The next thing either of them knew, was that someone had unceremoniously thrust the door open and switched on the overhead light. "Rise and shine, Mr. Griffin," Came Donna's voice sounding far too cheerful for either of their heads to stand. Then she caught sight of Connie's black, curly hair just peeping above the bedclothes. "Have you got someone in there with you, Mr. Griffin?" She asked in delighted curiosity. "Donna, you are far too cheerful for this time of the morning," Ric grumbled as he tried to focus on her. "It's seven-thirty," Donna told him. "So Lisa told me to wake you up. So, who's the lucky lady then?" But this question was more than Connie was prepared to stand. "If you want to still be in a job by the end of the day, Nurse Jackson," She said, her voice huskier but no less firm. "Think about making yourself useful and putting the kettle on." Staring at them in utter disbelief, Donna replied, "Of course, Mrs. Beauchamp," Before leaving the room, and doing a dance of victory all the way down the corridor. She was the gossip queen, and this was the juiciest piece of gossip she'd encountered in months.
"What're you so happy about?" Lisa asked her with a smile, it making a definite change for Donna to be so at one with the world first thing in the morning. "Do you want to hear the best piece of gossip this place has heard in ages?" Donna asked as she leaned over the desk, gesturing for Chrissie and Tricia to join them. "I just went to wake Mr. Griffin up like you asked, and guess who was in there with him, wrapped around him with absolutely nothing between them?" "Probably Diane," Chrissie said dully. "She's been after him since before she married Owen." "No, not Diane," Donna told them gleefully. "Only the ice queen herself." "Connie?" Chrissie asked in utter astonishment. "That's what I said," Donna replied with a laugh. "Mrs. Beauchamp and Mr. Griffin." "Oh I knew about that," Tricia surprised them all by saying. "I saw them both heading for the on call room last night, so it stands to reason." "So why didn't you tell anyone?" Donna demanded in disgust. "Because I don't have your obsession with spreading gossip like there's no tomorrow," Tricia told her firmly.
When Donna had gone, Ric and Connie remained still for a little while, both of them trying to force themselves into waking up. "I think we've just given Donna the treat of her life," Ric said almost gloomily. "She'll grow out of her taste for gossip one of these days," Connie replied philosophically. They had become thoroughly entwined during the night, and Connie was now lying with her head on his chest, with absolutely no desire to move. "Come on," Ric said eventually, gently disentangling himself from Connie's warm embrace. "Duty calls."
When they both appeared on the ward a little while later, both showered but still looking very tired and somewhat dishevelled, they found that Donna had been true to her word, and left a steaming pot of coffee ready for them in the break room. They were soon joined by Sam, who having been turfed out of his bed by Tricia at six-thirty, was badly in need of a hit of caffeine. "Where did you two end up?" he asked, the smirk on his face telling both of them that he already knew. "I think you'll find that the on call room proved to be most accommodating," Connie replied, giving Ric a sly wink as she lifted the mug of coffee to her lips.
This day seemed to be no better than the last three, with their struggle to find beds for the ever-increasing load of patients becoming more fraught with every admission. Connie might have had a few hours sleep on the previous night, but she knew that this state of affairs couldn't continue for long. She and everyone else involved, only had a certain amount of physical and mental reserves, not something they would be able to depend on indefinitely. However, there was one tiny light on the horizon, well, for her anyway. Elliott would be back from his conference tomorrow, and she was due a day off. She reflected that she would probably spend the entirety of it sleeping, or else slumped in front of the open fire, watching some mindless rubbish on the television that wouldn't require any actual concentration. When midnight was almost upon her again, she thought that enough was enough. All her patients were sleeping relatively soundly, every bed on her ward being taken, so that even Mr. Strachan would have to go home for the night. But as she stood at the desk, signing her name on endless patient records, she saw out of the corner of her eye, Ric entering the on call room. Surely he wasn't thinking of staying here for yet another night if he didn't have to? When she'd finished with the patient files, Connie walked speculatively towards the door that Ric had closed behind him, and carefully pushed it open. Ric was nowhere to be seen, but she could hear the sound of the shower in the adjoining bathroom. So, she was right, and he was staying here. But why? Thoughtfully sitting down on the end of the bed they'd shared so closely last night, she waited for him to finish, her mind going over and over his reason for staying at the hospital when he had a perfectly good home to go back to. But then it occurred to her, that perhaps he didn't have a home to go back to. She was aware of his gambling habit and his bankruptcy, most of her knowledge having been gathered via the hospital grapevine.
When Ric switched off the shower, his thoughts turned to the bed in the next room. He was thankful that he did at least have somewhere to sleep, but he wouldn't have minded sharing it with Connie for a second or even a third time. Having a soft, warm, beautiful woman wrapped around him, that had been like nectar from the gods. Rubbing his hair dry with the towel, he strolled out into the adjoining room completely naked, with his face hidden by the towel. "Well, well," Connie said with a smirk, her eyes sweeping him from head to foot, and lingering on his semi-erect penis. "It is nice to see that not all things lose their interest at the presence of physical exhaustion." Ripping the towel from around his head, Ric stared at her slightly open-mouthed. "Connie," He said, immediately wrapping the towel around his waist. "What're you doing here?" "Don't be shy," She said with a sweetly innocent smile. "I was enjoying the view." "Yes, I'm sure you were," He said, perching on one of the empty chairs. "Ric, why are you staying here, when you could quite easily go home?" She asked, her tone quiet and serious. "I might ask you the same," he said evasively, not wanting to admit to her that he had been kicked out of his flat by a greedy landlord who wanted to sell up. "Because my house is far too big and empty to be remotely inviting," She replied without a thought, the truth of her statement surprising her. "At least you have a home to go back to," Ric told her without thinking. "What happened?" She asked, realising that she had been right about her assumption. "My landlord wanted to sell, and other landlords aren't so eager to take on a tenant who has been made bankrupt." His bleak, emotionless description of the situation hurt her, because she had all that redundant space at home, space that Michael had wanted to fill with children, but which was now empty except for her.
"Right," She said, clearly coming to a decision. "Get dressed. You're coming home with me." "You can't do that, Connie," He said, not wanting her to feel in any way sorry for him. "Yes, I can," She told him firmly. "And for tonight at least, you don't have a choice, so clothes on, now." She shamelessly watched him as he removed the towel and reached for his clothes that were laid over the back of a chair, her eyes almost burning every inch they touched. He tried not to feel self-conscious, but the feel of her gaze on him made certain parts of him far too interested. "Are you sure about this, Connie?" he asked once he'd put his clothes back on. "Yes," She said without hesitation. "Ric, you need a decent night's sleep, and I have an abundance of spare rooms." After picking up a holdall of clothes from his office, he followed her to the car park and unlocked his car. As he followed her through the dark, empty streets, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Being beholden to anybody was bad enough, but owing Connie anything might be ten times worse.
When they reached her house on the outskirts of Holby, he wasn't surprised to see how large and spacious it was. As he pulled up behind her in the gravel drive, he reflected that even if he only stayed here for one night, it would be a night to remember, if only for comfort and style. As they moved into the hall and Connie switched on lights, Ric realised just how warm and inviting it was, the air smelling subtly of her perfume. "Do you want a coffee or something?" She asked, moving towards the kitchen at the end of the hall. "To be honest," Ric said with a yawn. "All I want to do is sleep." "Then sleep you shall," She said with a smile, leading the way up the stairs, and opening the door of the largest guest bedroom. Ric couldn't believe his luck, thinking that he hadn't slept in such an opulent bedroom for more years than he cared to count. Fetching him a thick bath towel from the airing cupboard, Connie left it on the bed. Putting out a hand, Ric laid it on her shoulder. "Thank you for this," he said, meaning every word. "My pleasure," She told him honestly, happy to have him in her house, happy to no longer be alone in such a magnitude of space. Not long after as Ric slipped beneath the thick duvet of the spare bed, he could already feel his eyes closing as his head landed on the goose-feather pillow. He was warm, comfortable, and extremely tired, and for the first time since he'd left his flat, he didn't need to feel guilty for being where he was. Connie had invited him here, whether out of pity for him or her own sense of loneliness, he wasn't sure, but he appreciated the thought more than she would ever know.