Part 84

                                    

                                          
A/N - I'll just say sorry now...
                          
A few days later Connie was dropping Grace at school. "Right, be good . Daddy and I will be here to pick you up later, okay? I love you." She nodded before wrapping her arms around her mothers neck. "Go on then, get inside." Grace let go running towards the open gate before turning back with a wave to which Connie smiled at, blowing a kiss.
                          
Leaving the school Connie pulled her phone out of her pocket flicking through her emails. Despite being in the final weeks of her pregnancy, she was still clinical lead in the ED after refusing to let anybody take over until she was physically unable to run the department. 
                          
Opening the car door she got in dropping the phone to the passenger seat, heading out of Holby. Her phone buzzed with a message from Sam, risking a glance down she picked it up to see the brief message. Hey, where have you got to? I've just got to run out so I'll meet you back home to get Grace later? S x 
                          
Connie dropped the phone back down deciding to respond to it when she was done driving. She had a meeting with someone from the registry office this morning to sort a day in the new year for the wedding. Sam had done so much for them, and after he was given the all clear Connie vowed to herself that she would make this day as special as she could. 
                          
Parking outside, she remained in the car for a few moments thinking to herself. It hadn't even been two years yet, but things were moving faster than she'd ever let anything else in her life. Normally everything was calm and collected but this, their entire relationship had been anything but that.
                          
Walking inside, Connie greeted the other woman sitting down with her as they began to discuss possibilities for the wedding. Sam was walking into the hospital heading up to Darwin, and into his office. "Morning-" "Elliot, how's things looking out there?" The other man looked slightly flustered before beginning to mumble. "Fine... Fine." Sam nodded a little suspicious of his behaviour but brushed it off taking a seat.
                          
After an hour of back and forth conversation Connie was walking out with a date in her hands that was a little over 5 months away. It was quick to get things arranged, but she wanted nothing more than to just move on with their lives together. Getting married would mean they could leave so much behind and she wanted that to happen as soon as possible. 
                          
Connie decided to wander around the shopping centre with no rush or reason to get back. Taking her time she browsed various things before taking a small break and sitting in a café across the road. She smiled to herself as a couple walked in and sat at the table beside her. The woman sat holding a small baby that couldn't have been more than a few months old. 
                          
Thoughts whirled through her mind as she pictured just how different her life was about to become with another child on the way . Her work schedule would have to change for sure, and she would need to start taking better care of herself if she were to be having sleepless nights with a baby again. 
                          
Sighing to herself she lowered her head looking down into her coffee. She made so many mistakes first time around with Grace and it was a constant worry that she was just going to make the same mistakes and more this time. Who was to say she wouldn't make so much of a mess of it that Sam wanted to leave her? 
                          
Trying to ignore the thoughts that plagued her mind she focused on anything but the near future. Just as she thought of something else she dropped a hand to her bump as a few swift kicks were reminding her there was no ignoring it. A small smile passed her lips before she got up leaving the café.

                          
Getting back into her car she threw her phone and bag onto the passenger seat switching the ignition on as the radio played quietly. Reversing out of the parking space she began to make her way back towards Holby, the roads busier than they were earlier that day. Focusing ahead she drove through the busy roads, overtaking a few cars before returning to the other lane coming off at the turning for Holby.
                          
As she continued driving, she turned the radio up beginning to sing along. Her mind clear of anything important, she just concentrated on getting home. After a few minutes, her phone rang but she dismissed it, leaving it for later. It went quiet as the radio continued to play before the phone began to ring once again.
                          
Connie reached across to the other seat picking it up, turning the radio down. "Hello Mrs Beauchamp?" "Connie, is there anyway you can come in? We're desperate right now, I wouldn't be asking if we weren't." Looking down to her watch she sighed before rubbing her hand across her forehead. "An hour, two tops-" "Thank you." 
                          
She hung the phone up releasing a heavy breath throwing the phone to the chair again. The last place she wanted to go this afternoon was the ED to work but here she was. It was times like this she wished she had taken the opportunity to give up the ED for maternity leave all those weeks ago.
                          
Only ten minutes away from Holby the phone began to ring again. Frustrated, Connie looked over seeing the phone had fallen onto the floor. Glancing up to the road seeing it was clear she ducked down to pick it up but it was just out of reach. At the sound of horns she snapped back up and pulled on the steering wheel moving back into her own lane. Releasing a shaky breath she glanced to the phone shaking her head, looking back to the road.
                          
She carried on, slowing as she neared the corner pulling out slowly. Speeding up along the road she noticed a car in her rear view mirror getting closer and closer. Trying to ignore it she carried on as she was, the beeping of their horn becoming a nuisance as she drove. Out of nowhere, the car sped up overtaking her as a car came along the other side of the road causing them to swerve.
                          
Connie quickly steered out of the way, oblivious to the cars parked along the side of the road until it was too late. The scraping of metal and sounds of alarms was all that could be heard for miles around. There was no movement, no shouting or screaming, nothing. Connie's phone began to ring once again, consistently over and over as it was left unanswered.