Title: Five Times Connie Said No
Pairing: Connie/MichaelS
Genre: Romance/Drama/Friendship
Rating: K+
A/N: So, after my one shot was met quite graciously by my fellow Connie fans, I thought I'd upload the beginnings of a multi chap. I'm sure it has been done before, but I'm doing a kind of – well, it's pretty self explanatory when you look at the title. Of course, I'm using my favourite Holby couple and DID ANYONE SEE MICHAEL AND CONNIE ON CASUALTY?! I nearly died! XD haaa
The rating is K+ for now, but it might change, I haven't decided yet *laughs evilly* It also might be a little OOT, but I think it's fine
Mistakes are mine, I hope you like it and I welcome reviews
Chapter One: Michael offering to take Connie to dinner after a rubbish day
Connie stomped out of theatre, running her hand through her short curls after taking off her cap. She could feel the adrenaline in her body ebbing away after her fight to save her patient's life. A fight that she hated to admit she lost. She heard the patient's family get to their feet as she walked towards them.
This was the worst part.
"Doctor?"
Connie turned to look at the patient's parents, barely in their thirties. The mother's eyes were red from the many tears that she had passed in worry for her son and the father looked as if his world hung in the balance. "I'm so sorry." said Connie, willing the lump in her throat to disappear.
The mother let out a harsh cry and crumpled back into the seat that she had sat in before. The father looked at the floor and looked back up at Connie, angry tears falling down his face. "He was only six." he said softly, before growling, "He was only six!"
Connie nodded, a stray curl falling onto her face. "I know, really, I do. But the damage was too extensive. He made it incredibly far, considering what happened."
The father nodded. "He was a fighter, my lad."
"It showed." said Connie, her mind replaying the surgery in her head.
"What happened?"
"His heart just couldn't take it anymore." said Connie sadly. "If you speak to my team, they will send a councillor your way if you want one.."
The father nodded and he sat next to his wife, who latched onto him the moment she could. "Thank you."
Connie nodded and made her way towards her office. She bit her lip the entire way to stop the tears that threatened to fall. All she could think about was how the parents were feeling. Yes, she was emotionally distant to the case, all she did was treat the boy using instinct and knowledge; but what Connie learnt was that when the emotional side of her got repressed, it came back tenfold, playing havoc with her mind. In this case, her mind went into overdrive, how could a driver not stop after hitting anybody, never mind a child? The boy was the same age as Grace, how would Connie feel? How would she cope if it was Grace?
She shook her head, temporarily sending her emotional thoughts packing and thanked her lucky stars to see that Elliot was out of the office. She closed the door with a soft click and toed off her shoes to curl up on the couch. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. After opening her eyes, she felt a little better. She reached over to the left to take a book off of her desk, she deserved a small break after what she had been through, even if it was only a few pages from a cardio journal.
She had just settled down to read when Elliot burst through the office doors, a tea in one hand with a folder tucked under his arm, an apple and a chocolate bar in the other hand and a memory stick between his teeth. He potted over to his desk, deposited everything and look at Connie.
"Tell me you know how to work these?" he said, holding up the memory stick.
Connie stared at him and counted to ten again, annoyed that Elliot had disturbed her peace bubble. She put her journal down and got up after putting her shoes back on. "And why do you need to work one?" asked Connie, walking around him, taking the stick off him as she did.
"Ric said that there was to be a system cleaning or something to that effect and that it was best to have a back up." said Elliot, standing behind the woman in his chair, watching her every move with interest.
Connie scoffed. "They've already done it twice this year, and I didn't do a backup. I still have all my documents, and so do you, because I know you didn't have a back up."
"Humour me, please." said Elliot, reaching over to grab his tea.
Connie watched him warily. "Don't drink that over my head, please. I know what you're like."
"Of course." said Elliot, stepping back to sip his tea. He watched Connie move his mouse on screen and before he knew it, she was ready to get out of his chair.
"Is that it?"
"Yes." said Connie, "were you expecting trumpets?"
"No, I just didn't think it would be that quick."
For the second time in less than half an hour, the door swung open again, revealing Greg holding a file. In his surprise, Elliot jumped and as he did so, he was extremely aware that he had a cup of tea in his hand. He was also aware that he was standing over Connie when he jumped. So when Connie leapt out of his chair, he had the good grace to look sorry whilst spluttering an apology.
"Good job you work in the hospital." commented Greg, as Connie left Elliot's desk in favour of the locker rooms. After a glare from said woman, he felt himself shrink as he stepped to the side to let her out in a hurry.
"Oh, dear." commented Elliot, feeling awful. He walked to the threshold of the door in time, to see Connie duck into the locker room. "How can I help you, Mr Douglas?"
"Ah, one of Con-" Elliot glared at him. "Mrs Beauchamp's patients results, I wanted her to have a quick look over."
Elliot held out his hand and took the file, he opened it and nodded. "Lead the way." It was the least he could do after scalding his colleague.
00000-00000
Once she got into the locker room, Connie all but ripped off her scrubs shirt and made her way to the set of showers. Normally, Connie avoided the hospital showers like the plague, she didn't even like changing in the locker room, but it wasn't everyday she was scalded. She found her change of clothes and a towel and after she turned the water on, she jumped into the shower, moaning in content as the cool water hit her burnt shoulder.
She turned the dial to make the water colder and she closed her eyes as the heat on her shoulder began to disappear. Once Connie felt sure her burn would be okay, she turned the shower off and wrapped the towel around her petite frame. She padded over to the mirror and turned so that she could see her shoulder in the mirror. She winced as she saw a large red patch of skin and for the third time, she closed her eyes and counted to ten. Today really wasn't her day. She moved over to her clothes and was about to put them on when she hesitated, getting dressed was really going to hurt. She cursed Elliot and his clumsiness, she cursed Greg for his rubbish timing and she cursed herself for cursing everyone else.
She drew in a shaky breath and began to dress herself, thankful she started dressing herself when she did. By the time she finished, Greg came in looking for her.
"What, Mr Douglas?" asked Connie, towel drying her hair a little more.
"Did you want me to have a look at your burn?"
Connie shook her head. "It's superficial, I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
Connie looked at Greg like he had suddenly grown two heads. "Mr Douglas, believe it or not, I have been a qualified doctor for some time now. And when I say something is okay, especially when it concerns my own body, then it is okay. Understand?"
Greg nodded, slightly annoyed at the verbal bashing. "Sure, I was just trying to help."
"Well, don't," huffed Connie, walking past him, her scrubs in one hand and her wet towel in another, "you've done enough."
She left the locker room after leaving the towel in the dirty towel bin and she made her way back to her office. She walked back in, making a conscious effort to look for a tea bearing Elliot. Once she was satisfied with the lack of tea in the office, she relaxed and sat at her desk. Connie clicked her mouse and pulled up a half-finished report.
The clock in the office chimed once it hit three. Connie looked up and was shocked to see that Elliot still hadn't been into the office after the whole tea fiasco. She felt a little bad that she had ignored him on her way to the locker room, but as she felt her shoulder throb uncomfortably, she felt less guilty. She shook her head again and returned her focus to the report on her desktop. She waved her mouse and froze as nothing appeared. She clicked her way into her documents to find all of her work was gone. She held her breath as she counted again. No way was her work gone! She tried calming herself down, but found it completely impossible. She practically threw herself out of her chair and stormed out of her office, praying that nobody got into her way until she got outside. She had had enough for the day, she was going to go home and start again tomorrow.
Apparently, she had pissed several deities off recently, because as she rounded the corner, she was met by Michael, Ric, Hanssen and Jac.
"Connie, have you heard about the new policy to do with treating children?" asked Ric, looking at her expectantly.
She quickly pulled on her best poker face. "Not yet, is this another one of your schemes?" she asked, noting that Jac and Michael smirked while Hanssen remained passive.
Ric chuckled and invaded Connie's space, patting her on the shoulder. "No, well, maybe. It's a policy dedicated to promoting the safeguarding of children under our care while their parents aren't here."
"Really?"
Michael tilted his head as Ric clapped Connie on the shoulder, his eagle like eyes picking up her subtle display of discomfort. "Pretty sure we do that anyway, but if it makes us look good, I'm always game."
"So vain." commented Jac, as she left the group, apparently she had got all she needed.
"Says you!" called Michael after her, smirking as she tossed her hair over her shoulder in answer to his heckle. "Home time, right?"
Connie nodded and moved herself from under Ric's grip. "Yes."
"Here, lemme walk you out." said Michael, waiting for Connie to start walking.
Connie might not have known Michael as well as others, but she recognised a wink-wink-nudge-nudge when she saw one. And if it benefitted her, to quote Michael, she was more than game.
The two walked away from Hanssen and Ric in silence. Once they were away from them, Michael spoke up.
"You pull a muscle or something?"
Connie shook her head, her blood boiling dangerously.
"My bad, it looked like you were hurt."
Connie remained quiet, willing Michael to do the same. The less he spoke, the less likely she would explode unnecessarily and the happier everyone would be.
Michael frowned, sensing that Connie was upset he tried to cheer her up. "Ric and his policies, huh? Does the guy have nothing better to do?" Connie stopped walking suddenly, making Michael do a cross between a double take and a pivot.
"Forget something?" asked Michael, eyeing her with concern but at the same time, he was glad he was outside and that Connie was wearing heels.
"Just, stop talking, please." said Connie, restraint evident in her voice as she spoke.
Michael regarded her with a confused expression. "Come again?"
"I've had a really shit day. I don't need your petty commentary on potential policies in my head. There's enough in there as it is. Thank you for walking me out, but I really can't deal you right now." said Connie, her words harsh and precise.
Michael raised his eyebrows as Connie brushed past him in an effort to get to her car before he could surmise a reply that would lead to a slagging off match. But he did something that surprised her completely.
"Wanna go out for dinner? Talk about it?" asked Michael, as he caught up to her.
Connie regarded him with a sceptical look as her hand rest upon her car door handle. "Excuse me?"
Michael looked at her, a small victorious smile on his face. Not many people could throw the great Mrs Beauchamp and remain standing. "Did you want to go out to dinner with me? Tell me about your day? My treat."
Connie frowned as she processed his offer. "There's nothing to tell. I had a bad day."
"Really? You sure? I, for one, would love to know why your shoulder hurts after you being fine this morning."
"I'm okay."
Michael walked over to Connie's side of the car. "You don't want to go to dinner with me?"
Connie was frozen to the spot, when was the last time someone took her out for dinner, simply because they could and not because they were looking for something? She was sorely tempted, he was good looking and he smelt absolutely gorgeous, and to be frank it would be nice to have someone to talk to. "No." said Connie, feeling a bit sorry for herself and him. "Not today."
Michael stepped back with a shrug. "Fair enough." he said, watching as Connie got into her car and rolled down her window. "It's not healthy to bottle things up, you know." he added softly before he moved back to let her drive home.
"Here if you need me." he said, mostly to himself as Connie flew out of the car park.
