Role Reversal

Chapter 27

"YOU?"
Jacob's eyes narrowed and his voice shook with anger as he stared at Cal.

Connie closed her eyes tightly and rubbed her forehead when she heard that familiar voice behind her.
She turned around slowly, ready to explain to him.
"Jacob I-"

But she stopped when she realised that Jacob's attention was solely focussed on Cal, and he walked straight past Connie to confront him.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE YOU PLAYING AT, SLEEPING WITH MY GIRLFRIEND"

Cal smirked at him and kept his voice calm. "Maybe if you treated your girlfriend better, she wouldn't have come looking for me"

Jacob's fist swiftly met Cal's face.
Then another met Cal's stomach.
Cal turned away as he wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand.
"Jacob!" Connie rushed forward to stop the fight erupting between them and stepped in front of Jacob, holding his arms to prevent him hitting Cal again.
But Cal hadn't seen Connie, until he had already turned around to swing at Jacob. Instead, his fist swung into Connie, who was flung forwards into the table, before she fell to the floor.

Cal and Jacob immediately rushed to either side of Connie, who lay on the floor in front of them. They carefully took an arm each, to pull her up and together they slowly helped her to her feet.

Connie placed her hand on her stomach which had taken the force of the hit, as a slight pain occupied the area.
Jacob's placed his arm around her and looked at her with concern. "Are you alright Connie?"
"I'm fine." Connie shrugged away from him and gave him and Cal each a disapproving look. "Fighting isn't going to solv-"

But Connie couldn't continue as a gasp cut off her words. A sharp pain ripped through her body. She clutched her stomach tightly as she doubled over in pain and cried out in agony.
Jacob's arms caught her to prevent her falling to the floor.
Connie spoke through gritted teeth and exhaled deeply as the pain continued to engulf her. She looked up at Jacob with tearful eyes. "Jacob. The baby."
She cried out as the pain took hold of her, again.
Jacob continued to hold her tightly as she trembled in pain.
"We need to go and get you checked out"
Connie used Jacob for support as she took a few small steps towards the door, the pain still preventing her from standing completely upright.

"I'll come with you" Cal stepped to the other side of Connie and began to hold out his arm as a measure of further support for her
But Jacob turned to him with piercing eyes.
"You, don't touch her. You have done enough damage."

Cal ran his hand guiltily through his hair as he watched them make their way out of the room.

---

"Ok Connie, I'm just going to pop some of this gel onto your stomach, it might be a bit cold."

The gel was cold, but Connie didn't even flinch as it was squeezed onto her stomach.
Her eyes were fixated on the wall.
The pain had eased slightly, and instead, worry consumed her from the inside.

"Alright then, let's have a listen."

Jacob squeezed Connie's hand tightly as the ultrasound probe was rolled gently across her abdomen.

The midwife's expression became increasingly concerned as she continued to move the probe around.

Connie gaze still remained on the wall, but she was well aware of what the silence meant.