It was the middle of the night and Connie had been awake for nearly three hours now. Sam slept soundly beside her, his steady breathing providing her with some comfort through her insomnia. She hadn't been sleeping well recently, despite how exhausted she felt all the time. Shifting uncomfortably, she pulled the covered tighter around her prompting Sam to wake slightly. "You okay?" He whispered enveloping her in his arms. She murmured wanting to indicate to him that she was but having no energy to reply in spoken words. As she felt his arms tighten around her middle she bit her lip trying to suppress the discomfort it was causing her. Her whole body hurt, her skin itched painfully and despite how much she wanted to be held it seemed to make things worse. As she felt the familiar feeling of bile rising within her she wriggled free of his arms and made her way to the bathroom.

It was some hours later when she awoke to find herself slumped on the cold porcelain floor, the tiles cooling her clammy skin as her eyes began to open. Pain seared through her body as she hauled herself into a sitting position, finding herself once bringing up the contents of her stomach.

"Con, are you in there?" Gently he pushed the door open as he heard the retching, dropping to his knees by her side rubbing her back gently. As the wave passed he carefully lifted her so she was cradled in his arms. "I've got you, it's okay." He whispered, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head as she began to cry. He hated seeing her like this, he felt powerless to help, but he knew she needed him now more than ever.

"Sorry." She whispered against him, she didn't enjoy showing any signs of weakness, but the grueling effects of chemotherapy currently gave her little choice in the matter.

He heard the soft padding of feet along the hall as he lifted Connie to their bed. "Grace." was all she could manage to get out as she too heard the familiar noise. He smiled in understanding, she continued to not allow Grace to see her bald and at her weakest. She desperately wanted to protect her daughter from the true horrors of her treatment and Sam respected that, even if he didn't always agree with her. He lifted her head slightly from the pillow sliding one of her many beautiful scarfs on before their daughter entered the room. She smiled in thanks as she settled back against the pillows and curled into the warmth of the covers once more.

"Morning" the youngest Beauchamp said as she put her head around the bedroom door, waiting for permission to enter the room fully.

"Morning Gracie, why don't you come and get into bed beside your mum whilst I pop out for a few minutes." She didn't need asking twice as she bounded towards the bed and leapt up beside her mum. She placed a gentle kiss on her mother's pale cheek before snuggling in beside her. Sam looked on at his two beloved girls together before he descended the stairs, he didn't like the thought of leaving them both, but the need to pick up Connie's latest prescription was too great.

Snuggling together Connie held her daughter close, stroking her hair. "Are we still going out today? Shopping for new clothes for us like you promised last week?" said Grace. The expectancy in her daughter's eyes broke Connie's heart as she looked at her. She remembered promising Grace that they would have a day out shopping prior to her last hospital visit. After the first two rounds of chemotherapy she hadn't felt too ill so thought it would have been fine, but she'd underestimated the impact the build up of drugs in her system would have.

She mustered some energy and reached for her daughter's hand. "Daddy can take you. I'm going to have to stay here today. I'm..." suddenly she felt bile rise within her once more, clasping her hand across her mouth she heaved herself upwards. Immediately Grace grabbed a bowl from beside the bed and held it for her mother, gently stroking her back as she was sick. "It's okay mummy," she soothed, she held her mother tighter as she began to weep, "Don't cry, I'm here to help look after you."

As wave after wave of sickness over took her body Connie couldn't help but cry, she hated that Grace was seeing this, but she was thankful all the same that she was not alone. It took ten minutes for the sickness to pass, by the time it did Connie was exhausted once more. She slumped back on the pillows, only managing a very weak smile towards her daughter as she did. "You sleep now Mummy, I'll still be here when you wake up." Grace's words were soft as she held her mother's hand.

Only once she was certain Connie was sleeping did Grace slip from the room, padding softly down the stairs. She brushed away the tears that fell fiercely from her eyes. She had never been so scared in her life as she was watching her mother. The true extent of her illness finally obvious to Grace. At that moment Sam walked through the door, seeing his daughter concern etched itself on his face. "Hey, what's up?"

"Mummy's just been really sick. Daddy, it was so scary. I stayed with her, but I was so scared. She's sleeping now." Making his way to his daughter her held her tightly in his arms.

"Well done for staying with her. Are you okay?" She shook her head as she crumbled into him as she wept.

"She's so poorly, Daddy." Sam sighed, wrapping his arms even tighter around her.

"It's hard to understand Gracie, but the medicine making her this sick will make her better in the long run." The young girl nodded.

"I read about it… but it doesn't make it easier."

"That I agree with. Seeing her this poorly is horrid, but she wouldn't want to see you this upset. You go into the sitting room and watch a film, I'll go and see that she is okay?"

Making his way up the stairs and into their bedroom Sam found Connie wide awake. She smiled weakly at him, hauling herself into more of an upright position. "I have something to say Sam, and you have to listen to me and do as I say." She watched as Sam sat beside her and nodded. "Today you are to leave me here, and take Grace into town. I want you to spoil her rotten, to buy her anything she wants and make her forget what she witnessed this morning. She needs to be a child again, to enjoy herself and not worry about what is happening to me."

"Con, you need someone here with you." He said, trying to mask the sigh that slipped from his lips.

"I'm taken care of, I've just spoken to Charlie and Duffy, they are going to come over. Grace needs this Sam." Sam couldn't disagree with her. Their daughter really did need a day where she was the number one priority. He nodded gently.

"Okay. But you phone me if you need me, okay?"

"I won't need you, but I promise to ring if I do."