-one really knew much about her except for the fact she wasn't really a nice person. That wasn't really a secret but she wasn't questioned about it.

Jac felt pretty sure that someone had put the young nurse up to this; however she did not question it. It wasn't the first time she had been the butt of a joke and it probably wouldn't be the last but this was completely out of the blue. Jac didn't even speak to Daisha usually. It was only because she was clogging up the ward and Jac didn't want a screaming child on the ward that she had taken pity on the girl. Not out of kindness of her cold dead heart. Jac smirked to herself as she remembered the last time someone had said that to her. Plus the naming of the brat gave her one over Faye as now there was a constant reminder of the link Joseph had with the child.