36Once again, i apologise for the delay in updating. I owe this one to 'da ruth' who is helping me with my fics :D all those flaming grammar points that slip my brain when i'm writing :) thank youuuu
enjoy, and please review xx
Eddie had been following the same routine every day since Rachel had been admitted to hospital. He'd come into work, sign any paperwork that needed to be signed and then at lunch time he'd leave the school in the capable hands of Tom Clarkson. Luckily, he didn't have many lessons to teach, most of them had been covered by another Maths teacher so Eddie just did the morning lessons.
It was in one of these morning lessons that Eddie was presently in. He'd given the class some text book questions to get on with on polynomial long division; A non entity to most of them.
"Sir!" Beccy shouted from the back of the classroom. Eddie looked up from the book he was trying to mark; his tired, lifeless eyes showing that he didn't really have time for any silly jokes or interruptions,
"Yes?" He asked, curtly. He hadn't slept for more than 2 hours last night; he'd been up worrying about Rachel. It had been 2 weeks since she'd been stabbed and there'd been no change in her condition. Two very slow, painful weeks; not just for Eddie, but for the whole of Waterloo Road They were all feeling the loss. Oh how he longed for her to wake up. It was like their own version of Sleeping Beauty, but no matter how many times he kissed her, she still wouldn't wake up. He longed for the day that he would walk into her office and she would be sitting behind her desk in her full beauty, her twinkling hazel eyes and her beautiful smile that could brighten his day so easily.
He didn't know where Melissa had been these last few weeks, probably to one of her dark places. Eddie didn't care though, and neither, it seemed did Phil. He'd visited his Aunty a few times but had insisted that Eddie didn't accompany him. Eddie's thoughts were interrupted when Beccy continued after some encouragement from her friend Naomi,
"Sir? How is she?" asked Naomi.
"Still no change" The words seemed worse when he actually said them and they were greeted with a few sighs from the rest of the class who then continued with their work in silence. A silent lesson would normally have been welcomed by Eddie but this was a horrible type of silence: one of grief and loss. Without Rachel, nothing was the same.
The bell for break time rang and Eddie dismissed the class. They promptly gathered their books and bags and left the room. All apart from Beccy, Paul, Naomi and Bolton who stayed behind.
"You will tell us though won't you sir? We've been askin' Phil about her but he doesn't seem to wanna talk." Bolton asked. Eddie wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to say, "Ya know like, if there's any change with Mason, you will tell us yeah?" Eddie managed a small smile. He didn't know if it was a school boy crush, but Bolton held so much respect for his Head teacher.
"Yeah Bolton, you'll be the first ones to know… and Phil of course." Eddie smiled again and Bolton and the others returned the gesture before turning on their heel and walking out of the classroom. Eddie sat down and put his head in his hands.
Eddie was sat in Rachel's office signing and filing paperwork. The pile didn't seem to be getting any smaller, however many he read through. He didn't understand how Rachel could cope doing all this everyday; plus the paperwork of his that he forgot to do when he had been deputy. Making lesson plans was a big enough task for him, let alone reading letters from people she would rather not talk to and filing them in an organised way. Rachel's filling system had been brilliant, until Eddie took over and had decided to make up his own… Eddie stretched his legs and, picking up a pile of papers he started sticking them in drawers that took his fancy.
The bell for lunch time sounded and a few minutes later Tom popped his head round the office door and invited himself in,
"You alright mate?" he asked. Eddie looked up and gave a small smile,
"Yeah. Better than I have been"
"You coming to get some lunch?" Eddie shook his head,
"I'm not hungry thanks." Tom sighed, but still tried anyway,
"Alright, but we'll be in the canteen if you change your mind."
"Thanks Tom" Tom left Eddie alone, closing the office door behind him. Eddie sighed and sunk into the chair. A framed picture on Rachel's desk caught his eye and he smiled as he realised what it was. It was of the two of them; the head teacher and her deputy. It had been taken when the photographer had come into school. Eddie had suggested they get it done and had been amazed when she actually agreed! A small smile formed as he remembered the several attempts it had taken them to get that perfect photo.
Suddenly, his phone began ringing in his pocket, rudely bringing him back to the present. Grabbing it and pressing the green call button he put the phone to his ear.
"Eddie Lawson speaking."
"Mr Lawson, this is Dr Ashford from Rochdale General Hospital. I was calling to tell you that there has been a change in Miss Mason's condition…" Eddie didn't let the doctor finish and he promptly ended the call. He grabbed his coat and scarf off the back of the chair, slid his phone into his pocket and took his keys from the desk. Without another thought to the work piling up on the desk, he swung the office door open and stopped when he saw Bridgett.
"Bridgett, I've got to go out for a bit. I'll be back soon. Any problems see Tom; I'm putting him in charge." Bridgett nodded and Eddie bounded out of the office, avoiding pupils who were very confused at why their most senior member of staff, who had been so depressed recently, was now almost killing himself by running rather haphazardly down the stairs. He ran into the canteen this time getting out of the way before he bashed into Naomi and her lunch.
"Sir! Mr Lawson!" she shouted. Beccy, Phil, Bolton and Paul, along with most of the pupils in the canteen all turned around just in time to see Eddie almost crashing into the staff table due to his speed. Phil, Beccy, Bolton, Paul and Naomi all ran over, the rest of the canteen in shock at Eddie's sudden mood change and the chaos he had caused.
"Eddie?" Tom asked, still shocked at how Eddie had nearly plunged head first into his dinner.
"Sir what's up?"
"Is it Rachel?" Steph asked, hoping that she was ok. Eddie waited for the canteen to resume to its normal volume of chatte,
"Yeah Steph, it's Rachel. The hospital just rang. There's been a change in her condition." Eddie then realised that although he knew there had been a change in Rachel's condition but he didn't know what kind of change. He had automatically presumed that she'd got better. But now, he started to panic slightly.
"Has she woken up then?" Jasmine asked, taking another bite from her apple.
"I…I don't know" He said. The staff looked confused; the 5 pupils stood next to him were the only ones that seemed to be on planet Earth. Beccy looked between Eddie and Tom expectantly.
"Well don't just stand there; go and find out!" Beccy said, "oh and make sure you let us know as soon as possible. Mr Clarkson will look after the school. Phil do you wanna go with Mr Lawson?" Phil shook his head, he'd rather let Eddie go. Of course he cared for his Aunt, but what if things had turned for the worse?
Eddie nervously laughed as he walked out the canteen, was he really being told what to do by a 16 year old?!
Chatter arose from the staff, all discussing Rachel. Tom turned to Beccy and Paul.
"Beccy have you ever considered a career in teaching?" he smiled jokingly. Beccy went to say something but Paul spoke first,
"Actually, she wants to be a teacher; just like Miss Mason." He immediately regretted his decision as Beccy blushed and hit him on the arm. She then walked off to the table in the far corner following Naomi and Bolton. Paul felt slightly guilty, which made Tom laugh out loud, and he scampered off to make up with his girlfriend.
Eddie thumped the steering wheel in frustration as he was forced to stop at the 4th set of traffic lights in a row. He was only five minutes away from the hospital now, having broken a few speed limits on the way. Not that he cared; there was only one thing that was on his mind at the moment.
Was Rachel Mason still alive?