Hi Peeps. Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews. Hope you enjoy this next chapter - it's a bit shorter than the previous ones, which is probably what I'll do whilst I'm so busy (for the next couple of weeks) so hopefully I will be able to update fairly regularly. Enjoy, and as ever please review...

Monday Morning, Holby City Hospital

Darwin

Tara put the phone down as she turned round to say, "That was Miss Naylor, she's on AAU. She wants us to start our obs without her and only bleep her if something urgent comes up."

"What's she doing on AAU?" Oli asked.

"I don't know." Tara replied, shrugging.

"Well didn't you ask?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's Miss Naylor!" Tara replied simply, giving him a look which let him knew exactly what a stupid question that was to ask.

A.A.U.

"Sacha, will you just look at her?"

"Jac, I'm fine"

"Please, for me." Jac persisted.

"Jac, I said I'm fine"

"Jil, you are not fine- you nearly fainted this morning"

"I did not nearly faint I had a dizzy spell, which isn't all that uncommon when you're pregnant, is it?" Jil said, turning to Sacha to appeal for support.

"Well erm no, they can be qui…"

"Sacha!" Jac exclaimed, in a tone of voice which he recognised, from their days working together on Keller, meant that he should shut up or face the risk of imminent violence. "I'm just asking you to examine her quickly, that's all – just do some basic obs."

"Why can't you do that?" Sacha asked, the confusion evident in his voice.

"She" Jac said, pointing at Jil, "won't let me!" And seeing that this hadn't cleared up Sacha's confusion, further explained. "She won't hit you!"

"Ah right" Sacha said, the penny beginning to drop, "but well, even if I did have patient consent I couldn't do it anyway, as you very well know. All our patients are meant to go through A and E."

"That's what I said" Jil chipped in.

"I'm not having you sitting in that waiting room for four hours picking up god knows what from the unwashed masses." Jac said addressing Jil.

"Jac!" Sacha exclaimed, "you can't say that."

"Why not? It's true!" Jac replied. "Have you been to the ED recently? That waiting room smells more like a public toilet than a hospital and, like I said, I'm not going to let her have to put up with that."

"Jac," Jil said. "I don't want to even be here, but I certainly do not want to jump the queue, especially because" the exasperation growing in her voice, "I'M FINE!"

"That's what you said in Madrid!" Jac shot back, just as exasperated.

"That was completely different, and you know it!" Jil snapped. Before, after taking a deep breath and trying to strike a more conciliatory tone, continuing. "I'm just over-tired, that's all. We didn't get in till ten past two on Sunday morning, and even then we didn't go straight to bed did we?"

"No – but I don't think this is just over-tiredness"

"Jac, do you honestly believe that if I didn't feel OK I wouldn't tell you?" Jil asked "This is nothing like Madrid – for a start there's Robin" she continued, briefly rubbing her bump. "You must know I wouldn't do anything to put him or her at risk?"

"Of course I do," Jac replied quickly, "it's just I'm worried that's all" she concluded simply.

And Sacha, who suddenly saw an opening for his usual peace-making skills said in a deliberately calming voice. "Well Ok then – how about this? Jil, just to put Jac's mind at rest, why don't I quickly check you over? You know, just take your pulse, do your blood pressure, and then, when I give you the all clear.

"If you give her the all clear," Jil interjected, earning a death stare from Jil and an almost imperceptible shake of his head from Sacha

"Then you can go and get on with our day, and so can Jac." Sacha continued, as if Jac hadn't spoken. "After all, I don't suppose you want Jac to be worried do you?"

"No, I suppose not," Jil grudgingly admitted. "OK then – just a few checks and then I can go, right?"

"If they come out OK," Jac insisted again.

"Right?" Jil repeated, addressing Sacha after aiming another glare at Jac.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't have any objection to your going about your business, if" he emphasised, "as Miss Naylor says everything is hunky dory with your health. Right, shall we?" he asked, flourishing his arms in a let's move action.

"I suppose so," Jil replied, half-heartedly. "Where are we going?"

"Erm," Sacha looked round the busy ward. "Tell you what, why don't we just go into the office, this way" he said leading Jil towards the door of the Consultant's Office. "I'll just go and get a blood pressure monitor and then I'll be with you, OK?" Then noticing Jac following along behind said, "I think it might be better if you wait out here Miss Naylor." This earned him one of Jac's most scary Miss Naylor looks, but from Jil a very definite and relieved sounding

"Definitely..yes…please!"

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"So," Jil asked expectantly, sitting on Michael's chair in front of his desk, "can I go then?"

"Well," Sacha replied, "actually no, I don't think you can. Not yet anyway," he added hurriedly, seeing the look on Jil's face.

"But why not? I feel fine." Jil objected.

"Yes, but your blood pressure is slightly higher than I would like," Sacha explained.

"But I'm six months pregnant," Jil persisted, "surely that's normal isn't it?"

"Well yes, to a certain extent but" he continued, pre-empting whatever it was Jil was about to say, "it doesn't fit with the symptoms you've been experiencing. Feeling light headed, dizzy spells, nearly fainting , I'd expect your b.p. to be low not high, and your heart rate's slightly elevated too."

"Oh," Jil said, obviously disappointed. "So I won't be able to go home any time soon then?"

"Oh now, I didn't say that did I?" Sacha replied. "We'll just run a few more detailed tests and see where we are then, before we decide on that. OK?"

"Mmm, I suppose," Jil said. "What are you going to tell Jac?"

"Well I was thinking of the truth," he replied, "unless you've got any better ideas?" he added. "Although, if you have I'd rather you did the telling – I don't think I'll be able to keep any kind of pretence with her."

"No, I suppose you're right," Jil admitted. "She's not one to let things go is she, and she can normally spot when someone's keeping something from her a mile off. No, the truth it is then," she concluded, smiling wearily at Sacha, who offered her his hand to help her up. "I just hope she doesn't go all psycho-doctor on me…..!

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"I knew there was something wrong!" Jac, who had been waiting impatiently outside the office, exclaimed, when Sacha told her the results of his investigations. Before, after glancing over at Jil who was standing just outside the office door, and noticing how dejected she looked, continuing. "So, what's the plan from now on?"

"Well, I thought I'd run some more tests and then see where we are when all the results are in. She still wants to go home today if she can."

"Yeah, well Daniel's back this evening, so she's got a good reason. But she has agreed to all this?"

"Yes, she has," Jil, who had wandered over to where they were talking replied. "But I'm not wearing one of those hospital gowns," she declared, with a look on her face that Jac knew of old.

"Oh, right erm," Sacha said, "well I suppose you don't have…although it is normally easi…"

"It's OK," Jil interrupted Sacha's prevarications. "Jac can go and fetch my holdall from her car and then I can change into the pyjamas I bought, can't you Jac?" she concluded, flashing her an oh so fake smile.

"Of course," Jac replied, through gritted teeth, flashing a fake smile of her own back at her.