Two hours later
Eddie woke up with a stiff neck. He groaned, taking in his surroundings. The bright lights of the hospital room temporarily blinded him. The strong smell of disinfectant wafted up his nose, making him cough a little.
The events of the day suddenly returned to his memory. He looked down, immediately searching for Rachel. His eyes found her immediately. She was still tucked into his side, sleeping soundly. Her face was relaxed into a soft, comfortable smile. She hadn't a trouble in the world.
If only that were true.
He felt his phone ring in his pocket. He pulled it out, answering the call without checking the caller ID first.
"Hello?" He whispered into the phone so not to wake Rachel
"Eddie? It's Kim. Look, I know you're angry with me, you have every right. But I just wanted to know how Rachel was doing?"
Eddie rolled his eyes
"She's fine Kim, no thanks to you and Max" he snapped
"Has she had the baby?" Kim asked, brushing passed the snide comment
"Yes, a girl" Eddie confirmed vaguely
"Oh Eddie, that's great!" Kim exclaimed
Eddie didn't respond.
"She's ok, isn't she?" Kim added
"I don't know. Thanks to your lunatic boyfriend, she was born a month early and was rushed to the NICU before Rachel could hold her or look at her!" He snapped angrily
"Eddie, look, I'm sorry for what Max did, I really am! You're right, I should have been there to stop him, but I wasn't"
"It's not you I want an apology from, Kim" he huffed
"I know. You want one from Max. And I'll make sure you get one" she reassured
Eddie rolled his eyes. He didn't want an apology from Max Tyler. It wouldn't fix or change anything. What he wanted was for him to have never crossed paths with Rachel.
"Can I come and see her?" Kim asked, pulling Eddie from his thoughts
Eddie scoffed
"Eddie, please? I want to make it up to Rachel" Kim pleaded
Eddie sighed
"Fine, but if Rachel doesn't want you here, I'll send you away. Do you understand?" Eddie bargained
"Of course. I'll be there in a few hours" Kim confirmed
Eddie ended the call, putting his phone back in his pocket.
There was a soft knock on the door. Eddie watched as the door opened. His breath caught in his throat when he laid eyes on the midwife. She was pushing an incubator in front of her. Inside was a tiny bundle of blankets. His eyes welled up with tears.
"This little one has been let out of the NICU and wanted to see her Mummy and Daddy" she smiled, wheeling her over to him
Eddie peered through the glass. There she was, his little girl. She was tiny, but so, so perfect. He watched as she twitched, flailing her tiny arms.
"Is she ok?" Eddie asked, not taking his eyes off his daughter
"She's absolutely fine. She's a tough little thing" the midwife nodded
"Just like her Mum", Eddie thought
He looked over at Rachel, who was still fast asleep. She was missing this first moment, but he didn't want to wake her. She'd been through a massive ordeal and needed the rest.
"What about Rachel? Is she ok?" He asked, suddenly remembering she'd had some x rays a few hours ago
"She has a mild concussion and some bruising. But other than that, she's fine. We're going to keep her and baby in for the night to monitor them" the midwife explained
Eddie breathed a sigh of relief. Rachel was ok, their baby girl was ok. It was all going to be fine.
"Do you want to hold her?" The midwife offered, noticing the way Eddie was staring lovingly at his little girl
Eddie shook his head
"No, I want Rachel to be the first one to hold her" he explained
The midwife nodded
"I'll leave you to it. Press the buzzer if you need anything" she smiled, leaving the room
Eddie watched the little baby in the incubator. He was mesmerised by her beauty. His heart felt like it could explode with love.
He put his hand in through the little hole, smiling as the little girl grabbed onto his finger tightly.
"Hello love. I'm your Daddy" he whispered
The baby squirmed and wriggled in her blankets, making a soft, adorable grunting noises.
"Your Mummy, is just over there. She can't wait to meet you" he continued
At the mention of "Mummy", the tiny little girl screwed up her face, wailing loudly. Eddie tried to soothe her, but it was no use, her cries only grew louder. She wanted her Mummy.
Rachel stirred at the sound of the crying. She thought she was still dreaming when she finally opened her eyes, seeing Eddie sat on the chair beside her bed, a tiny incubator in front of him. It was only when the sound of the crying grew louder, and she saw the tiny blankets inside the incubator move, that she realised this was real.
Eddie looked up at her, smiling.
She sat up, tears welling up in her eyes as she tried to peer through the glass of the incubator, desperate to get to her little girl.
Eddie rolled the incubator over to her and unhatched the top. She looked at him, unsure of what to do.
"Is she ok?" Rachel asked immediately, staring at the little girl
"She's fine love. They've discharged her from the NICU. She's doing well on her own and didn't need to be there" Eddie nodded, smiling at her
Her heart flooded with relief
"She wants you" Eddie added, nodding at her encouragingly to pick her up
Rachel leaned over, lifting the tiny little girl out of the incubator and into her arms.
"Hello darling" she whispered, unable to stop the beaming smile spreading across her face
She stared at her lovingly, tears flowing down her cheeks.
Rachel had dreamt of this moment for months, meeting her daughter for the first time. It was everything she could have wished for and more. She fell in love with her instantly, just like she had on the day of her first scan. This tiny little girl brought so much love, so much happiness with her, and it was radiating onto Rachel and Eddie.
"Oh Eddie, she's perfect" Rachel breathed, looking up at him
Eddie nodded , sitting down beside her on the bed. She caught his lips with her own and they shared passionate kiss, communicating to each other what words couldn't say.
"I love you" Rachel whispered when they broke apart
"I love you too" he whispered back, stroking her cheek with his thumb
The baby squirmed in Rachel's arms, letting out a tiny cry. Rachel rocked her gently, settling her instantly.
"Don't worry little one, we love you too" Eddie cooed at her, rubbing her tiny cheek as she settled back down in Rachel's arms
They stared at their baby girl contentedly for what felt like hours, captivated by her. It was the happiest moment of their lives. They were a family now.
"She looks like you" Eddie complimented after a while, staring at their daughter
"You think so?" Rachel replied, smiling
He nodded
Eddie really did. She was the image of Rachel. From her brown eyes, to her light brown hair. Even the shape of her nose and lips. She was all Rachel.
"Let's hope she doesn't inherit my stubbornness, hmm?" Rachel said, laughing softly
"Let's be thankful she didn't get my nose either" Eddie chuckled
Rachel giggled, resting her head on his shoulder. This moment was so perfect.
As they sat in a comfortable silence, watching their daughter sleep soundly in Rachel's arms, Rachel's mind wandered back to the events of the day.
She thought about Max and what he'd done. His behaviour was unacceptable. She knew that. Because of him, she and Eddie had nearly lost their daughter today. Things could have been so much worse. Rachel had put her life in danger by standing up to him. What if it happened again when she went back to work? What if next time, she wasn't so lucky?
As she looked down at her sleeping baby, who was unharmed by the events of today, she quickly decided that there wouldn't be a next time. This was never going to happen again. She didn't want to stay at Waterloo Road anymore, not with him there.
She couldn't report him, even if she did, there was no evidence of what he'd done. It was her word against his. Of course she knew he'd won if she left. But she didn't care anymore. She'd rather be safe with her baby and with Eddie. She could get another headship at another school, when the time was right.
It was a big sacrifice. She'd put her all into Waterloo Road. Being pushed out by a bully like Max Tyler wasn't her style. But when it came to choosing between the school and her little girl, she'd choose her daughter every time. And she'd choose Eddie too.
Her mind was made up, and nothing would change it. She just needed to tell Eddie.
"Eddie, I've been thinking" she started, breaking the silence
Eddie looked at her, suddenly feeling concerned. Whenever she started a sentence with that, it usually wasn't good news.
"Ok" he replied simply, urging her to continue
"I'm going to resign as Head Teacher. When my maternity leave is over, I'm not going back to Waterloo Road"
"Rach, just think about what you're saying," Eddie reasoned
"I have, I've thought about this over and over again whilst we've been sat here. In fact, I've been contemplating it for a while. Today just confirmed my decision. I can't be at Waterloo Road if Max is. I thought I could handle him, I thought I was handling him. But we almost lost our baby today because of him. It's no use reporting him, it's my word against his, there's no evidence of what he did. I can't work somewhere where I constantly feel threatened, where my energy and passion is beaten out of me every day. I can't do it anymore, Eddie" she explained
Unexpectedly, she burst into tears. She couldn't help it.
Eddie hugged her gently to avoid squishing the baby. He had to admit, he'd been worried about her going back to work after this, even though it was almost a year away. If Max could do something like this, he wondered what else he was capable of.
"He won't hurt anyone else, not with Kim there to keep him in line. I just... I can't do it anymore, it's too much. Our baby is my priority right now" she added
"I know, Rach. I understand. I'll support you, if that's what you want to do" Eddie nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks
Rachel smiled. She didn't know what she'd done in her life to end up with a man like Eddie Lawson. He was so kind, so understanding and supportive. She didn't know what she'd do without him.
"I'll call the LEA and make amends with Kim at some point, and then I'm done" Rachel announced
"You might not have to wait long to talk to Kim" Eddie replied
"Why?" Rachel frowned
"She's coming to visit soon. I knew she wouldn't back down till she'd seen you" Eddie explained
Rachel nodded quietly
"I can call her back and tell her not to come if you want?" He offered
Rachel shook her head
"No, it's fine. I'd rather settle things now"
Eddie nodded
As Rachel continued to look at the tiny baby in her arms, Eddie saw the small tear running down her cheek. He knew she didn't really want to resign. She'd put all of her energy into Waterloo Road, she loved the staff and the kids. Leaving wasn't an easy option for her. Anywhere she worked now would never be as challenging or rewarding as Waterloo Road. He wished he could change her mind. But he knew he couldn't. Unless Max Tyler left or was found guilty for assaulting her, she wouldn't go back.
That's when Eddie had an idea...
"Rachel?"
"Hmm?" She answered rocking the baby contentedly
"Do you have Kim's phone number? I need to send her directions to the ward"
She nodded, grabbing her hand bag and passing him her phone.
He switched it on, scrolling down the contacts. He'd lied, he wasn't looking for Kim's number at all. He was looking for Jenny's, Max's wife, who worked for the LEA. He had met her a few times at conferences, and she had done the most recent inspection at Forest Mount. They knew each other fairly well. She knew Eddie and Rachel were together, even though they were working in different schools.
He found her number, copying it into his own phone. All he had to do now was go outside and make the call.
"I'll be right back ok?" He said, kissing Rachel's forehead gently
"Where are you going?" She asked, frowning
"There's no service in here, I'll just be outside" he reassured
She nodded hesitantly, her gaze returning to the baby girl resting in the crook of her elbow. Her concern as to what Eddie was up to immediately melted away when she looked at her, as did all her worries.
Eddie stepped outside into the hall, dialling Jenny's number. He wanted to know what she thought of all this.