At 7:15AM, Eddie woke Rachel up. If he was honest, he had been tempted to sneak out the house and leave her to sleep. But he knew she'd never forgive him. And if something happened to her whilst he was at work, he'd never forgive himself either. It was a better idea for her to be at work so he could keep an eye on her. He only had two lessons today, so if she needed him, he could be there.

He felt guilty the second she'd opened her eyes, because the pain immediately came rushing back to her, causing Rachel to whimper in pain.

"Are you sure you want to go into work?" He checked

She nodded, sitting up slowly.

Eddie was concerned. She didn't look well at all. Her face had drained completely of its colour, highlighting the dark circles under her eyes. He could feel the heat radiating off her, even though she was shivering. He could tell she was in a significant amount of pain and discomfort. She was trying to hide it, but it was etched on her face.

He crouched down beside her, placing his hand on her clammy forehead. As he suspected, she had a fever.

"Rach, you're burning up" he sighed

Rachel shook her head

"No, I'm not, I'm freezing" she said, continuing to shiver

"Rachel, you've got a fever. You need to stay at home!" Eddie insisted

"No! I don't! Eddie, leave me alone! We're going to be late for work!" Rachel snapped , standing up

The sudden movement caused another sharp pain. She couldn't stop herself from crying out, falling back down into a seated position on the bed.

"You'll be late anyway, because I'm not taking you! Not like this!" Eddie shot back

Rachel rolled her eyes

"Please…just take the day off today? Let me call the doctors and we'll go from there, ok?" Eddie pleaded

Rachel heard the concern laced in his voice, instantly feeling guilty. She knew he was worried about her. But she couldn't stay at home. She needed to take her mind off the pain.

She shook her head, rubbing her stomach which was now throbbing with pain.

"You can call the doctors, but I'm going to work" she said defiantly

Eddie groaned. He wasn't going to argue with her. He wouldn't win. She was going to work whether he liked it or not. If he could get the earliest doctors appointment available, maybe the doctor could persuade her to go home and rest. He doubted it, but it was worth a try.

"Fine, let's go then" he sighed, helping Rachel to her feet

With Eddie's arm wrapped tightly around Rachel's waist, they slowly climbed down the stairs. Every step was almost agonising for Rachel, but she pushed through. She was determined to prove to Eddie that she was ok. Although she was wasting her time, because nothing could or would convince Eddie that she was ok.

They made it to the car, Rachel wincing in pain as she sat down. She was already exhausted from walking down the stairs. She'd never felt anything like it before, it was like all the energy had been sucked out of her, leaving her feeling weak.

Eddie climbed in beside her, starting the car.

Rachel closed her eyes as they pulled out of the driveway, leaning her head against the window. She groaned as pain continued to shoot through her stomach and back, causing her to shift uncomfortably in her seat. All she wanted was for it to go away.

A million scenarios were rushing through Eddie's head as to what could be wrong with Rachel. He didn't know which one was more realistic. But there was definitely something wrong. Hopefully the doctor would be able to tell them.

They pulled into Waterloo Road, Eddie parking in his usual parking space. He stepped out of the car, running around to the passenger side to help Rachel out. Eddie sighed as he watched her get out, her face crumpled in pain.

"Are you ok?" He asked, wrapping his arm around her waist to steady her

She nodded

"I'll help you to your office" Eddie offered

They slowly walked up the steps and into the school building.

Everyone was staring at the Head Teacher and her Deputy, not because Eddie had his arm wrapped around Rachel, they were used to that by now. They were all staring at Rachel, because she looked so unwell. Even the staff were looking on at her with concern. Rachel could feel their eyes burning into her, even though she tried to block them out.

They approached the stairs. Rachel groaned. She didn't think she could handle walking up or down another flight of stairs with the amount of pain she was in. Eddie gripped her tightly, holding her closer to him, letting her know he was there. That was a comfort to her.

With his help, they slowly made it up the stairs. Rachel sighed in relief when they made it to the top. The relief didn't last long however, because instantly, another sharp pain shot across her stomach. She whimpered, gripping the handrail tightly, groaning as the bell rang out for registration.

Eddie led her into her office, sitting her down in her office chair so she could catch her breath. Once again, she couldn't stop the whimper of pain that escaped from her lips.

"Will you be ok for thirty minutes while I go and do registration?" He asked

She nodded

He kissed her gently on the lips. Rachel managed a weak smile. She loved him so much.

"Bridget is just outside, ask her to call me if you need me, ok? I'll be back after registration, hopefully with a doctors appointment"

Rachel nodded

Eddie left the room, closing the office door behind him. Rachel put her head in her hands, shifting uncomfortably as the pain continued to stab at her stomach.

She was beginning to wonder if this was more than a period. It wouldn't be this painful just because she'd skipped two. She'd gone months without a period before and when she'd finally started again, it was never, ever this painful. And she wasn't bleeding. So what was it?

It wasn't her appendix, she'd had that removed when she was a child. She couldn't think of anything else that would cause this much pain.

Unless, maybe the pregnancy test had been wrong? It was rare for a pregnancy test to be wrong, she knew that. But it was only a cheap one and sometimes, albeit rarely, it did happen.

As she thought back over the last few weeks, it all started to make sense. The nausea, the dizziness and fatigue. The absence of her period.

Could the test have got it wrong?

But then she realised, if she was pregnant, the pain she was experiencing only meant one thing. And the thought of it threatened to shatter her heart in two.

She placed a hand on her stomach, trying to find any sign that she was wrong. But as her hand brushed over the surface, she felt a small curvature, a small amount of swelling beneath her hand. Her breath hitched in her throat.

Suddenly, she scooted over to her desk drawer, rifling through the contents until she found what she was looking for. A box of pregnancy tests. She'd kept them locked in the drawer, just in case. There was only one left. She had to take it now, she had to know if that pregnancy test she took 4 weeks ago had been wrong.

Slowly, she pulled herself to her feet, leaving the office and heading into the staff toilets. She followed the instructions on the box and waited, pacing up and down the small cubicle.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

She couldn't stand it any longer. She flipped the test over, her eyes staring at the results. Her heart skipped a beat.

She was pregnant.

Her heart suddenly plummeted as another stabbing pain began in her stomach, reminding her of her reality. And suddenly, she wasn't happy about the result of the test anymore.

If she weren't in agonising pain, she would have been happy. But she knew exactly what the pain meant.

She was having a miscarriage.

She took the pregnancy test, throwing the box in the bin and exiting the toilets. She had to tell Eddie, that was her main priority. How could she tell him though? She was pregnant, but not for much longer. How could she torture him like that?

She arrived back in her office, closing the door behind her.

As she moved toward her desk, a blinding pain shot through her stomach. She'd never felt anything like it, not even in the last 24 hours since the pain had started. It was powerful, excruciating and paralysing. She couldn't stop the scream that erupted from her lips as her knees gave way from under her. She crumpled to the floor, curling up into a ball as the intense pain continued to stab at her relentlessly.

As she lay on the floor, she felt a small puddle of liquid dampening her trousers. She reached down, her hand making contact with a warm and wet substance. When she pulled her hand back up, it was covered in blood. She let out a strangled sob. There was nothing she could do.

The world around her began to spin, shifting in and out of focus. She groaned loudly, unable to move, the pain so strong she thought she would pass out. Tears ran down her face as she rested her hand on her stomach.