SO THE LAST CHAPTER WASN'T REALLY A CLIFF HANGER, BUT DON'T WORRY, THIS ONE IS, MWAHAHAHAHA!
Rita phoned for a cab to pick them up, telling the cab company they would need to make two stops, Rita finally managing to get one that would pick them up in 15 minutes.
By this point Connie had sat up on the sofa, but she hadn't ventured much further due to the pain in her side.
Rita finally put down the phone, catching Connie off guard as she was examining her side.
"It still hurts?" Rita asked, Connie dropping her top, the action too quick for it to be a natural reflex, her shoulders shrugging sadly. "You can tell me, Connie, I'm here to help you." Connie just nodded, her head dropping and her hands raising to rest her head on.
"I just want to go home…" Connie drew in a shaky breath, pulling away when Rita knelt down again to take Connie's hands in her own. "Please?" She practically begged, Rita standing back up and nodding.
"Ok, let me go and get changed." Rita said, dashing off to slip out of her scrubs and back into her slacks.
When Rita arrived back at the office she sighed to see Connie once again with the stethoscope in her ears, the cool metal attachment placed on her ever so slightly swollen stomach.
"The baby is ok." Rita said quietly, taking the stethoscope of Connie who nodded slowly. "Come on, sweetheart." Rita held out her arm, Connie slowly lifting herself up, a restricted groan leaving her mouth as she stood up straight.
Rita went to move away, but Connie kept hold of her arm, Rita linking it firmly through to walk to the waiting taxi.
Rita made sure Connie was strapped safely inside of the taxi before giving the driver the get go.
"I'll be like two seconds in mine." Rita told Connie, who seemed to stiffen in her seat.
"I'll come in with you." Connie said, Rita furrowing her brows and looking at her with confusion.
"You don't need to, you'd be better staying in here." Rita told her, not understanding why Connie was almost in tears as she looked at the male taxi driver. "Connie?"
"I can't stay alone in here with…" Connie shuffled awkwardly in her seat as she whispered to Rita, who suddenly understood.
Her previous experience with the other gender had left her scarred and pregnant, an experience she didn't want to repeat.
"Ok… It's ok…" Rita pushed her cheek comfortingly against Connie's shoulder, Connie leaning into the touch.
"We'll be two minutes, ok?" Rita asked the man, who nodded, stepping out of the cab to light up a cigarette.
Rita gave Connie a hand out of the cab, her side still stiff, but feeling slightly less so now she had started moving around.
"Come on…" Rita called gently to Connie, taking hold of her hand and interlacing their cold fingers.
Rita opened the door quickly, with much more ease than the previous night, pulling Connie inside the house.
"Wait here, I'll be right back." Rita said, her hand leaving Connie's as she bounded up the stairs.
She returned less than 60 seconds later with a backpack full of a spare change of clothes, her toiletries and a box of chocolates she had found on her bedside table.
She grabbed Connie's hand gain, leading her out of the front door, locking up and getting back into the taxi.
When they reached Connie's house Rita quickly paid the driver, even before Connie could even think about getting her purse out.
Rita then taking hold of her freckled hand in her own tiny one, going slowly as the pain in Connie's side seemed to be causing her more and more distress with every step.
They made it to the front door, Connie handing Rita the keys as she could barely lift her arm up to get the keys into the lock.
Rita had little chance to look around the luxurious house which the Clinical Lead lived in, as her attention was drawn back to the owner who started to cry.
"It hurts Rita, my side really hurts." Connie had obviously been only just keeping it together in the cab, the comfort of her own home just allowing her to let everything go.
"Alright, come here." Rita opened the door to what she assumed to be Connie's longue, glad she was correct.
She stood beckoning the crying woman over to the large sofa, glad when Connie obliged.
Rita made sure Connie was down safely before leaving the room.
"I'll be right back." She called to the Doctor who started sobbing louder.
Rita found the state of the art kitchen, searching for a large towel.
There was one hanging conveniently on the airier up the corner.
She hurriedly turned on the kettle, also finding a large bowl and quarter filling it with cool water.
She then added the boiling water and put the towel inside it. She then carried it back through to the longue.
"Here, you've probably bruised a few ribs and pulled a muscle by your rib cage, I've done it enough times to know how to help it feel better. Trust me?" Rita asked, Connie nodding in agreement, placing the bowl on the floor.
She then instructed Connie to lie down, using her cool fingers to lift up the laced blouse which covered the now large purple bruise on Connie's side.
"I've got you." Rita promised her, placing a hand on the side of Connie's face, Connie nodding again.
Rita pushed up her long sleeves, wringing out the towel, so it was still damp, but not enough to soak Connie's entire sofa.
She then folded it into fours and placed it on Connie's injured side.
"You make me feel safe." Connie said, hissing with relaxation as the heat penetrated her skin and soothed her aching muscles. "Thank you." Connie opened her eyes to see Rita beaming at her.
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Rita decided to venture a new topic area, one she was scared to broach, but her feelings warranted the questioning of Connie's secretive life.
"I guess…" Connie said, moving to try and see Rita better, who was sat with her side resting on the sofa, regretting it when pain shot through her entire lower body.
"Ok?" Rita asked, fiddling with her hair as she tried to think about the best way to ask it, knowing no matter how well she planned it, it would come out awfully.
"Have you ever considered dating women?" Rita blurted out, clamping a hand over her mouth when she realised just how blunt she sounded.
She was even more shocked when she saw the minimal movement in Connie's expressions.
"I guess…" Connie said, obviously not catching onto what Rita was saying.
"What about dating me?" Rita ventured, finally eliciting a response from Connie whose eyes grew wide.
WHAT DOES CONNIE SAY TO RITA OPENING UP ABOUT HER FEELINGS? PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW :)