Disclaimer: I do not own the show sadly.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, they really are a great source of motivation.

Thanks, as always to Debbie and Steph for editing this chapter.

This chapter picks up seven weeks later and introduces a couple of new characters for the story – enjoy!?

Chapter three - Seven weeks later

Molly

Molly stared at the grainy black and white image in her hands. That was her baby. Reality was starting to hit her, hard. She was pregnant and responsible for the life growing inside her. Up until yesterday she had been pretty much avoiding the fact that she was pregnant with a virtual stranger's baby. Every time Jac had tried to talk to her about it, she changed the conversation or walked out of the room. Every time she did allow herself to think about it she panicked and started worrying about her job, money, what people would think of her and then she did what she did best, avoided the situation.

Then yesterday happened. It had been your average busy twelve-hour shift in the accident and emergency department until there had been an accident on the highway and the place was swarming with injured drivers. Unbeknown to everyone one patient had been exposed to chemicals in the crash and it was the one patient that Molly had been treating. Jac had been throwing her looks the entire time instantly concerned that her best friend should be nowhere near dangerous chemicals and when Molly refused to leave the patient Jac had to step up and order her to leave. Within moments everyone – both staff and patients knew that Molly was pregnant and then everything that she had dreaded had started.

"Congratulations Molly, when are you due?" they asked.

She had replied that she didn't know yet and would find out at her scan next week.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a boyfriend Molly?" was the next question, the most awkward one of them all and the one she had been dreading when she had to pretty much tell everyone that the father was not involved, and she was in this alone.

Standing in the middle of the busy department with an apologetic looking Jac beside her, Molly had then been led into the office of her boss, the ward Sister who was ironically male along with the senior consultant who was also male and who had been flirting with her the last few weeks. Awkward did not even begin to describe how she felt sitting there in that office with them. She was expecting a bollocking. She literally got tea and sympathy instead. The consultant - Dr Dan Maxwell had asked her about her twelve-week scan and when she said it was next week, he made a few phone calls and pulled it forward to that afternoon.

A few hours later and both she and the baby had been given a clean bill of health and when she listened to the heartbeat for the first time she finally realised what was happening. She was going to be a mother and was going to be responsible for a tiny human. Her hormones then took over and she was soon crying on Dr Dan's shoulder. He had reminded her that she had options and she made it clear that a termination and adoption was out of the question. She was going to do this by herself.

"I will not try and say that I know how you are feeling Molly," Dan had said to "But I can guarantee that there is an entire department who are going to look out for you and spoil this baby rotten!"

"I could see the looks on their faces," Molly whispered as she wiped away the tears. "When I said the father wasn't involved."

"They were shocked, like I was, but at the end of the day Molly your private life is your business not ours. But everyone is worried about you and the baby, they just want to make sure you are both okay," Dan explained "I can guarantee that those two nosy receptionists are going into overdrive right about now. Pearl is probably going to knit enough clothes for ten babies and Ruth, she is probably organising a baby shower as I speak."

"They don't have too," Molly said smiling softly.

"Trust me in a few months you will be waddling out the main entrance to escape from the baby talk!" He leaned back in the chair and took in Molly's tired and pale appearance "Why don't you go home and get some rest Molly. I have organised a meeting with HR for you tomorrow before your shift."

"HR? Why?" Molly asked slightly alarmed.

"Relax, it's procedure. It is just a meeting to get things started, get you a maternity uniform, if you want to reduce your hours and what you can and can't do over the next few months. You will also need to think about how much maternity leave you want to take." Regular risk assessments will need to be done.

That was why twenty-four hours later she was sitting in the canteen staring at the scan image and trying to think things through in her head. Money was her biggest problem. She wouldn't be on full pay when on maternity leave and when she did come back to work, she would lose most of what she earned on childcare. Jac had offered her help and support from the second she told her she was pregnant, but she had to work too. She couldn't afford not to work, and she was not in a position to ask the father to help either. All she could remember was that he was an officer in the army and his first name was Charles. There could be hundreds of Charles in the army and she had no idea where to even start to look for him.

Molly's train of thought was broken when she spotted one of the surgeons approach her table smiling. Ms Devlin was one of the top neurosurgeons in the country and one that Molly had very nearly worked for until she withdrew her application after finding out about the baby.

"May I?" the surgeon asked her smiling.

"Yeah, off course," Molly replied as she tried to both hide the scan picture and tidy up the mess around her.

"No need to hide it, I already saw the scan picture," Ms Devlin said as she sat down. "How far along are you?"

"Eleven weeks," Molly replied smiling slightly. "And with all respect Ms Devlin you probably heard about me before you saw the photo.

"Guilty, the hospital jungle drums are out in force at the moment," she sighed as she sat down at the table facing Molly, "I am fifteen weeks."

Molly glanced at the surgeon and at her tummy and frowned "I wouldn't have guessed."

"This is my third, and I am usually lucky that I don't start showing until the six-month mark and then I look like I swallowed a beach ball," she explained. "And it's Kate by the way, may as well be on first name basis since we are in the expectant mothers club."

"Congratulations Kate," Molly replied carefully "I don't think I will be that lucky, my scrubs already feel a bit tight around the waist and as for my..." Molly stopped suddenly realising that may not be appropriate to say to someone she barely knew.

"Your breasts have doubled in size?" Kate whispered as Molly nodded in embarrassment "Mine too. You feel like no matter what you do or wear you cannot get comfortable?"

"Sounds familiar, thought it was just me."

"It is called the joys of being pregnant," Kate smiled "How are you feeling overall?"

"No sickness, thank god, but just really tired. Mostly though I am just scared," Molly said openly and honestly for the first time in ages.

"I remember when I was first pregnant with my eldest. I was in university at the time and someone told me that pregnancy felt like an alien had invaded your body and they were right. It is perfectly normal to be scared Molly. I was in a similar position to you at that one time as well," Kate explained. "I was younger than you, on my twentieth birthday I found out I was pregnant. I was still in university and had no idea who the father was. There was more than one potential father and I thought I had ruined everything; my life, my career. Then Jack was born and two years later I met my now husband who treated him like his own son. We are now married, Jack has a sister and now this one is on its way. Even now with my third I am still bloody scared, it is perfectly normal Molly."

"You were a single mother too?" Molly asked carefully as she looked around the canteen.

"Oh yes, with no friends or family to help. I think I disgraced them," Kate smiled "I am not going to lie Molly it is bloody difficult but the good thing about this hospital, no matter what ward or department you work in, we are all like family. We all support each other."

"So, Dan has told me," Molly replied as she finished her now cold tea.

"There is a great day nursery five minutes away, I think you will find most of the children there have parents who work at this hospital. They are fantastic and have longer opening hours to accommodate the shifts, plus if you show your hospital pass they will give you discount, it is not very much but it all helps."

"That is good to know. The first thing HR asked me was how much maternity leave I wanted to take, and I haven't got a clue."

"It can be daunting, but from my experience work as long as you can, and you get longer after the baby is born."

Molly frowned as she took this in. This was the first proper conversation she had regarding the baby. Jac had been great but to talk to someone who has and is going through it was helping her connect the dots in her head.

"I don't mean to be rude Kate," Molly said hesitantly, still finding it strange to address by her first name. "Why are being so nice to me?"

"I have been where you are right now; lost, confused and scared as hell. You feel like everyone is judging you and you can bet some are because you're single and pregnant. Someone gave me a helping hand and now I am helping you," Kate explained "that and curiosity is getting me to me. You cancelled your interview for the theatre nurse position and withdrew your application, was it because of the baby?"

Molly looked down and started fidgeting with her watch strap "It felt wrong," Molly whispered.

"I don't understand?"

"I just… it didn't feel right to interview for a job that I was going to have to leave in a few months, I thought it would be better to give someone else a shot at it."

"Do not repeat this, but Molly that job was yours, on my surgical ward. You are one of the few nurses that I have met who is cool, calm and collected under pressure and regardless of what is going around them keeps a steady hand," Kate explained. "I understand and respect your decision, I would probably have done the same too, but a part of me is slightly disappointed."

"I'm sorry," Molly whispered as she took on board what the surgeon had just told her.

"Don't be, just promise me that when another theatre position comes up, and trust me they do all the time, you will apply whether you are two weeks from your due date, or on maternity leave. Don't let the baby slow down your career, that and we are very accommodating on my ward for staff with children."

"Okay, I promise I will apply when the next position becomes available," Molly smiled back as Kate pager started beeping.

"Damn, I have to go," Kate said as she lifted a card from her pocket, "this is my phone number, text me yours, we can have pregnancy whinging sessions, compare anti natal classes, hell even meet up for proper coffee when on maternity leave."

"I'd like that, thanks," Molly replied smiling as Kate stood and smiled before quickly leaving the canteen.

She lifted her phone from her bag and text in the number Kate had provided her with. She had to admit she would find it strange texting her but at the same time is was reassuring that not only did she have someone else to turn to for help but someone who has been in the same situation as her.

"Molly, where have you been?" Jac said as she rushed over to her. "I am so sorry about yesterday."

"It's okay they had to find out sometime," Molly sighed "I take it you had to work a double shift, you didn't come home last night?"

"Yeah, one of the agency nurses called in sick, only finishing now. So how did the scan go?" Jac asked practically bouncing with excitement.

"Good, we are both healthy," Molly smiled as she handed her best friend a photo of the scan. "I heard the heartbeat."

The two friends sat and talked for a few minutes until Molly realised that she needed to get back to work. As they stood up Jac looked at her friend and Molly and smiled.

"What?" Molly asked her frowning.

"You look happier, the most relaxed I've seen you in the weeks," Jac explained as they headed towards the main entrance.

"I am, still scared as hell mind," Molly replied as they continued to walk and talk to along the corridor.

"Right this me, I am out of here!" Jac exclaimed "I will see you back at the flat!"

Molly laughed as she watched her friend practically skip out revolving door and towards the staff car park. She turned and followed the corridor that lead towards to the casualty department and when she opened the doors and walked towards the reception desk she saw Pearl rush towards her.

"Molly, how are you?" the older woman asked but did not give her a chance to speak "I was thinking of knitting some things for the baby now which colour to prefer, I was thinking cream or lilac, either works for a girl or boy?"

Molly smiled as listened to the woman go on about knitting patterns and colour schemes as she remembered what Dan had told her.

As Molly continued listening to Pearl knitting talk, she turned around and didn't notice the tall man enter the lobby in full army combats rush over to the helpdesk.

"Can I help you?" the volunteer asked him.

"Yes, I am looking for the gynae ward, my wife has been admitted," replied Captain Charles James as he listened to the directions before running in that direction.

Charles

"Oh, for fuck sake!" Charles exclaimed as he had to stop at yet another red light. He took a deep breath, losing his patience and either getting arrested or in a fight was not going to help anyone, especially Rebecca.

As he waited for the lights to change, he glanced at his phone, no new messages since that one that sent him into a tailspin and rushing out of a meeting with his boss Major Beck.

'I need you to meet me at the hospital, gynae ward. It's the baby."

That was all the message had said and it had him fearing the worst. He needed to be there for Rebecca.

The last few weeks had been busier than what he would have wanted but Rebecca had been brilliant about all of it. Straight after the wedding they had honeymooned in the Caribbean, a well-deserved break that they had both needed. She turned back into the woman he fell in love with all those years ago and now they were married, happy and having a baby. A few days after their return he was told that he had to prepare for a twelve-week deployment to Afghanistan, he was anxious about it and dreaded telling his wife. Rebecca had been okay about it and after discussing things they decided not to family and friends until after the twelve weeks scan. She had wanted to make sure that everything was okay with the baby first and was adamant that they told everyone that it was a honeymoon baby. He wasn't entirely happy about that but if he had learned anything about Rebecca in the years they had been together that it was best to do what she had wanted.

Just last week she had her twelve-week scan, and everything had been okay, he had his own copy of the scan which he looked at several times a day and safely stored in his wallet. Off course he had managed to miss it. Rebecca had been adamant that she had told him the date. He said she didn't otherwise he wouldn't have organised an overnight exercise with two section on the same day. He was expecting an all-out row when he got home, yet Rebecca had surprised him by being okay at it. They had sat down and made a plan of everything they had needed to do and get before the baby arrived. For the first time in ages, he was actually excited.

Now here he was six days later standing outside the main entrance of the local hospital. He took another deep breath and tried to tell himself that everything was going to be okay and if it wasn't, he had to be strong for Rebecca.

He watched as staff came and went out of the revolving door and for a split second he remembered Molly telling him she was a nurse and he briefly wondered what hospital she worked at. He shook his head in anger at even thinking of the one night stand he had at his stag weekend as he walked into the hospital and over to the helpdesk where a volunteer stood.

"Can I help you?" the volunteer asked him.

"Yes, I am looking for the gynae ward, my wife has been admitted," replied Captain Charles James as he listened to the directions before running in that direction.

He listened to the directions the older man had given and quickly made his way down a corridor and towards the lifts when he heard someone call his name.

"Charles!"

He turned around and saw Rebecca sitting on one of the plastic chairs crying into a tissue. In that moment he knew she had lost the baby.

"Rebecca, what is wrong? I came as soon as I could," he said as she stood up and fell into his arms.

"We lost the baby," she sobbed "I had a miscarriage."

Charles bit back a sob and pulled her closer to him and tightened his hold around her and kept whispering how sorry he was into her ear before pulling back slightly.

"Why are you sitting out here, shouldn't you be on a ward?" he asked concerned for her welfare.

"Oh, ah, they've discharged me," Rebecca said quickly. "I started bleeding this morning just after you went to work, and I didn't call you because I knew how busy you are and didn't want to worry you."

"Rebecca," Charles sighed with a mix of worry and hurt in his voice.

"They did a scan when I arrived, and they told me then. I've already had the procedure. I didn't really want to prolong the agony," she whispered biting back a convincing sob.

Charles was annoyed that she hadn't called him sooner but now was not the time for that conversation and instead pulled her into his arms. Rebecca lifted her head slightly resting her jaw on his shoulder and listened to him trying to be the supportive husband as he rubbed her back. She smiled.

Her inheritance from her late grandmother had been transferred into her bank account this morning. She no longer had to lie to Charles, her future was secured. She only needed Charles for a few more months before she would then be entitled to a nice financial bonus by way of a divorce settlement. He could screw as many brunettes as he wanted, she no longer cared.

As Charles helped Rebecca out to his car, he only had one thought in his head. Was this his punishment for his drunken one-night stand and betraying his fiancée?

Please remember that Molly and Charles did not share any contact details or even know each other's surnames!

Reviews are always gratefully received!

Next chapter should be up next weekend.