One minute Kate was beside him in the grotto and the next she wasn't. He sensed her missing immediately and looked around. She was on the floor out cold. Her body hitting the floor was the thud that everyone heard.

"Kate!" Steve shouted as he crouched down and touched her face. "Can you hear me?".

From her perch on Santa's lap, Ellie looked on a little frightened. Santa too looked a little concerned at the disruption as did the few 'elves' that were helping the event run smoothly.

Kate's eyelids fluttered open at Steve's touch and Steve breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god," he muttered.

"What happened?" Kate asked.

"I think you fainted, mate," Steve informed her.

"I've called for an ambulance," the woman in charge of the grotto event told Steve and Kate.

"Oh I don't need one of those," Kate said. "I'm fine," she reiterated as she tried sitting up. The moment she did though, a wave of dizziness overtook her and she had to lie down again.

"Too soon?" Steve asked and Kate nodded. Steve took off his coat and bunched it up before putting it under Kate's head as a pillow. He didn't need the jacket as it was so damn hot in the grotto with all the burning tea lights, it was actually a relief to feel a bit cooler.

"Would she like a drink whilst we wait?" the woman asked. She was going to make sure this unwell person saw a paramedic crew whether she wanted too or not. She was not going to have her event blamed for her feeling unwell.

Kate nodded yes to the refreshment and a plastic cup with cold water was soon acquired. Steve helped her lift her head off the pillow and held the cup to her lips as Kate took a sip.

Ellie slipped off Santa's lap and cautiously approached her father and Kate. Kate saw the apprehension on Ellie's face and tried to reassure her. "I'm fine, Ellie," she said. "This is called a hangover and is a good demonstration of why you should never drink too much alcohol,".

Ellie looked to her father to see if Kate was telling the truth. Steve reached over and ruffled his daughter's hair in a comforting gesture so Ellie guessed everything was OK as Kate had promised.

"Excuse me," was heard outside the tent before two paramedics dressed in green jumpsuits appeared.

Outside, the queue could be heard whispering with everyone wondering why paramedics were needed inside the grotto.

Kate closed her eyes in embarrassment. She hated being the centre of attention normally, and this time it was for all the wrong reasons.

"So what's happened here then?" One of the crew asked as the other replaced Steve in crouching beside Kate and began taking some observations.

"I'm really sorry but I think I'm wasting your time," Kate said as she rolled up her sleeve and allowed a blood pressure cuff to be wrapped around her arm.

"Let us be the judge of that," the other paramedic replied. Steve began telling the short story of Kate fainting for the man in front of him. "Do you remember all of this?" he asked Kate.

"Yeah. Pretty much," Kate answered. "I just came over all funny in here," she revealed. "There's no air and it's so warm. I haven't really had much to eat and drink this morning-,".

"Why not?" one paramedic asked.

"Christmas party last night," Kate replied sheepishly as the paramedic taking her observations pricked her finger for a drop of blood.

"What have we got?" The paramedic asked his colleague.

"BM is ok but she's tachycardicand hypotensive," was the reply.

"Is that serious?" Steve asked concerned.

"It means it's probably best we take you to the hospital to get checked over," the senior paramedic decided.

"I'm not going to hospital for a hangover!" Kate replied adamantly.

"Maybe it's best, mate," Steve said, hoping she would listen to him and go, even for his own peace of kind.

"Fine," huffed Kate, realising she was fighting a losing battle.

"I'd like to put a drip in and give you some fluid before we go," the paramedic in charge informed Kate. She made to decline the offer but the paramedic wasn't finished. "It'll make you feel a whole lot better if this is just a hangover," he pointed out.

"Ok. Fine," Kate agreed.

With the fluid infusion started the paramedics helped get Kate on to a wheelchair so they could take her to the ambulance. Kate would travel to the hospital with them and Steve would follow behind in his car with Ellie who was still looking a little frightened at everything that was happening.

"Your Mummy is going to be fine," the senior paramedic informed Ellie as he caught sight of her worried little face.

By the time Steve and Ellie arrived at the hospital, the paramedics promise seemed to be right. Kate was in a trolley but she seemed a lot chirpier than she had all day and smiled when her visitors were shown in to her cubicle.

"How are you feeling?" Steve asked before he gave her a quick kiss.

"Ok," Kate replied. "That bag of fluid has worked wonders. I feel good,".

"So what's happening?" he enquired a she took a seat beside the trolley and hoisted Ellie on to his lap.

"Well the doctor has seen me and examined me," Kate replied. "Couldn't find anything wrong. He took some blood to rule out a cause for me fainting. If they're ok then I can go home I think. He thinks it might be a hangover like I suggested,".

"That's good," Steve said, pleased it didn't look like there was anything too serious with Kate. "Told you Ellie," he said as he ruffled his daughter's hair. She had been asking a few questions in the car and it was good to put her mind at rest.

"Don't worry about me Elle," Kate reiterated. "I really am fine. A bit embarrassed but fine,".

The doctor found the family happily chatting away when he came into the cubicle with the results of Kate's blood tests. Ellie had moved fro her father's lap onto Kate's trolley.

"Hi!" Kate greeted as the medic entered. "This is my fiancé and his daughter,".

"Pleased to meet you," Steve said, getting to his feet and shaking hands with Kate's doctor.

"So can I go home?" Kate asked expectantly.

"Yes you can," the doctor answered and was met with three happy faces. "Just no alcohol for the foreseeable future," he warned.

"Don't worry," Kate answered, "after this hangover from hell I don't think I'll be drinking ever again," she continued.

"That's a little drastic," the doctor replied. "I think just the next nine months will be fine," he added a little cryptically.

"Nine months?" Kate repeated a little hesitantly. There was only one thing she knew that went on for nine months.

"Well it may be closer to eight months now," the doctor corrected himself.

"Are you saying I'm…….?" Kate tailed off, unable to say the word.

"Pregnant?" The doctor finished for her and Kate nodded. "Yes you are. Congratulations !".