Chapter 1

Chris was trying to focus on the paperwork. She was struggling get used to life without Tom and was feeling tired and grumpy. Geoff was settling fairly well, but she was still having to help settle him in and advise him on being sensitive to life in the outback. Work was as busy as ever, and she was so lonely without Tom. Every week she wrote him a long detailed letter, pouring out her heart, but in return she had only had two postcards. At least he'd said that he loved her, and was missing her.

Some aspects of life were just plain weird: such as Kate's budding relationship with George Baxter. That was one that Chris really couldn't get her head round - and it had also dissuaded her from any notions she might have of confiding in Kate. She shook her head and went to make herself a cup of coffee in an effort to shake herself out of her torpor, only to find the smell turn her stomach. She threw the coffee down the sink and went back to her desk.

Kate observed Chris silently. She had been vaguely concerned about her for a while now. As nearly two months had passed since Tom's departure, she had hoped that Chris would be getting onto more of an even keel by now. Watching the coffee being thrown away a thought planted itself in her head that she knew she would have to follow up. She gnawed her lip, wondering how to approach Chris. In the end she resolved to wait for the end of the day, when the base would be quiet, and just to follow her instincts.

Chris responded to Geoff calling goodbye, answered a 'maybe' to Gibbo and Joe inviting her to join them at the pub later and looked forward to the peace and quiet. She had just laid her head on her arms and started to quietly sob when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Kate.

"I thought you'd gone home - sorry." she spluttered.

Kate handed her a tissue. "So I gathered. But I wanted to check on how you are, and I thought this was a conversation better had when everyone else had gone home. Chris, I know you're missing Tom, but is there anything else going on?"

Chris blew her nose. "Nothing else - what else could be going on in my life at the moment? There are no secrets in Cooper's Crossing and I'm so busy at work I haven't got time for anything else."

Kate decided to bite the bullet, hoping that Chris would see her suggestion as caring rather than intrusive. "I was watching you and your coffee earlier, and you've been looking so tired..." she broke off, but Chris just shrugged, so she plunged on, "Chris, you're not pregnant are you?" Kate broke off as Chris's head jerked up in shock.

Chris's head was whirling - but the thought making its presence felt was that Kate could be right. She gazed at Kate as she felt the blood drain from her face. "Oh God! But we were always so careful!"

Kate got home late and just made herself a quick sandwich before going to bed. She has stayed to offer moral support while Chris took a pregnancy test. They had then gone back to Chris's house to discuss the news. Kate knew that there would doubtless be some very shocked reactions in the town to Chris's news, and she had pledged her support before persuading Chris that in the circumstances she needed an early night. She had then left Chris to write the all-important letter to Tom.

Kate went to bed but was unable to sleep immediately. She was sure that Tom would stand by Chris, but his current location in Africa was more than a little bit of an issue. Chris was going to have to speak to Geoff tomorrow, and her pregnancy could not be kept secret for long. There were bound to be comments on a doctor getting herself pregnant, Chris having just proved that no contraception was foolproof. "There but for the grace of God go I," Kate muttered, as she vowed to take extra precautions when spending time with George.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Chris woke up feeling far more refreshed the next morning than she had recently. Despite crying herself to sleep last night, this morning she found herself excited at the thought of the baby - her and Tom's baby. She had written to Tom and, knowing him as she did, was confident that she could hope at least to see him sometime in the next few months. So feeling more positive than she had expected, she headed off to work.

"Morning all." she called as she went in. Kate looked at her with eyebrows raised, surprised to see her quite so cheerful following the storm of tears last night. Chris grinned quickly at her on her way to speak to Geoff. He looked up from his desk as Chris shut the door and opened his mouth, but she cut him off before he could speak.

"Geoff, I need you to listen, I've got news that is going to complicate matters round here. I've been low and tired recently, and feeling generally out of sorts, you've probably noticed. Then Kate came to see me yesterday evening to ask if I might be pregnant. I did a test, and it turns out she was right - I must be about three months - Tom's been gone two now. I know it will affect things round here and I'm sorry about that; I know that I may well not be able to stay due to what the town will be saying about me, but I can't be sorry about that."

"Congratulations Chris." Geoff got up and kissed her on the cheek. "So now we just have to work out what happens now - I don't see why we should have to lose you. Are you going to let Tom know?"

"I wrote to him last night - I can't imagine that he won't at least offer moral support. We were discussing the possibility of marriage after all and I didn't do this on purpose. I don't want to leave the Crossing by the way, but I don't want to cause an issue - I guess we'll just have to see what happens there. Only you, me and Kate know so far, and I'd like to keep it that way for a bit."

"I think you're right there," Geoff said thoughtfully, "I'd hold off on telling people for a while longer yet. Give Tom a chance to hear the news and respond, then you can judge how to proceed."

"Thanks Geoff, that's good advice."