Extreme Takeover, Holby Edition

Their parents ran the hospital during their life, and now that they're older, it's their turn.

Pairings are Jac/Joseph, Maddy/Linden, Connie/Sam, Diane/Ric and Chrissie/Olly.

Chris, Grace and Family's Visit...

Grace, Chris, Katie and Michael arrived at Connie and Sam's the day before the family gathering, just to catch up.

Opening the door, Connie pulled all four of them into a group hug and said, 'Ah, it's been too long. Come inside.'

Coming in and sitting down with them, Connie shouted, 'Sam! Gracie, Chris, Katie and Mike are here!'

'My little girl?' asked Sam, sprinting down the stairs, rather childlike for his 69 years. 'My son in law and my grandchildren? It has been too long.'

'It is remarkable how such an old man can be so energetic, as he was when I first knew him,' said Connie.

'Old?' replied Sam in shock. 'I will remind you my dear that you are 6 years older than me.'

'Mum, Dad, fight fair,' said Grace. 'You're setting a bad example to the kids.'

'We don't mean it kids,' said Connie. 'Banter has always been at the heart of our relationship.'

Both Connie and Sam sitting down, Grace said, 'Katie, will you go into the kitchen and make some tea? And Michael, will you go and play with Lexie in the garden? She could use the exercise.'

'Trying to get rid of us?' said Katie with a smirk.

'Yes, there's something we need to talk to your parents about, and it is not for your ears,' said Sam.

'Fine,' said Katie.

As the living room door shut on Katie and Michael leaving the room, Connie said, 'I don't know why you insist on not telling them.'

'We do not want them to get their hopes up,' said Chris quietly. 'It might not happen.'

'Why won't it happen?' demanded Connie. 'I have seen both of you grow up, there is nothing that I do not know about the two of you. I know for sure that the two of you will make amazing parents, because I've seen the two of you raise Katie and Michael together. You have the capital to raise another child, you have room in your house.'

'But we work long hours,' said Grace sombrely as Chris squeezed her hand gently. 'The social worker had no doubt that we had enough money to raise a child, that we could provide for him or her materially and emotionally, but we already have two children, there are some people out there in our position with no children. And the hours we work, that's a deal killer. We just have to hope and pray.'

'There is no room for God in this!' exclaimed Connie. 'You have letters of recommendation from the top surgeons in the country, maybe even the world, aristocracy as well. You have proved yourself to be able to juggle your work and home life better than I ever could.'

'Mum!' exclaimed Grace.

'You can't be expected to have to suffer without your dream of a big family because of what that inbred did to you!' yelled Connie.

'What's going on?' said Katie from the doorway, Michael beside her.

'I think that it may be time to come clean,' said Chris quietly.

'Come and sit down children,' said Sam, moving across the sofa to make room for them.

As they sat down, Katie saw her mother's tears. 'Mum, what's wrong?'

'You were only little, I couldn't tell you,' said Grace, wiping her tears from her eyes.

'Tell us what Mum?' asked Michael. 'You're scaring me.'

'I was 5 months pregnant and about to go on Maternity leave,' said Grace softly. 'It was a busy shift on Darwin, and because I was only a registrar, I was in and out of theatre assisting with operations. There was a patient, whose life we couldn't save. His son didn't like the answers we gave him, and I had to call security to have him removed. He found me near the hospital reception, and...and...'

'Do you want me to carry on?' said Chris. Grace nodded. 'Your mother was stabbed, in the womb. Your auntie Juliet found her almost straight away, and tried to stop the bleeding. Your auntie Olivia and I came to help, and got your mum up into theatre. Your mum had to have an emergency c-section to get the baby out of her safely, but once he was out, your mum began to bleed heavily, and they had to take out her womb. She can't have children because of it...'

'I'm guessing that this baby was Michael because he's the youngest,' said Katie plainly.

'No,' said Grace softly. 'You were both born naturally. He would've been your baby brother, Stephen. But he didn't survive.'

'If this was after Mike was born, then how old was I?' demanded Katie.

'You were 6,' said Grace quietly. 'We never told you about Stephen, we didn't even tell you that I was pregnant. You just thought I got fat. Michael was only 16 months old.'

'So you want to adopt?' said Michael.

'We love the two of you very much,' said Chris. 'We have just always wanted a big family, which is why we had Katie so young. We have so much more love to give, and we want to give that to an adopted child.'

'But it might not happen,' said Grace sadly. 'Which is why we didn't tell you, we didn't want to get your hopes up.'

'It's okay mum,' said Katie, hugging her mum close. Michael also got up and joined in the hug.

'We're okay with it,' said Michael. 'It'll be cool to have a little brother or sister.'

'Yes it would be,' said Grace, hugging her children as tight as she could.

'Mum!' said Michael in embarrassment. 'You're squishing us.'

Loosening her hold, Grace said, 'I'm sorry sweethearts. I love you.'

'We love you too Mum,' they said in unison.

Remaining silent, Sam and Connie looked on, proud at the way their family dealt with difficult situations.