Maddy sighed and slammed the phone back in the cradle as once again the recipient failed to answer. She leant back on the sideboard, taking a minute to compose herself before picking up the phone once again, this time dialling a different number, a number she knew off by heart. It took a few minutes but this time the dial tone stopped."Maddy, is everything okay?" Dan asked. Maddy nodded and sat on the sideboard, curling her legs underneath herself, "I just wondered i you had time for a chat". Dan sighed, "Now's not a good time Mads" "Well can I ring you later?" she asked, "No can do Mads, got a hot date tonight, I'll ring you tomorrow to tell you all the goss" Maddy shook her head, "Don't bother" she sighed, once again slamming the handset into the cradle as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She grabbed her jacket and bag from where they were hanging at the bottom of the stairs, and walked out to her car as she began to furiously wipe the tears from her cheeks.
No one on AAU failed to notice the fact that Maddy was in a foul mood, "Dr Young calm down" Linden snapped as Maddy slammed a pile of files onto the nurse's station. Maddy said nothing but quickly stormed from the ward, Linden following close behind, "I don't know what's gotten into you today but it's unac. . ." he trailed off as he saw her sat on the stairs, her head in her hands, but the tears running down her cheeks were still obvious, "Maddy?" he said softly, crouching down in front of her, "Leave me" she told him, but he shook his head, "What's all this for?" "It's nothing" Linden sighed, knowing Maddy wasn't going to open up to him, not in the middle of the stairwell anyway. "Take a break" he told her, "Have half an hour, have a coffee, get some air, do whatever it takes to put you in a better mood". "I've already had my break" she protested, but linden shook his head, "Take another one" he told her, "Doctors orders" he winked playfully and helped Maddy to her feet, "And you know where to find me if you decide it's not nothing that's upsetting you"
Maddy leant against the cool brick wall and inhaled deeply closing her bleary eyes as the smoke from the cigarette in her left hand filled her lungs, the nicotine instantly relaxing her. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and quickly pulled it out, seeing 'Dan' flash up on the display she quickly pressed reject and slipped the phone back into her pocket. It took a few seconds before her phone vibrated again, this time signalling a text, 'I'm sorry Mads, I've just realised what day it is, let me know you're okay, Dan x' . Maddy didn't bother to reply before she put the phone back in her pocket, and took one last drag on her cigarette before stubbing the butt into the ashtray on the wall, and walking back into the hospital.
She was reading over a patient's notes when she felt her phone vibrate again, she pulled the phone from her pocket, and glanced at the screen, this time she answered Dan's call, "Leave me alone" she said sharply, ending the call before throwing the phone into Mark's lap as he sat at the nurses station, "if he rings again tell him to walk under a bus or something" she said walking towards Linden's office an knocking on the door, she waited for him to call her in, before taking a deep breath and pushing down on the door handle, she walked into the office, not able to lift her eyes from the floor, "What can I help you with?" Linden asked. Maddy was tempted to tell him it was nothing and leave, or at the very least ask for his opinion on a patient, but she gathered up all the courage she had, before raising her gaze from the floor, "I, erm, I think I'm ready for that chat now..."