Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.
A/N This concludes the Claudia story verse (AU) Transitions, Transitions Too, Continuum, Trimming the Tree, Missing
6.12 – Back Home Again
…stuff we promised…
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In the corridor of the Paris hospital outside Connor's isolation room, Abby demanded some information.
"Why do you still want to keep my husband in the hospital?" asked Abby. "Connor only collapsed because he had been working too hard when he was ill. He doesn't have a temperature any more, and he's kept his meals down all day. What's wrong?"
The French doctor and the British doctor exchanged a glance before answering.
"We don't know," admitted the man with the Cornwall accent, "His BP readings were fine all night, but this morning…"
"Every time we've come to check the monitor," mused the French doctor, "the readings spike.
"We need to keep him for observation again," repeated the British doctor, "maybe a few days."
"Just until we get this sorted out," added the French doctor.
"Well I'm not leaving," stated Abby.
The hospital staff rolled in another bed to the isolation room. The newlyweds didn't mind really. They were together, and that was all that mattered.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
In London, Cutter called Sarah.
"Claudia started throwing up again this morning," said the Scot. "I'm not sure what it is, but I'm taking her in to see her physician. How is Stephanie? Would you…"
"Stephanie is fine," reassured Sarah, "and I'll take her into child care on my way to work this morning and pick her up again afterwards. Your daughter is welcome to stay with us as long as necessary."
But Nick and Claudia picked up Stephanie on the way home from the doctors. Claudia didn't have the stomach flu.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Danny and Stephen watched as Matt and Emily disappeared through the anomaly into the future.
"Do you think they'll have any better luck finding Helen than we did?" asked Stephen.
"Dunno," replied Danny, "but I think Matt's idea that he needed to go back to his own time makes sense. People ought to stay in their own times."
The muscular young man standing beside Danny stiffened slightly.
"And how does that logic apply to Emily?" asked Stephen. "Or me? I'm not in my own time."
The lanky red head turned to face his partner. He tilted his head to one side and regarded the younger man with surprise. Did Stephen really not know?
"There's no logic to love," replied Danny. "And Matt and Emily belong together in whatever time they're in. Just like you belong with me."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Becker took Jess out for breakfast after she was discharged from the London hospital. She took a sip of the frothy latte as the waitress left.
"This is so much better than hospital food," said Jess with a happy smile.
Becker looked at her small plate. One chocolate Danish didn't seem enough to feed a human. The soldier gestured to his own plate heaping with eggs, sausage, tomatoes, beans and toast.
"Are you sure you've got enough to eat?" asked the soldier.
"Perfectly sure," answered Jess.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Lester sighed. All the carefully planned travel arrangements for Connor and Abby to demonstrate the ADD and time stranded creature care to the various university groups would have to be rescheduled.
And there were more health and safety forms. Jess was still on the ARC's payroll and Connor, although transferring to the university, was still under the ARCs insurance policy.
"Never any rest," grumbled the bureaucrat, but he was smiling.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Three days later, Connor's odd blood pressure readings still had both doctors perplexed.
"I just don't understand these weird spikes in the blood pressure readings," muttered the British doctor. "Are you sure your monitor is working properly?"
"Of course it is working," huffed the French doctor. He trailed his hand over the scrolling paper emitted from the machine. The Frenchman called out the times. "His blood pressure spiked at ten last night and then again at one thirty in the morning."
"And right now," said the British doctor.
Abby heard the doctor's exchange. She had a very good idea as to what had caused Connor's blood pressure to go up last night, but that couldn't be the cause of his elevated blood pressure now.
"Conn," whispered Abby. "What are you thinking right now?"
The dark haired scientist was drumming his fingers nervously on the tray table. His laptop was closed beside his hands.
"Just wishing those doctors would leave," confided Connor.
"They're just trying to help," said Abby.
"Maybe," nodded Connor in agreement, "but seeing a doctor is usually because someone is hurt, and it's usually me."
Abby thought about all the injuries and illnesses Connor had experienced since she'd first met him. The doctors left the isolation room. As the door swung closed behind them, the frantic jiggling of the line drawing mechanism on the blood pressure monitor slowed. The blonde had an idea.
"Be right back," said Abby.
She went out the door and caught up to the doctors in the corridor. Abby tried to explain her idea. The two men seemed skeptical at first.
"Just try it," coaxed Abby.
The remainder of that day the nurse came in to check Connor's blood pressure readings. The doctors stayed away. The monitor attached to Connor's body didn't show anything unusual again until that night, right after Abby had propped a chair against the door to ensure it stayed closed.
The next morning, the doctors came in and watched as the blood pressure mechanism started jiggling like crazy.
"Mr. Temple, how are you feeling?" asked the French doctor.
"Are you nervous or upset in any way?" asked the British doctor.
"Fine," said Connor. Then he stopped and looked a bit flustered as the two doctors stepped closer, staring at him. Connor shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "I mean, well, I'm fine, but I just don't like being here. I don't like hospitals."
"What about nurses and doctors?" asked the British doctor.
"Well I like nurses," replied Connor, "and meaning no disrespect, but I don't like seeing doctors, they sort of go together with hospitals, you know."
The doctors exchanged a glance and backed off from the young scientist. For the remainder of that day the nurse came in to check Connor's blood pressure readings and the doctors stayed away. The next morning, the doctors agreed with Abby.
"Mr. Temple, you haven't had any flu symptoms since you were admitted," said the French doctor. "And your blood pressure readings are fine except for when you see us."
"It's called White Coat Syndrome," said the British doctor. "We're releasing you."
Abby smirked at the relieved expression on Connor's face.
"Come on Conn," said Abby. "We've got things to do. We're supposed to go see the gremlin creature in Munich, and find whatever is swimming around in Lake Neuchatel."
"And then home," said Connor.
"Yeah, then home."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
In six weeks, Connor and Abby returned home. Rex and the diictodons were fine, the house was fine, and Jack was fine after Abby calmed down.
"I still can't believe you brought that woman into my home," hissed Abby.
"How was I supposed to know Caroline had dated Connor?" protested Jack. "She left right away you know."
Abby looked at her brother. He really seemed upset.
"Jack," sighed Abby, "if you really like Caroline, go and tell her."
"You won't mind?" asked Jack.
"Life is too short," said Abby. "If you really love someone, you should let her know. And I promise, I won't mind."
"Don't know if love is the right word exactly," replied Jack with a cheeky grin, "too soon to tell, might just be lust."
"Jack," said Abby, "it's time for you to get your own place."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
In July, Danny and Stephen put in a transfer request for the Canadian ARC. The request was turned down.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
In October, Professor Cutter passed out chocolate candy bars wrapped in pink foil to celebrate the birth of his and Claudia's second daughter, Janet Irene Cutter.
"Janet is a little old fashioned, but it is my Mum's name," explained Cutter when he was asked about the child's name. "And Stephanie got Claudia's mother's name as a middle name."
"What about Irene?"
"We like the name Irene," replied the Scot. "Don't you?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x
In January, Sarah gave birth to a little boy with dark brown eyes and cute dimples in his chubby cheeks. Abby went to see her friend and held the tiny child in her arms. For a moment, Abby looked into the baby's dark brown eyes and thought to herself that the baby looked like Connor.
"I think he's got Jamal's eyes," said Sarah. "Don't you?"
"Dunno," replied Abby with a smile. "Too soon to tell I think, the baby is still all red and wrinkly and squishy looking."
Sarah looked totally affronted.
"He's beautiful," huffed the archeologist.
Too late Abby realized she'd put her foot in her mouth. The blonde handed the infant back to Sarah.
"He's gorgeous," agreed Abby. "And I think Benjamin is a great name."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
When Abby got home from Sarah's, she found Connor in the kitchen. The dark haired man was humming as he added spices to a pot on the stove. He stirred the contents. Abby came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She sniffed appreciatively.
"Connor," said Abby. "You know when we talked last year about babies? I think you're right, we should have one."
Connor twisted around to face Abby. His eyes sparkled with delight and a huge grin spread across his face.
"Really?"
"Yeah, really," said Abby. Then she added in a rush, "Or maybe two."
The dark haired man pulled the blonde closer and leaned down to press his lips against hers, and Connor whispered something that only Abby could hear.
"Supercool!"
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