Two of a Kind

By Louise Rose

Chapter 1

Ruth Winters was as cold as her name. She never socialised so she didn't really have any real friends. She woke up everyday purely to do a job, no other reason. Although, she was proud of what she had achieved, not many people could have gone through the childhood she had and got as far as being a doctor.

And to think she wanted to throw everything away a few months ago. How she wished she had never written that journal and attempted suicide. Over three months had passed since that night and she was still convincing people that she was Ok, even when she wasn't. As she lingered over that thought there was a knock at her door.

"I made you a coffee, Ruth," said a soothing voice that belonged to Toby De Silva, Ruth's fellow F2 who she worked at the hospital with.

She looked confused by his kind gesture and nodded in thanks.

"I'm gonna head to work in a bit, would you like me to walk with you?"He asked thoughtfully.

But it was kind gestures like this that got to Ruth. She was 24 and perfectly able to get herself to work.

"No, Toby, I think I can manage, I'm not gonna top myself on the way to work, am I?" She knew her reply was unfair but couldn't seem to help it.

"God, sorry Ruth, I was only trying to be nice, you should try it some time," Toby left the room feeling his good deed had gone unappreciated once again.

Ruth didn't mean to be rude to Toby, she didn't even dislike him, but there was something that irritated her about him. Perhaps she thought he'd had an easy life compared to her, he didn't have to pay his own way through medical school like she did. Or perhaps she disliked his upper-middle class upbringing and his well spoken voice.

--

Meanwhile on the other side of the city, Jac Naylor a registrar was getting ready for her day. Jac lived alone, she 

wasn't the friendliest of folk around these parts. Her ideas of how to reach the top had earned her a bad reputation at Holby City Hospital.

Recent events had made her think more carefully about her actions. Was it really worth being this cold, manipulative bitch just for the sake of her career? Maybe she needed friends after all. Not necessarily friends in high places, just real friends.

Of course this quest for friends was going to be difficult. Nobody would trust her now, not after everything she had done. Everybody saw how she broke Joseph Byrne's heart and tore his family apart. The younger staff felt intimidated by her and everyone she worked with feared being stitched up by her. Or as some staff members like to call it, "Naylored" by her.

She put the thoughts of her past to the back of her mind as she pulled down the visor on her helmet and started the engine on her motorbike. Perhaps today would be the day she made a real friend.