Rita, Iain and Phoebe

Rita was sitting downstairs with Phoebe cradled in her arms. She was finishing her bottle when Iain walked downstairs and looked at the girls sitting on the sofa together. Phoebe was already 3 months old and was getting more and more gorgeous with each day.

She had light blonde hair and big blue eyes which Iain couldn't get enough of. He stepped through causing Rita to look up and smile. "Hey, she's almost done. Do you think you could take her for a while?" He sat next to her and took Phoebe as Rita stood up and went into the kitchen.

Iain was holding Phoebe when she began to cry. "Hey, what's the matter with you huh?" He stood up and gently bounced about with her. Rita was in the kitchen attempting to block out the small cries from her daughter. Recently she'd found it harder with Phoebe, it was just becoming difficult for her to listen to the crying.

Iain noticed Rita looking slightly distressed in the kitchen. "Why don't you phone Zoe and see what she's up to today? Go out for a bit, you deserve a break you know." She looked over at him with a small smile on her face. "No it's okay, you've not had a day off work for a week straight." Iain looked at Rita and smiled moving closer to her. "Alright then, get dressed and I'll sort Phoebe out. We'll go for a walk or something, get out together for a few hours." She nodded as Iain leaned in to kiss her before she went upstairs.

After having a shower and coming into the bedroom she noticed Phoebe was in her cot asleep. She smiled looking down at her daughter fast asleep. Iain came into the bedroom and looked over. "How you feeling?" Rita turned around and smiled "I'll be alright… Just need some proper sleep." He sat down on the bed while Rita began getting changed. "You know Dix offered to have Phoebe if we ever wanted a break, why don't I talk to her?" Rita hated the idea of passing her daughter on to someone else, it made her feel like she was failing at being a parent.

"Giving yourself a break isn't letting her down you know. I can tell that's what you're thinking." Rita finally sat down with Iain on the bed. "I just, I feel awful about it. I want to be able to look after her and do everything I should, but I can't." Iain moved closer to Rita and held her hand. "You do everything you need to do for our daughter and I'm so proud. It's alright for me, I'm working a few hours so get out and see people but you've been doing everything for her. Letting yourself have some time to yourself wouldn't be letting her down, okay?" Rita smiled as Iain pulled her up and they got everything sorted to go out.

As they left the house Phoebe fell asleep again in her pushchair. Rita smiled as Iain took the pushchair from her and began walking. She walked alongside him quietly until he asked her something. "Do you think it would be easier if you went back to work? I mean, just doing a few hours so that you can have part of your normal life again." Rita didn't say anything at first but just walked quietly thinking.

"I'd love to work, but-" "But nothing." They sat down on a bench for a while whilst Iain spoke again. "How about this. You work a couple days of the week while I stay at home with Phoebe. On the other couple days, I'll do some hours… We could keep the weekends free so we both have some time with her together. We're both around, and both working that way. Just try it for a few months, and then she could always start at the day care at the hospital while we work." Rita thought about it for a moment before agreeing just as Phoebe woke up.

They sat around in the park for about an hour before they got up and began walking again. Rita pushed the buggy as they approached the ED. She noticed Max standing out the front with Cal and slowly walked over smiling. "Hey! How's the little cutie?" Cal looked into the buggy at Phoebe who had woken up and was giving a huge smile. "Rita are you coming Saturday?" She sighed realising she'd completely forgotten. "Oh god, it's this week?" Max nodded smiling "Zo thought you might forget what with everything you've got on."

Iain caught up to her and said hello to the guys. "What'd you forget?" Rita turned to him "Zoe's birthday this weekend, we're meant to be going out." Iain smiled looking over at Max shrugging. Cal looked up at them both before answering. "I could always look after her for the night. I mean Con's at work that night so I'm with Grace 'til she gets home? I'm sure she won't mind having her for the night-" "No Cal you don't have to do that." He smiled resting a hand on Rita's arm "Really I don't mind. You staying around for a bit?" Rita nodded as Cal turned to walk inside "Let me catch Con and I'll come find you."

Rita and Iain wandered into the ambulance bay with Phoebe to see Dixie. A smile spread across her face when she realised who it was. "Hello, I wasn't expecting you guys today." She hugged Rita before turning to look down "Hello you…" she reached into the buggy gently running a finger across Phoebe's cheek.

Rita sat down watching Dixie hold her daughter. "She loves you, you know." Dixie smiled down before looking back to Rita. "So you coming Saturday? It'd be good to have you out-" "I don't know Dix, I mean I completely forgot about a babysitter. Cal just offered to have her for the night-" "So come out, you deserve a proper night off." Rita smiled as Iain came back into the staffroom. "So Cal and Connie are happy to look after her." Dixie answered before Rita had the chance "That settles it then." Rita laughed standing up and leaving the paramedics with Phoebe.

Going inside Charlie noticed her first. "Rita!" She smiled warmly at the older nurse as he walked over to her. "How are you doing?" Rita nodded smiling "I'm alright, Phoebe's outside with Iain and Dixie, I'll bring her in to see you guys in a bit. Is Connie in her office?" Charlie nodded as the blonde departed and knocked the door.

"Rita? Everything alright?" She closed the door behind her and sat down opposite the clinical lead. "I was wandering if I'd be able to come back to work. Just do a couple of days, I need to get out of the house it's driving me insane." Connie looked over at her and knew how she felt. "Is everything okay? Have you been like this since you left?" Rita began to feel tears build up in her eyes. She dropped her head into her hands and felt a comforting hand on her shoulder before seeing Connie crouching next to her.

"I… I just, I love my daughter so much but being at home all of the time and doing nothing else, hearing her crying all the time I can't do it anymore." Connie comforted the small nurse in front of her. "Listen, you know if you ever get like that, then there's people here for you. All of us want to help how we can… Hard to believe coming from me , I know." Connie stood back up and went around to her desk becoming professional again.

Rita never did understand how Connie could just switch off in the blink of an eye. "Right, well you seem capable of work to me. So how about we say you work some shorter shifts at first, a couple of days a week. We'll see how that goes and sort it from there?" Rita nodded gratefully and thanked Connie. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders after unloading on her boss and finally knowing she could return to work. "Thanks Connie, for all of this. You really don't have to have her Saturday night-" "Are you kidding, Cal can't get enough of her! It's fine, you and Iain need a night off. If we need you I can call you. We'll have her for the night and you can pick her up first thing next morning when you're ready."

Rita left the office closing the door behind her and breathing a sigh of relief. She looked around the department smiling to herself as Zoe approached. "So a little birdie told me that someone's coming back next week." Rita smiled at her friend as they walked slowly towards the reception. "Yeah, Connie's sorted some short shifts for me. Have you got time to come out and see her?" Zoe laughed "Of course, Max told me you were all here." They walked outside and saw Iain walking around with Phoebe while Dixie spoke to him about shifts. "Hey!" Iain wandered over to Rita bending down to kiss her "Sorted?" She nodded as Iain passed Phoebe over to Zoe who looked down cooing at the tiny baby.

"She's so gorgeous Rita-" "Must take after me then." Iain walked away laughing as Rita scoffed turning to Zoe. "Don't forget, anytime you need someone to keep you some company, call me. I really don't mind coming over and talking to your baby-fied mind." Rita nodded as she said goodbye to Zoe and took hold of Phoebe. Iain came walking out with the pushchair and they said goodbye to Dixie. They began the short walk home, both happy knowing that soon things would become settled and slowly return to whatever normal was.