Rachel listened as Eddie told her about Davina, immediately looking to Chlo and Mika to check they were okay. Tom had gone with her so the girls would need to be taken there later, which she promised herself she would do. She switched into headteacher mode as she gathered the staff and asked about the students they knew were hurt, getting the form teachers to take their parents numbers from the registers and ringing them. After that she wanted to get all of the students home, aware that the school was still burning and they were all watching it happen. She needed them away, so she could focus on her own thoughts and deal with the events that had transpired that day. This may very well be the last time she could address Waterloo Road, if the school was still standing when the fires were extinguished. She asked one of the firemen for his horn, walking over to the large huddle of students and starting to speak. "It's been a long day, and a scary one. I want you all to ring your parents and get them to collect you, nobody is to go home alone, okay? Stay together and stay safe." She ordered, her voice cracking at the silence of them all as they listened to her. "We will come back from this, Waterloo Road isn't going anywhere. If you need anything, you let us know. We will always be here." She promised, feeling Eddie by her side to back her up. She was grateful to have him there, supporting her words and knowing he'd be there to follow through with them even if she wasn't. She had no idea what the fire meant for the school, never mind her job or Eddie's for that matter. But what was important now was getting the children home safely, making sure they didn't witness anymore chaos. They didn't even cheer, all too shellshocked to do anything other than get out their phones and start to ask to be collected, most sounding frantic and upset as they begged their carers to collect them.

She then went to Chlo and Mika, pulling both girls into a hug. "It'll be okay." She promised, hoping she sounded convincing. "We'll get you to the hospital, I think Tom will want you both there okay?" Rachel wanted to be there too, wanted to check on Davina and the students herself before she could even think about going home. She turned to Eddie to fill him in on her plan, only to find him staring at the firefighters as they pulled somebody out from the heavy smoke.

"Rach..." Eddie warned as she moved closer to where he stood, not wanting her to see what he'd already clocked when she was speaking to the girls.

"Is that?"

"Stuart." He confirmed, both of their eyes firmly on the unconscious man who was now on the floor as they tried to revive him.

Rachel stared in horror, felt as if she'd been hit as suddenly it was hard to draw breath. "I didn't even think of him…" she murmured guiltily. "I just assumed he'd gotten out."

Eddie shot her a look. "What? What was he still doing here?"

Her gaze remained fixed on the sight in front of her. "He stuck around to gloat, to rub it in that he'd made my life as much of a mess as his was. When the explosion went off, I told him to leave. I assumed he had, I didn't even think to check…"

"It wasn't your job to," he told her firmly. "He's a grown man. If he stuck around in a burning building, that's his problem, not yours."

She didn't reply, both watching in apprehension at the sight. It was only when Rachel heard an odd noise behind her, and turned to see Mika with a look of horror on her face that she realised a lot of the kids were watching too. She took a deep breath, and stepped sideways to block her view. "Come on. Anyone going to the hospital stand with Miss Haydock- if you inhaled smoke you need to see the paramedics. Yes Donte, that includes you."

Eddie took a second to admire how easily she shoved aside her own emotions and slipped into her role, before he joined her in helping to corral everyone to different areas. "Rach, you need to be seen as well," he told her once they'd met in the middle.

"I'm fine."

"RACHEL." His harsh tone had her startled, looking at him in shock. "You were inside, inhaling smoke, and you're pregnant with twins. You need to be seen."

She sighed, but knew he was right. "Fine. Once the kids have been. I think they're planning to ship half of them up to the hospital anyway."

She darted off to deal with a crying year seven, and he shook his head in a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Stubborn woman."

Hours later at the hospital, Eddie paced the floor so hard that he felt it may give way under his feet. He was practically dizzy as the small space required him to turn quickly in order to not go walk straight into a wall, but he needed to do something. Most of the students had been checked and given the all clear to go home with their guardians, Mika and Chlo were waiting with Brett and Donte whilst Tom stayed with Davina. Eddie had not long returned from checking on the teenagers, hearing that Davina was fine but they were giving Tom some quiet time alone with herb before they all flooded into the room. That only left Rachel needing to be checked over, and no more excuses to put it off. He knew she was scared, but it was the right thing to do. That was confirmed by the doctors who only had to take one look at her stomach after hearing how long she'd spent inside the school before whisking her off for tests. He knew they'd be checking the babies as well as Rachel, but he couldn't do anything other than wait.

"Eddie, you need to calm down. You're making me nervous."

Melissa's voice pulled him out from his trance, his brain running through multiple different scenarios that all made him feel sick to the stomach. He wanted to be with her, wanted to hold her hand whilst they waited but was firmly told that he had to stay put and wait for a doctor to come and get him. "I am nervous." He was even more anxious that their relationship had been questioned on her arrival, knowing that if she wasn't pregnant then he'd have no say due to no ring on her finger.

"Well I'm not. She's fine, the babies are fine." Melissa's voice was so confident that Eddie almost believed her, but another look around the room set his nerves back on edge. He didn't know she was fine, she'd been gone longer than he could count and he wasn't able to go with her. What if it was bad news? What if Rachel had inhaled too much smoke? Could it effect the babies?

As he pondered all of his thoughts and the possible outcomes, he almost missed the door opening and the same doctor that had taken Rachel came out to greet them. Immediately he was in front of him, asking him so many questions in such a short space of time that it was a wonder he hadn't passed out through lack of breathing.

"Glad to know you're so well suited." The doctor joked, throwing a smile of Melissa who had also stood to greet the doctor. "Your wife has been asking for you non-stop, I think it's best for us all if you go and see her."

He hadn't even finished before Eddie sped off, leaving Melissa waiting with her doctor with a roll of her eyes. "She's fine, I'm guessing?"

The doctor laughed, nodding his head. "She's fine, you can go too. But I'd give it a few minutes." They both laughed and Melissa decided to get herself a coffee before interrupting the couple, not wanting to walk in on their emotional reunion that she was sure would make her nauseous.