"Sorry I'm late!" Michael grinned, swaggering into the boardroom, a takeaway coffee cup in one hand, a bunch of folders in the other.
"I'll second that." Jac added, following the American in. Serena smiled as she saw Jac was sporting no folders, instead a large bacon sandwich. For someone who once upon a time was scared of reaching a size six, it amused Serena to see Jac now obsessed with greasy, calorie filled foods. Seeing as though Hanssen had never been pregnant nor experienced the pregnancy food cravings, he took a less laid back approach and demanded her to get rid of it immediately.
"No bloody way!" She glared, hugging it protectively to herself as she fell into the chair next to Serena. "I better loose every pound as soon as it's born." Serena wasn't surprised to hear Jac refer to her baby as 'it'. She may have coped with the idea better than anyone – especially Jonny – had expected, but she knew it would take a while for Jac to 'attach' to him or her. "If angina man can keep his cinnamon bun – I keep the butty." Everyone turned to see Elliot sheepishly pushing a white paper bag away from himself.
"Fine." Hanssen sighed his agreement.
"I won't get stretch marks or anything will I?" She wondered out, before lifting her scrub top to show her still-flat stomach.
"Oh yes, you're going to be a size twenty monster with no man ever coming within a six-mile radius of you. Especially with a screaming kid." Harry Tressler chipped in, in his usual cocky fashion.
"Shut it, posh boy." Jac panicked.
"Shame Oxford doesn't teach you about pregnancy." Serena backed Jac. "Don't worry Jac, you're gonna look fine. You'll sail it."
"Cambridge actually." Harry smiled lightly.
"I'm gonna put twenty quid on you doing a Connie Beauchamp." Michael yawned, draining the last few coffee dregs.
"A Connie Beauchamp?" Only Elliot, Ric and Jac knew what he meant. Michael sighed at everyone's blank faces. Joseph, Sam, Donna; they would've got it.
"She went into labour." Michael started, then left a dramatic pause as everyone stared.
"No shit, Mr Sherlock, you sure know your stuff!" Jonny mumbled. This was his baby as well and he didn't want to be left in the dark of his baby's predicted birth.
"Shut up and listen! She went into labour while in theatre. Operating on a colleague, one of Ric's serial wives. I can just imagine Jac working nine months down the line with a massive bump – that's all." He shrugged, before leaning closer to Jonny with a sympathetic smile. "Oh and Connie wouldn't let Sam Strachan – the dad – anyway near the birth." Jonny swallowed nervously and looked at Jac for a confirmation that he would be allowed an involvement but the red-head was too busy trying to work out how many chocolate covered biscuits she could fit whole into her mouth.
"Look how much chocolate they put on these! It's like nothing!" She glared, oblivious to the conversation, holding up a biscuit for the room to see. "Meh." She shrugged, biting into to it.
"This has all been very interesting." Hanssen's words dripped with sarcasm. "But can we move on from the heart to heart and start this meeting?"
"Be my guest." Jonny smiled proudly as he turned to Jac after her sarcastic answer to see she was wearing her stethoscope and was move the end around her abdomen, trying to detect a heartbeat. It reminded him of Mo's surrogate pregnancy, and he wished more than anything he could hold her when she felt she couldn't cope and rub her swollen feet when they ached. He'd give anything to run to McDonalds at 2o'clock in the morning, fetching her the greasiest Big Mac and fries or whatever the hell she fancied.
An hour later, after much heated debate (which was worse than it sounds with a pregnant Jac who'd been caffeine-and-sugar deprived for an hour), a correct course of action had been chosen for Elliot's patient and Hanssen concluded the meeting.
"Brilliant." Jac swung her legs down from the plastic chair she'd set up next to herself. "I've been dying for some chocolate milkshake."
"Filing cabinet behind your desk, third drawer down." Elliot directed her. "My secret stash."
"I love you Hope." She sighed happily.
"You go soft on us, I'm trading you in." Serena warned.
"I wouldn't dream of it. Maconie – latte, no sugar. Oh, and Spence needs two quid for the coffee and muffin this morning." Jac demanded. Mo raised a sceptical eyebrow as Jonny dived into the pocket of his coat to retrieve his wallet.
"Oh, Ms Campbell, Ms Naylor, a word if you'd be so kind." The Swede spoke, collecting together the already immaculately stacked folders in front of him. The feisty red-head drummed her fingers impatiently on the table in front of her as they waited for their colleagues to file one by one out of the room.
"I have a Hernia I'm due to repair… exactly three minutes ago, can we do this on the move?" Serena asked, looking as impatient as Jac. Hanssen nodded and he strode out of the room. He turned on the spot and called them to follow.
"In which case, Ms Naylor, Ms Campbell, walk with me." He said, sounding distinctly like Anton Meyer. He held a hand out, showing them in the direction he was heading; not even bothering to inquire where Serena wanted to go. Jac groaned – clearly desperate for her chocolate milkshake. Hanssen wondered how she managed to last more than thirty minutes in theatre, before deciding even with pregnancy, a diseased heart would be enough to deter anyone from food.
"Can we make this quick?"
"Of course." Hanssen nodded.
"Look, I really need to get to Keller… so if this can wait?"
"Oh, you won't be going to Keller today, Ms Campbell." Serena turned, dumbstruck. She had a horrible feeling where this was going. He'd had exactly the same tone when she was informed she was going to be transferred to AAU.
"Excuse me?"
"If you had let me finished. As you know, most of the staff on Paediatrics, Otter Ward, to be exact, have been taken ill. Now, today, they need the three of us on Otter Ward as back-up. Ms Naylor – you're needed for a three year old who has suffered from a blunt trauma. Ms Campbell, myself and you are there for three patients." Jac and Serena stared at each other, mouths agape.
"What the-?!" Jac demanded. "Very funny ABBA boy, not happening." Hanssen raised an eyebrow at her chosen way to address him but remained silent.
"Yes, it is. I shall see you there in five minutes." He said plainly, before turning and striding off.
Back on Darwin, Mo, Jonny and Elliot were in Elliot's and Jac's shared office, laughing in disbelief.
"You're being transferred where, sorry?" Jonny giggled.
"Make me repeat it and I will throw up all over your smug face." She glared, sifting through the last of her folders, sorting them into "Valentine's pile", "Maureen's pile" and "Who gives a shit pile."
"Swapsie?" Mo asked hopefully, glaring at her ever growing pile.
"I wish!" Jac snorted. "But the Swede's got me under lock and key."
"I'll pop down later, always fancied a shift on Paeds." Jonny smiled.
"You're a charge nurse here, you're not going anywhere!" Mo asserted.
"Of course." He nodded. 'I will' he mouthed to Jac when her back was turned. Jac's hand formed an instinctive shield around her abdomen as she bent to pick up an escaping file. Part of her acknowledged that she wanted that big kid that had fathered her baby to be with her. She found herself almost glad Henrik had taken the initiative to send her on that people-skill course months ago.
"Otter ward." Serena read from the sign. She and Jac glanced apprehensively at each other as they watched the mayhem on the other side of the frosted glass. "Has Hanssen lost his mind?!"
"Oh yes!" Jac glared. "Ready?" Serena punched the code in with a sigh, and pushed the door open to be greeted by the loudest, messiest ward she'd ever seen. Screams and shills filled the air as little kids ran amok.
"Who's in charge?" Serena shouted, to no avail, her voice disappearing amongst the noise.
"Brilliant!" Jac thundered as a paint-covered kid brushed past her. She glared at the bright green stain left on her trousers. "Just bloody brilliant!"