Chapter 4 – Outside
It had been almost a month since the awkward conversation the morning after…
Connie began to wake and realised immediately that she wasn't at home. She slowly sat up in the bed and looked around. What the hell had she done last night? Then it hit her where she was, and who she was with. She remembered speaking to Cal and knew that this wasn't going to be easy.
Cal came into the room and noticed Connie was now sitting up awake. "Hey, I got you some paracetamol and water… I imagine you're gonna need it after everything you drank last night." Connie gratefully accepted both and looked up at Cal. "Thank you, for everything yesterday… And last time too." She looked down at her hands as she felt Cal sit on the edge of the bed next to her. "What's going on Connie, you can't keep doing this to yourself… Let me help you, please."
Connie didn't look at the man sitting in front of her. She didn't deserve his help, or sympathy. She was horrible to him, yet in her moment of need he was still there for her. Cal moved a hand under Connie's chin and lifted her face to look at him. "Connie-" "Please don't Cal…" The pair continued sitting there until Connie was ready to get dressed.
"Please, don't mention this to anyone. I know I need to sort a few things out, but I don't want everyone-" "Hey, I'd never tell anyone, I promise. Okay?" Connie nodded and felt as though there was finally some understanding between them.
Connie was standing in reception when Cal appeared next to her. "Everything okay?" Cal stood with his back to the counter looking down at some patient's notes. Connie continued signing the file she had on the desk before answering. "Yes… You know you don't have to check every five minutes right?" A small smile played at her lips as she answered the junior doctor. "I know, but I care… What you just did then, it suits you." Connie rolled her eyes before heading to her office.
In just under a month Connie had seemed to get everything back on track for herself. She had arranged for Grace to come and visit which was a huge relief for her. She had also felt happier inside herself since that awful night and was managing to cope with things much better. Connie told herself it was the reality of being told exactly how things needed to change, but in all honesty it was more to do with having fewer lonely nights.
"We really should stop this because I could get in so much trouble-" "With who exactly?" Connie smirked slightly as she stood back from the man in front of her. "It's not like I'm going to tell you off is it?" Cal shook his head not believing this whole situation. Connie finished looking in the mirror checking her hair and make-up over. "Please don't think that this is anything more than what it is Cal… I can't cope with anything else right now, this is just…" Cal nodded "I know." He wasn't going to complain about the arrangement they seemed to have going, but at the same time with each meeting he fell deeper and deeper in love with her. "Just for fun" he said smiling at the beautiful woman standing in front of him. This Connie, since they had been doing whatever this was, was a closer reflection of the woman he met when she first started at the hospital.
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It had been almost 3 months since Connie had felt her world fall down around her. Cal was slowly learning more and more about her, which didn't help how he felt about the woman. Everything seemed as though it was going to finally be fine, that's when she got the call.
All Cal heard was a crash come from the clinical leads office. Several members of staff had been stood around when it happened but nobody dared to move except Cal and Charlie. Opening the door to her office they found her sitting in the same position he had once seen her before. "Connie, what's happened? Hey?"
There was glass smashed against the wall and things absolutely everywhere. Cal sat in front of Connie at her feet whilst Charlie stood in the doorway not sure what to do. "I can't look after myself, how am I supposed to care for her too?" Cal was lost and she wasn't making much sense to him. "Connie what are you on about?" Connie sighed looking at Cal "Sam can't look after her anymore, she's coming home and I can't cope with that as well right now…"
Cal turned to the older colleague still standing back and taking in the scenes in front of him. "Charlie, could you give us a few minutes? And please don't mention this to anyone else out there." He nodded and closed the door leaving them to talk. "Connie, you've got so many people around you who can help… Of course you can do this." She shook her head not sure how she would ever manage looking after Grace again. Why did things always have to go wrong for her?
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Grace had been home and living with Connie for almost 2 months. Cal had barely seen Connie as they had stopped seeing each other outside of work now that Grace was home. It had meant that Connie once again spent her evenings alone, leading to her having a drink again.
At first things didn't seem too bad, Elliot Hope one of Connie's eldest friends had helped caring with Grace, as had Charlie and Zoe. Connie had never expected to find such a help in Zoe, but Grace had loved spending time with her. All the while it had meant Connie was alone more and more which may have relieved the pressure, but it wasn't the best idea.
Connie was disappearing and a shadow of her old self was all that was left. She withdrew from everyone, including Cal who thought he was finally breaking her down. All the barriers were back and they were higher than ever. She became depressed and totally consumed by work.
All the staff had noticed a change in their clinical lead and nobody was enjoying it. There were no arguments, no problems, no repercussions to incidents… There was nothing. The final tipping point for the esteemed boss came when she received a phone call from Grace's school.
"Hello Mrs Beauchamp, I'm afraid Grace needs picking up as she has been fighting at school. We can no longer tolerate the behaviour that she has been showing, we have no choice but to expel her from the school."
The message that completely turned everyone's worlds upside down.
Dixie began reeling off stats to Dylan and Zoe. "This is Connie Beauchamp, 42. She's lost a lot of blood and has very shallow breathing…"
Outside by Calvin Harris feat Ellie Goulding