Connie slips off her heels after countless hours at the ED. Her muscles feel knotted and tense. She heads to the kitchen and pours herself a well-deserved glass of white wine. As she holds the cool glass to her face she lets out a sigh, recollecting the moments of the day. 'Why does Rita have to be so unruly? She really needs to work with me not against me' she thought to herself. 'She is constantly undermining me. Why can't she see I'm just trying to make the ED the best it can be. I don't want to have to resort to letting her go.'
After shaking the negative thought from her mind she decides to run herself a bath. She walks to the bathroom, turns on some soothing classical music, picks up a lighter and lights a few scented candles. The warm orange glow illuminates the bathroom. The rose aroma swirls around the room as she turns on the taps. Connie then tips a sizeable amount of her favourite bubble bath into the steaming water.
Connie unzips her pencil skirt and let it fall to the floor. She gets undressed and gracefully slides into the warm water, the thin layer of bubbles parting for her. She breathes heavily as the water covers her aching muscles. Carefully wrapping her fingers around the glass of wine she brings it to her lips and takes a sip, the alcohol calming her mind as she places it back on the side of the bath. Connie stares at the flickering candle in front of her, lost in thought as her body starts to relax, the warm water caressing her tired body.
Connie closes her eyes as the surrounding steam and scents allow her whole body to unwind.
Connie enters the hospital; the lights seem a lot brighter than normal. Her face contorts with confusion as she watches hundreds of tiny bubbles floating into the ED. Following the bubbles she drifts across the reception looking around at the familiar faces.
She is startled by a loud burst of laughter. Rita, Robyn and Lofty were laughing hysterically. She looks over at them, her eyes fell on Rita. The bubbles were circling around her like a friendly tornado. Connie couldn't take her eyes off her. She walked closer, her eyes never leaving Rita's face. 'Rita is so beautiful' she thought 'why haven't I realised this before?'
Connie was enchanted. The way Rita's eyes sparkled when she laughed made Connie smile. The fluorescent lights of the ED hit Rita's hair; it shone brightly with a hundred shades of gold.
Rita was still laughing with Lofty; then she saw Connie. Rita stopped laughing and took a step towards her. Connie gazed into Rita's eyes and lost herself in their intense colour. Rita gently took Connie's hand sending a warm sensation coursing through Connie's arm. Rita looked at her with concern. 'Are you okay Mrs Beauchamp?' She asked 'You look a bit cold'.
Connie felt a strong chill overcome her entire body. She opens her eyes. After blinking a few times she realises she is still in the bath and the water is freezing. The music was still playing but most of the candles had gone out. Moments from the dream came flooding back to her. 'Well that's new' she thought as she contemplated the meaning behind the dream.