I don't own Holby city or the characters, if I did it would be a lot gayer and very very badly written.


Serena sighed, her face visibly relaxing as she took a moment to breathe. It had been a particularly difficult day and this was the first time she could remember being able to breathe since walking through the AAU doors at the start of her shift. Two coaches had collided on the ring road and, as the closest hospital, Holby had to pick up the pieces. AAU had been swamped all day with referrals from the ED. It was lucky, thought Serena, that all of the team had been in. God knows what would've happened if Fletch, Raf, or Bernie hadn't been there. It had been hectic enough without having to deal with locums and agency staff.

But there was something else, too. It was an RTA. The injuries didn't get to her as much as when she had been at med school. But the more serious ones did still linger in her mind. The taxi driver stuck under a lorry for three hours before they could cut him free. The seven year old girl rescued from a burning car, her pink tutu singed black.

The consultant sat at her desk, her mind drifting.

She was so distracted that she didn't hear the gentle tapping at first. It was only when a delicate, and slightly apprehensive, "Serena?" came through the locked office door that she realised there was someone on the other side of it.

Bernie. Serena thought. "I'm coming. I'm coming." she breathed. Taking a moment to calm herself down as she approached, she unlocked the catch.

"How can I help you?" She dropped her professional consultant pretence as soon as her eyes found the woman responsible for the tapping. Bernie looked almost as exhausted and Serena felt. Her was golden hair more tousled than usual after hours of being raked with gloved fingers. Serena had to fight the urge to flatten it to its usual wavy self. Something about Bernie's demeanour was far from her usual strong appearance. This was a thing she had only seen a few times, when Marcus found out about her affair and later that day when she herself had stupidly and coldly rejected her when she had no one else. That mistake still troubled the consultant although she was glad that they had overcome it.

A husky voice snapped Serena from her thoughts. "We were thinking of going to Albie's as a sort of celebration for surviving such an awful day," the blonde explained. "And considering the week we've had, I think we deserve it," She continued as she threw her right arm in the air in exasperation. It was then that Serena noticed that they were not alone. Fletch and Raf were stood slightly away from the door, deep in conversation about a homework project of Evie's. They looked almost more exhausted than the two consultants.

It was true. Their week had been hectic to say the least, two major accidents in five days was a hell of a feat. It was a wonder that they had survived themselves. "I'm not sure" said Serena finally. Thinking the only place she wanted to be now was at home wrapped in duvet and trying not to think about the amount of paper-work she was going to have to fill out after this.

"Oh come on Serena. You look like you need a break as much as I do." joked the ex army medic. The brunette couldn't argue with that. However she still resisted letting her colleagues get her drunk; god knows what she'd say. She wasn't herself today. Serena scrambled to think of a suitable reason for her declining the offer. Jason was away visiting Alan so he couldn't be used as an excuse. His normal slot of a Wednesday had been moved to today which had, unsurprisingly, caused all sorts of problems-most of which centred around Jason missing 'The World's strongest man' on television.

Thinking of Jason made Serena sigh, forcing her back to the present situation. She realised she had been asked a question when she saw the hopeful hazel eyes of the blonde staring back at her slightly confused darker ones. Serena could clearly see the purple clouds hanging like suitcases under her eyelashes, she wondered if hers looked as bad. "Sorry what did you say?".

Bernie's forehead knotted momentarily, she had never seen Serena be anything but together, today she hardly recognised her. "I was asking if you were going to join us but it seems you don't have a choice."

"What?" Exclaimed the slightly startled brunette.

"You're coming with us whether you like it or not!" answered the blonde as she picked up her friends scarf from the hook and placed her bag in her hand. I'm not leaving you alone in this state, she thought as she draped the scarf around Serena's slender shoulders. They had only been working together a short time and Bernie could already consider her colleague as a friend. She wasn't about to let her wallow in a bottle of shiraz, alone, with not even Jason for company. Using the leverage of the scarf she practically yanked Serena from the door in order to close it. Once accomplished she turned to the two men. Having broken their conversation to observe the proceedings, they looked relieved that their boss had finally been convinced to join them.

Serena gave in to the fact that she couldn't resist the "invitation" any longer and the four of them exited the ward. Fletch and Raf walked in front, resuming the discussion about how best to tell Evie that Raf'd forgotten to do the homework project he'd promised to help her with.

The two women walked in silence. They were far too tired and far too sober for idle conversation. Bernie kept shooting brief glances at her colleague. Her worried looks were met with forced smiles and the occasional exasperated sigh from the brunette. She could get fed up of her worrying all she wanted, Bernie was not going to stop until Serena stopped acting so different.