How You Remind Me

Kat looked like she was in anguish. Her face was streaked with tears. She tried to speak but couldn't, and took several hitching breaths before she could talk. "It hurts," she wept. Alfie noticed her hands were pressed against her stomach.

"Oh, no..." he said, startled, guessing what was wrong. "The baby...?"

Mentioning that word was a mistake - she started sobbing anew. Her face was white. Alfie pulled her towards him without a second thought, trying to comfort her, and she leaned against him desperately, crying into his shoulder. He put his hand on her hair.

"It's alright," he said helplessly, not knowing what to do. "Come on, sit down-"

He led her into the living room and sat her down on the sofa. He sat down next to her and she leant against him again, crying helplessly. After a few minutes she seemed to get it under control and breathed thickly, sniffling occasionally. She wouldn't let go of him, however.

"Kat," Alfie said. He could feel her breathing, warm against his skin. "I'm sorry.." He didn't know what else to say. What were you supposed to say? He shouldn't be doing this. She needed another woman to look after her now really, not some stupid bloke... Then for the first time he realised that she didn't have any real girl friends - only him. Why was that? There was Zoe and the rest of her family, of course, but they didn't really count... he was her best friend... he had no choice but to look after her now.

"What should I do?" he asked her, feeling useless.

She sniffled. "Nothing." She raised her head and looked him in the eyes for the first time. "My baby," she uttered, to no-one in particular.

"I-"

"I'm losing my baby," Kat carried on, her face grief-stricken. He could practically see her heart breaking in two inside her. She was staring off into the distance.

Alfie went to put his hand on her shoulder, but she flinched away from the touch. Then she glanced around at him, and on the instant their eyes met, she dissolved into tears again.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't-"

He was moved by pity - and love, too, but he didn't recognize that until much later - for her. "Don't be," he said compassionately. He picked up both of her hands in his and held them.

Kat winced and pressed her hand against her stomach again, inadvertedly dragging his along with it. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Kat looked at the floor, her face empty of everything but sadness.

"Do you-" Alfie cleared his throat, "Do you, erm, need anything? To... um... you know." He studied a tear in his jeans, embarrassed.

Something in Kat's face flickered. "I suppose I will," she said dully.

"Do you want me to go to the shop and-"

At the mention of him leaving, Kat looked alarmed. "Stay with me," she begged.

"I'll just be a minute," Alfie reassured her. "And then we'll go to the hospital-"

Kat jumped. "What? No, I-"

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Alfie said firmly.

She relented. "Alright," she said, in a whisper.

Alfie stood up to leave. She wouldn't let go of his hand at first. He leant down and, for no reason he could fathom, kissed her on the forehead. She didn't complain. In fact, she looked relieved at the touch.

"I'll just be a few minutes," he said softly. She nodded, staring at the carpet once more.

Alfie and Kat went to the hospital in a cab, where she and Alfie were left waiting in A&E for a while. Kat was sitting on a plastic seat next to him, staring down at her hands. She had barely said a word, and had let Alfie do all the talking at the front desk. She had blinked once, her face twisting with pain, when Alfie had told the receptionist in a low voice that she was having a miscarriage.

"Kathleen Slater," a voice came on over the tannoy, and told her which room to go to. She looked up, blinking, as though she had been woken out of a deep sleep.

"Come with me," she said to Alfie, and her eyes held a pleading expression.

"I - I can't," Alfie said. "They'll want to examine you, and everything..."

Kat stood up, a hand on her aching stomach. "Wait for me, then."

"Course. I'm not leaving you," Alfie replied. Something strange flickered between them, and then it was gone. Kat wandered off into a doctor's room, and Alfie watched her disappear.

In the doctor's room was a man name Dr. Taylor, or Tyler or somethng. She didn't know, and was past caring. He examined her, after asking if she would prefer a female doctor, but she had shook her head, her lips pressed together tightly. Then he had told her what she had already knew - she was losing her baby and there was nothing anyone could do about it. He told her it would just feel like a heavy period, and asked if she would like to speak to anyone. A shrink, she assumed. She thought she was going to cry again, but she didn't. Her eyes had turned dry.

She met Alfie in the waiting room. He stood up as she approached, and she smiled thinly at him. It felt pasted on to her lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

She shook her head shortly. "I'll be fine. Can we go now?"

aww do more soon I really love this script you're such a great writer

aww poor Kat..more soon!

Awwww poor kat :( Great writing though :) more soon please

great writing!
please do more soon!

After that, Alfie had taken Kat back to the Vic. He thought it would be cruel to send her back home, to the rabble of Slaters, so he asked if she'd like to stay over.

She blinked in surprise, and he flushed, thinking she'd mistaken what he meant. "I meant I'd sleep on the sofa, you could have my bed, just for the night, if you don't feel up to going home-" He was babbling and he knew it.

Kat nodded slowly. "Okay. Thanks." Her eyes stayed on his for a few seconds. "You don't have to do this, you know."

Alfie murmured something, embarrassed for no reason he could see. He didn't have to, that was true. They were just friends, after all. It had been Anthony's baby, not his. But did that matter? He loved her just the same. Even if he didn't know it yet.

So Kat curled up in Alfie's double bed, looking oddly small and lost in the middle of the dark bedcovers. She scrunched the covers up to beneath her chin and lay her head on his pillow, still absorbed in her grief. Alfie waited until she was settled down and bid her an awkward "goodnight". As he left the room, gathering up a spare duvet from the closet to roll up on the sofa with, he couldn't help thinking that she was actually in his bed. She had looked pretty too. Her tousled black hair falling over the pillow and framing her tear-streaked face. He shook his head and tried to get to sleep on the makeshift bed.

Great. Poor Kat. Please so more asap.

poor kat. post more soon.

please do more soon!!!