The coach came to a jarring halt. Ruth awoke with a start, lifted a hand to wipe away the dribble of drool at the corner of her mouth, and looked sleepily out the window. When she recognized where she was, the dread she felt only increased and she bit back a sigh while the driver opened the door and put the step down for her. "Whitby," said the gruff man shortly, announcing their arrival. She and one other person got up, one after the other, and stepped out of the crowded cab.

Ruth identified her bags and the coachman tossed them at her feet without preamble, and soon was off with the rest of the passengers who had booked a ride.

She stared at her surroundings, her hand going to the curve of her belly where her baby moved and danced about. How could she come home like this? Tears welled up in her eyes and she murmured to the unborn child, "I am sorry, I am."

Knowing she wouldn't get help unless someone took pity upon her, she spent the next several minutes trying to gather her bags passed the bulk of her stomach. She couldn't reach them without help... Frustrated, she stood there on the side of the road, looking like some poor lost soul. Added to that, the clouds seemed to gather overhead and the first, icy rivulets of early spring rain seemed to plop onto her. Damn it to hell, she thought.

PC 56 - Hailey, Albert approached walking his beat. Gait steady, but deliberate, his hands were clasped lightly behind his back. His head remained fixed, but his eyes moved constantly, scanning the street from left to right and back. He observed the woman with disinterest. His jaw stiffened, he was going to have to help her, not because of noble duty, but because she was merely in front of him. Bags around her, she was obviously a new arrival to his patch. Drawing closer, he saw that she was heavy with child.  Oh joy. Just don't have it out in the middle of the street...

She attempted again to bend down to get the bags into her hands, but her belly prevented it again. She looked up just in time to see a man in uniform walking her way and then looking at her as if she had two heads. "Ooh, please sir... Could you possibly just hand me my bags? I'm sorry but I can't seem to... reach..." She grunted as she was trying one last time.

The rain began to fall, not in earnest yet but enough that one might wish to find shelter sooner, rather than later. She sighed with frustration, damning herself for coming home on a day like today to face her father after not having seen him in a few years.

Albert picked up the bags with displeasure, but without complaint. He was an officer of the law, supposed to fighting crime, not a bag man. Handing her the last bag, his eye caught sight of her hand and noted the lack of a wedding band. His eyebrow arched high, but again he said nothing. He'd seen it too many times before in Teeside, young girls caught up in their feelings, acted rashly, were left to pay the consequences. Now Whitby had one more mouth to feed... Stupid girl.

"Welcome to Whitby." he said formally.

She took note of the way his brow arched and heat crept into the back of her neck. She was well aware that she was in disgrace. The only consolation was that the marriage was still legal and binding, therefor her baby was not a bastard. The fact of the matter is that she was duped into believing her husband actually loved her. But he had broken her heart in many ways, left her to fend for herself because he was disgusted by the size of her belly. He looked as if he'd rather be sniffing glue than help her out.

"Thank you..." She sighed and then looked around. Her mouth curled downward. She really didn't want to go to her parents.