Holby City Tête a Tête
Henrik Hanssen stood in front of staff from AAU and Keller, and with Christine at his side, he introduced her as his new P.A. She smiled politely and shook several willing and friendly hands. One in particular was a Mr Elliot Hope, she liked this funny little rotund man, with his unkempt greying curly hair and eccentric match of clothes. They suggested he was anything but, the fantastic surgeon, that he was. In fact he secretly reminded her, a little of her own father.
"So you are Sasha, and you are Luc and you are? Goodness," she laughed, "so many faces, so many names, I just 'ope I can remember zem all."
"Don't worry Ms Autier," came Elliot's response. "We're a friendly bunch, I'm sure in time it will sink in. Any problems please feel free to ask for help," he said, patting her on the shoulder.
"Oh Monsieur 'ope, that is so very very kind of you, merci." she smiled back.
As Hanssen retreated to his floor and the gathering drifted back to work, it was Jac Naylor who lagged behind and eyeing Christine said, "so...how well do you know the Swede then?"
Startled a little by the woman's rudeness, Christine responded protectively by saying, "the Swede as you call him, has known my parents for many years, and we are good friends...Ms?"
"Jac...Ms. Jac Naylor," came the frosty response. With that, jac turned on her heel to rejoin her colleagues. If truth be known she was a little put out by this new arrival, okay she wasn't a consultant only secretarial but there was something about Christine, that she didn't like.
"One things for sure," she told Elliot and Ric, "she's got Hanssen around her perfectly manicured French finger."
"Don't you ever give up Jac?" Came Elliot's shaky response as he peered over his half moon spectacles. Elliot smiled at Ric and left for his morning surgery.
Tutting and raising an eye to the ceiling, Jac idiosyncratic arms folded, looked at a bemused Ric and continued coldy, "oh come on, when have you known my fabulous female intuition to be wrong?"
Ric leant over to pick up his list of duties, looked her straight in the eyes and said, "sadly...many a time, Jac," and eyeing her for sometime, he too turned and left.
Jac, flung her arms down to her side like a petulant child and said, "Oh thanks Ric, thanks a bloody bunch!"
With that she turned in the opposite direction and began to walk to her office.
Meanwhile Hanssen, sat in his chair and paperwork in hand, started to digest the operating theatre rota. He had a ten thirty with Mr Levy and routine heart surgery at 11.15 with the wonderful Ms Naylor. It had not escaped his notice that before he had left the meeting with his staff, Jac Naylor had stayed behind, ready to grill Christine. Thinking of her, he gave a smile from the corner of his mouth, "I wonder what you are up to? Forty questions I suspect, like a Gatling gun going off, with continual frequency and precision."
Hanssen was several huge steps in front of Ms Naylor and had briefed Christine on what to say to the inquisitive Ms Naylor, on one of their recent evenings out. He had taken her to see the opera Madame Butterfly, a particular favourite of his and afterwards at the bar, she had asked him specifically if there should be anyone she should watch out for? Hanssen had advised her that most of his staff were the usual mix, a friendly working bunch, but she was to watch the wonderful Ms Naylor. For she was as sharp as any scalpel he had ever held.
Thinking of Christine now, if the truth be known made his stomach lurch and knot slightly.
Both he and Christine had agreed that they would observe a strict code of conduct at work. It was to be kept strictly professional at all times, as it would never do if the world were to know of their relationship. Hanssen had admired her for speaking about this first. He needed her to understand that as director of surgery he had a position to uphold and a special job to do, and if his emotions were to be compromised in anyway then he might as well throw in the towel. Plus of course he did not want them to be the main topic of conversation at Holby City, well not quite yet anyway. Part of him wanted to shout it from the rooftops, an out of characteristic emotion for him, for he was proud to be seen with her.
Christine had met her new secretarial colleagues and had really gelled with Ann. Although sadly, she was leaving soon so they would only have a little time together.
Ann too, was fond of Christine and unbeknown to her and Hanssen, knew of the interest and change in her boss, the director of surgery the last few weeks. Ann of course was the soul of discretion and secretly was very pleased for the pair. "It was about time Henrik Hanssen let himself go a little and enjoy the company of a woman," she thought.
There was a knock at Hanssen's office door and in walked Christine, "I 'ave the list for you, Henri, sorry it is a little late, but I was kept talking by Ms Naylor."
"Ah, no surprise there then," retorted Hanssen shifting slightly in his chair.
"Do not worry Henri, she is completely blind to...?"
Hansen continued her sentence for her, "to?...Our relationship?" He said in a playful fashion.
Christine laughed and began to walk towards him, and standing at his side passed him the information he had asked for. He thumbed the piece of paper and as she leant closer, he closed his eyes, swallowed hard and inhaled her scent.
"Dinner?" he asked spontaneously.
"Henri, am I to take it, that despite your lecture the other evening, you are now asking me out on a date, during work time?"
Hanssen leant back in his leather chair placed both his hands together and turning to her said seriously, "yes, that's exactly what I am doing. Your answer is Miss Autier?"
Christine straightened her skirt and moving away from him, turned before she left his office and said, "well I suppose if the director of surgery wishes for me to accompany him to dinner, how can I possibly refuse." with that, she opened the door, smiled and without turning, left his office.
Hanssen adjusted his red tie and smiled to himself, he was becoming better at this. So much repression for so long, but now he felt reborn.
He was aware of his intense love for Sahira but until very recently had only been able to tell her on bended knee under the guise of a dying man's son. She had driven away that night, he hoped, finally realising how she had made him feel for these past sixteen years. She, of course would continue her new life in Nottingham with Rafi and her children. She had chosen this new life, for Rafi so that was that. But the thought of not seeing her again for whatever reason, had left him totally devastated.
Hanssen removed his glasses, placed his fingers to his eyes and sunk back into his chair.. The sudden thought of Sahira, despite his recent happiness with Christine, still made him feel the most incredible sense of loss.
Rubbing his eyes and replacing his spectacles, Hanssen sighed, stood up and left his office for the theatre slot with Sasha Levy.
Sasha Levy was scrubbing in when Hanssen appeared. "Oh hi Mr Hanssen," he said jovially, "how's things? Christine's really lovely isn't she?" Sasha offered, hoping for some more information but Hanssen just responded with an answer to his original question.
"Very good Mr Levy, very good." Hanssen liked Sasha Levy very much, but wasn't about to start a revealing chatty little episode with him.
The two men changed into their green gowns and Sasha opened the door to the theatre offering for Hanssen to lead, "thank you Mr Levy," came the response. "Now let us begin," cried Hanssen, snapping on a pair of fresh latex gloves. He walked towards the patient on the operating table, and with scalpel in hand, made a very large incision across the man's abdomen.
Meanwhile, Christine was busying herself with all sorts of new duties. She, was organising Henrik Hanssen's plane tickets to Stockholm. Going through his previous files, updating information on his diary and generally making for a better more organised system. He, was doing a talk in Stockholm in three weeks time, about post care support for serious heart patients. He had told her, that so much was due, not only to the operation but what care the individual received afterwards, this was according to him, paramount.
Christine gathered all the paraphernalia and clipped the details to the header sheet. She opened her door and began walking down the corridor to his office.
She stood outside and knocked. There came no answer so she entered the room. She walked towards his desk and placed the file in the middle, so when he returned he would immediately see it. As she did this, her eyes were drawn to a photograph that had accidentally fallen by his desk. Walking around and bending down she carefully picked it up. She did not recognise him at first then realised it was Henrik standing with a group of young medical doctors. She turned the photo over and inscribed on the back was a message, it read "Henrik, thanks for all you have given me, especially the will to succeed, much love, Sahira Shah. Christine was not accustomed to feeling jealous but did feel a slight twinge of apprehension. When she was younger she had once asked her father why Hanssen had never married. Her father had responded by saying that it was complex. Even now Christine was intrigued, "who could Miss Shah possibly be?" she wondered.
She placed the photo squarely onto Hanssen's desk and left. It was not for her to question this, however fascinated she was.
A very concerned Luc Hemingway walked quickly over to the bed of Mrs Barrett and checked her face. It wasn't looking good, but it was better than an hour ago. Her sudden reaction to shell fish had nearly killed her. The epinephrine injection he had prescribed had been necessary to open up the air passages and had just about stopped this becoming a fatality. The woman unable to speak just raised her eyes and tried to smile. She pointed to her arms. "What? Oh right." said Luc as he peeled back the white gown. "Right, the swelling has abated at last and I do believe you are starting to de balloon." He said, trying to make a joke. The woman made an unrecognisable noise and held up a thumb as if to say "great." Luc tapped her sympathetically on the shoulder and said he would be back within the next hour to see how she was getting on. He left her bed and immediately walked over to the nurses station. Eddie was searching for some paperwork and as he moved behind her, he brushed her backside with his hand, "sorry nurse McKee," came his response. Eddie slowly looked up and tongue in cheek said in her Yorkshire accent, "be careful Mr Hemingway otherwise I shall have to report you to Mr Hanssen for sexual harassment." Luc smiled at her and said, half seriously, "really...and do you think Mr Hanssen would know what that was?" Gave a small cough, and left.
After the heart operation, Hanssen placed gloves, and his gown in the huge hospital pedal bin and began to wash his arms and hands. After he had performed this action, he dried them and left the wash room. On the way back to his floor he was stopped by several different members of his staff and subsequently arrived back at his office, half an hour later than he would have liked. As he opened his office door he was pleased to see that Christine had arranged for a light salad to be left for him. Walking over to his desk he sat behind it, moved the paperwork to one side and it was then, that he spotted the photograph that he was sure he had placed in a drawer. Hanssen intrigued to know why it was now out on his desk pressed the intercom button.
"Yes Henri?" Came a French voice.
"Could I see you please Christine, now if that's okay?"
"mais oui, but of course," she said.
As she entered his room, Hanssen had already eaten half of the food and with a fork poised in his right hand, gestured towards the photograph.
"Yes?" Christine asked curious to what his point was.
"Did you place this here?" He asked.
Christine slightly taken aback by his formal approach with her said defiantly, "Qui...Yes."
Hanssen continued, " I put this, into my drawer this morning and don't understand how it has now found its way back onto my desk."
Christine walked over to him and leaning forward, picked up the image and looking at it said,
"easy, I found it on the floor and assumed you had dropped it."
Hanssen felt himself redden slightly and smiled. "Ah that would explain it." He said.
Christine looked at Hanssen and said, "was it not right I put it on your desk?
Hanssen stopped eating and held out his hand. Christine gave the picture back to him, where without even looking at it, he placed it to one side.
"Are you okay Henri?" she enquired, feeling a little lost.
Hanssen placed the fork on his desk and stood up. He wiped his mouth with the napkin and walked around, to where she stood. He pulled her to him and hesitating only momentarily kissed her on the cheek. She, slightly amused and a little angry with him, pulled away. " Henri, that is twice now in one day you have broken your own rules." She was about to pull away from him further, when he grabbed her and kissed her again, this time, fully and lovingly, on the lips.
When he finally withdrew he said calmly, "let's make it an uneven three shall we?"
Christine reached a hand up to his lavender tie, and began playing with the knot. Running her hand down to his shirt she patted him on the chest and looked into his soft brown eyes. "Who is Sahira Shah, Henri?"
Hanssen slightly tense moved back a little and smiling said, "just an old colleague...someone I used to admire a great deal." Realising she had touched on a nerve, Christine placed both of his hands to her soft mouth and began to kiss them.
Hanssen, looked at her in awe, never before had a woman kissed his hands, and certainly never in the manner as she did, it was magic. To think that for one moment these same hands were delving amongst the complexities of the human body in all its natural splendour and the next, placed to her soft mouth. He was totally blown away by the sensation. "Such clever...lovely hands, Henri" she remarked," placing them to her cheekbone.
Fascinated, Hanssen watched and completely over whelmed withdrew his hands, and pulled her to him. Christine stopped him, and walking confidently over to his door, locked it. As she returned to where he was standing, she laughed a laugh that every woman would, realising she had entranced him.
Hanssen knew he was beaten, "it was no good," he thought, and grabbing her, began to gently undo the top button of her blouse.
"So much for protocol Henri, " she teased.
Hanssen facing her, turned her and positioned her back gently against his desk and continued, " are you sure Christine?" Came his soft voice.
"Toujour the gentleman Henri...we only live one life, do we not?" She said placing her hands around his waist.
"How philosophical Miss Autier," came his response.
"Let us 'ope Henri, we can make it to dinner tonight, I am hungry" teased Christine as he kissed her neck.
"Typical" he thought, "trust the French to have the same appetite for food as they do for love making."
Looking up, he said half seriously, "don't worry English restaurants stay open very late."
Jac Naylor left the ward and with paperwork in hand begun the long trek to Hanssen's office.
"Jac Naylor?" Came a voice behind her, "as I live and breathe." Turning, Jaq was surprised to see David Gath someone she had trained with at medical school. "My God," she said completely taken aback. "How are you?"
David raced up the stairs and embraced her. "Just call me David. It's good to see you Naylor,"
"Consultant Jac Naylor to you Gath," came her response. "What the bloody hell you doing here anyway?"
David Gath told her that he had been for a job interview in another part of the hospital and had got lost and ended up on the stairwell. Jac and him spent a good ten minutes going over their separate careers and lives, and towards the end of the conversation, she suddenly realised she needed Hanssen to okay something. "Look, I've got to go," she said, " but if you want, we can meet up for a drink sometime?" David smiled, "that would be great."
Hanssen kissed Christine on the mouth and then unlocked the door. She was holding a file, and as he opened it hoping to release her out into the corridor, as privately as she had entere, Jac Naylor was standing directly outside, hand up ready to knock. Hanssen slightly surprised and caught off guard, jumped and said in a serious tone, "do you want me Ms Naylor?"
Christine totally at ease, smiled confidently at Jac Naylor and said, "bonjour." Then carefully negotiating her way around the consultant, continued along to her own office.
Hanssen, pulled at his door handle and closed the office door behind him and quickly said, "Shall we use the more healthier option."
Jac not understanding raised an eyebrow and said, "and that is?"
"Walk and talk Miss Naylor, walk and talk." Said Hanssen peering down through his spectacles at her.
"Oh right." Said Jac. She opened the file and pointed to where she needed his signature. Hanssen read the paper and placing his silver ink pen to the page, signed.
He was relieved he had opened the door when he did, he only hoped Jac Naylor had not been standing outside when he had unlocked the door. Worse still he hoped she had not been standing there for the past five or six minutes.
Jac Naylor took the documents from Hanssen, and gave him a generous smile.
Henrick Hanssen felt strangely uncomfortable, a sensation he wasn't accustomed to. Eyeing her, he said, "now will that be all?"
Jac mouthed "yes," and grinning, walked off. When she had taken only a few paces she turned back to Hanssen and said, "oh just one more thing Mr Hanssen."
"Yes," came his quiet response as he looked up to face her.
" You've lost one of your cuff links," she said, pointing to his white shirt sleeve.
Hanssen perturbed by this, held up both arms and noticed she was right. "Thank you Ms Naylor, I must have dropped it in my office." He proffered quickly.
Jac sniffed and grinned, "sure you did." She then added, "Perhaps your secretary could help you find it?"
Hanssen stiffened and looked up to face her. For he was not happy with the insinuation. He gave her one of his very best glares, but it was too late for Ms Naylor, had walked off in the other direction. As he watched her leave, he knew that he would have to be lot more careful in future and show more restraint at work where Christine was concerned. It was extremely out of character for him to be held to ransom by anyone other than his own conscience.
Jac Naylor continued down the stairwell onto the ward. She smiled, she was not stupid, and most certainly wasn't about to start making any accusations regarding Hanssen and his new honey. For she wanted to lead the Cardio thoracic Unit, and as Hanssen hadn't quite made up his mind up yet to whom he would choose. She would participate in his silly game, until it was time to use the ace up her sleeve; that, was the ace of hearts of course.