Zoe pushed open the door to ICU with a single hand, she only managed to open it halfway before she retracted her hand. Touching anything in this hospital seemed wrong, twisted. It burned to the touch. Right down to the very building. Max was around every corner, lent against every wall. She kept her arms pinned to her sides.

Zoe let her eyes close for a second, attempting to collect herself. The light filtering through her eyelids glowed orange, she heard the echo of disembodied screams at a distance, heat surrounded her. The dark abyss expanded below threatening to consume her. Her eyes snapped open. She sighed heavily.

Zoe pushed the door open with her shoulder and slipped inside.

Charlie was in the bed right ahead of her wincing in pain as he tried to shuffle. He looked older and more frail than she had ever seen him. The beating heart of the ED lay still. She was at his side in an instant, she took a pulse check and listened to his chest almost out of force of habit rather than professional concern. Her hands were shaking too much for any kind of accurate reading.

"I've got it. Don't move too much, your ribs need time to heal."

Zoe rearranged his pillows and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, guiding him back down to rest. A weak smile played on his lips, the corner of his eyes crinkling.

"Hello stranger."

The lack of strength in his voice showed just how weak he really was, Zoe felt tears starting to well up in her eyes. Crying had become sort of a default emotion, the feeling of tears all too familiar. She hadn't managed to get through a day without them. Not yet.

She cleared her throat. The next few words she was attempting to articulate had been whirling around in her head all week relentlessly. The moment was finally here and she couldn't quite find the strength to voice them.

"Charlie Fairhead. You saved my life...thank you."

The tears began to flow freely. Her voice was strangled, the words came out choked. There was a moment of silence between them.

"And I would do it again Zoe, in a heartbeat."

Zoe met his gaze, her mouth slightly ajar. Reaching for his hand, she squeezed it. Charlie shuffled closer to her on the bed, he reached out and placed a hand on her chin guiding her eyes to meet his.

"But you have to promise me one thing."

Zoe wiped away a tear and nodded.

"Anything Charlie."

"Go and find him. Max. Go and find him and sort this out."

Her shoulders slumped, the fight leaving her once again. It all felt so hopeless.

"Now I don't know what happened. That's between you and him. But what you have Zoe is more than just fleeting, it's permanent. It's real and won't ever go away."

Zoe hung her head, guilt threatening to bury her.

"Charlie I-"

"You have to start trusting yourself again, and trusting him. I think he is owed another chance at making a decision just as you are."

He placed a gentle hand on her cheek and wiped away a trailing tear.

"Zoe darling you have to believe you are worth loving. You deserve it more than most, and you'll get it."

She nodded slowly.

"Thank you." Her voice was no more than a whisper. She wiped away more tears that were threatening to fall.

"Can I get you anything?"

He shook his head slowly.

"I just need rest."

Zoe rose from the bed and, taking one last look at the man to whom she owed her life, walked towards the doors. Through the pane of glass, she could see Connie standing at the end of the hallway her arms crossed tapping her foot expectantly, no doubt about to raise hell as to why she was back at work so soon.

"Oh actually Zoe there is one thing?" Charlie called.

Zoe spun around, a smile gracing her features.

"I could murder a satsuma."