Hi!
Thankyou so much for your lovely reviews- they mean so much! Things get a little more interesting after this chapter, I promise :D I'm glad you're all liking it so far, and I agree with a lot of your comments- that episode was very dark and creepy, even for the Casualty team!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this update and again, reviews are welcomed! :) -Sophie x
Connie stayed in her office until just after dinner, trying and failing to catch up on her paperwork.
When she found out about Grace, she asked the police to withhold her name, she told the ED that she had to go look after her aunt in Northumberland, and that she was taking Grace with her.
When actually, she stayed at home every day, wallowing in her sadness and wishing, dreaming, hoping for all this to be a nightmare, and that at any moment her baby girl would come bounding in for a kiss and a cuddle.
But she never did.
Ever since that day, Connie spent most of her waking hours alone, refusing to talk or have any contact with other people. Susie and Laura had moved in with Susie's new fella Clark on the other side of Holby, so her only neighbouring house was empty.
For the first month, the clinical lead scoured every part of the city alongside some private detectives in search for her little girl. The other three victims had been found, all in different areas, but there was no sign of Grace anywhere. She was so full of worry and sadness that she forgot to eat, or felt so sick that she decided not to. Within the two months, Connie had lost a stone and a half, and her size 10 clothes were way too big for her. She had lost all colour in her skin, and her freckles had become very prominent across her nose and cheeks.
Her eyes, once piercing and intimidating, now only contained sadness and exhaustion. They looked empty, no trace of any emotion.
Once her lunch break was over, she decided to go out onto the shop floor, hoping it would take her mind off of her thoughts. Closing the door behind her, the woman made her way over to the nurse's station where Charlie was stood by the phone, not doing very much.
"I wasn't aware that we were so quiet Charlie." She murmured.
"Oh, we're not, no, I've just got off the phone, RTC and they needed a doctor. I sent Cal if that's ok?"
"Fine." She sighed, picking up some files. "Any idea of the casualties?"
"One elderly man with a foot injury and an elderly woman with suspected kidney damage. ETA 10 minutes."
"Right. I'll take the elderly woman, you can join me if you like, get Rita to assist. Zoe and Cal with the man, and Robyn to assist them?"
"Sounds ok. I'll get them organised." He smiled before walking off to the smaller resus. Connie ran her hands through her hair and followed him, branching off to go to reception.
"Noel, any quick ones?" She asked, looking round.
"Um…" he sifted through some files before handing her one. "Millicent Williams, 5, dislocated elbow?"
Connie paused, her hand on the file. A little girl?…
"Mrs Beauchamp? Do you want it or not?" Noel asked, tapping the back of her hand with it gently, causing her to snap back into reality.
"Um yes, yes please." She mumbled, taking the file and sifting through it.
"Millicent Williams please?" She called loudly, though her voice sounded strangled. The receptionist looked at her curiously.
"Everything ok Mrs B?" he asked as a woman and a little girl made their way towards the desk.
"None of your business Noel, and its Mrs Beauchamp, never Mrs B." She said quietly, smiling slightly as the mother and daughter reached her.
"Milly?" she asked and the little girl nodded, clutching her teddy bear tightly.
"She's rather shy." Her mother explained, "Sorry about that."
"It's fine. Follow me." She said, leading them to the only free cubicle and patting the bed for the girl to sit on.
"Right Milly, I just need to put the bone in your elbow back in place, ok?" She smiled softly, but the girl buried her head in her teddy. Connie decided to try another tactic.
"What's the name of your teddy bear?" she asked gently, sitting beside her on the bed. The girl looked up cautiously.
"Bobby." She whispered.
"Bobby? That's a nice name. Why is he called that?" she asked, noticing how her body relaxed.
"My dog was called Bobby until he ran away." She explained.
"Awh, I'm sorry about that." Connie said, only just noticing how much she looked like her Grace. Her long brown hair was in a plait over one shoulder, and her eyes were deep brown and sparkled. "What was your dog like?"
"He was a Charlie spaniel." She said quietly.
"Charles, spaniel." Her mother interrupted and Connie smiled.
"Charles spaniel. Was he energetic? Sleepy?"
"He was really bouncy and happy, and he always used to come and sit on my knee when I was sat on the floor-AAH!" Connie ever so slowly mover her hands to her elbow, and when she wasn't looking, moved the bone back in place.
"There you go, that wasn't so bad was it?" She stood up just as the noise levels in reception increased. "And your dog sounded lovely Milly, I'm sorry he ran off. I'll just go get a nurse to bandage you up then you can be off."
"Ok, thankyou Mrs… um…" Milly peered at the name badge she was wearing.
"Connie." She whispered, and the girl smiled.
"Thankyou Mrs Connie."
"You're welcome sweetheart. It was nice to meet you." Connie murmured before pulling back the curtain and making her way to reception.
"Connie, RTC's arrived!" Charlie called, poking his head out from the smaller resus.
"1 minute." She called back, noticing Lofty head towards the shop. She followed him and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Lofty, young girl in cubicle 4, needs her elbow bandaging. Can you do it for me please?"
"But Mrs Beauchamp-"
"But nothing, go on please." She insisted and he sighed.
"Fine." He muttered, making his way through the swinging doors.
Connie strode towards the small doors that led to the smaller resus. She was a bit confused as to why she was put in there until she actually got to the room. She opened the door to find a small, elderly woman laid in the middle of the bed, with Charlie and Rita stood next to it, alongside… A policeman.
"What's going on?" She asked, putting on some gloves at the door and glancing over to the bed.
"This is Olive Russell," Charlie said slowly, and immediately Connie's eyes widened.
She knew that name.
She knew that name all too well.
"The Olive Russell?" She whispered, and took a step back.
"Yes." He replied, watching as she began to tremble and her eyes widened.
"Right." She said shakily, clenching and unclenching her hands. "Have you done an assessment? ABC's, U's and E's, LFT's and Amylase?"
"Yes, she's good apart from bruising to her left kidney. Swelling to her side and her SAT's are low." Charlie reeled off.
"Right." She repeated, her breathing slowly increasing. "Ok. Um…"
"Body CT?" He suggested and she nodded, looking at the floor. Charlie frowned before speaking again.
"Rita will you order that please." He asked before moving over to Connie.
"It's ok to sit this one out you know." The nurse said tentatively but she waved her hand.
"Why would I want to do that? No, she's just like any other patient." She said firmly, though inside she was petrified. All she could picture was her and her baby girl, and the many different scenarios that could have occurred.
"Are you sure?"
She looked at him and nodded. "I'm just going to make sure Lofty saw to the patient I asked him to, I'll be back in a minute."
With that, she left the room and walked as fast as she could towards her office, her little sanctuary. Once she got there, she went straight inside and slammed the door, leaning against the back of it.
She was here. Her daughter's killer was here in the hospital, and she had to treat her like any other patient. How was she going to do that, knowing what she had done? Knowing what she was capable of?
Connie closed her eyes and slid down the door until she was sat hugging her knees like a child. She felt like a child; vulnerable, scared and completely out of her comfort zone. Placing her head in her arms, she tried desperately to keep the tears at bay, but she wasn't strong enough. Exhausted, she let her emotions take over and stayed in that position until she felt herself come together again.