I am so so sorry, I am just terrible, I just haven't had time to breath lately, let alone write any of this fic. This has been languishing on my computer for ever sat at about 300 words, abandoned, so on a train through Wales at 10pm this chapter has been written, fuelled by British rail tea and a KitKat chunky.

I hope you all like it, I've never been pregnant myself, but being of that age in which almost all of one's friends are in the middle of having children I've tried to use all the concerns that they tell me about for Shelagh and Patrick and their soon to be baby!

Thanks for all your reviews, your perseverance and endless generosity with your time and support are what keep me going and writing (wisely or unwisely haha) so thank you so so much, and please to review this chapter if you're in the mood!

This chapter's song is:
The Galaxy Song – Monty Python's flying circus (sung by Eric Idle)

Enjoy x

"OK Shelagh, now this'll be a little bit cold."

"That's fine."

"Right, here we go."

"Ooh - that is cold!"

"Sorry." The woman replaced the bottle on the table beside her and picked up the wand, giving the touch screen a few taps, she turned and smiled at Shelagh on the bed, before placing the rounded end of the probe on her exposed stomach in the middle of the pile of gel, before starting to slide it slowly across her bump. While the sonographer stared intently at the screen, Shelagh turned her head and smiled at Patrick, sat beside her who was watching the monitor, giving his hand a squeeze she two turned to watch the woman in her pale blue technician's tunic. "Right, OK – so if I just turn the screen a little bit … you can see the baby."

"Oh my god … it's a baby!" Said Patrick quietly,

"What were you expecting!? A puppy?"

"It just makes it all seem real … can we get it printed off? I want to show Tim." he added, looking down at Shelagh beaming, she turned and looked at the screen, the outline of the baby's head white against the grey speckled backdrop with a tiny fist raised up away from it's body.

"It is real, and I suppose that makes it time to tell the girls."

"Yes, good luck."

"They'll be very proud of you."

"Oh good – just what I've always wanted!"

The staff room was full for handover, the sleepy day staff were pulling on scarfs and coats and trying to edge towards the door while the night staff were drinking mugs of coffee and reading down the whiteboard list of patients,

"Room 5," began Julie. "Is a pain in the backside if ever there was one! Oh hi Shelagh -"

"Sorry I'm late."

"It's OK, just saying, room 5 – Hayley Johnson, is a right pain. You alright?"

"Yep … uh, actually – sorry Julie … just to interrupt. While you're all here … I have some news … um … me and Patrick are having a baby, I'm pregnant!" A chorus of cries and cheers rang out and Jenny jumped up to pull her into a rib crushing hug,

"How far gone are you?"

"16 weeks – so we're getting there."

"Baby girl - Patrick must be over de moon!" cried Trixie. "Eh, Julie – why aren't you surprised … eh – you tell Julie before us baby girl!?"

"She had to, health and safety, we're going to have to stop kicking her in the stomach ladies."

"Oh – but that's my favourite hobby!" Said John, giving Shelagh a wink and drawing her in for a hug.

"Now John, no-one enjoys abusing the pregnant more than me, but my uterus is now a protected area … like Buckingham palace … or the lake district!"

"I'm hungry … have we got any crisps? I fancy some prawn cocktail flavour crisps."

"Nope, the cupboards are crispless this evening."

"Do you want to go to the shop for me?"

"It's half 11 at night, I've just sat down!"

"Yeah I know, but I really fancy some crisps Patrick."

"Well go yourself then, if it's such a crisp emergency."

"I'm pregnant!"

"And as you constantly tell me, it's not an illness and you are not an invalid, so go yourself."

"Right – I will. Where are my shoes?"

"Oh you're not actually going are you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh for pete's sake … right - I'll take you in the car."

"Oh Patrick – you're so nice."

"In for a penny … well just you remember how nice I am next time you're having a go at me for not taking the bin bag out."

… remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving and revolving at nine hundred miles an hour. That's orbiting at nineteen miles a second, so it's reckoned, a sun that is the source of all our power. The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see, are moving at a million miles a day. In an outer spiral arm, at forty thousand miles an hour of the galaxy we call the 'milky way'

Lying in the bath Shelagh listened to the street out of the window, a passing builder was swearing as his mate tried to manoeuvre a cement mixer, a car played loud booming beats and Bernadette was curled up on top of the toilet as her ipod quietly played her favourite Monty Python song. She had spent her morning finishing off her Christmas shopping and was enjoying the last few hours before Patrick and Tim re-invaded the quiet of the house, Shelagh reached across and took her glass of blackcurrant squash off the side for a sip. The room was steamy and hot, but the half open window provided an icy breeze the made the steam sink and cool, the bubbles from the bath were long gone and the warm water pooled around her knees and her bump which rose out of the soapy water. Running a finger across her stomach she smiled as she wiped away the drops of water, Shelagh looked up and caught sight of her reflection in the mirror over the sink, she watched her own face, tired from a night shift, flushed from the warm bath and still visible along the side of her temple and down onto her cheek was the long scar from almost 6 years before, when she had been mugged back outside her flat and Patrick had written her a letter to apologise for leaving her. And now they were married, with one teenage boy and a new baby on the way, which was if nothing else terrifying, the idea that a human being and their entire life rested in hers and Patricks hands was terrifying.

Sellotaping the edge of the paper Shelagh heard the front door close, she paused with one hand on the carrier bag beside her,

"Who is it?" she shouted.

"Just me." Replied Patrick,

"OK, come in." her husband walked into the living room smiling, dumping his bag onto the sofa and knelt down to kiss her, "I'm just wrapping up the last of my presents, I didn't want Tim to see."

"Ah – and what did you get in the end."

"Uh, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, I played the World War one with the zombies in back when it was first out and Tim loved it, so I thought he should have his own copy of the new one!"

"I agree … I think, I mean obviously I just smile and nod when it when come to you two and your strange gamery things, but yes – lovely!"

"Probably for the best! How was your day?"

"Fairly standard, I bought those trainers for the boy on my way home – the blue ones? But you're far far better at wrapping than me so …?"

"Ach go on, pass them here, but only if you stick the kettle on."

"Deal. Oh and I got the tickets for the staff Christmas do, Camilla's bringing thingy."

"Peter?"

"Yeah, and your Miroslav's coming with Cynthia – which'll be nice."

"Have you seen them together? It's adorable, he's about a foot and a half taller than her."

"Just like us then …"

"Patrick, love is blind – not delusional. You're fantastic, but you're not 6'9 are you?"

"No … no, but I am taller than you, in a way that may be perceived by others as adorable … aren't I?"

"Are you going to cry if I say no?"

"Yes, and I'll go to my room and sulk."

"YES! Yes, it's adorable and manly and I feel all safe and secure when you're near me … happy?"

"Lovely, I'll put the kettle on shall I?"

"Yup … you know I was going to get you the Paul Hollywood bread book for Christmas, I might have to re-think and buy you a socket wrench instead – now that you've reminded me how manly you are."

"Shelagh, you look ridiculous."

"What?" She replied, turning on the spot to face Julie who was sat next to John at the nurses station sipping a cup of coffee, they were both critically surveying her appearance with the heads cocked comically to one side in perfect unison. Dumping down her pile of linen she made her way down the ward, back to her two colleagues, "What do you mean I look ridiculous?" taking a swig of tea John smiled.

"Well not you, we mean your uniform."

"You've got to let me order you some maternity ones for you."

"It's fine Julie…"

"No Shelagh, it really really isn't … I mean the tunic looks like it's going to tear, and wearing those trousers under your bump makes you look like you've got the lowest crotch known to man."

"It's fine! I'll just get some medium's out of the staff room…"

"Shelagh no, they'll swamp you! You're frame is still small, you just need bump and … bust room."

"Ha! You should patent that Julie, Bump and Bust room, I bet that's what the queen asked for -"

"John, shhh – and go and do some tidying." Watching John slink away to go and count pillow cases, Shelagh turned to smile at her friend, confidant and line manager. "Shelagh – you know it's not a criticism don't you, or even a bad thing."

"No I know, and I know it's silly … it's just that – I run … and swim and cycle and even when I was in bad relationships in the past or when my Dad had his heart trouble … or when there was the whole thing with Patrick and Laila was going on, I manage and stay calm and get on with it because, and I know is sounds silly but the one thing I've always been in control of was my body. It's not vanity -"

"I know, I understand."

"It's not about looking good, it's about being able to control it all … and suddenly it's all out of my control and I've got no say in the weird stuff it's doing!"

"Shelagh, I do understand – really, I do. It's scary, and you know it's only going to get scarier and you're only going to lose more control, but it really is all worth it. You look wonderful, far better than I did when I was pregnant, but you know … and I mean this as a dear friend who loves you, you look like an absolute tit in that uniform right now, and if you don't let me order you some maternity ones – I'm going to have to send you on early maternity leave … because you look like you ate the magic biscuits in Alice in Wonderland at the moment."

"Right … I really look that bad?"

"Yes. Yes you do."

*Be afraid, the girls are taking me out shopping for the Christmas do … Sx*

*I'll put UNIT on mauve alert Px*

*Excellent Dr Who reference, you're learning! But seriously – I may come back sprayed gold and rolled in glitter. Sx*

*Well I look forward to that, we could stick you on top of the tree, you'd brighten up the house no-end! Px*

*Shh – old man. Sx*

*Well that's just rude! Px*