PART ONE

With one hand, Jac Naylor surveyed the one photo of Joseph she'd kept on her phone. Her face cracked into a rare smile of genuine affection, rather than the usual sarcastic smile she reserved for use on everyone else. With her other hand she checked her phone; there were no messages. Reaching into her pocket she replaced her phone and drew out her pager, the name of the previous owner still stuck to the bottom. Jac ran her fingers over the label and sighed. The pager beeped. Jac ignored it for a second, lost to her thoughts. Then with a sweep of her golden hair, she regained her composure and exited the staff room.

"There you are Ms. Naylor, I've been looking for you," the American drawl of Michael Spence filled Jac's ears as she turned on the spot to face him.

"Well now I am found," Jac said derisively. "I take it was you who paged me?" Michael nodded. Jac smirked. "I love it when you need my help Michael."

"Who said I needed your help..." Michael began but Jac cut across him.

"Oh please Michael we both know what you're like. You've blundered and you need me to sort you out." Michael snorted. Jac glared at him.

"Whether or not I need your help, which I don't, is not the point. I need you to come take a look at Mr. Smith."

"And what, pray, may Mr. Smith be suffering from that the Great God Spence can't solve without the help of little old me?" Jac asked mockingly.

"He's complaining of chest pains."

"Chest pains? What did you do, give him a boob job?"

"Very funny Jac," Michael said, but his face remained sullen.

"Oh all right, lead me to him, but I really have to get back to something quickly." Jac conceded. Michael gestured for Jac to follow him. Jac walked purposely ahead. Sighing, Michael let it go.

"So Mr. Smith, my name's Ms. Naylor, I'm the Cardiothoracic Consultant, what seems to be troubling you, apart from I assume, Mr. Spence's obsession to make you look a lot less old and a lot more plastic." Michael glared at her. Mr. Smith looked bewildered. He was an elderly man, that is to say he was approaching his late sixties.

"I've got these searing pains in my chest..."

"Are they short or long pains?"

"Short." Jac makes a note of this in his file.

"Anything else?"

"I keep sweating and I feel nauseous." Jac nodded, her brain working furiously.

"What about back and neck pain?"

"Oh yes, excruciating neck pain!"

"Shortness of breath?" Jac inquired. Mr. Smith nodded. Jac turned to Michael. "I think I can make a diagnosis then Mr. Spence, although why it hadn't occurred to you...I guess we'll never know." Mr. Smith looked up at her, worried.

"Do you know what's wrong with me Doctor?"

"It is my belief Mr. Smith, that you may be suffering from a form of angina."

"Is it curable?"

"We'll do what we can," Jac reassured him. "First we need to run a degree of tests to ascertain whether you are indeed suffering from angina." Jac left.

Jac sat alone in the staff room again, sipping a mug of black tea. Every so often Jac took out her mobile, checked it and then returned it to her pocket. She began to tap her fingers softly against the wood of the table. Behind her the door swung open creakily. Sahira stood, exhausted. Seeing Jac, Sahira moved towards her.

"You do not know the day I'm having!"

"But I'm about to find out," Jac said without looking up.

"I have been rushed off my feet since I came on shift! Seriously, I haven't stopped in seven hours! It is manic out there!"

"Looks like it was manic at home too..." Jac said evilly.

"What?" Sahira said, then looked down at her shirt. "Oh I don't believe it!"

"Here" Jac passed Sahira a cloth from her pocket.

"Thanks Jac." Sahira sat down beside her. She noticed Jac continually checking her phone. "Something up?" Jac shook her head as she placed her phone back in her pocket for the umpteenth time. Sahira placed her hand on Jac's arm. "I'm a mother, I know when something's wrong with my kids..." Jac withdrew her arm from Sahira's hand.

"I am not one of your kids princess!" Jac scowled.

"I didn't mean. I meant I can tell when something is bothering someone," Sahira explained. Jac frowned.

"It's nothing okay. Now why don't you go and be all little miss perfect out there and leave me in peace!" Sahira knew she was beaten and left. Jac sighed. Then without warning her mobile began to ring. Jac watched it ring for a few seconds before she answered.

"Jac Naylor speaking."

"Ms. Naylor, I have some very bad news for you." Jac did not need to hear the answer, deep down she had already known. Something in her heart had told her. "Ms. Naylor are you there?" Jac did not reply. "Ms. Naylor?"

"I'm listening..."

To Be Continued...