This prompt was an Adam and Jessica one, prompted by Casualty300 and the prompt was: Adam's disappearing in the run up to Christmas and his wife Jessica doesn't know why, or what he is doing, how will she react when the truth comes out?
For this prompt, Adam and Jessica have been married for two years, as that's how many years Jessica was in the show.
Adam: 47
Jessica: 38.
Zoe: 40.
Max: 33.
The Secret Life Of Casualty
Chapter 62.
Jessica stood in, the kitchen making the kids some lunch. It was the 23rd of December, and at, 8, and 10, she knew that this would be the last Christmas that they would get excited about Father Christmas and leaving a mince pie for Rudolph. She had always believed that she had one more child to live out the magical of Christmas with, but with events out of their control, four years, previously, it had meant the doctor and his new wife, had lost their baby boy, just months before his first birthday. But Jessica refused to cry about Harry any longer. She would always miss him but she couldn't live her life in the past.
"Mum, where's Adam?" Amelia asked, standing in the kitchen doorway, covered in snow and smiling. Such innocence. She thought.
"I don't know " Jessica answered her daughter honestly as she put the plate of sandwiches on the table. She watched Lucas pick one up as she poured a glass of water.
Zoe Hanna and Max Walker were getting married and Adam was at Max's stag along with Noel, Big Mac, Iain, Ash. Kirsty Clements had returned with her daughter Nita for the occasion, and she, Rita, Zoe, Sam and Linda who had returned for the occasion where in Zoe's apartment drinking tequilas, laughing about the moment that she had first met Max, he had asked her for a lighter, she'd told him that she was Clinical Lead. Of course, she was now the ex - clinical lead, of the hospital. Having reassed what she wanted from her life, she told CEO Guy Self, that she was resigning from her post and Guy was furious with her.
"Come on " Adam told her trying to help her up. But Linda wanted to party. The night was still young.
Adam was only going to make sure that Linda got to her door safely but she invited him in. He knew he should go home, back to his wife, back to where he belonged but something persuaded him to follow Linda in to the flat and he stood in her living room. He looked at his watch.
"Whoa" He muttered quietly the next morning as he realized the woman lying next to him wasn't his wife. It was her friend. He had to go. Forget that a one night - stand with Linda had happened. It was how him and Jess had met, they had been in a pub, Adam had been with his mates, Jess with hers and Jessica had caught Adam's eye and he'd asked her for a drink. And, they had ended up in bed later that night.
Jessica arrived at worked, she was in cubicles, making the beds. She was worried about Adam. And where was Linda? She knew that her friend was usually late, so she wasn't concerned but she looked at her watch on her uniform, it was 11: 30, even Linda would be here by now. By lunchtime, she had worked on a few cubicle cases, comforted a small girl when she passed and helped Rita in RESUS. But still no sign of Adam, she sighed, making her way to the staff - room and opened her locker where she took out her handbag, unzipped it to find her purse so that she could go and get something to eat. But before she could someone walked in and placed their hands over her eyes.
"Hey " Jessica looked around to see who was talking to her, it was Adam. He bent down in front of her and stroked her cheek.
"OK" Jessica laughed, it was nice seeing him being so open with his feelings for once. She knew that he struggled with talking about things that upset him. But she was unaware that their future as a couple, was soon going to come crashing down around her.
"He's having an affair. " Linda told her.
Jessica looked at Linda. The two women had been friends for 10 years. And, she was annoyed at the fact Adam had cheated. You didn't cheat on the person you loved. She really was a hypocrite, because, she had loved Sean (although near the end of their marriage, she was only staying with him for the children) but, yet she had cheated and owned up. Losing everything in the process: Her house, money, but most importantly her children.
"What's wrong?" Adam looked at Linda and then Jessica as he held a patients MRI scan in his hand.
"I told her " Linda said, she deserved to know the truth, her husband was cheating.
"What?" Adam was stunned.
"Leave me alone " She pleaded with him.
He reached out and put a finger under her chin. "We need to talk "
"Sure " She agreed that they did, and they went home early, not wanting to be heard by the hospital gossips. Louise, Robyn, and Tess.
The drive home was in silence as Jessica looked out of the window. She stayed in the car while he unlocked their front door and it was only then that she got out, walking slowly in to the living room and standing by the couch.
"Sit down " Adam told her and she did what he asked as she sat down. He held her hand tightly.
Even telling herself that she didn't love him anymore, she knew that she was lying to herself. She did. She loved him.
"Are you alright?" He wrapped an arm around her as she looked away.
"I'm fine!" She told him, walking away from him, wanting him to feel the pain and humiliation that she was feeling.
"Jess.. " He started to say as he watched her head in to the bathroom where she got on her knees and then vomited in to the bowl, resting her hands on the side.
"Shush" He soothed, brushing her hair out of her face.
The colour had drained out of her face as she realized that she could be pregnant.
That afternoon she waited until Adam was out, until she searched the bathroom cupboard for a pregnancy test. She always kept spares, but she wasn't sure why. She sat back down on the toilet seat and with, trembling fingers, opened the box. She knew what to do. She took the stick out of the box and peed on it, and then she washed her hands while she waited for the result.
Pregnant.
5- 6 months.
That meant she only had 3 months left to go before she welcomed her new baby in to the world. She looked at the stick again.
Linda had thought she could have put the affair with Adam behind her but looking down at the pregnancy test she held in her hands she realised that this might not be easy as she turned the stick around in her hands. She had never been pregnant before, on account, that in her teens, she had, had two miscarriages and one abortion so she didn't know what to expect. She had seen Jessica carry Amelia, aged 22, still training to be a nurse, but she had also the younger woman struggle with back ache and sickness.
Jessica locked up and got in to her car and put her belt on. She drove to the hospital (but not holby, because she didn't want people knowing about her pregnancy) She gave her name in at the desk and then sat down.
"Jessica Harrison " The midwife, called, stepping out of the room and holding a file to her as she scanned the waiting room. She stood up, hands rested on her still flat stomach as she followed the midwife. She got settled on the bed and lifted her top, putting a tissue that the midwife handed her in her stomach.
Jessica winced as she felt the gel be put on her stomach, and the midwife moved the probe around, Jess was excited, she always was when she fell pregnant, to see the baby on - screen. But as the midwife, turned the screen towards her she could see, or hear nothing. Had she had a miscarriage?
"Excuse me " Lucy, the midwife, got up and vacated the room, after switching the screen off, so that Jessica was left to wonder why. Soon, Lucy returned with a man, who Jessica, assumed was her boss. He was small with glasses, and reminded her a little of Elliot Hope who worked on Darwin. He took the probe and put the gel on her belly, Jessica winced. The doctor saw from her notes that she had battled breast cancer, shortly after having a miscarriage with hers and Adam's second child, and shortly after her birthday, she got the news that she was in remission which was good news.
"We have some news" The doctor told her.
She tried to hold it in as said, as sensitely as he could. "Your cancer's back " He looked at Jessica's face, it was blank, devoid of emotion. "Can we call someone for you?" He asked. One name sprung to her mind but she couldn't she was still hurt, angry and rightly so.
"It's fine " She somehow found the strength to gather her handbag and get off the bed and make her shaky legs work.
Jessica felt numb on the drive back home. She knew that she shouldn't be driving alone, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Adam the news.
Sitting in her car, outside the house she glanced in the mirror. Mascara was staining her cheeks, but she made no attempt to remove the ruined make up as she grabbed her bag, and opened the door.
"How did it go?" Adam asked. She didn't want to tell in front of the kids.
"Fine " She said brightly. But she knew that she was being false.
"Good " He smiled, heading to kiss her cheek, but she moved away from him.
Jessica walked up the stairs and locked herself in the bathroom where she sobbed and sobbed. Through her sobs she could hear Adam calling her name, she quickly wiped her tears. And, unlocked the door. "What's wrong?" He asked.
"I'm not pregnant " She whispered, as she allowed Adam to kiss the top of her head.
"What?" He asked, holding her close to him as he rocked her slightly. She wanted his comfort.
She looked at him and silently begged him to believe what he was telling her.
"Right " He was gutted himself but he had to be strong for her.
"I know " She wanted to sob again. Adam rubbed circles on her back to try to comfort her.
"The cancer is back " She mumbled in to his scrubs.
"Shh" He comforted.
A knock on the door interrupted the two of them. Jessica sighed. She watched Adam get up and head downstairs, answering the door. "What?" He snapped, already knowing who was on the other side of the door. He was going to shut it when she put her foot in the door.
"Leave her " Adam said, they both needed to come to terms with what had happened. Upstairs, he could hear her bursting in to loud sobs and hurried back to comfort her.
He grabbed her face either side and stroked her cheeks. "You did nothing wrong " He told her.
A couple of months later, Linda went in to labour with Zoe, by her side. She was in labour for 8 hours, which was the average amount of hours, for the arrival of a first baby.
A nurse placed a new-born girl in Linda's arms, wrapped in a pink blanket. Linda looked down on her. She liked the name Amy Nicole Andrews for a girl. She also knew that she had to ring the child's father. Leaning over the side of the bed where her bag was she got her phone, selected a number and willed the person to answer her.
Phone - call
"Hello?" Linda said
"What?" Adam asked. He didn't want to hear from her.
"Are you busy?"
Was she stupid? Of course, he was busy.
"Yeah" He said and then put the phone down.
End of phone - call
"Are you OK?" She asked, she'd not forgiven him but she knew that she should.
"Don't worry " He told her, feeling sorry for her. She held a hot water bottle to her stomach. How could she have believed that she was pregnant. Because, the test had shown that she was. He opened his arms and she walked towards him as he closed his arms around her. She sighed in to the hug as he rubbed her back. He pulled back and she simply looked at him as he made excuses. "I'll see you later"
"Sure" She said, as she watched him put his wallet, phone, and opened the door.
Linda had, had no visitors and the side room was bare.
"Meet your daughter, Angel Nicole Andrews " Linda introduced Adam to his newborn daughter. This wasn't right, it should be Jessica lying in that bed, exhausted after delivering a child, but still beautiful.
The baby stared at Adam and he found himself being mesmerised by her. He then realized he should have been at his wifes side when she delivered thir son.
He opened his wallet where he kept an ultrasound picture of Harry, which he had taken from one year when Jessica was admitted, after falling down two flight of stairs.
She was discharged a day later and Adam offered her a lift back to her flat, realizing the flaat was too small, he put her up in an apartment which she was paying for, but when Jessica found out she was furious, it was their money. She locked herself in their room and grabbed her laptop, she was getting re- started on chemo soon and she hoped that Adam would be there to support her.
A couple of days later, Linda decided to invite Jessica to the apartment, but Jessica turned her down. She kept herself busy as she thought about divorcing Adam, but realizing that she couldn't.
As a nurse, Linda dealt with screaming brats, brats on her boobs, but having a day old baby made her rethink this mother thing.
Over in the Trueman household, Adam and Jessica were lying in bed, Adam was holding her tightly around the waist as she sobbed the night away.
I'm not happy with this but here you go. I struggled to write a cheating Adam. I know Jess was OCC, at times but that was the only way I could think of writing the chapter. I always seem to torture her in my stories, but I absolutely adored her. And, absolutely can't wait for January, 2th as Gillian makes her arrival as Emma in Emmerdale.
Next chapter: At work, Linda treats a teenager with bruises on her body, scared of her adopted parents, she lets Linda know and she has to make a decision, but bound by patient confidentiality what will Linda do? Turning to Jessica, for help the two women sort it out.
