"I have fallen in love before, I do recognise the symptoms."
With a small smile, Serena walked off and back upstairs to the ward, her heart thumping louder with every step. For goodness sakes Campbell, get a grip! She scolded herself, glancing out of the window of the staircase and out into the car park. You're acting like a lovesick puppy! This is highly unprofessional and you know it.
But a small part of her just couldn't bring itself to agree. It had gotten to the stage now where the trauma doctor was a permanent resident in her thoughts. Phone buzzes, she hopes its Bernie. Catches a glimpse of a blonde curly mop of hair in the street- was that Ms Wolfe? Love song comes on the radio? "You" is replaced by "Berenice" and it's a wonderful, wonderful feeling.
"For goodness sakes." Serena muttered, running her hands through her hair and sighing. "Just when I thought my life couldn't get any more complicated I fall in love with a woman. Brilliant."
Despite the obvious irritated tone, the consultant couldn't help but smile.
"I am in love with Berenice Wolfe."
It sounded funny out loud. Funny, but real.
"Ms Campbell quick, Mr Robert's ulcer has burst and we need to get it out ASAP." Raf shouted from the doors to AAU, and Serena was jolted from her thoughts.
"Right, right I'm coming. Page theatre." She called back, breaking into a jog as she caught up with the swiftly moving bed as it disappeared through the doors to the theatre corridor. The woman quickly scrubbed in and made her way into the operating theatre, to find Bernie stood over the patient holding a scalpel. She glanced up when Serena entered, and her cheeks twitched. Serena however looked confused.
"I thought this was Raf's patient?"
"Oh it was. But I lost a bet and this is what I ended up with." She shrugged, feigning boredom.
"Oh, um, right, ok. So what have we got?"
"Ulcer on the lung has burst, top right."
"Top right?" The brunette paused. "That's dangerously close to the heart. Shouldn't we get someone from Darwin- Mo maybe?"
Bernie shook her head.
"There's nobody free, its manic up there today. We're going to have to do this. Together."
The two locked eyes and time seemed to stand still as Serena understood what the other woman was saying. She glanced at the patient and took a deep breath, before finally nodding and clearing her throat.
"Yes, yes ok. We're more than capable, let's do this."
Bernie grinned and passed Serena a scalpel.
"Fighting talk. Perfect."
...
30 minutes into the operation and a loud, incessant beeping broke the comfortable silence of the theatre. Serena glanced up and her face whitened.
"BP's going through the floor."
"Yep, we've got a bleed from the coronary artery. I must have nicked it somewhere when cutting the end of the ulcer, damn." Bernie hissed. "This has just added at least an hour onto things, it's going to need patching up."
"That's alright, it's not as if we've got anywhere to be is it." Serena smiled. "You work on the artery, with suction it shouldn't take long to locate. Then you can patch it up while I cut out the rest of the ulcer. 2mg of adrenaline please." The brunette nodded to the anaesthetist before beginning to suck up the blood that was rapidly ebbing from the artery
If Serena had looked up at that moment, she would have seen Bernie's face looking back at her with raised eyebrows and a smile so warm that it could have melted the ice caps.
...
"Finished."
The consultant breathed a sigh of relief after tying the final stitch and watching Mr Roberts leave to recover.
"God, that felt like the longest op ever." Bernie groaned, removing her gown and gloves and going to lean against the newly empty table.
"Tell me about it, I'm shattered." Serena mumbled, stifling a yawn as she did the same. They stood in a tired yet comfortable silence for a while before Serena spoke again.
"What was the bet?" She asked.
"Hmm?"
"You said you ended up with Mr Roberts after losing a bet."
"Oh that? It was just... It was nothing." Bernie shrugged, though her eyes began to glitter, something that didn't go unnoticed by her colleague who stood up straight, crossing her arms.
"No, no, I want to know what it was."
Bernie looked up into her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"
"Yes!"
The trauma doctor took a deep breath and looked down to her feet.
"I bet Raf I wouldn't fall in love with you."
...
Silence fell over the room as Serena froze. One part of her was saying "Who was she to bet on something like this? And how the hell does Raf know?!" but the other half was yelling "Yes! This is what you've been waiting for Serena, tell her you love her back!"
The volume of the voices grew and grew until Serena's thoughts became one loud, incoherent noise. The room felt as if it were swaying as Bernie looked up from the ground. But before she could say a word, Serena leaned forwards and kissed her.
Immediately the voices stopped and her mind became calm again. Her stomach flipped as she felt Bernie's hand wrap around her waist, then she knew she made the right decision.
The two broke away and stared into each other's eyes.
"I love you, Serena, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'm only ashamed that I bet on it. I don't know what I was thinking honestly."
"How... How did Raf know, out of interest?" The brunette asked, watching Bernie's nose crinkle slightly as she smiled.
"He noticed all the little things. How I only laughed at your bad jokes, how I kept making excuses to use the office on your admin days, how I stared at the door long after you walked out of it... He noticed it all, put two and two together and indeed got four."
"So you didn't tell him?" Serena asked in surprise.
"No- no! No of course not. I know how... tentative you were about it all. No I would never have done that."
"I-sorry, sorry I just had to ask. But thank you. And I'd better thank Raf for keeping it under wraps too." She smiled. "I bet that took perseverance."
"I bet it did." Bernie smiled. There were a few moments of silence before the doctor stood.
"I should get going, my shift finished an hour ago as it is." She nodded to the consultant before opening the door.
"Bernie?" Serena called quickly, watching the doctors hair swish as she turned her head.
"Mmm?"
"I... I love you, too."