Waking alone the next morning Ric
realised Connie must already have left, leaving behind her only a
note and some lacy lingerie she knew he loved. He knew that it would
be down to him to explain where she'd gone over breakfast; no doubt
Michael would throw the blame for her departure upon him. He didn't
know whether to face the music of what lay ahead or just lie in the
hotel bed and wonder what he was going to do with his nights now
Connie had gone home. Being awoken by the knock at the door he
realised he had no choice but to rouse properly and face the music,
he answered the door and stared blankly at Michael who's head was
craning round the doorframe. "What do you want Michael?"
"Have
you seen Ka-" he corrected himself, the best he could anyway
"Konnie?"
This was the moment he was dreading, how can you
say to a man no when you full well know where she is, not to mention
you were screwing her senseless until the early hours so she'd
leave happy. How can you deny where she is when her underwear and a
note in her handwriting is laying on the pillow beside where you were
sleeping, yet somehow he managed it, "No… not a clue where she
is. Sorry." He closed the door on Michael and stood with his back
to it taking a deep breath of relief.
A week had passed and Connie was back at work while Ric was still in Paris, she'd never been the clingy type but this was the longest she and Ric had spent apart in several months and for some reason she felt alone. She was missing their usual flirty banter in theatre, their appointments with each other in the linen cupboard, the few sly kisses they shared on their breaks or when going over paperwork. Mulling this over in theatre probably wasn't her sharpest idea, hearing the phone ring brought her out of her current trance like state. "Mrs Beauchamp, it's for you." He covered the mouth piece "It's Jayne Grayson, she doesn't sound… Oh hear for yourself."
"Mr Strachan, take over." She took the phone and her face soon fell "We aren't going to be done for at least half an hour Jayne… we can't just evacuate… If I do it just so we can get the patient out I'll be done in ten maybe fifteen minutes…" she looked at the faces of the people around her, "I can get half of them out, they're no longer needed… Jayne, I can't leave my patient. Turn off the air con that should slow it down… I'm going to finish this operation like it or not… ring me if the levels go up." Hanging up she looked around her once again. "I need… I need Paul, Sam and Jessica to stay… The rest of you leave, no questions asked. Just get out of the hospital."
This time it wasn't a game. This was her life, her future she was putting on the line for one of her patients. Carbon Monoxide was no joke, no game it could kill her, leave her daughter motherless and quite possibly fatherless in the arms of a stranger. It was a moment when time stood still, a moment when all she wanted was Ric's comforting gaze looking over her, a moment when what could become of her life and what had become of her life flashed before her. It was the moment that Connie Beauchamp only had two words, "I'm sorry"
She followed Elliot's well given advice, she followed her heart and she followed where her feet led her and ran from theatre. It wasn't just her she had to think about, yet when she got outside and saw the slight blood stain in her scrub trousers she knew she was too late.