Chapter 12

Sorry for a late update in comparison to my usual, I went out last night with some friends, got wholly smashed and today my inevitable hangover has left me with a migraine. Think I'm just about recovered enough to write you a chapter.

'Arthur,' asked Connie in confusion to see him at her office door. 'Why are you down here? Isn't Guy keeping you busy enough on Keller?'

'Oh no, it's quite busy but it's my lunch break,' said Arthur with a fidget. 'Guy was in theatre so asked me to bring you down this,' he said, holding out a bag with a sub and a salad in.

'Thank you,' she said in confusion, wondering why her partner had sent down his future son in law with lunch for her. 'I was actually going to get something myself but I definitely can't complain that it's been delivered to my office. Zosia must have you well trained.'

'Actually, I think it's both of them.' said Arthur sheepishly. 'Zosia and Guy, erm, Mr Self.'

Chuckling to herself, Connie replied, 'Don't let your pregnant fiancée walk all over you Arthur. She's a pussy cat really. Same for Guy. I think their bark is worse than their bite. But think about this, she said yes when you proposed and she clearly loves you, so I think things will work out really well.'

'I hope so,' said Arthur nervously. 'I sometimes feel like I love her more than she loves me but I think that's just me being paranoid. When we argue she likes to shout at me that the only reason I stick around and that I proposed to her was because she was pregnant. But it's like Guy said, we're different people in the same situation. Yeah I proposed to Zosia straight away, but, but, your relationship is different right? Like you've seen more of the world, both been married before and already have children. That's what I said to him, it's all a matter of context.'

'Excuse me?' asked Connie, trying to swallow the anger that was rapidly building up inside her. 'Guy's spoken to you about…..that? My insecurities and what's been going on?'

'Oh god,' replied Arthur, raising his hand to his mouth and gasping. 'I sometimes tend to say things that I shouldn't because I'm, I'm socially awkward and I have no idea when to speak and when to shut up. Yes Guy may have mentioned something and I'm a fool to have broken his confidence but maybe he was a fool to have even spoken because I'm rubbish at advice. I mean it's not like impending fatherhood has made me any wiser and I'm just…' he said in a blather as he watched Connie look at the phone. 'You're going to phone him and yell at him aren't you?'

'Oh yes,' replied Connie with a snarl, reaching for the phone. 'That'll be all Dr Digby. Please leave now before I wrongly take my anger out on you and you can't father anymore children.'

'Got it,' stuttered Arthur as he practically ran out of her office as she dialled.

'Guy Michael Self,' she said furiously. 'Please explain to me why you've been discussing our personal life and my private issues and insecurities with Arthur sodding Digby?! You know exactly what I mean Guy, he mistakenly blathered on to me about proposals timing with pregnancy and how every relationship is different and that's what he told YOU! I don't care whether you needed someone to confide in, this was our personal business and we were working through it. I just can't believe you'd have done something like this, much less to Arthur Digby the rent-a-blurt of Holby himself…..'

As she finished her sentence there was an urgent knock on the door, with Charlie popping his head round the door, earning a furious 'What?!' from Connie. 'No not you Guy, Charlie has just appeared.'

'It's Grace,' said Charlie tentatively and with a grimace on his face. 'She's just been admitted to the ED straight from school. Query appendicitis.'

'Oh god,' said Connie in reply, almost dropping the phone. 'Guy forget what I said. I know Keller is busy but I need you. Grace is in the ED,' she said as she hung up and rubbed her temples. 'Is she in a bad way?'

'She's stable although quite heavily sedated, we're planning on getting her up to Keller very soon for an operation, if there's a bed,' replied Charlie.

'There will be a bed, Guy will make sure of it,' said Connie confidently, all anger at Guy dissipating at the thought of Grace being in pain. 'I'll go and see her now, where is she?'

'Cubicle 3,' replied Charlie, leaving the office with her and seeing a breathless Guy before him. 'I'll get back to resus.'

'How is she?' asked Guy, trying to recover his breath.

'According to Charlie, stable, sedated but still in quite a bit of pain. She's going to need an appendectomy before things get worse and she develops peritonitis,' she said, worried and worked up. 'Why is this happening Guy? She was fine when we left her this morning, this is just all so wrong.'

'Shhh sweetheart,' he said, hugging her close. 'We'll go and see her now, and then I'll arrange to get her up to Keller for her op. As far as hospitalisations go, query appendicitis is not the worst by far.'

'She's already been through so much,' said Connie with tears in her eyes. 'She's nearly died twice and both times it's been my fault. I thought she'd seen enough of a hospital bed to last a lifetime.'

'This is out of your control Connie,' said Guy firmly. 'Please don't blame yourself. Now let's go and give that doped up, scared and in pain 8 year old a cuddle and some reassurance.'

He took her hand and walked with her to cubicles slowly as Connie's 33 week bump was definitely slowing her down.

'Oh my baby,' said Connie as she saw Grace laying weakly in the bed, sitting by her side and taking her hand.

'Mummy,' said Grace, clearly exhausted. 'Mrs Jones brought me here because I was crying because my tummy hurt, and then I was sick all over the carpet and everyone laughed at me. I said sorry to her for making a mess but can you make sure she knows I didn't mean it?'

'Oh baby,' replied Connie, stroking her hair. 'I'm sure Mrs Jones understands, you're a very poorly little thing but Guy is going to make sure you get the operation you need straight away so you can be better soon.'

'Stupid appendix,' grumbled Grace. 'I was talking to Guy about them a few weeks ago and he said it's basically useless. Why have a part of your body that basically does nothing and causes so much trouble when it goes wrong? I should seriously start praying so I can tell God where he's going wrong.'

'That's my girl,' said Connie with a smile. 'You'll feel much better after the operation.'

'Yippee, another scar to add to my ever growing collection,' remarked Grace sarcastically. 'I've got the ones on my arms from all the tubes when I was a newborn, the scar on my chest from when I fell down the stairs as a toddler and loads from just being accident prone. I'm going to look like I do it on purpose soon.'

'Well every scar tells a story Grace,' responded Guy softly. 'You've just got more interesting stories to tell than the other kids at school. I bet that makes you cool.'

'They're all stupid though,' replied Grace. 'They don't even know what an appendix is, let alone that I could die from peritonitis if left untreated for too long.'

'We're not thinking about that,' said Connie dismissively, although secretly proud of her daughter's medical knowledge at such a young age. 'Are you in much pain?'

'The drugs are pretty good,' admitted Grace. 'It still hurts a bit but nothing like when I first came in. The paramedic Jeff said that I was really brave and definitely a chip off the old block. Does that mean I'm like you?'

'Indeed it does,' said Connie, stroking her face.

'I hope me being here doesn't make you stressed,' said Grace, fear in her voice. 'That's not good for William, dad always says you can't be too stressed.'

'Don't you worry about that,' replied Connie. 'You're going to be just fine, and William is wriggling around like always, making me need a wee every five minutes. You just stop worrying about me and focus on getting better.'

'Ok,' replied Grace with a smile. 'I know I'm meant to be nil by mouth, but does chocolate count?'

Connie rolled her eyes. 'You know very well it doesn't so stop pushing your luck.'

'I'll make a phone call now and get Grace a bed up on Keller for her operation,' said Guy, picking up the phone.

'I like having Guy as the CEO and you as clinical lead in the ED,' pondered Grace to Connie. 'You just click your fingers and I get the first class treatment. A girl could get used to this.'