Disclaimer: I do not own Waterloo Road, as it is the property of the BBC.

Chapter 25

' You did not! ' Jack exclaimed,' what the hell were you thinking? '

' I wasn't thinking, that's just it,' admitted Anna,' all I cared about was making the pain go away. So I jumped in the canal, and once I was in there, I realised that I didn't want to die after all. It was all alright, because a couple of guys jumped in and dragged me out. '

' How can you talk about it so calmly? ' Jack demanded.

' What's it to you? ' asked Anna,' you drove me to it. '

Jack sighed,' No. I never wanted to cause you this much pain. I didn't realise that you were so serious about Tom. '

' And neither did I,' Anna shrugged.

' Right,' Jack said,' in that case, I really think that you need to know what's going on - what made me do it. '

'I'm all ears. '

He sighed, sitting on the edge of her desk,' Right then - I guess I should start from the beginning. I fell in love, a while back, with Miss Izzie Redpath - who was, as you know, engaged to Tom. Obviously, I couldn't tell her, and it was ripping me apart. I watched as she and he fell more and more in love .. then when she died, I watched as he blamed me .. blamed me for the death of the woman that we had both loved. '

' But - but - what's this got to do with me?'

' After Izzie died, I started to wonder if there was something wrong with me - I wondered why she'd chosen him over me, and to be honest, I was very, very jealous. Then along came Davina Shackleton .. I quite liked her, but in the end, she ditched me and wanted Tom. That drove me even crazier - I wondered if there was something wrong with me, you know? '

' Not .. not really,' Anna disagreed.

Jack continued,' I wanted to know whether there was something about me that repulsed women, or something about Tom Clarkson that attatched them like magnets. Then when you showed up .. another woman to fall for the charms to Mr Clarkson, I wondered if I could try and get you to take a shine to me. '

'Seriously?' she asked,' this whole thing was about trying to get one up on Tom? '

' No. It was about proving to myself that I was a normal man . that there wasn't something wrong with me. '

' Oh Jack,' she sighed.

' I've been such an idiot, Anna. And I am truly sorry for the pain that I've caused you ... really, I am. '

' I'm . . . I'm very glad that you've chosen to share this with me,' Anna sighed,' but I just wish we could turn back time, and that I'd never even left my room that night. '

' You and me both,' Jack nodded,' and if there was anything that I could do to make it up to you...? '

' No, there's nothing,' dismissed Anna.

There was a moment's pause before he spoke up, and said,' All this about you being sick .. what's wrong with you? '

Anna shrugged, not meeting his eyes.

' Are you going to see a doctor? ' he asked.

' Yeah. It'll shut Eddie up, at least. '

Jack cleard his throat,' Look - don't take this the wrong way, or anything, but I we were all talking yesterday, and . . . well, everyone's really worried about you. '

' So you all talk about me behind me back? ' she demanded,' when? Where was I in all of this? '

' It was yesterday before the first clas, You'd gone off to the toilets again. We are all really worried. Any idea what could be wrong with you? '

' Whatever it is, I am sure that there's no need for everyone to get so worked up .. it's just stomach bug, or something. No one usually gets so worked up when someone's feeling a bit off. '

' But we all know that you're not exactly in a ... a normal position right now, are you? '

' I don't like that everyone talks about me behind my back. And there's no need for everyone to be so worried about me. '

' But we are,' Jack shrugged,' you know - you're in a bad place right now, you're sad, you're feeling lonely. And you're stressed out to the maximum, it's really not good for you, at all. That could be bringing on the illness. And . . . and there's the fact that you just admitted to me that you've tried to kill yourself. '

' So? '

' So? Just how much do you know about Tom's ex-wife, Anna - Lorna Dickey? ' Jack challenged.

' Not much,' shrugged Anna,' why is this important? '

Jack rolled his eyes,' She split up with Tom, and then threw herself in the canal .. tried to kill herself .. exactly how you did. '

Anna gasped.

' Yeah,' Jack nodded,' she threw herself in the canal, then got herself put on anti-depressants, before she killed her self for good. You want to head that way? '

' Depression? ' echoed Anna.

Jack merely nodded,' Eddie mentioned to me . . . well, Eddie thinks that you've got depression. '

' This is ridiculous! ' snapped Anna,' I am certainly not depressed! '

' We're worried. You're going to see a doctor, before this gets out of hand, like it did with Lorna. '

' For goodness' sake! ' hissed Anna,' I am not being sick or sad because I'm depressed. I'm sad because I've just broken up with some I love, and I'm sick because .. because ..'

' Because? ' Jack prompted.

' I'm pregnant! '