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Connie frowned as Dylan walked past her without saying another word, at first Connie thought he was going after Rita but she was wrong, Rita had headed down the corridor towards the staffroom but Dylan turned and walked out of the hospital, walking around the building until he came to an empty bench where he sat down, his head falling into his hands.

Connie meanwhile decided to go after Rita, she found both the Nurse's office and the staff room empty before finally finding Rita, slumped on the floor of a cubicle in the staff toilets, repeatedly heaving into the bowl. She used the bobble she had around her wrist to pull Rita's hair back from her face before taking a step back, "I'll go and get you some water" she said before leaving the toilets.

"Penny for them?" Zoe asked, lighting up her cigarette as she sat on the bench beside Dylan.

"Hmm?" he looked up at her having not heard a word she'd said.

"Is everything okay?"

"I erm" Dylan glanced round to make sure they were alone, "this stays between me and you?" Zoe nodded, "I erm, I've just been told I'm going to be a father."

"You...Sorry Dylan, I must have misheard you" Zoe laughed slightly.

"No, no you didn't."

"Can I ask who…?"

"Rita."

"Rita...Rita, Rita?"

"Nurse Freeman yes."

"I didn't even know the two of you were…"

"We aren't, we never were, it was one night, we'd both been drinking and…" he shrugged, "it just happened."

"Wow...what are you, I mean,has she said what she wants to do?"

"I don't know" Dylan said honestly, "she said she wanted to talk about it but I erm, I said something and she stormed off."

"What did you say?"

"I just told her that I didn't know how Dervla would react."

"Dylan."

"What?" He frowned, "I was merely pointing out that…"

"She's having your baby Dylan" Zoe emphasised, "it obviously wasn't planned, she probably wanted you to give her some support and reassurance, not tell her that you didn't think your dog would adapt to having a baby."

"I didn't say she wouldn't, I…"

"Did you even ask her how she felt about all this?"

"Well...no."

"You need to find her."

"And say what, I'm sorry that I was so drunk I forgot to use a condom and now we're going to be joined by some screaming little human for the next 18 years?"

"No, apologise for what you said earlier, blame it on the shock. Ask her how she's feeling, if she's thought about what she wants to do, if there's anything you can do. Tell her you'll be there for her, for her and the baby."

"No" Dylan said firmly as he stood up and brushed out invisible creases from his trousers, "I think it would be better for everyone concerned if I stayed out of it. It's Rita's body, it's her decision and I don't plan on screwing with that child's life the way my father did with mine, I'm sure Rita is more than capable of raising a child alone if that's what she chooses to do, now if you'll excuse me…"

"Dylan" Zoe called after him but it was no use, she knew how stubborn he could be, she knew she wouldn't be able to change his mind.

"Here" Connie passed over the water once Rita had stopped heaving, "sip it slowly, that's it" she said sympathetically, she'd had terrible morning sickness with Grace so she knew exactly how Rita was feeling, "now, let's go to my office, I think we need to talk." Rita nodded and slowly stood to her feet, steadying herself against the wall of the cubicle for a moment, flushing the toilet and washing her hands before walking down the corridor with Connie towards her office. "Do you know how far along you are?" Connie asked as she sat opposite Rita, the nurse having turned down a cup of tea, instead choosing to sip at another glass of water, hoping it would settle her stomach.

"About 11 weeks." Rita said quietly as she ran her finger around the rim of her glass.

Connie nodded, "have you, do you know what you're going to do?"

Rita shook her head, her eyes still fixed on her glass, "no, I, I only did the first test a couple of days ago, I hadn't...I wanted to talk to Dylan before I made any decisions."

"He's probably just as shocked as you are. If you want to talk to someone about your options I can..."

"Thank you" Rita interrupted, "but I'm okay, I don't want to talk to anyone, I know my options and Dylan's made it clear that he's not interested...it's my decision and it's something I think I need to do on my own."

Connie nodded, "is there anything I can do, do you need some time off?"

Rita shook her head, "I'd rather be here, I want to be busy."

Connie nodded, "as long as you're 100% sure you're fit to work."

"I am" Rita nodded as she sipped the remains of her water.

"Okay, well if you need anything you know where I am."

Rita put the glass on Connie's desk and stood up, "thank you. I'd appreciate it if this could stay between us. I don't want everyone to know. Not yet."

"Of course" Connie nodded, "what you say in here will stay in here, you know I won't gossip."

Rita nodded as she walked to the door of the office, "thank you" she said before stepping into the ward to resume her duties.

"Is everything okay?" Zoe asked Rita as they neared the end of the shift, she couldn't help but notice how pale and tired the nurse looked.

Rita nodded and ran her hand through her hair, "nothing a long soak in the bath and a large glass of wine won't solve" she said, holding back a yawn and instead forcing a smile she hoped looked somewhat genuine.

"Do you really think you should be drinking?"

Rita froze, "I beg your pardon."

"I mean with the…" she gestured to Rita's stomach.

Rita's gaze fell to her own stomach, "has Dylan…" she willed the tears forming in her eyes not to fall.

"He's scared, confused, he just said that…"

"So he can talk to you about it but not to me? Does he not think that I'm scared and confused too? Has it never occurred to him that this was just as much as a shock to me as it was to him." Rita shook her head, "who else has he told? Who else knows?"

"Nobody, and you know I won't say anything, but if you need to talk…"

"I don't" Rita snapped, "the only person I wanted to talk to about this obviously doesn't want to talk to me about it so I'll just do it on my own, I don't even know why I bothered to tell him" she whispered, turning to leave as her tears finally began to roll down her cheeks.

"Rita?" She was so busy wiping at her eyes and trying to pull herself together that she didn't notice Dixie until she'd bumped straight into her, "what's wrong Darlin'?"

Rita completely broke down as she was enveloped in a familiar embrace, Dixie's arms holding her closely, "it's such a mess Dix" she sobbed, "I've been so stupid."

"Hey" Dixie pulled Rita closer, "I'm sure it's not that bad, whatever it is I'm sure we can sort it, it can't be worth getting yourself this worked up about, do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant Dix" Rita whispered so quietly the paramedic barely heard her, "I'm bloody pregnant."