Hi Guys, Sorry I've not been updating my other stories. I've been very very busy with work but this one-shot just popped into my head when I couldn't sleep last night and I thought I'd quickly type it out today. Please review and let me know what you think. Also I have an AU Zylan fic idea so let me know if you'd be interested in that. Anyway, enjoy! :)
"Time of death 17.06". Zoe sighed, removed her bloodied gloves and left resus with her head down, determined not to let the junior doctors see the tears that were threatening to fall. She'd connected with her patient, a young woman 15 weeks pregnant with her first child. As soon as she'd crashed Zoe knew that she wasn't coming back but the team worked tirelessly for 35 minutes desperately hoping to be wrong.
Trudging down the down corridor towards her office Zoe didn't notice anything around her, she kept her head down, reaching her safe haven and closing the door behind her. Unbeknownst to her Max, her estranged husband had seen slow walk back to her office and knew exactly what had taken place in resus.
Sitting at her desk with the blinds around the room tightly closed Zoe sobbed silently into her hands, berating herself for not saving the girl and for giving in to her emotions. She hated anyone seeing her like this in case they thought she was weak. She knew every doctor in emergency medicine would react like this at some point but working with Connie, the most unemotional woman she'd ever met, she couldn't help feeling weak and irrational.
"A large hot chocolate please Honey and two of these as well," Max said as he picked up two Curly-Wurlys.
Max was glad Honey was busy and didn't have time to chat. His insides were churning so he was in no mood for chit chat. The walk back down the corridor was longer than he'd remembered it being as he doubted he was doing the right thing.
Looking up at the clock Zoe saw she'd been locked away crying for a solid 10 minutes. Fighting a losing battle to pull herself together she began internally bargaining with herself. "If I can stop crying in 2 minutes I can have a fag before going back". "i'll move at 5.23." Her thoughts were interrupted by buttons on the lock being pressed. She cleared her throat and tried to wipe the tears off her face as best she could before looking up to see Max in front of her.
"Here." He handed her the cup of hot chocolate. "You look like you could use it and these as well." He pulled the two Curly-Wurlys out of his back pocket and placed them down on her desk.
Seeing her tear stained face was rousing all kinds of feelings deep inside him that he had been trying his best to forget about since their wedding day several months before.
"Thank you." She all but whispered as he turned to leave. Her heart was aching for him. She just wanted to be held and he knew it. "Max, stay."
He spoke without turning around to face her. "I still love you, you know Zoe and I'm sorry that what happened today happened."
"I love you too." As she spoke her voice cracked and the tears started to fall again. She moved to the small sofa and sat down as Max was still frozen in the spot unsure what to do.
"Is this about what happened in Resus or…?" He still couldn't look at her but he was worried this was something more than losing a patient.
"It was."
He finally turned and sat next to her on the sofa. "I am still here for you, you know."
"Hold me?" It wasn't really a request, she needed him, and he couldn't help but reach for the woman whom he'd once promised to spend the rest of his life with.
She rested her head on his chest and sobbed as he gently rubbed her back and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. And in that moment, for the first time since her wedding day, she felt that everything was going to be ok.