Falling apart.
Based- Just before Series 16 starts.
What if Andrew hadn't died? Would Duffy and Andrews marriage survive a third child?
Walking up to where he was sat in the waiting room she felt her heart break for him. He had his head in his hands refusing to let the exhaustion take over even though he probably should. Speaking softly as she sits next to him she was aware he hadn't heard her approaching.
"Andrew? Any word yet?" Almost jumping on hearing, her he tries to smile but it fails terribly.
"Oh Colette. I didn't hear you come in. No, no word yet. She's still in theatre." She could feel his stress pulsating off him so much, it made her feel worse.
"The baby's okay though?" She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear his answer. Not that she thought the baby was anything but fine, but she was too aware how difficult Andrew found it to accept this pregnancy and now with all this she was worried he wouldn't bond with the baby at all. She was very aware it was a fear Duffy had before this happened. His look before replying didn't help.
"Yeah, fine." He pauses for a moment, sighing before adding, "I know I should be there, but I can't. Not until I know Duffy's okay." She could understand that but at the same time she knew Duffy would be furious with him for not spending this precious time with their newborn baby. She could only pray Duffy would be okay, she didn't hold out much hope of Andrew coping if she didn't pull through. He was hardly the most hands-on dad, was he?
"I don't blame you Andrew." Putting her hand on top of his she just wished she could make him feel better.
Her shift didn't start for an hour yet but when she left yesterday they still didn't know if Duffy had come out of surgery okay or not. She could easily have phoned the ward, but fear stopped her. Maybe it was better not knowing? Anyway, deep down she knew Charlie would have phoned her if anything terrible had happened. Walking up to the ward her heart rate quickened as she remembered back to yesterday. It all happened so quickly, Duffy was fine one day then been rushed in with pre-eclampsia the next. At 34 weeks pregnant they moved fast more so when they realized how severe her symptoms were, but they couldn't stop her hemorrhaging after the emergency C-section. Finding Andrew eventually he didn't look any better than yesterday. If anything, he looked worse as he returned to the ward having got much needed coffee.
"Andrew? How are they both?" Glancing up on hearing his wife's friend approach he once more tries to smile and fails.
"Hi Colette." He sighs before continuing. "Alright, I guess. Alive." Looking at her face he knew she needed more than that but at the moment that's all his brain had taken in. "The baby is doing really well. Better than expected." Again, the pause returns before explaining his wife. "Duffy is…not much better than before really. She's not woken up yet." He was struggling, stress was still there but today there was also anger. If she'd just listened to him they wouldn't be here! Why did she insist on going ahead with the bloody pregnancy? Stupid woman! But he also knew better than voicing his opinion, more so to her friends. Colette wasn't sure how to reply at first, she knew something was bothering him. He hardly hid frustration well, but not was not the time to press him.
"That's really good about the baby. Have you spent time with her yet? I'm sure Duffy will wake up soon, it's better she sleeps. She's got a lot to recover from. She's going to want to know all about her daughter when she wakes. Did they have to go forward with a hysterectomy?" He knew she was right, but it didn't make it easier to accept. He just didn't want to be anywhere but with his wife.
"Not really. I've watched her. Duffy's mum has been there a lot and Charlie. No, they didn't. It was very close, so I'm told. I told them they should have gone ahead with it. We are certainly not having another after this. But, then again, we said that last time as she still insisted we did it again, didn't she?!" Sighing she knew she was just going to have to say it.
"Andrew. I know it's hard, you came so close to losing Duffy but it's not the baby's fault or Duffy's. You know that. You have a beautiful baby girl. Don't let everything that happened get in the way of that. Go see your daughter."
Sitting in the chair he was glancing out the window, his mind clouded with the events of the past day. Andrew was finally seeing his daughter, at the insistence of Colette, so he'd promised him he'd sit with Duffy in case she woke up. She was on heavy medication thanks to the surgery and pre-eclampsia, so it was no real surprise she hadn't woke, it was better for her to sleep anyway. He was just thankful her blood pressure appeared to be returning to normal, although slowly. His mind was so much so else where he didn't hear her at first.
"Charlie?" Nothing, her voice was weak, she tries again. "Charlie?" Swinging round he's surprised to hear her, smiling he reaches forward to take her hands.
"Hello you. It's good to see you awake." Rolling her head across the pillow she looks around the room before looking back to Charlie.
"What's happened?" looking down at her own figure she begins to panic. "Charlie?!" Squeezing her hands gently he quickly attempts to calm her down before her blood pressures rises.
"Don't panic. Everything is fine, I promise. The baby is doing really well. I'll get someone to get Andrew for you." Standing up she didn't appear to believe him, her chest still rising too quickly. He tries again before leaving the room.
"I promise you, the baby is fine. It's you that's worried us all." He knew she would need details about the baby but that was for Andrew to share with her, not himself. They'd already lost out on so many moments you got in any normal birth, he didn't want to take anything else anyway too. He only hoped Andrew had got a grip and would be there for her, for both of them.