Connie had tried her best to set herself up so that she was working alongside Jacob most of the time, so that they could talk about whatever had happened between them, but he seemed so distant and unapproachable. He wouldn't talk to her, and constantly treated her as if she was just his boss, and that he'd never felt anything for her. One day, she was assigned to work with a young woman who had been helping out at a friend's wedding ceremony, and had fallen from the step ladder and broken three bones in her leg, as well as getting a deep laceration to her left thigh. The best man had come along in the ambulance with her, and it was clear as day to anyone that the couple were interested in each other, but they both seemed oblivious to it. Connie addressed to the laceration and then took Jacob out for a chat as the pair got ready to go up to X-Ray.
"What are we doing about the man?" Connie asked. "It's fairly obvious that she likes him, and they've not let go of each other yet."
"Since when were you interested in relationships?" He replied coldly.
"Don't mistake this for me being interested," she snapped back. "I simply want to get my patient up to X-Ray, and I can't do that when she's carrying a 6-foot pile of baggage along with her."
"So that's what love is, is it? Baggage?"
"That's not what I meant, and you know it. With all due respect, Staff Nurse Masters, I'd appreciate it if you could just get on with your job, rather than twisting my words to suit yourself!"
"Yeah, well, also with all due respect, Mrs Beauchamp, you can shove your job. I'm out." With that, Jacob took off his name badge and threw it across the floor, then turned around and walked away from Connie.
"Jacob!" She called, sighing in defeat. She was gobsmacked! That was the second time he had walked away from her, and Connie was starting to feel as though he hated her. He couldn't even look her straight in the eye, and he struggled to hold any form of conversation with her. She wondered what on earth she had done wrong, and felt her eyes welling up with tears. She pushed her patient documents into the arms of Cal, and stood watching the busy ED rushing around her. Lofty came past pushing a trolley with some equipment on it, and Connie just turned around as he rolled over Jacob's badge. "Nurse Chiltern, would you please watch where you're going?" She shouted, and he scuttled away after apologising, so Connie leant down and picked up the cracked name badge, looking down at it fondly. She went back to her office and sat there for a short time, looking at Jacob's name badge as if it was going to give her some great ideas on how to fix their relationship. Instead, it was just the same five letters, repeating over and over, meaning very little to her except heartbreak and anger at the moment. Reluctantly, she stood up and left, deciding that she needed to do some work as the ED was very busy, and stuffed Jacob's badge into her pocket.
She worked throughout the day, and didn't stop for anything until her shift ended, and she walked outside to go to her bike, fastening up her leather jacket. Walking over to it, she saw Jacob perched on one of the far benches away from the ED, and decided to go over and sort through whatever it was they had going on between them.
"I didn't know you smoked," she said, creeping up behind him and seeing the puff of smoke rise over his head. She wasn't exactly an expert, but she knew that he wasn't smoking standard tobacco.
"I don't," he replied, taking another deep puff from the cigarette, without turning to look up at her.
"Good," she answered, and took a seat beside him on the bench. He had clearly been sat there all day, as he was still wearing his uniform, and his eyes were red and puffy, though Connie didn't know if it was because he'd been crying, or if it was because of drugs. "Cannabis?" She asked, and he nodded carelessly, taking another deep inhalation.
"Why do you care?" He asked, snidely.
"I don't," she replied instantly, then soon took the joint out of his hands.
"Connie, for God's sakes, this isn't a joke," he huffed, trying to take the joint back from her.
"Can I try it?" She asked, looking at him.
"No!" He shouted, trying to take the joint once more. He was a little shaky, and he slurred his words a little, making Connie think he was under the influence of alcohol, rather than drugs, which relieved her a little bit. If this was his first joint, Connie knew she had him right in the palm of her hand.
"Why not?" He didn't answer her, and she knew for sure she had got him now. "Because you know what the symptoms are. You know what this could cause and you don't want it to happen to me," she stated, then watched as he dropped his head in shame. He knew she was right, and so he couldn't make a valid argument against her. "So next time you have one of these, Jacob, think about other people and what you mean to them. Think about the people that love you."
"I thought love was just baggage," he muttered.
"If you want to live the same boring, miserable life as I have, then you keep believing that." Without saying another word, she pushed the remainder of the splint into the top of the nearby bin, and then threw it away once it was out. Jacob watched as she did this, then put his head in his hands, and soon, Connie heard him begin to sob slightly. She rushed to his side instantly and draped an arm over his shoulder.
"I've messed up so badly," he moaned, and Connie cradled him a little as she let him get all his emotions out.
"What's been bothering you, Jacob? I know it's not just me."
"I was living with my sister," he said, wiping his nose and sitting up. "She was hit by a car on her way back from work. Died on impact." Connie's mouth fell open, and her arm tightened around Jacob's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, pulling him closer. "If there's anything I can do." They were silent for a moment, and then Jacob turned to face Connie.
"There is one thing," he whispered, pleadingly. "Forgive me for earlier, and for these last few days. In all honesty, Mrs B, your tough love is probably what kept me right." She knew he had had a few drinks, but the alcohol didn't smell too strongly on him, so he wasn't completely drunk, though she wouldn't have blamed him if he had have been.
"Jacob, please, I'd never hold something like this against you. Just please, talk to me sooner if you ever have anything else bothering you." She smiled at him fondly, then realised what he had said earlier. "Hang on, you said you lived with your sister? Where are you staying?"
"The house was in my name anyway, I'm alright," he said quietly.
"Are you sure you should be staying there, with all the reminders?"
"I've got nowhere else to go," he shrugged.
"Well, that's not entirely true," she suggested, taking her arm off his shoulder and turning to face him. "Come with me." He may have been a little tipsy, but of course he recognised the phrase - their phrase. He had said it to her when he took her up to the top of the hospital for their dinner, and she had said it when she invited him into her office, where they first kissed. Come with me.
"I can't impose on you like that," he slurred, trying to ignore the comment.
"You wouldn't be imposing," she whispered softly. "I want to do this for you." She placed her arm delicately on his shoulder, causing him to turn around and face her. They were centimetres apart, and Connie felt the heat rising in her stomach, though she knew she had to pull away before anything happened. She wasn't going to kiss him when he was a little tipsy, and so emotionally distraught.
Minutes later, he followed her to her bike, and pulled on a helmet from the back before climbing in behind her, slipping his arms around her waist loosely. They drove off into the night together, both in higher spirits than they were before, and it wasn't long before they were sailing down the country roads, en route to Connie's home. When she pulled up outside and invited Jacob inside, he was astounded by how glamorous and modern it was, though he really couldn't expect anything less from his Queen B. She poured him a glass of cranberry juice, and told him to get his feet on the table and choose a movie, while she went upstairs to find him something to wear for bed. She came down no more than ten minutes later, in her dressing gown and a silk, laced nightie, carrying one of her ex's old t-shirts for Jacob to wear. She threw it at him, causing him to chuckle, and went to collect some cheese and crackers for their supper. As she came back, Jacob was stood in front of the television in his boxers, with the shirt over his head. His torso was facing Connie, and she felt herself blush as she saw the ripples in his chest, and the bulge in his boxer shorts. Grabbing the blanket off the back of the armchair, she walked over to him and the pair settled down together, cuddling into each other as they watched a film - the new James Bond film, Spectre. Jacob took the first sip of his drink, and looked at Connie strangely.
"What's wrong?" She laughed.
"I thought it was red wine," he admitted, and she laughed.
"No, Jacob. I knew you'd been drinking a little already, so I wanted to prevent a hangover, not give you one."
"What is it I'm drinking, then?" He asked, anxiously.
"Cranberry juice," she smiled. "The fructose in it gives the body instant energy, and it contains vitamins and plenty of water too. It's been my hangover remedy since my teenage years." Jacob hummed, and they settled back down to watch the rest of the film. It was captivating, and both of them felt a little happier and content as the film drew to an end. As the lights went out, the pair just stayed together, curled up on the couch, listening to the sound of each other breathing.
"Thank you, sweet-cheeks," Jacob said, stroking some of her hair behind her ear. "And I'm sorry for treating you so awfully."
"I can think of a few ways you can make it up to me, Staff Nurse Masters," she whispered languidly, curling into his side. "Though not tonight."
"Heard you loud and clear," he whispered. "Can you do one more thing for me?" He asked, keeping his arms around her.
"If I can, I will," she hummed, her eyes closing slowly.
"Come with me." Her head shot up as he said it. She hadn't been sure as to whether he had realised that they said that all the time, but obviously he had, and she smiled. "To your bedroom. I want to sleep with you - fully clothed - in my arms, if that's what you want too."
"I couldn't think of anything better," she smiled as she planted a gentle kiss to his cheek. She untangled herself from him, then stood up, and reached her hand out to him. "Come with me," she replied flirtatiously, and she led him upstairs into her bedroom. They climbed into bed together, and she allowed his arms to wrap tightly around her waist, and his legs tuck in behind hers. As she fell asleep, she felt protected, and she felt loved, and though obviously the circumstances weren't ideal, she felt like she had the potential to be happy with him.