Please stay with me lovely people, but we're going really angsty. I have to put out a warning that this chapter does contain scenes some people will find upsetting and is a really really strong T rating. Sorry. Thank you to agrainne24 for beta-ing this despite finding it upsetting. Love you doll. Also to alwayssmilingsam for reviewing every single chapter. You are incredible. Tasha. Xx
Chapter 7
As she came around from what had been a restless sleep she felt the urge to be sick too late, she had a moment to throw her head over the side of the bed and to grasp out for the waste basket next to her bed. She spent the next few minutes losing the entire contents of her stomach into the waste bin. When the retches had eventually passed she took two deep breaths before lifting her head and her body back onto the bed. She tried to calm her racing heart, she started calming it down slowly before her mind started working to try and figure out what had made her so ill.
As she tried to sit up a shooting pain through her lower abdomen that made her cry out and wrap her arms around herself. Struggling against the pain she pushed herself around and dropped her feet to the floor. She grabbed the robe that hung on the back of the door and flung it around herself before pushing open her heavy bedroom door and making her way out into the waiting hallway.
'Helen…' All of a sudden James' arms were round her as he tried to keep her upright, looking at him and around everything seemed to be turning into a blur. Try as she might, she couldn't stop the room from spinning.
'Bleeding…' She tried to say the word in a vain hope that he would understand before gently trying to motion towards the lower part of her body. She had felt the damp liquid flowing down her legs before leaving her room, and while she couldn't see. There was no doubt in her mind that it would be obvious by now.
James looked down and instantly realised what was happening. 'Ok darling.' Gently he scooped her into his arms and carried her not down to the medical room, but instead back into her own quarters and placing her on the bed. If it was what he thought and the most likely cause of her pain then he didn't want anyone bursting in on them yet.
'James…the pain…' She was fighting hard to stay conscious, but it was a fight she felt herself very quickly losing. The pain was washing through the lower part of her body in waves, each one stronger than the last.
'I know Helen, but I need to check this is what I think…' He took a place on the bed by her feet before looking back up to the woman lying before him. 'I need to examine you Helen. Can I do that?' He knew that this was against anything that should be done, and that she should be taken to see a female nurse, but it was too late for anything to be done now…and they needed to keep knowledge of this to the minimum.
Helen looked at him and gently nodded before relaxing her legs so he was able to remove her blood soaked nightclothes. In an instant he had gathered towels from the bathroom so he could place them underneath her, as well as one over the top of her legs. He still wanted to protect the modesty she had left. He cleaned as much of the blood away as he could before gently starting to examine her. He was nearly finished when a fresh wave of blood flowed from her body with the remains of the miscarriage she was clearly experiencing. He swallowed deeply and took a deep breath before wrapping the towel around the mess in front of him and quickly removing it from the room.
'James…' There was a tear in her voice. She had felt something change in the pain, and from the quick removal of the towel and its contents, it had confirmed to Helen what was happening with her body. She already felt angry with herself that she had not realised sooner. She was a doctor for heaven's sake, she should have picked up the signs and given herself some time to think. None of them should have had to be put into this experience. 'Is it finished?' She could feel her internal muscles finally start to relax from the intense cramping that they had been going through.
She tried to push herself up on her elbows before the sheer exhaustion running through her body took over and she collapsed back onto the bed. She wanted to see his face when he spoke to her, he was one of the most accomplished liars she knew when the true need arose. However even he could not change the truth that his face would often betray.
'The worst should be done, but I expect you will be uncomfortable for several days…and I have no doubt that emotionally you may struggle for some time yet…' Before he could finish what he was saying the door to Helen's room flew open without a knock and John stood there surveying the unusual scene placed before him. 'John this is quite inappropriate, you can't be in here.' James gently let Helen's legs down on to the bed before using the towel to fully cover her. He stood up and moved in front of John attempting to block his view any further, despite them both knowing that he had seen quite enough to know what was happening.
'I heard screaming…then she wasn't in the medical room…I could any assume…well…' John looked straight past James to Helen before looking back at the doctor in front of him. 'I couldn't only assume that you were attempting to hide something, and now I can see why.' He looked back to Helen being unable to hide the complete disgust on his face. 'This will be discussed further in the morning.' With the final words he turned and left the disturbing scene he had encountered in the room.
James watched him go before raising a hand to his head. 'Helen I am so sorry.' He turned towards her and walked to sit gently beside her on the bed. Gently he slipped an arm around her and lifted her body so she could rest against him. He knew that there would be little chance of her sleeping any further, but he at least wanted her to know that he was there, and he wouldn't be leaving her in a hurry.
'Where is he James…' She wanted to cry as she thought about him, she already missed him with every part of her being, and while it felt comforting having James so close, it still made every part of her ache for Nikola, she wished so hard that it was his arm wrapped around her…and his gentle voice comforting her over the loss of their baby. Instead she couldn't keep her mind from John and everything he had seen. There had been no doubt in her mind that he wanted her, and he was not stupid. In order for her to suffer a miscarriage meant that the relationship between herself and Nikola had become physical…a fact that both of them knew could destroy her and everything she held close and wanted to do… She knew that her future now lay in John's hands.
James held her close. 'I don't know Helen, but I know that he would be here for you if he could.' There was a part of him that felt guilty for being the one here with her, that wished it had been him driven away by the blood and not the man she loved. 'You should try and rest now. There will be much to discuss in the morning.' James knew that his statement was obvious. There had already been a lot they needed to talk about before John had entered the chambers, now it seemed the whole situation had become more serious than either of them could have wanted, and he was the first to admit that he was not sure John could control his feelings towards Helen, or the rage he felt inside. No to James it was quite clear that this night could be the start of a painful road that they all seemed destined to travel.
Are you still with me? Hope you're all ok, and I am sorry for being so mean, but it needed to happen to keep the story rolling along. Thanks for reading, it means a lot. Tasha. xx
