Just a little idea that came to me whilst writing Pretence. I've been surprised by the lack of Serena/Ric fics. Second part to be posted tomorrow hopefully. Hope you like it :)
'Ok, Diggers and I have it from here.' Malick told his two superiors. 'You can both get off home, if you can actually get a taxi in this weather.' He added. There had been a severe weather warning for the last few hours. He was surprised Mr Griffin and Ms Campbell had not gone straight home hours ago after their shifts.
'Oh it's just a few snowflakes!' Serena said dismissively.
'Are you sure you can manage?' Ric asked solemnly.
'Even if I couldn't, neither of you are in any state to help me.' Malick replied, giving them both a stern look.
Serena giggled and Ric looked sheepish. Digby watched them both nervously. Ms Campbell scared him on the best of days and he always felt in awe of Mr Griffin. Seeing them both clearly intoxicated as they were now was strange.
'We'll be off then.' Ric told them just as Chantelle arrived.
'I've settled Mr Spence into bed and the pain meds have kicked in. He's fine now.' She told them.
'Oh I simply must go and say goodnight!' Serena said mischievously.
'I really think you ought to be heading home as soo…' Malick began but Serena had walked away ignoring him. 'It is pretty bad out there.' He told Ric instead.
'We won't be long.' Ric said with a nod. 'Don't take all night Serena!' he called after her.
Malick sighed. There was no point in talking to them, they never listened to a word he said anyway.
'Poor Mr Spence.' Chantelle said. 'He's lucky you and Ms Campbell were there.'
Ric rolled his eyes. He could still picture Michael flying backwards across the floor and crashing into a table after being punched by the rather mean and rather large boyfriend of the woman he had been chatting up in Albie's. It had been a pretty bad fall and he had bruised some ribs as well as hitting his head. Ric almost felt sorry for him. But despite Michael's protestations that he did not know the young woman had a boyfriend and his insistence that he didn't give the guy any backchat, Ric found it hard to believe him. Michael had begged not to be brought to A&E or AAU and so they had brought him to Keller to be seen too. No doubt there would be hell to pay if word got out they had circumvented the usual admission procedures. Luckily, Keller was pretty quiet.
Ric noticed Digby standing by nervously. This really wasn't the best example to be setting the boy. Three drunk consultants on the ward – one of them as a patient after a drunken pub brawl! He was starting to wish he hadn't let Serena and Michael talk him into "a quick drink" after his shift – four hours ago. Up until the point when Michael had been hurled across the floor however he had to admit he had been having a good time. Whatever else Serena Campbell might be, when she wanted she could be extremely good company. And it was always fun to have a partner in sparring with Michael. Ric smiled to himself and turned to look towards Michael's bed on the ward. He could imagine how much Serena was enjoying teasing him about this and how she would for some time to come!
'All tucked up, nice and cosy?' Serena asked as she approached.
'I'm never going to hear this end of this am I?' Michael asked wearily.
'Oh I very much doubt it.' Serena grinned. 'And don't you look adorable in your little hospital gown.' She added in a cutesy voice.
'Yea, yea. Go away now please.' Michael retorted. 'It's almost past Ric's bedtime.'
'Oh Ric will get to bed on time, don't you worry.' Serena said absentmindedly as she noticed Ric signalling at her to hurry up.
'Yea? I thought that's the way things were headed.' Michael smirked.
'His bed!' Serena stressed realising how he was interpreting her comment.
'Well he does live closer Holby.' Michael nodded with a wicked glint in his eyes.
Serena sighed. 'You know what I meant!'
'Hey, I think you guys should go for it. Do you both some good. Get rid of some frustrations, if you know what I mean.'
'I'd rather choose to ignore what you mean.' Serena replied. 'Now…' she began to tuck in the sheets around him. 'You be a good boy for the doctors and nurses won't you? And I'll be back to see you in the morning.' She placed her hands on either side of his head and forced a loud kiss on his forehead, laughing as he tried to turn his head away.
'Get off!' Michael protested. Serena laughed. 'I won't forget this,' he warned, 'some day the shoe will be on the other foot and I'll have the last laugh!'
But Serena simply walked away still laughing.
Serena and Ric stood outside the doors of Holby as snow began to fall more heavily. Ric was on his phone and Serena was dancing from foot to foot with the cold and humming an ABBA song.
'No good.' Ric told her. 'They say they won't have any cars on the road for the rest of the night.' That had been the third taxi firm he had called.
'So what are we meant to do?' Serena asked.
Ric shrugged. 'We should have gone home earlier. There was a weather warning.'
'Shoulda, woulda, coulda.' Serena replied, shivering. 'That's what's wrong with this country,' Serena began mumbling, 'a little dust of snow and everything grinds to a halt.'
'Uh it's a little more than "a little dust of snow".' Ric said looking around.
Serena gave him a withering look. 'How close is your house?' she asked.
'Not close enough for that.' He replied, guessing that she was about to suggest they walk. 'We'll just have to stay here.'
'Ugh!' Serena grumbled, she linked her arm through his and snuggled against him slightly. 'We could go back to Albie's? A nice brandy? Warm us up?'
'Albie's was closing when we left.' Ric reminded her.
Serena sighed loudly. Ric turned them both around and they went back inside.
'At least the office is warm.' He told her, trying to look on the bright side.
'The office?' she asked with raised eyebrows. 'If you think I'm sleeping on a chair for the night in a building full of beds you can think again.' She pressed the button for the lift.
'We can't sleep on any of the wards, how would that look? It's bad enough being on the premises and intoxicated.'
'Oh who even knows the difference?' Serena asked at the precise moment she stepped to enter the lift and stumbled after catching her foot on the edge.
Ric caught her by the arm and kept her from falling.
'Oh yes, it's not noticeable at all.' He said sarcastically.
'That was an accident, could happen to anyone!' Serena said huffily. Ric simply smirked.
Serena automatically pressed the button for Keller.
'Is that a good idea?' Ric asked.
'All my ideas are good.' She replied cockily. 'Hasn't that sunk in yet?'
Ric rolled his eyes. Serena leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He felt himself smile and let his head rest against the top of hers until the lift reached Keller.
'Not what?' he asked as they emerged.
'The On Call room.' She replied as if it were obvious.
'What if it's being used?'
'It better bloody not be!' Serena said. 'Malick and Diggory have only been on shift for 4 hours. If they can't manage that long without a lie down at their age!'
'Digby.' Ric said.
'What?'
'His name his Digby not Diggory.' He told her.
Serena stared at him as if wondering why he would bother voicing such a trivial fact when they had greater concerns to deal with.
'Anyway, not even Malick has the balls to throw either of us out of the On Call room.' She said. Ric nodded in agreement, she had a point.
When they reached the On Call room Serena said she needed the loo. Ric went inside and was relieved that it wasn't in use. Because even if no one on the ward would have the balls to throw them out, he would not take a bed from a colleague who genuinely needed it just because they had been too daft to go home on time.
It was at that moment that it dawned on him there was only one bed in Keller's On Call room.
'Thought you'd gone home?' Malick asked when he spotted Serena emerging from her and Ric's office.
'Change of plan. Seems the snow is causing a bit of bother and there are no taxi's running.' She replied.
'A bit of bother?' Malick asked. The city had pretty much shut down. 'I did warn you.'
'Yes, yes Mr Malick.' Serena rolled her eyes. 'You are indeed wise beyond your years and we should have listened to you. Naughty us!' she gave herself a pretend slap on the wrist.
'So you're going to sleep in the office?' he surmised, ignoring her sarcasm.
'No, the On Call room.' She eyed him carefully. 'It's not like any of you strapping young people will need it.' She smiled.
'No. Help yourselves.' Malick said flatly and watched her saunter off.
She found Ric sitting on a chair in the On Call room. She plonked on the bed without a word and produced a bottle of wine and two mugs from her bag.
'Where did you get that?' Ric asked in surprise.
'Remembered I had it in the office.' When she saw his look of disapproval. 'It was meant to be a gift for someone but I left work last week without it and, well, now it's ours!' she unscrewed the top.
'Do you really think consuming more alcohol is wise?'
'Yes.' She said smiling. She pouted it into the mugs and handed him one. Ric hesitated slightly but took it. 'In for a penny, in for a pound.' Serena said.
Ric read the label on the bottle. He was surprised that it was quite a cheap wine.
'It was a gift for someone I don't particularly like.' Serena told him, noticing the look on his face. 'I didn't see the point in wasting a good bottle on them.'
Ric laughed. He took a sip of the wine and winced slightly. 'Oh this is going to make for a vicious hangover tomorrow.'
Serena nodded in agreement after sipping her own. 'Perhaps in future I'll make sure to buy a good bottle no matter who it's for. Just in case of any future incidences like this!' It really was not good wine.
'I can't imagine incidences like this will occur very often.'
'No. Shame.' She said, her eyes twinkling before she winked at him.
